Brunch, NOLA-Style
After a night of enjoying New Orleans, you’re going to need some food when you wake up.
Since no one likes to wake up early when they’re visiting, we rounded up some of the best places where you can enjoy a good ol’ Louisiana brunch before you venture around the city.
Echo’s Pizza
Echo’s keeps it simple with bagels, granola, and eggs. The real star is their Italian-style filled donuts with chocolate or ricotta. They’re sweet and light, but still decadent. Pair them with chilaquiles – eggs with tomatoes, feta, and crema – and a Bloody Mary for a bit of hair of the dog.
Full Blast Brunch
Full Blast does brunch, and nothing else, so you know they’re good at it. Their mimosas come in three flavors – save yourself the trouble of a decision and order the trio. The crab cake benedict is an interesting take on the classic breakfast dish, and amazing. The hollandaise sauce is made in-house and you can taste the difference – it elevates the dish. Once you try this, you’ll know seafood is meant to be enjoyed in the morning.
Atchafalaya
This upscale restaurant is all about luxury. If you’re leaning towards a lunch dish, try the Rachael – waygu pastrami and gruyere cheese. It’s delicious, even in its simplicity, due to the quality ingredients. If breakfast is your favored choice, the bacon praline waffle is topped with a popcorn-infused anglaise, and you can add a side of bloody-mary braised Southern greens.
Biscuits And Buns
French toast bites are a thing you need, even if you didn’t know it. They’re served with a fresh berry compote, and the best way to start brunch. For your main course, enjoy Southern cooking at its finest, with barbecue shrimp and grits, served with a light, buttery biscuit. If you’re carb-loading, indulge in the full-size french toast, filled with bananas and pancetta – it’s unbelievable.
Elizabeth’s
Picture a typical breakfast of eggs and breakfast meats, then wrap it in french toast. That amazing concoction can be found at Elizabeth’s. Their french toast burrito takes plain old breakfast burritos to a new level by seasoning and frying the tortilla, then dousing the whole thing in syrup and powdered sugar.
DTB
It’s pretty hard to improve on beignets. They’re light pockets of fried dough dusted with powdered sugar, maybe served with a dipping sauce, and so good because you can eat a few with minimal guilt. DTB refused to accept that, and showed that they can be even better by filling them with bananas and topping them with chocolate pastry cream. It’s the way beignets are meant to be done. Enjoy it alongside a fried chicken sandwich that is coated in a thick layer of Cajun batter and served with a spicy mayo.