What it Means to Eat in New Orleans

If there is going to be a food tour anywhere in the world, it should be in New Orleans: the capital of flavor, finesse, and the freedom to eat.

Food means more to us down here—it’s our best memories, it’s a new beginning, it’s possibility itself (we don’t call it soul food for nothing).

But what makes a meal stick so well in our memories? Why do we always talk about food?

The Recipe of New Orleans Dining

In the Big Easy, the difference between “just another dinner” and an earth-shattering meal has everything to do with the big picture. It’s when the details blend together that we find the ultimate sensory experience—body and soul.

You’ll find the recipe below.

Food: a Necessity and a Luxury

It’s comforting to come home on a weeknight and quickly turn the evening into a night on the town, complete with Tapas, Gumbo, Grilled Paninis, Seafood Pizzas, Oysters on the Half Shell, Chicken Parmesan, or even delicate dinner Crêpes. Limitless options yield limitless possibilities. And they’re all delicious.

C-W-B: Cocktails, Wine, or Beer

Whether you’re sitting down, standing up, or dancing around a tailgate, the rule of C-W-B is simple: if you like beer, drink it, if you perfer wine, enjoy it, if cocktails are a must, then so it shall be!

The drinks you pair with your meal have everything to do with your mood. Be merry and drink what you like (even if it’s water).

Ambiance: the Woah Factor

This is what having a good time feels like. You’re laughing with friends or family. The one you love is looking at you as if magic is the electricity that you share when you kiss.

It’s romance. It’s hilarity. It’s intense.

Ambiance all about enjoying the moment, whatever moment that is—intimate, casual, professional, or formal—and rolling with it. It’s where “Laissez les bons temps rouler” comes from.

Company: Tying it All Together

Down here, we have nothing unless we share it. But it’s not only about the Facebook food posts and the stories we share over Boiled Crawfish and a cold one. It’s the people. We share good food, great times, and tasty drinks to do only one thing: make a connection.

Meals in New Orleans are a game changer. They can turn enemies into friends, and friends into lovers. You never know where the moment will take you.

Share a meal, a bottle of wine (or two), and play everything by ear. Enjoy the ride.