Description: Relying once again on my hotel’s concierge, I requested a good place for lunch where I could eat a substantial meal, as it was likely to be my last for the day because I was flying home. She suggested La Cote Brasserie, a short three-block walk from the Loews Hotel. She also told me that her husband – apparently some kind of expert on New Orleans gumbo – thought the gumbo here was one of the best. A bonus for me, it was not a seafood gumbo, so I could try it.
Unfortunately, almost everything else on the menu was seafood. I ate little mini filet mignons and fries so I could have some food that wouldn’t send me to the ER. But to start, I had the gumbo. I was nervous, because I’m a pretty picky eater and it was made with duck and andouille sausage. But since I was there on the company dollar, I thought if I didn’t like it, I wasn’t out any money. It was served with rice and was probably one of the tastiest, most New-Orleans things I ate when I was there. It wasn’t too spicy, and the duck was shredded, so I didn’t freak out about it or anything. For dessert, I had the special – crème brulee. Very good.
The server was really good – she made sure to check on me after each course to make sure I liked what I ordered. Instead of refilling my water, they just brought me new glasses.
The lunch here, with the gumbo, the main course, a drink, and dessert, ended up being about $40. A bit pricey for lunch, but I think you could just get the gumbo ($5) and make it a meal. It’s kind of off-the-beaten-path, unless you’re attending a conference at the convention center – it was mostly a business crowd.
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