If you haven't had a chance to eat at this place, you have got to go. This is some of the best food New Orleans has to offer, and it is now right here in Baton Rouge. There is a reason the parking lot is full, the food is phenomenal. Having grown up in New Orleans, it is nice to be able to get a taste of home, without the hour drive. No matter what you order, you won't be disappointed. The seafood okra gumbo, apart from your grandma's, is probably the best you will ever find. BTW, I have no affiliation with the establishment, I just love good NO-style food without having to go to NO to get it. PS - I have heard rumor that The Bakery on Franklin Ave in Gentilly plans to reopen. I can only hope for the same from my beloved Teddy's Grill, located right next door.:sob:
Sounds good! One of the things I miss the most about Nola is the neighborhood restaurants. Of course, so many are just flat out gone now, that I miss them even when I'm in Nola. :bncry:
I'm not much on New Orleans cuisine. I much prefer cajun to creole, but even I will say Mandina's is awesome.
Way to go SupaFan!!! I go the other way. Cajun is a bit too raw for my taste. My wife won't eat any etoufee except for her mother's, which IMO, is the worst I have ever tasted. I prefer my gumbos dark and think. My wife likes them light and thin. The misses is from north of Lafayette, I grew up in NO. Some of the best seafood restaurants in Lafayette pale in comparison to the average venues in NO (pre-Katrina, of course). I guess its what/how we grow up eating. Some people think creole is about adding tomatoes to everything. Those people need to dig deeper into the flavors and cooking styles. Creole seasoning is about fresh herbs and elegance, not about how hot you can make it with red pepper. And trust me, my brother-in-law thinks its a game to see how much he can make me sweat from excess cayenne. I prefer to taste my food rather than get burnt up by it. Yet, I digress. Get out there and eat some Mandina's. You won't be disappointed.
