Dining Out: Walker's Barbecue
By Peter Thriffiley and Rene Louapre |
There is more to Walker’s in New Orleans East than their world famous cochon de lait po-boy, the yearly food darling of Jazz Fest: In fact, we feel extremely confident in saying that the rest of their menu is better.
Initial Impressions
Peter: Dear God, are we in Destin yet? Maybe I’ll buy a house out here if the barbecue is good enough. Is this it? Just a 10-square-foot ordering space sandwiched between the counter and a huge smoker? Thank God for the industrial dining space out back.
Rene: I drove out here twice in two days. Once they were closed when the Web site and menu claimed to be open. This better be worth it.
The Orders
Peter: I’ve had the cochon de lait po-boy before. Sampler—pork, brisket and ribs with two sides. Potato salad and slaw, thank you very much.
Rene: Sampler, plus half a baked chicken. That ought to compensate for the extra trip out here.
Meat and Sauce
Peter: Look at the bark on the outside of those ribs. Jesus, these are tender. The cochon is actually pulled and not chopped or shredded. Brisket is good, but not as good as the ribs and cochon. Pork is simply better than beef. But the brisket improves with a dunk in the sauce. The sauce is sweet; no real heat there at all.
Rene: When a rib is good enough not to need sauce, a pig angel gets its wings. Salty, juicy, and most importantly smoky, these ribs satisfy a primal urge. The burnt ends of brisket were great, but the rest of the brisket fell flat. The chicken gave the ribs a run for the money, especially dunked in the cumin-scented, paint-thick, sweet sauce. And I did get a little heat in the back of my throat.
Sides
Peter: I like the potato salad. It’s like cold mashed potatoes. Not loaded with egg or mayo either. The cole slaw dressing definitely has a little Creole mustard, and I like the chunk of French bread with the plate as opposed to plain white bread. Just a little reminder that this is still NOLA.
Rene: Next time, just a double order of the collards. You can tell these noble greens soak for hours in a powerful broth studded with pieces of pork that have been simmering since Mardi Gras. Awesome.
Lasting Impressions
Peter: Let the house hunting in NO East begin.
Rene: Definitely worth the drive—twice.
10828 Hayne Blvd. (504) 241-8227. Tues.-Sat. 10:30 till they sell out
Michael Pellera hits the Spot
By Teresha Ussin
Jamila’s Café
7808 Maple St.
(504) 866-4366
 |
How did you find Jamila’s Café?
Well, Jamila, she is the chef, and her husband, Moncef, who runs this place, happen to be friends my wife and I. Before Katrina, I lived on Broadway near Claiborne so we came to eat here quite often. A lot people probably don’t realize how good this place is because Jamila is really dedicated to the consistency of Tunisian Cuisine. The dishes are slightly different due to Jamila’s French influences.
What do you usually order here?
They have a steamed mussels appetizer that’s really good and a really super light broth. Then there is a light Mediterranean Tunisian salad. Usually I get those two for appetizers, then there’s the couscous that’s really good. They do kind of a tomato sauce, and you could get it with a chicken or fish. Those are the items that I really know of that I usually order.
Do you have room for desert? What do you get for desert?
I get the crème brûlée. You said the dark chocolate mousse sounds good—try it, and I’ll get the crème brûlée. We’ll split them both.
Pianist Michael Pellera plays at the Windsor Court in the Polo Club Lounge on Thursdays from 7-11 p.m., Fridays from 7-9 p.m. and Saturdays from 6-9 p.m
