Cochon

Filed under New Orleans

Cochon is French for my favorite animal in the world and its menu–and decor–had my name all over it, but sadly, I too have my limits when it comes to fatty foods.

We had a couple of martinis at the bar while we waited to be seated. It’s a huge space but uncomfortably humid. By the time we started eating, we had stripped down to the T-shirts we wore under our light sweaters. The service is very brisk, and a few times, our waitress spilled water on our table and on the floor while refilling our glasses and of those around us. Busboys served the dishes without a word and no one ever came back to remind us of what we ordered. The entire time we were there, we chuckled at how the service is up to par with a trendy New York City restaurant on death watch.

The Louisiana cochon is a large chunk of pulled pork stewed with turnips and cabbage. I wish the taste of the stewed vegetables penetrated the meat a little bit more inside. A piece of crackling sat on top and was fought over and eventually split between the Dr. and I. The gumbo was absolute perfection with a little bit of tang and spice. It was made the way I like it: watery and a little light on the rice and heavy-handed on the okra stubs. I could not say the same about the boring alligator meat that, not surprisingly, tasted like chicken. It was a little gamier than regular white meat, but without the chili garlic aioli, it would have been just a chewy and bland beer food.

I made a huge mistake by booking our table at Cochon during our last night together in New Orleans. I was up to here with rich and buttery stews so I feel like I didn’t appreciate Cochon as much as I normally would. If there is a reason to return to New Orleans, mine would be to eat again at Cochon to do it some justice.

Cochon is at 930 Tchoupitoulas Street. Call 504/588.2123 for reservations and get ready to be engulfed by smoke and heat from the kitchen.

Related post/s:
Cochon photos on Flickr

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MiLa Restaurant

Filed under New Orleans

MiLa was a breathe of fresh air after inhaling smog all weekend. MiLa was like a clean bath after being submerged in lard and butter. I know those comparisons are preposterous, but I can’t stress enough how clean my palate was after our lunch at MiLa. For several days in New Orleans, I’ve been treated to a barrage of heavy foods and MiLa was actually the first restaurant among the nine–count them: nine–I visited during my four-day stay that had a fresh, and uncooked, salad on the menu. Needless to say, I devoured those greens like a hungry goat on green pasture. It barely had anything in it but a light lemon vinaigrette dressing with sunflower seeds and I ate it like I was Popeye deprived of Spinach.

The dishes that were cooked equally stood on their own feet. The curried squash soup was thin and light topped with chopped scallops and chives. The shrimp were served with micro greens, frisée, cherry tomatoes and thinly-sliced eggplants tossed in red wine dressing–the best dish among our five dishes. The monkfish was tasty and perfectly seared and was served with a potato purée and sauteed leeks. I wasn’t crazy about the persimmon ice cream, but I allowed myself something creamy and rich after that cathartic meal.

MiLa has one of the best deals in the city. The three-course lunch prix fixe costs $20 without drinks and a la carte entrees do not surpass the $19 mark unless you order a steak for $22. I rewarded myself for such a good find by ordering a bottle of sparkling water for a couple more dollars extra.

MiLa Restaurant is at 817 Common Street. It wasn’t crowded when I went for the three-course lunch prix fixe, but call 504/412.2580 for a reservation anyway to beat the power lunchers.

Related post/s:
MiLa Restaurant photos on Flickr

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