The calendar isn’t always the most accurate read of seasons in New Orleans, where we call know one cool day can quickly lead back to more humidity the next. But there are other cues that let us know where we stand.
The sun sets sooner, shadows stretch longer. There’s the thunder of high school marching bands practicing in the streets, and talk of the Saints playoff chances, even when they’re longer than a Tom Dempsey field goal.
And then, there's just something inside you, rumblings that come from a different part of the belly. These are cravings triggered by time of year, the cycle of harvests, the impending holidays and local habit.
Instead of a fresh tomato salad, it might be tomato gravy ladled up at a Creole-Italian joint like Mandina’s or Vincent’s or Venezia. And autumn means Gulf oysters are inching back to their prime, and the taste of their salty chill is as welcome as a cold front. It’s time for a dozen at Casamento’s or Felix’s, Pascal’s Manale or Mr. Ed’s out by the mall, both with stand-up oyster bars where time seems to stand still.
Maybe color is your cue. At Brigtsen’s Restaurant, they’re fond of saying that brown is the color of flavor. The gumbo and BBQ shrimp, the cochon de lait and the roasted duck are all a tapestry of evidence for why that’s true.
If inner hunter-gatherer needs a primal plate of meat, it’s time for the T-bone at Charlie’s Steakhouse, the lamb neck at Toups’ Meatery or, at the newer bistro Charmant near City Park, a pork chop cut as thick as a Victorian novel and easier to get through.
Some cravings aren’t for flavors, but for settings. The urge to eat outdoors in New Orleans isn’t just a whim. After our long hot summer, it can feel like an obligation. You’re compelled to comply with the opportunity, lest you feel some kind of weird guilt from denying your own pleasure.French Quarter courtyards, Uptown patios, a Mid-City beer garden.. it’s prime time to soak up the season.
Maybe it’s not quite true gumbo weather yet, but our carvings are warming up for the cool down.
