The first thing I have to understand about Nola is that there is absolutely no excuse to eat poorly, even if you are a person of limited means. The city is chocked full of great restaurants and eateries from the very expensive to the absurdly cheap. I could never claim to be an expert on all of these various establishments, although I’d like to try, but what I can tell you is that there are actually more restaurants in Nola now then there were before Katrina. This is not to say they are all fantastic, but the shear density of dining establishments, coupled with the width and breath of theoretical dining experiences they offer, is in a word: breathtaking.
Later on in this blog I will more than likely recount some of the really good meals I’ve had since getting here, and I have had way more than my fair share, and I will most likely do a series of posts about cooking for yourself on an AmeriCorps budget, but for the moment I would like to focus on two things: Vietnamese po’boys and free dining.
The first item takes the form of a recommendation. Nola has a sizable Vietnamese population, mostly located in New Orleans East, and it is there that you will find Dong Phuong Restaurant and Bakery (14207 Chef Menteur Highway). I am kicking myself for not bringing my camera yesterday, because I wish I had snapped a shot of the sandwich I had for lunch at Dong Phuong, because it was magical.
This was my first excursion to Dong Phuong; I don’t have a car and New Orleans East is rather out of the way, but one of my roomies had be raving about this place’s bánh mì (or Vietnamese po’boys as they call them down here) for weeks, and I will eat pretty much anything so long as it is in a Vietnamese restaurant, so I was excited to get my first taste of Vietnamese Nola. For the uninitiated, bánh mì is basically one of the only positive things ever to be a direct result of colonialism. While it in no way justifies decades of oppression and mistreatment, the meeting of French and Vietnamese cooking has to be one of the greatest moments in world history. Ingredients can vary, but the staples are pickled carrots, cucumber, hot peppers, cilantro, and fish sauce on the Vietnamese side, with the baguette and mayo representing the French. The meat can be any number of things, however, I opted for the Vietnamese sausage since that was what my roomie said was best, and let me tell you dear reader, I was not disappointed.
This sandwich was, in a word, transcendent. The pickled carrots and the cucumber were crisp, cool and crunchy; the meat savory and warm, the baguette was fresh and the mayo and fish sauce added just the right note to the orgasmic symphony of flavors and textures.
With the possible exception of the corn beef sandwiches from the Jewish Deli back in Professorsville, this was hands down the best sandwich I have ever had. It was so good I had to get some beef phở to top it off, which was also delicious.
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| It was still really good the next day |
The truly amazing thing about this sandwich, however, was the price: $2.75. I have never paid so little for such a good meal. Granted the soup was $6.00, so I didn’t exactly come out ahead on the deal, but I left that restaurant so satisfied I was afraid I might not be able to enjoy the free Thanksgiving dinner that was being prepared for us that evening by the Friends in Christ Church.
This brings me to my second topic, free food. Finding and obtaining free or practically free food plays a central role in the AmeriCorps experience and in many ways helps to structure your week. On Monday there are $1 red beans a rice at the Hi Ho Lounge (2239 Saint Claude Avenue) on Tuesday the Friends in Christ offer a free taco dinner to all volunteers and AmeriCorps members, and on Sunday the Hare Krishna’s have a free vegetarian dinner open to anyone at their house on Esplanade (2936 Esplanade Ave).
Then of course there are the special events, like the Thanksgiving dinner put on last night, which occasionally expand your free options for the week. Yesterday evening the Friends in Christ Church (quick side note, I am not giving out their name because they work very closely with my employer) put on a Thanksgiving dinner that was also fantastically good, although free food usually is. The meal was the perfect note to end the day, the moist turkey, real mashed potatoes, corn, and pumpkin pie left me both satisfied and ready for bed. I can think of very few things that would have improved the evening, and they almost all require at least two people (preferably 3).
The pursuit of free or practically free food is a largely practical matter for AmeriCorps members. Between their small salaries and propensity for alcohol (again, more on that later) the average AmeriCorps member’s food budget can begin to look rather tight. To ease the situation almost every AmeriCorps applies for food stamps, which adds an additional $200 a month. I myself am not on food stamps, but believe me when I say I am in the minority. Another way I have found to secure at least one additional meal a week is to shop at Whole Foods. I know this may seem odd, given Whole Foods’ rather high prices, but along with those high prices comes really good free samples, free samples that can make a very satisfying lunch if eaten in the right proportions.
As I said before I will probably return to the topic of food frequently, in this city it would be something of crime not to, and this has probably been sufficient for right now, so let me close by way of summary. The main take away points are these: Nola has really good Vietnamese food, but you kind of have to go out of your way for it, and there are many ways to supplement a food budget.
Until next time gentle readers,
Ignatius
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