One of the most memorable breakfasts I have ever had was in New Orleans, a city in need of a fresh start.

I have had the pleasure of visiting New Orleans twice.  The first time was in 2001, and as soon as we landed in Louis Armstrong Airport, I felt like I was in another country.  Airport announcements were in French as well as English.  The music of Louis Armstrong played overhead, smooth and soothing.  Stepping outside, I felt like I had entered an alternate atmosphere-- warmer, more humid, and with that climate, a slower, more languid pace of life. 

I was charmed by the French Quarter, enchanted by the Garden District, pleased to the see the real Streetcar Named Desire, and fascinated by a Voodoo walking tour, complete with a visit to some of the cemeteries made famous by Anne Rice.  Admittedly, my memories are of tourist favorites; there were swarms of us.  We splurged on an amazing meal at Galatoire’s, where we enjoyed the novelty of old-time Southern hospitality and formality—jackets required for men, even at lunch.  We equally enjoyed the beignets and cafés au lait at the more accessible and ubiquitous Café du Monde, where my husband and I snacked three times a day. 

Etoufee, gumbo, crawfish, beignets, syrupy sweet mint juleps and a Pimm’s Cup at Napoleon House…we indulged in them all, feeling reckless because we knew we would only be eating like that for a few days before returning to our diet of mainly vegetables.

The second trip was in 2009, this time with two children in tow.  The climate and slower pace were the same, but four years after Hurricane Katrina, everything else felt very different.  Many of the city’s residents, forced to flee in Katrina’s wake, have not returned.  There were also barely any tourists this time around.   Even in the French Quarter, which was miraculously mainly untouched by Katrina, the streets were eerily silent most of the time.  The importance of our presence as visitors, in the now struggling tourism-based economy, was palpable. 

We explored on a food-based itinerary, and were pleased that our kids had inherited both our palates and sense of adventure.  They had Po’ Boys at Mother’s.  They tasted, compared and contrasted, and voted on their favorites of the myriad styles of gumbo we tried at several locations.  I preferred the refined, silky-smooth, French-influenced version at Brennan’s, and the kids liked the chunkier, meatier version at Mandina’s. 

This time, our splurge meal was at Brennan’s, which has been family owned and operated on the French Quarter’s Royal Street since 1946.  The décor was traditional and genteel, with a courtyard shaded by lush fan palms and stately magnolias, and outfitted with chairs made of the ornate ironwork for which the French Quarter is famous.  We each had a truly decadent three-course brunch, served on bone china with elegant silverware on top of the starched white tablecloth.  Between the four of us, our brunch included a special version of Eggs Benedict, shrimp and grits, fried oysters, strawberries in a pool of fresh, rich and sweet cream (more like cream with strawberries), and a silky and elegant seafood gumbo.  We topped off the meal with a dramatic dessert-- Bananas Foster, which was created there.  Flambee before noon! Their menu includes many cocktails, and declares, “It's traditional to have wine with breakfast at Brennan's.”  We enjoyed all of the very rich food, the elegant surroundings, and the attentive and decorous service by our tuxedoed waitstaff.  But like the streets outside, the restaurant was nearly empty, which felt very wrong and more than a little sad.

For this Salon Kitchen Challenge of a special breakfast for a New Year, I thought back to that fabulously decadent and unforgettable breakfast we had at Brennan’s, and decided to recreate a version of it back home.  This is definitely a brunch to linger over—you may not be able to get up after indulging in this one! It includes a shamelessly excessive nod to a fruit salad. 

We’re hoping that the next time we visit New Orleans, her residents will have more of their community restored, and there will be more life back in the French Quarter.  Laissez les bons temps rouler!

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New Orleans Brunch for a New Year and a New Beginning

Menu

Mimosas

Café au Lait (ideally with coffee blended with Chicory, in homage to Café du Monde and the local favorite, Community Coffee)

Shrimp and Grits

Seafood Gumbo

Strawberries with Double Cream (like a fruit salad, but so much more)

Bananas Foster

Music: Louis Armstrong and Wynton Marsalis

Story: The History of Bananas Foster, from Brennan’s New Orleans Restaurant.

In the 1950's, New Orleans was the major port of entry for bananas shipped from Central and South America. Owen Edward Brennan challenged his talented chef, Paul Blangé, to include bananas in a new culinary creation - Owen's way of promoting the imported fruit. Simultaneously, Holiday Magazine had asked Owen to provide a new recipe to appear in a feature article on Brennan's. In 1951, Chef Paul created Bananas Foster. The scrumptious dessert was named for Richard Foster, who, as chairman, served with Owen on the New Orleans Crime Commission, a civic effort to clean up the French Quarter. Richard Foster, owner of the Foster Awning Company, was a frequent customer of Brennan's and a very good friend of Owen. Little did anyone realize that Bananas Foster would become an international favorite and is the most requested item on the restaurant's menu. Thirty-five thousand pounds of bananas are flamed each year at Brennan's in the preparation of its world-famous dessert.

Literary Quote: “New Orleans food is as delicious as the less criminal forms of sin.” - Mark Twain, 1884

 © Linda Shiue, 2010