When I ate with my friends at Tchoup-N-Joes it was so new the phone number wasn't yet in the yellow pages! Still, this is a place worth seeking out. It's located in the revitalized Warehouse District just down the street from Emeril's on Tchoupitoulas. But unlike some stuffy fine dining establishments in New Orleans that you'll have to sell a kidney to afford, this place is cool, casual, and fresh. In a building that once housed a manufacturer's machine shop, Tchoup-N-Joes exudes a modern sense of style that is underscored by industrial music, brick walls, and a plain slab floor that's been acid washed and glazed. Silver pendant lights hang over the marble-topped bar, and flat screen TVs playing the colorful Finding Nemo (of all things!) were mesmerizing to me.
We took a seat at one of the tables and had the pleasure to meet Phyllis, the creative force behind the TNJ menu and style. Phyllis also happens to be closely connected to another NOLA institution, Deanies Seafood Restaurant. We asked her to choose an appetizer for us to eat. She chose well. The oyster tacos that started our meal were out of this world, so we knew the main attractions would be a treat.
Here you can order burgers or po-boys, huge porkchops or seafood. We had the Eggplant Napoleon: an eggplant lightly breaded and golden fried that was layered in a creamy crawfish sauce with mozzarella cheese. My husband had a salmon pizza that was outstanding. The best thing? Nothing was over twenty bucks. Delicious. To top it all off we got miniature pies for dessert.
Tip: Try the sweet potato fries. They're a house specialty.