 | By ANNETTE SISCO | Staff writer |
Greetings, New Orleans food fans! This week, Ian McNulty sits down with Chef Emeril Lagasse at 34 Restaurant & Bar, the new Portuguese restaurant built on the chef's earliest memories of home. Willie Mae's brings its famous fried chicken to a modern location downtown. Wonderland and Sea has reopened with a new executive chef, and Alma Café is moving to Mid-City. Nominate your favorite pizza in New Orleans for our readers' poll. Finally, Chef Kevin Belton is already thinking ahead to the day after Thanksgiving, with his crockpot turkey stew and cornbread. 1. Emeril's home cooking. Ian joined Chef Emeril Lagasse for dinner at 34 Restaurant & Bar, which he and his son E.J. Lagasse and their company opened in downtown New Orleans in October. It's a Portuguese restaurant, one that brings modern style and a refined chef’s eye to the rustic flavors of traditional Portuguese cooking. 2. Fried and true? A fire shut down Willie Mae's in Treme a year and a half ago. Now the family has opened Willie Mae's NOLA on Baronne Street with a modern look and an expanded menu that still keeps that famous fried chicken front and center. 3. Wait! There's more. The Tchoupitoulas spot Wonderland and Sea returns with a revamped menu and a new executive chef. Bywater's Alma Café is moving to Mid-City, where Chef Melissa Araujo will continue to showcase the food of her Honduran heritage. And we're asking our readers to nominate their favorite pizza for our latest readers' food poll. 4. Thankful for leftovers. Chef Kevin and Monica Belton love cooking together on Thanksgiving. This year, they're already making plans for leftovers with a crockpot turkey stew and Monica's favorite cornbread. 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! | 
