New Orleans New Guard: Tweaking the Classics and Mixing it Up for an Almost Wordless Wednesday

In my last New Orleans post, I spoke about some classic and essential NOLA restaurants and dishes. And now, as promised, I'm going to share some newer spots and innovative  nibbles, some of which are destined to become New Orleans classics in their own right. That dish above - Oysters Delacroix, a succulent plate of plump Gulf oysters, bacon, Napa cabbage, and bread in a buttery broth -  is from one of my new favorite places, Green Goddess.

Of Gumbo, Oysters, & Head-On Shrimp: Essential, Classic New Orleans Eats

Juicy plump barbecue shrimp at Mr. B's Bistro

I have heard people who don't know any better claim that all New Orleans food is the same. "It's all just heavy, saucy stuff," they say. As you may imagine, this generally precipitates a rather stern lecture from me. Yes of course, some, but certainly not all, Creole (and Cajun) food is heavy - but since when is heaviness necessarily a bad thing? Besides, just as with with cocktails, it's all about pacing.

Tales of Many New Orleans Cocktails: 4 Days, 40-plus Drinks, 2 People, 0 Hangovers

Riding the streetcar to lunch at Commander's Palace!

I realize that I may not exactly have my pulse on the zeitgeist, culinarily speaking, with this post. After all, the Internet is currently abuzz with hopeful New Year's food resolutions:  solemn oaths to observe every single Meatless Monday, exuberant promises to lead a low fat lifestyle ... and, of course, many well-intentioned vows to drink less.

Not me! Don't get me wrong: I don't plan to eat nearly as much duck fat as I did in the last week of 2011 - it is unsustainable! - but I'm not kidding myself. Enjoying a good cocktail is one of the profound pleasures of life, one I never intend to give up. And on my recent four-day trip to New Orleans with Poppa Trix I indulged this passion with abandon. No, I don't mean that I guzzled disgusting grenade drinks or sugary, artless, booze filled cups of crap on Bourbon Street. That is a New Orleans drinking experience for people who don't enjoy drinking, but rather crave being drunk. And annoying.