I’ve been looking forward to the new brick-and-mortar location of one of my favorite food trucks, New Orleans to Go. Tonight owners LaToya and Randy Filson opened the doors of their new bistro to give a few friends and fans a sneak peek.
Both Mapquest and my GPS had a little trouble directing me to their new location at 10921 Reed Hartman. But it’s really quite easy. Just turn into the CMC Office Park at Osborne Blvd., north of Creek Road on Reed Hartman, and it’s the first building on your left. Go straight in the building’s front door and you’ll face the door of the NOTG bistro.
LaToya and lovely new employee Crystal
Toya and Randy have jazzed up the two-room space, making it much more inviting than you’d expect from a spot located in a corporate office park. The walls are fittingly painted yellow, green, and purple, with a stenciled fleur de lys border. Vases on the tables hold Mardi Gras beads instead of flowers. Saints’ memorabilia and NOLA-themed artwork complete the scene.
The new restaurant could open as soon as Tuesday, although there are still a few things to be finalized, including the menu. Muffalettas and red beans and rice, which were served up tonight, are likely to be staples.
The space can’t accommodate a fryer (I’m assuming because it’s not fitted with a required exhaust system). But look for blackened fish po-boys, etouffee, and plenty of rotating specials. They plan to be open 10:00-3:00 weekdays, with hours extending into dinnertime on Friday “Fry-Days,” when they’ll fry items like shrimp for po-boys on their food truck in the parking lot and bring them into the restaurant. Fried oysters should be back next month.
Once the bistro is up and running, Randy also plans to take the truck out a couple more days a week, to downtown, one of the other suburban office parks where they’ve built a loyal following, and sometimes Covington, where they’ve done well with the food truck meet-ups (currently once a month, although the mayor has said he would like to have them weekly). NOTG will also continue to do catering.
Stay tuned to New Orleans to Go's facebook page and twitter account for updates. You can also view their twitter feed on their website. I predict I'll be making plenty of Friday night visits to Blue Ash. How about you?
Lobsta Bakes of Maine had such an overwhelming response last weekend to their $9/lb lobster special that they're doing it again. Call Wed. (513-561-0444) to order yours for either Friday or Saturday pick-up this time. They'll steam 'em and crack 'em if you like. Loved these I picked up last weekend. Lobster doesn't get much fresher, cheaper, or easier when you live in Ohio.
On the food truck scene, which is (sigh) waning as we head into winter, New Orleans to Go has flown in some oysters for Oyster Peace-Maker Po-Boys. Now that they've got a great regular gig going in Springdale on Tuesdays, I'm hoping NOTG's supply holds out for what I'm hearing will be this Thursday at 5th and Race. Toya and Randy, save me one, please!
Prassino/Greek To Me has opened on Court Street, and I ate at Turquoise, newly opened on Vine Street, last week. Thank goodness their ezme (which I first fell in love with at Cafe Istanbul) is back.
I'll return with more food and photos, although it may be a bit. Lots going on outside this little food blog, and I'm sorely worried that I haven't seen a certain buff-colored furry guy since Sunday.
On a more upbeat note, my niece's Glee-esque show choir, named Happiness, Inc., was just voted best in the nation at Parade Magazine. Click here to listen to to their version of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah," a song that both inspires me and makes me cry every time I hear it. I'm looking forward to my first trip to Nashville to see her group in the Nationals - and to taste Nashville food!
Yikes, I just listened to that video again, and welled up with gratitude to blogger friends who recently sent me kind words out of the blue. Much appreciated.
Would shrimp and grits get you out and about on a Sunday morning? How about pecan waffles? These are just a couple of the offerings you may find when the New Orleans to Go food truck begins serving Sunday brunch in Eden Park July 3rd. They’re talking about glazed wings to go with those waffles, creole bread pudding with rum sauce, catfish sliders, crawfish and shrimp etoufee stuffed bell peppers, Randy’s sweet cornbread (mmmm), and more, on a rotating basis.
Surprises and responding to customer requests are always just around the bend with these folks, so who knows what other delicious fare will make it onto their Eden Park menu. Look for them next Sunday at the overlook up the hill from Krohn Conservatory (toward the Edgecliff), starting around 11:00 a.m. and ready to feed the after-church crowd. If all goes well with this roll-out, they may extend their Sunday hours and move closer to Seasongood Pavilion later in the day on Sundays.
Eden Park is one of Cincy’s gems, so keep up with what New Orleans to Go is doing there via facebook or twitter and treat yourself to a fine Ohio River view, a visit to the Krohn Conservatory or the Cincinnati Art Museum, or just sprawl on a picnic blanket near Mirror Lake and do some people-watching with some tasty eats, and enjoy a summer Sunday!
Update: Looks like the hours for this Sunday's brunch are now 10:00-3:00.
I’ve made no secret of my appreciation for the food served up by the New Orleans to Go food truck folks, LaToya and Randy Foster. I’m a fan of their continually changing menu (more opportunities to try new dishes!), and they never fail to put a smile on my face.
A couple of weeks ago I tried their Buffalo Chicken BLT Po-Boy for the first time.
Anything LaToya fries – shrimp, catfish, oysters, or this time, chicken – is fried to perfection, and well worth the short wait while she cooks to order. You can also count on a heaping plate of food. My bulging Buffalo Chicken Po-Boy came with sides of red beans and rice and a kicky Cajun potato salad that I want more of - now!
I loved the crisp chicken mingled with sassy buffalo ranch, tomato, and lettuce. But a little somethin’ somethin’ seemed to be missing. When I got home from work that night, I found a message from LaToya: “Eggplant I forgot your bacon!” Yep, I’d been anticipating some bacon on that Buffalo Chicken BLT. Not finding it, I thought perhaps I’d misunderstood and that the “B” was for the Buffalo chicken. Instead of feeling short-changed, when I read her message, I laughed out loud.
I’d gotten wind that lobster, corn, shrimp, and grits might be in the offing the following day, so I headed back to 5th and Vine that Friday. Sure enough, grits were on the menu and I didn’t hesitate to order them. LaToya’s husband Randy told me it was “lagniappe day” – true in more ways than one. When I got back to my desk and opened my lunch, what had beem added to my fabulous grits? Bacon! Another touch that had me grinning.
The New Orleans to Go folks had a brick-and-mortar restaurant in Springdale before they closed it last March, opting to shift gears and go the food truck route when Cincinnati passed legislation allowing food trucks at selected downtown locations. This spring LaToya and Randy started talking about doing an all-you-can-eat crawfish boil – an open-to-the-public get-together with new and old customers and friends, and I kept my ear to the ground as the details settled out. New Orleans to Go - aka A Streetcart Named Desire's - First Annual Bayou Extravaganza was last Friday night, at the clubhouse in the Hebron, KY subdivision where they live.
At $25.00 per person prepaid ($35.00 if you walked in that night without a reservation or ticket), it was a whopping amount of food and a whole lotta fun. I invited my New Orleans-lovin’ friends Trish and Amy from Lima to join me, along with our friend Becky from Bethel, and we had a mighty Zydeco good time.
In fact, the food and frivolity were so good I forgot to pull out my camera when the first plates came out: Wings - with Buffalo, Cajun, barbeque, or Voodoo sauce. The Voodoo wings were hot off New Orleans to Go's truck parked outside the clubhouse when we sat down at our table, so I happily dove into them, with no thought of photo-clicking in my head.
Next up were huge plates of etoufee over dirty rice flanked by fried shrimp and fried catfish - the catfish especially garnered raves from my friends, and proved that my recommendation was well worth their travels. Again, we devoured the food before us, sans camera, although here's a close-up of that marvelous etoufee.
The event was BYOB, but Randy offered his hard lemonade to the adults (virgin lemonade for the kids in the crowd, who were having their own rambunctious time) in these swell souvenir cups. Whatever was in them, this drink was a hit with me and all my gal pals. Randy says he used to make Hurricane Katrinas at the restaurant, and what I wouldn't give to taste one of them.
Finally, it was time for the main event: 100 pounds of crawfish for the room (one of my friends counted about 35 people), served with potatoes and Toya's Cajun corn.
It took us silly Northern girls a while to work on our pinch and suck technique with the crawfish (pinch the tails, suck the heads). We were so full by that point in the meal that we managed to finish only one plate each, plus one for the table, much to LaToya's chagrin ("This is a crawfish boil - you're supposed to eat until you puke," she admonished us).
Somewhere in the midst of the festivities and feeding frenzy, I wisely turned my camera over to my friend Trish. We shall not speak of the demise of her own camera, but I know from spending a week with her in Colorado that she is a fierce photographer.
Sadly (and bad on me), the batteries in my camera were running low once I passed off my camera to Trisha, but she did manage to snap this pic of the pile of crawfish shells wracked up by the "Seventh Ward Posse" when Toya looked at our paltry accumulation of crawfish shells on the newspaper-covered table, pointed to the table next to us, and said, "Now that's how it's done." This photo doesn't begin to do justice to the pile of crawdad shells amassed by those folks.They were serious! And not letting any meat going to waste :)
Of course, this wasn't just an evening of food. It was a par-tay! Lots of great New Orleans music playing all evening long. Beads were bestowed. Handkerchiefs were distributed. Once the cooking portion of her evening was over, LaToya and friends led a Second Line Dance (more photos on my eggy fb page).
A dance called the Zydeco bounce was also involved.
It was a great night. Thanks to Amy, Trisha, and Becky for joining me, and to LaToya and Randy for hosting. My girls and and I are holding our souvenir cups close and looking forward to New Orleans to Go's Second Annual Bayou Extravaganza for another great rendezvous.
To cap it off, as we waited for our cab, LaToya sent us home with the best party favors ever - etoufee with more Cajun corn, one of our favorite dishes of the night! I don't know where she got that corn this time of year, but it tasted like summer - and New Orleans :)
Truth be told, I don't approach Lent as a season of asceticism or deprivation. In my corner of the world, Lent coincides with the wobbly and unpredictable emergence into springtime. An often three-steps-forward, one-step-back dance of hope, stoicism, and the practicality of various outerwear options. Is today the day I can put away my winter coat for good? Is the morning chilly enough I should opt for that wrinkle-free rain jacket I can stuff into my bag by the end of the day when temps are in the upper 60s? Do I dress for the predicted outdoor weather, or the HVAC realities of my downtown office building, which are frequently at odds with each other?
Spring celebrations come in many forms here in the Queen City. It snowed Wednesday on “Fountain Day,” when the Tyler-Davidson Fountain was turned back on for the season. I celebrated by getting a warming grilled cheese and tomato soup from Tom + Chee, who are back on the Square for the season!
Be forewarned that T+C's Fountain Square offerings aren’t as extensive as what you can get at their Court St. location across from the county courthouse, where they have a full kitchen. But you can always get some mighty fine grilled cheeses and soups from their Fountain Square booth. They announce each day’s specials for both locations on their facebook page.
Opening Day wasn’t much warmer, but was certainly better attended. Rather than compete with the baseball crowds and the Findlay Market Opening Day Parade that day, earlier in the week I sampled one of Lunch on Main’s gourmet hot dogs, the Aristocrat, with horseradish coleslaw, fried onions, and bbq sauce. Quite a dog!
Now I have to go back and try their new Conquistador Dog, announced with the wit I’ve come to know and love from their quote-filled facebook page: "Today, I consider myself, the luckiest man on the face of the earth" – Lou Gehrig, after eating the new Conquistador dog at LOM. That's right - there's a new hot dog to help celebrate Opening Day! The Conquistador - 1/4lb dog, homemade black bean/corn salsa, shredded lettuce, sour cream, shredded cheese and tortilla strips."
But what about the fish, you ask? My Friday turned into a fishapalooza indeed!
The New Orleans To Go food truck has been back at 5th and Race several days a week lately (typically Wed.-Fri. – stay tuned to their facebook page for updates). As my faithful readers know, I’m a huge fan of the food served up by New Orleans native Toya and her husband Randy, who runs front of house, er, truck, and greets every customer with his broad, impish smile. Their offerings change daily, which I love, because I just keep getting to try more of Toya’s amazing cooking. I’m never gonna say I’ve had her best dish, because I’m always ready for more. However, this crawfish etoufee-smothered tilapia over seasoned rice I had Friday was one of the most staggeringly delicious things I have eaten in the past year.
New Orleans To Go also has plans in the works for a special Crawfish Boil. Although they haven’t yet announced all the details, they’re talking boiled crawfish, cajun corn, fried fish, shrimp and crawfish etoufee, at $25 per person, prepaid, May 6 in NKY. Stay tuned for confirmation, but Eggy wants to be in the NOTG Clubhouse for this!
From the Gulf Coast to the East Coast, I picked up a couple of lobster roll “kits” from Lobsta Bakes of Maine in Newtown Friday after work.
Good thing I called to reserve them, because owner Kevin Smith told me he’d sold out of them this week. A native of Maine, Kevin is serious about lobsta rolls, down to the authentic buns he gets from Maine.
Kevin told me he was trying to get more buns to fill more orders this week and that some of his customers said they’d be happy for the lobster salad even without the buns. Yes, the lobsta salad is that good. But even more #winning on one of those buns :)
I’m sure Kevin will be offering more lobsta rolls in the weeks to come, but I do recommend you call ahead and reserve. Your best bet for staying on top of what he’s offering when is to sign up for the weekly Lobsta Bakes of Maine e-newsletter – just look on the left-hand column of Lobsta Bakes website to join. This venerable seafood monger has much more to offer than lobster, and usually gets his carefully sourced fish and seafood shipments in on Thursdays (they’re closed Sunday and Monday). In addition to fresh seafood, Lobsta Bakes offers some prepared items, including chowdas and seafood quiches, and if you’re looking to make a dish at home that calls for fish/seafood stock, you can find the real deal here, especially if you call ahead.
Before I sign off and delve into the cioppino I also bought from Lobsta Bakes last night, I want to send out a big Eggy hug to three of my dear blogger friends who have suffered losses this week. Chickory, who always inspires me with her art, photos, and wit, lost her mother (and wrote a poem that brought me to tears). Aunty Belle also lost Granny Cracker this week . . . and gained a tribe baby. Aunty, you asked for comfort food suggestions to celebrate Granny’s passing – the foods I’ve mentioned in this post all comforted me because they were unquestionably made with love. I send that karma forward to you, knowing your clan will celebrate Granny in high style. And to Shamy, who lost her beloved Jake, but is continuing to cook her way through her sorrow, I know you’re not exactly the hugging type, but I wish you well and am glad you’re still blogging, my friend.
Oh, yes, my friends. I am now a card-carrying member of the New Orleans To Go fan club!
On St. Patrick's Day Eve, NOLA To Go's facebook page perked back to life, and when I walked over to 5th and Race last Thursday, I was thrilled to see the "Mobile Food Vendors Only" zone back in action, with Cafe de Wheels, Mr. Gene's Doghouse, NOTG, and the pretzel guy all in attendance. St. Patrick's Day, March Madness, and a welcome burst of spring weather - plus food trucks!
They haven't all been there everyday since (they're mobile, you know), and goodness knows our March weather has been shifty, in typical Cincinnati fashion. But it's great to have 5th and Race return to my lunchtime rotation.
The big blue Taco Azul food truck plans to make its official Cincinnati debut next Thursday, Opening Day. And with the frenzy of baseball-goers and the Opening Day parade, which starts at Findlay Market, I think we can count on some serious street food presence.
Meanwhile, I'm getting my much-missed fix of New Orleans To Go's sweet fixin's, and salivating over what else they have in store.
Last Thursday, I had their Oyster Po'boy with sweet potato fries and apple butter.
Today I had their glazed shrimp po'boy . . .
. . . and this creamy, sweet, fresh lobster, shrimp, corn chowder. It surely warmed me up after my walk and wait in the chill air (they cook to order) and made it all worthwhile.
New Orleans To Go has Lenten Friday specials planned, like "fried fish, mac and cheese, creole potato salad and real cornbread." And I can't wait until a fried green tomato and grilled shrimp po'boy with remoulade sauce makes its appearance.
Stay tuned to their facebook page for news about their crawfish boil. When I asked about it today, they told me they're waiting for the crawfish to get bigger and aiming for sometime after Easter. Sounds like it may be a pre-pay/pre-order deal where you buy by the pound - and get potatoes and corn to go with.
Meanwhile, I highly recommend you check out whatever specials the New Orleans To Go food truck is offering up (offerings change daily).
And ask for one of their new customer loyalty cards like the one at the top of this post. A lot of frequent-buyer cards offer "buy 9 - get the 10th free" incentives. This is "buy 5 - get the 6th free." Of course, I'd be back, regardless.
Enjoy your Friday, and your weekend. I'll be back with more from my Louisville trip - and those red penguins.
A hearty plate of soul food (New Orleans To Go's "Bowl of Soul," with mac and cheese, cornbread, collard greens, and creole meat loaf with barbecue sauce yesterday - thanks again, guys!).
Finishing a load of laundry and discovering all your socks still have their mates.
Going on vacation for the first time in a year.
I'll be winging my way to California tomorrow morning, and it may be a while until I catch up with you again, my friends. But if you're good, I'll bring back photos to share. My traveling companions and I may not have all our plans nailed down. But one thing we're not going to miss is the San Francisco's Ferry Plaza Farmers Market.
Better get that last load of pre-vacation laundry out of the dryer. With any luck, there are more matching socks in my future.
Those of you who've been reading along for a while know I've been excited ever since Cincinnati's first food trucks took to the streets. I held my breath when a brouhaha erupted over whether they could operate legally in our fair city. Then I breathed a sigh of relief when a plan was adopted to permit them to park in three designated locations with city limits, and happily blogged about opening day here.
I'm not sure how long this mobile food vendor sign has been up at the Fifth and Race location (which is closest to my office and has become a go-to place for interesting lunches), but I'm hopeful they are an indication food trucks are here to stay. I love what these folks are doing and wanted to share a little report. The three I'm featuring here have also been nominated to compete in the next season of the Food Network's Food Truck Race, and you can vote for them through Friday, Sept. 10 (voting details and contact info for all these great vendors below).
NEW ORLEANS TO GO/STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE I finally caught up with New Orleans To Go, aka Streetcar Named Desire, a week ago Friday, and wow was I glad I did. (I think the proprietor had been out of town for a while.)
On my first visit, I had this fried shrimp po'-boy "dressed" (with lettuce, tomato, pickle, and mayo), which came with a side of excellent red beans and rice filled with chunky andouille. The shrimp were lightly breaded and freshly fried with cajun seasoning that added kick but wasn't too hot for my palate. Both the sandwich and the side knocked me out! A huge, and steaming hot, plate of food for the price, which I think was $6.95. (Apologies for vagueness on the price - I was much more focused on the food.)
On my next visit to the Fifth and Race location, I'd intended to check out Senor Roy's taco of the week. But when I saw shrimp and grits on NOTG's daily specials board, I simply could not pass it up. You can see just one of the many plump shrimp peaking out from under the cheesy, creamy grits, lightly flecked with green bell pepper, which came with sweet cornbread that incorporated actual kernels of corn. I think this was $7.95 - again, a stunning plate of food, steaming hot, and a bargain for the portion.
Based on my experience, NOTG offers a selection of three to five lunch specials each day, rather than a fixed menu. So don't go with your heart set on one particular dish, but go - you will not be disappointed!
SENOR ROY'S TACO PATROL
Senor Roy's also blew me away on my first visit, and I've been coming back ever since. Their standard offerings are grilled marinated flank steak, spice-rubbed chicken, and al pastore (pork with pineapple and adobo), on wheat or corn tortillas, with a wide array of cheeses, salsas, and other accompaniments - don't miss the pickled red onions! While some bloggers have compared the customized ordering process to Chipotle's, the food is far superior, and at only $5.00 for two or $6.00 for three soft tacos. Check out their website for more info about their full standard menu.
To spice things up, Senor Roy's recently held a contest for customers to suggest their own taco creations, which I posted about here. Each week through the end of October they will be featuring a taco of the week based on one of the winning customer creations.
I’m sorry I missed the featured taco the first week: Duck, Duck, Duck, Taco! suggested by Glenna McLendon, served with a corn tortilla piled on roasted duck in a chipotle/cumin/coriander rub, topped with a slaw of cabbage, mango, cilantro, sweet onion, hot pepper, lime juice and apple cider vinegar.
But I loved this week's Thai Taco, suggested by Chris Isbell – Curry chicken, cilantro, tomatoes, onion, basil, peppers, thai chili sauce.
Per Polly Campbell's blog in the Cincinnati Enquirer, here are the upcoming tacos of the week. Innovative suggestions from fans coupled with excellent execution by Senor Roy, I want to try them all. For my long-distance readers, maybe a few of these ideas will inspire you to try something different in your own kitchen.
Winner # 3 “Twisted Teriyaki”
9/6 – 9/10
Lauren Brandstetter- Shredded teriyaki chicken (or pork), grilled pineapple salsa, cheese, and a little lettuce for crunch
Winner # 4 “Asian Fusion”
9/13 – 9/17
Rebecca Crouse Kelley – Asian-Mexican fusion with orange-marinated chicken with stir-fried rice, with some cucumber sour cream salad
Winner # 5 “The Wingman Steak”
9/20 – 9/24
Cincy Wingman – Marinated/Grilled flank steak, caramelized onions, goat cheese, habanero salsa verde, on a corn tortilla
Winner # 6 “The Buddha”
9/27 – 10/1
Matthew Hoover - Butter curry chicken, roasted red pepper, mango chutney, a sprinkle of rosemary, all on top of a nice piece of romaine lettuce, wrapped up in thin naan. Wild rice optional.
Winner # 7 “Little Piggy Tacos”
10/4 – 10/8
Mati Senerchia – Grilled corn tortilla, barbecued pulled pork, fresh coleslaw with apples
Diego Sebastian Moena – Apple chutney tacos: traditional pork/chicken tacos served with a red onion/granny smith/cinnamon chutney, sharp cheddar cheese
Winner #10 “The Little Ratita”
10/25 – 10/29
Little Ratita – Vegetarian taco of grilled eggplant, mushrooms, onion with roasted corn, zucchini flowers and cotija cheese (Flor de Calabaza relish)
CAFE DE WHEELS
This truck makes a serious, and seriously tasty, burger, which they will cook to medium rare if you ask (I hate being told places won't cook burgers to anything less than medium). It is sloppy and delicious, with balsamic onions, and a sauce so good that it actually makes me enjoy lettuce on a burger :)
Cafe de Wheels also has a number of other options, including a Cuban sandwich and several grilled cheese sandwiches, most of which I haven't tried. Kind of got stuck on the burger ($6.50) and the feta fries, which add another $3.00 to the bill, but they're a large portion.
CINCY FOOD TRUCK 411
WHO'S WHERE WHEN
These three
vendors, and others as well, have no set schedule as to when they'll be at any
particular location inside or outside city limits. That's one of the points of
being mobile, after all! All seem to have their own strategies about where they
can get the most traffic, and seem to be interested in catering, especially if
you have a group who would like them to set up at a spot near you. My
lunch-going experience has been primarily at the 5th and Race location, which
is closest to my office. I usually try to check out who's there before I go (via
their twitter or facebook). I've never walked over on my lunch hour and found
zero food trucks there. I have occasionally found only one. In my experience,
Fridays seem to draw more food trucks to that location. Then again, downtown
office workers tend to go out for lunch and be more adventuresome as the
weekend draws near, especially if it's a payday Friday.
EXPECT TO WAIT FOR
YOUR FOOD
Rather than grumble
about it, go in with an appropriate expectation. Depending on how many people
are in line when you arrive, and the fact that these vendors are at least
assembling, if not also cooking, your food to order, don't be surprised if it
takes 10-20 minutes to get your lunch. Cafe de Wheels offers an option
for you to email your order ahead, but I've had mixed success with how
effectively that works, especially when they're slammed.
SEATING
When I've talked up
these trucks, people have asked about this too. This is take-away food, people,
and my suggestion is to figure that out where you'll eat it yourself. I usually
take mine back and eat at my office. For outdoor dining, Fountain Square is only a block from the
Fifth and Race location, and I noticed plenty of tables available last week.
Cafe de Wheels has a couple of tables and chairs it puts outside its truck.
WHERE TO VOTE FOR
OUR TRUCKS
You can cast up to
10 votes a day through Sept. 10 for any of these great food trucks to become
contestants on the next season of Food TV's Great Food Truck Race show (and
become eligible for some sort of sweepstakes the network is offering if you
vote). Just go here and follow the directions.
VENDOR CONTACT INFO
The best way to
find your way to these trucks is to keep track of them via twitter or facebook
(which you can do even if you don't have your own twitter account or haven't
friended them on FB). With apologies to anyone who caught this post before it
was "cooked," here's the 411.
You'll find the New Orleans To Go truck listed as Streetcar Named Desire on the Food TV contest website.
New Orleans to Go's website.
New Orleans to Go's twitter.
New Orleans to Go's facebook.
