| BY ANNETTE SISCO Staff writer |
Welcome to Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans! This week, Ian McNulty ventured to the Caesars Superdome to try the Super Bowl menu — and it's a couple notches above hot dogs and beer. Matthew Haines invites visitors to sample his favorite bars in the city's fabled nightlife scene. A Philadelphian on our staff tips us off to the best cheesesteaks in New Orleans. The Balboni king cake is a new confection with an unbelievable story, and the readers' poll for top king cake continues. Finally, New Orleans Chef Melissa Araujo of Alma Cafe shares recipes from her Honduran grandma's kitchen, like rice with chicken and a delectable pork roast. 1. Super bowl... of gumbo?When in New Orleans, if there’s gumbo on the menu, that’s a good place to start. So it goes at little neighborhood joints, and so it was at the Caesars Superdome ahead of Super Bowl LIX. After the gumbo came a lobster sandwich, soft shell crab and a vegetarian banh mi. Read all about Ian's taste-testing adventures ahead of Super Bowl LIX. 2. We'll drink to thatNearly 20 million people visit New Orleans each year, seeking the world-famous food, architecture, music and — of course — the city’s renowned nightlife. Matthew Haines has an insider's guide to the Crescent City bar scene. 3. Wait, there's more!The new Balboni king cake may be the first such pastry that was born of artificial intelligence. As Eagles fans flock to New Orleans for Super Bowl LIX, Philadelphia-area native and investigative reporter Joseph Cranney shares his favorite local spots for hoagies and cheesesteaks. And we want readers' opinions on the best king cake in town. 4. Grandma's kitchen.Two-time James Beard Award nominee Melissa Araujo of Alma Cafe says time with her grandmother in Honduras provided her with “my most cherished memories." This week, Araujo invited writer Jyl Benson into her kitchen and shared recipes for arroz con pollo (rice with chicken) and pork roast. That's it for the newsletter, but in New Orleans, the food news never stops. Get the inside info every day at Where NOLA Eats. P.S.: Want to support local journalism that matters? Subscribe here. It's our best deal! | 