| By ANNETTE SISCO | Staff writer |
Greetings, New Orleans foodies! With a hint of fall in the air, Crescent City diners are venturing outdoors to enjoy the cooler temps. So this week, Ian McNulty shares 12 hidden patios for outdoor dining. Eric Cook's St. John restaurant is back in a new location. Food festivals fill the New Orleans calendar this weekend, celebrating a native fruit, crispy fried chicken and the cuisine of Central and South America. Readers have chosen their favorite fried chicken in the city. A New Orleans chef makes TIME's list of top emerging leaders. Finally, Debra Broussard shares her Cajun grandmother's recipes for chicken and rice and garden-fresh carrots. 1. Outdoors, in style. With temperatures drifting lower, people are scrambling for outdoor dining, filling seats at the Columns Hotel and packing into the Bacchanal courtyard. But there are plenty of restaurants with lesser known, even hidden, patios that are perfect for right now. Check these out. 2. Back in business. Four months ago, chef/owner Eric Cook closed his restaurant, Saint John, saying its location on lower Decatur Street was holding it back from its full potential — but vowing to return. Now, Saint John is back, getting a new start downtown at 715 St. Charles Ave. 3. Wait! There's more. Serigne Mbaye, chef and co-founder of Dakar NOLA, is part of the TIME100 Next list for 2024. The New Orleans area enjoys a bounty of food festivals this weekend, including the Blueberry Festival in Covington, Que Pasa Fest and the National Fried Chicken Festival. And two restaurants came out on top in our totally unscientific but very popular readers' poll for the city's best fried chicken. 4. Grandmother's cookbook. Debra Broussard's Cajun grandmother grew up in rural Louisiana, the fourth of 14 children in a family that had to make do and live off the land. Her simple recipes for chicken and rice and carrots, using home-grown vegetables, still wow Debra's guests. In New Orleans, the food news never stops. Keep up with all the inside info at Where NOLA Eats. P.S.: Want to support local journalism that matters? Subscribe here. It's our best deal! | 