Big Easy Eats: Midnight Snacktime
This May, New Orleans Restaurants’ Big Easy Eats blog series serves up the best places to eat on every occasion!
No matter how much Wendy’s or Taco Bell try to convince us they’re our only late-night sustenance, real New Orleanians know we’ve got far better options. So when your belly is growling during an evening out with friends, turn to these far more appetizing after-hours establishments.
Take the Bombay Club, for example. If you’ve ever stopped by this upscale lounge, decorated in the discerning taste of a British gentleman, you know it’s a destination for expertly poured cocktails, good music, and comfortable armchairs (and what lounge would be complete without these?). But did you know that chef Ricky Cheramie serves up Nouveau Creole cuisine into the night? Try the Bombay Drum, with Lyonnaise potato, sauteed crabmeat, grilled asparagus and sauce bearnaise--they even recommend cocktail pairings.
All-nighters might call for protein-loading; luckily, Hoshun dishes out a huge array of Asian and Cajun flavors, along with an intimidating sushi and roll selection, until 2am. I don’t even know where to start with their menu. Coconut curry soup? Sashimi salad? Crispy ginger shrimp? Hold on, I’ll be right back.
...If you just want a little pre-bed pick-me-up, plenty of places around town offer snacks, sandwiches and small plates. Classy folks can head to Mimi’s in the Marigny for Spanish tapas until 2 a.m. on weekdays (and 4 a.m. on Saturdays!), or hit up Lost Love Lounge’s Vietnamese kitchen down the street for authentic spring rolls and banh mi.
Casual fare-seekers should pop into Maison on Frenchmen in between sets and grab some appetizers, like the garlic french fries or Southern Sampler, with crawfish and alligator bites and a cup of gumbo or jambalaya. Clover Grill is also great for all-night diner food served with some friendly attitude.
Not downtown? Igor’s on St. Charles is an institution famous for its pineapple upside-down shots, but stop in for a late-night burger or thick fries and have a game of pool. Healthier options can be found until 1 a.m. at Pita Pit uptown, which offers a head-spinning array of pita sandwiches. Mid-Cityers will enjoy the giant back patio at Bayou Beer Garden, which serves typical pub fare with unexpected specialties like spicy meat pies and a portobello mushroom sandwich.
(Want to find out more about the best things to do while the rest of the city sleeps? Visit New Orleans Late Night.)
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