Quest for the Best! Felix's Restaurant and Oyster Bar, New Orleans

People keep asking me what New Orleans is like. It really is like no other city in America. At first glance I might think of a flat San Francisco. Trolley cars running in the middle of streets, Victorian style homes with double vaulted ceilings, front door gas lamps, and elegant porches that wrap around homes like a ballerina’s tutu.

The nightlife is always happening some bars are open 24/7 complete with washers and dryers just incase you needed an extra reason to have a drink. Life is laid back, filled with great food, and wonderful company. Some of the old homes just off St. Charles have been broken into apartments. So often you’ll find your next-door neighbor becomes your best friend.

The weather was perfect no signs of thunderstorms, heat, or humidity. New Orleans always loves to celebrate so if you come to visit don’t be surprised if you find yourself in the middle of some type of festival.  If you head out to the French Quarter you are likely to find yourself in a never-ending party. This place is always going off so don’t ever expect it to stop.

Now that I have had all of the best barbecue, it was time to indulge in the Seafood; some of the richest seafood is brought in right from the local swamplands. Oyster and shrimp are all caught fresh daily. Felix’s Oyster Bar has been serving some of New Orleans best since 1885. Its controversial history has been associated with mob bosses like Carlos “The Little Man” Marcello and former employees involved in the assassination of President John F. Kenney.

If you’re lookin’ for a taste of history this place has it all. Felix’s embraces your quintessential Cajun style seafood mixed with fresh giant oysters shucked right in front of you all night long. I got to meet with GM, Chef Adrian Zado to find out how much history is in these classic New Orleans dishes.

MEAT ME: And you are Adrian…

Adrian Zado: Adrian Zado I am the General Manager.

MEAT ME: How long has Felix’s Oyster Bar been around?

Adrian Zado: About 110 years. The place was opened by a guy from Italy named Felix Randoulf. He came to New Orleans in 1885 and he opened the place a little time before. We don’t know exactly when. He was a good friend with the mobster Carlos “The Little Man” Marcello. He was also a partner with the uncle of Lee Harvey Oswald; he used to own one of the buildings that Felix’s was in. Lee Harvey Oswald also worked as a bus boy here.

MEAT ME: Wow! Really.

Adrian Zado: Yea. Not very many people know about that.

MEAT ME: So how long have you worked here at Felix’s?

Adrian Zado: I have worked here for over 2 and half years. I have been a chef for 22 years. I lived in Italy for 16 years and that is where I learned Italian dishes.

MEAT ME: How long have you been in New Orleans?

Adrian Zado: About 5 and half years.

MEAT ME: So what drew you to New Orleans?

Adrian Zado: I wanted to help out, hang around, and wonder. It’s a hell of a city with amazing energy. I like that.

MEAT ME: So what’s in this dish? (Dish with the clams)

Adrian Zado: This is a dish that I learned in Italy. It is called (muscoli arrabiatti) Muscles in a spicy marinara sauce and I added a hint of licorice-flavored liquor. Most of my recipe is marinara sauce, crushed red pepper, red onions, crushed garlic, and tomato sauce.

MEAT ME: What would you say is the specialty here at Felix’s?

Adrian Zado: The specialty is Gumbo. It’s a recipe that is about 150 years old from the chef who had been hired by the original owner. He was one of those Mason cooks: they don’t have the recipe written down, they just share with family. I don’t have the recipe. It’s just plane seafood gumbo no chicken, no sausage, just oysters, crab, and shrimp.

There is the original truck. Right there over on the wall. Yea it belonged to Felix, the original owner. He started delivering oysters and groceries and then delivered them all over the place. That was his first job.

MEAT ME: So how many oysters would you say you guys go through in a day?

Adrian Zado: On a busy day we would probably do about $2,000 to $3,000 dollars. We go through about 13,000 to 14,000 pounds a week.

MEAT ME: Wow! About how many people come through here on a Saturday night?

Adrian Zado: Usually about 1,000 or more.

Muscles in a Spicy Marinara Sauce

MEAT ME: Yea, cause the 2 times I have been here there was always a line out the door. So you guys are obviously doing something right. What is your favorite dish?

Adrian Zado: I like the Linguini with a white wine sauce, garlic, and a plain white pasta. With a glass of wine on the side.

MEAT ME: So what is this dish exactly?


Adrian Zado: You know I had to come up with a good barbecue shrimp recipe. I had some friends of mine give me a basic BBQ shrimp recipe I added some Italian seasoning with some white onions. I can’t really reveal the rest to you, but everybody likes it. I never thought I would become famous for making BBQ shrimp but they love it.

So when you take the pictures you’ll see it will all come out right. I start on a low heat with all the ingredients, let them mingle together. Then I am going to add beer and worcestershire sauce and then it all comes together.

MEAT ME: I see you don’t hold back on the butter…

Adrian Zado: Yea it has a lot of butter, creole seasoning, garlic, parsley, white onions, liquid smoke, and Louisiana shrimp.

Barbecue Shrimp

MEAT ME: So tell me a little more about this, your favorite dish?

Adrain Zado: It’s a linguini with a light white wine, olive oil, garlic, parsley and I put some fresh pepper. It’s good for your heart with a glass of wine on the side.

For me Felix’s really captured the essence of what New Orleans was all about: history. It really made me realize where we come from, where we are now and that there is no point in worrying about the future.

While I sat at the bar the night I arrived, a homeless man wandered in off the street and stood right next to me. He looked around for a few seconds and then looked me right in the face and he said, “Where ya from?” I said, “Los Angeles.” He then got close to me and said, “So what do you think?” I said “I love it here.” He then looked around and then looked me dead straight in the eyes and said, “Be careful son she’ll show you a good time, but she’ll also chew you up and spit you out!”

The rest of my stay I kept that in the back of my head. I had no idea what he meant. The New Orleans culture has a history in VooDoo. Did it have to do with that? I don’t know, but I do know that New Orleans has a lot to offer. There are many goodtimes to be had here, but if you’re the type of person who lacks self-control and loves to engage in careless shenanigans I can see this place swallowing you up whole.

Adrian's Favorite Dish

To find out more about Felix’s Restaurant and Oyster Bar go to: http://felixs.com/
You can find Felix’s on Yelp at: http://www.yelp.com/biz/felixs-restaurant-and-oyster-bar-new-orleans

Let the good times roll,
Sean Rice
aka MEAT ME

Edited by Kathryn Emery

Written & Photographed by Sean Rice

Quest for the Best! The Joint BBQ, New Orleans

At this point I am noticing that more and more restaurants in New Orleans are either really good or really bad; or it is me and I have really bad luck. I have not found a middle ground, although I did find a little southern café on Magazine Street called Joey K’s. It is super simple and super good. No matter where I go people keep telling me that my trip won't be complete unless I eat at The Joint.

After a few phone calls I was finally able to get a hold of the owner Pete and he said come on down anytime and that he’d love to have me.

That Sunday was the last day of Fleet Week and I wanted to get shots of all the navy ships while they were still in town. Before lunch I headed east over the 90 bridge and after a few turns found myself in the Fischer Development Neighborhood. With in seconds I was among hundreds in a southern black neighborhood with no way out. Everywhere I looked I there were custom tricked out low riders bouncing and motorcycle crews doing burn outs till the smoke filled the streets.

I found myself, in what looked like, an episode of “The Wire”. I pulled my hat brim down over my eyes untill I could barely see. My white knuckles gripped the steering wheel over the dash board and sweat pouring down my face. I’ll be honest I’m fuckin' scared to death; my heart is pounding so hard I can barley hear the engine. I was a lone Cali boy lost in the middle of a southern black street party and my California plates made me stick out like a sore thumb. It was obvious I lost was not welcome here.

Every side street I looked down was filled with more and more people. At one point I even hear someone yell, “Are you lost son?” It felt like there was no way out. Finally up a head I saw a small opening under the bridge surrounded by tons of motorcycle crews. I thought this is my way out. I got to the intersection and just as I made a left I thought I was in the clear  but a crew of about 12 bikes pull right up in front of me and start burning smoke as hard as they can. I thought, “This is it!” I’m stuck here in the middle of the street I'm toast. At this point I'm shaking pretty bad. The smoke starts to clear and all the guys are sitting off the side of the road laughing their asses off.

I popped some heart medication and finally decided it was best to just head to The Joint which was on the other side of the river, and in a way better neighborhood. I was done with sticky situations. After all I had no idea what I was doing. So the shots of the NAVY ships never happened, but when I finally arrived at The Joint I could not wait so sit down and enjoy what all of New Orleans was talkin’ about.

MEAT ME: This is obviously The Joint.

The Joint: You are at The Joint Barbecue. Yes.

MEAT ME: It says on the website “Always Smokin’” how does that tie?

The Joint: Well we smoke all the food, and we are literally constantly tending the smoker.

MEAT ME: How long have you guys been out here?

The Joint: June 2004 we opened.

MEAT ME: What is your background in Barbecue?

The Joint: Well I grew up in Baltimore, which is not much of a barbecue town, but I went to college in Virginia and there was and there was an older gentleman from eastern North Carolina. He was there cooking really vinegary barbecue. That was the first time I had ever had barbecue. It was not about this sweet tomato’y sauce all over the meat. I liked that. I was just one of those moments. I moved down here in 1999 and started cookin’ just at the backyard level. Circumstances kind of came to me where I was looking for a job and there was this building right around the corner from our house and there was the opportunity and my wife and I decided to go for it.

MEAT ME: So what is your specialty?

The Joint: Everything. We started out doing pulled pork was the first thing I learned to do. Then ribs and moved on towards brisket and chicken. We have a great sausage that comes in from Brokerage, Louisiana; that we smoke here.

MEAT ME: Do you get all of your meats locally?

The Joint: No. It’s not like we have local purveyors. It’s mostly commodities market and nationally sourced probably.

MEAT ME: Do you get involved in Barbecue Competitions?

The Joint: A little bit. We had some friends who used to live here before Katrina and work took them back up to Memphis. They ended up with a barbecue team up there. We actually went up there for a few years and hung out and cooked at the Memphis in May. Overall the restaurant isn’t dying to spend my off time cooking barbecue competitively.

MEAT ME: So you guys are basically smoking barbecue here 24/7?

The Joint: Well may be 18 hours a day, something like that.

MEAT ME: Do you also make your own sauce, and all that?

The Joint: Yea all the rubs and all the sauces; everything is made from scratch.

MEAT ME: Have you noticed any change in the food and barbecue culture since Katrina?

The Joint: Yeah, I guess there are more restaurants and more people who are opening barbecue restaurants in town. I had always thought that New Orleans; primarily in this neighborhood compared to some parts of the city, is a bunch of people who aren’t necessarily from New Orleans but all the people are from the south have a good understanding of what good barbecue is like. I just feel that all these people have had an appreciation for it; just another nice offering coming to New Orleans. There are a lot of people post Katrina who come from other states, who are very barbecue-centric places. As far as people who open places that are from here and have always been here and decided to throw their hat into the ring.

MEAT ME: What separates barbecue out here from say Carolina, Texas, or the West Coast?

The Joint: Well I guess there isn’t necessarily the barbecue tradition in Louisiana. There is to some degree the andouille sausage which is exclusively a Louisiana thing, but smoked. There is the cochon de lait which is a young whole pig roasted on a vertical spit with hickory logs in the background. There is a festival dedicated to it in central Louisiana in mid May. New Orleans has always just always been New Orleans. It always had so many culinary traditions that barbecue just hasn’t taken root here.

MEAT ME: What are you guys doing so different that no matter where I go people are asking me if I have eaten at The Joint? If you can tell me…

The Joint: I’ll tell you what we do. We make our rubs and we make our sauces. We severe all the sauce on the side and we only do barbecue. We don’t do anything else. You know there are some places that are doing other things with their barbecue; like taco’s or something. That’s not us, we are just doing barbecue, and we do it the old fashion way. We start with charcoal in the morning and then it’s logs all day long and I think that does make a difference. I don’t have a lot of experience with a “set it, forget it” style smoker where it gas powered and it’s kind of pumping smoke into there. I am very suspicious of the results.

MEAT ME: What type of wood do you guys use?

The Joint: What ever we can get our hands on. Right now we have a lot of oak, pecan, and hickory. We try and get some kind of format with those 3 woods.

MEAT ME: What is your favorite kind of MEAT?

The Joint: Ribs are great. Brisket. You know the brisket is the hardest one to get right. We consistently try to pull the briskets off at the right time. A great brisket is my favorite it always depends. Ribs, pulled pork, brisket I certainly try it all.

It truly was delicious; the meat came right off the bone like a snake slithering into my mouth. I felt relieved that I finally got this amazing barbecue off my chest and lived to actually tell about it.

While I was there I ran into 4 guys who drove out from Toronto just to have his delicious barbecue. It that doesn’t tell you how good it is then I don’t know what will.

You can check out the joint at: http://alwayssmokin.com/
You can follow them on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/alwayssmokin
Find them on Yelp: http://www.yelp.com/biz/the-joint-new-orleans

Keep it simple stupid,
Sean Rice
aka MEAT ME

Quest for the Best! Cochon Butcher, New Orleans

Finally I had gotten a hold of the publicist to meet up with The Butcher. Everywhere I have been has been talk about this place. Have you tired The Butcher yet? Nope. I felt so left out like the kid who had to ride out the basket ball game on the bench. Not anymore! Now it is my turn. I was set for a 2 o’clock because they are always so busy and on a Saturday I could understand that.

I headed out to the CBD to check them out parking was tight but I found something I got out and saw the big sign “Cochon” didn’t look busy at all I had no idea what they were talking about. Finally felt like I got lucky. I walked inside asked for Karen. She tells me your looking for the Butcher they are around the corner. I turned around the corner and my shoulders dropped this there was a line of people out in to the street. This place was packed.

I strolled on down and got in line and said to the nearest employee. “I am Sean Rice, I’m with MEAT ME!” she lit up and dragged me to the front of the line and set me up with Karen. The manager. I had no idea when things where gonna slow down so I said I would start with the photos and she said she would order me up some food.

This place is shoulder to shoulder it is packed, everyone looked really happy too and not minding the wait or the crowd at all. Now you all know my theory if people are waiting for food then the food must be worth waiting for.  I felt like I was finally apart of the club and no longer one of those boys sitting on the bench.

Finally Karen was able to break free and tell me a little about Cochon Butcher:

MEAT ME: So your Karen?

Karen: Yep, I am the General Manager.

MEAT ME: How long has The Butcher been here?

Karen: The Butcher has been here for about 3 years, the restaurant has been here for about 6 years. We opened about 6 months after Katrina and then we opened the Butcher Shop about 3 years ago.

MEAT ME: (I point at the giant crowd of people) Has it always been like this?

Karen: (laughs) Well… It stays pretty busy. Yea. Saturdays are definitely busiest.  We are a busy little shop.

MEAT ME: It has been like this since the beginning?

Karen: It has built but it has been pretty steady. We are defiantly busier then anyone expected we would be.

MEAT ME: Yeah! I mean… How do you even plan for this? So what are these 3 things here?

Karen: The pancetta mac-n-cheese. There is diced up mushrooms, onions, cheese, herbed breadcrumbs.

MEAT ME: What is this delightful piece of loveliness?

Karen: Boudin is a special Cajun Sausage. It is pork, liver, and rice with seasoning. We make our here and it is just so awesome. I just think it is mean that they don’t tell the rest of the country about it. I could eat it everyday.

MEAT ME: It is really good and you can really taste the liver in it.

Karen: Isn’t it? And the rice makes it a little bit lighter.

MEAT ME: What is this next one?

Karen: Duck Pastrami Sliders.

MEAT ME: It’s amazing and you really get that gamy taste.

Karen: Yep.

MEAT ME: So what was the idea behind the butcher shop?

Karen: Our 2 owners Donald Link (Finalist for the 2012 National Outstanding Chef by the James Beard Foundation) and Stephen Stryjewski wanted to do an old world deli where you can come in and get small plates, wine, deli or something from the case. I think they definitely wanted more of a relaxed atmosphere. Which it is.

MEAT ME: So where do you guys source your meats from?

Karen: Well we do everything here. We try and use as many local people as possible. We get whole pigs in and butcher them down. We get a lot of whole animals and butcher them here as much as we can and as local as we can.

MEAT ME: What do you guys source? Pork? Beef?

Karen: Yea. Steven even likes to do goats sometimes. We kind of keep our options open. We get quail in there… Lamb.

MEAT ME: With your business what is your ratio of butcher shop to food services? Is one more dominating than the other?

Karen: We are definitely both. We do more of our sales for food than out of the case. I would say may be 80% but it changes.

MEAT ME: On top of this do you guys also source for the Cochon Restaurant?

Karen: We have a forager, Ashley is her name, and we represent her restaurant also. Which is Donald’s first restaurant. Then Stephen and Donald opened up Cochon and then Calcasieu, which is private dining; and Butcher at the same time. We also opened a second Cochon at the Lafayette. We have a forager who gets local produce and distributes them throughout all the restaurants. She helps us get our pigs.

Actually Donald and Stephen are having a farmer raise their own pigs. They actually just had a cook out I drove up to Lafayette on Tuesday and they had a cookout up there with the very first pig that they raised the whole way though. It was amazing.

They went to Uruguay recently and the metal crucifix looking rack that they place at a 45º angle with a pig on it they put tiles and coals down and cook it for a really long time over slow heat. They had it out there that way and they started at midnight the night before and had a dinner that was open to the public at 8 o’clock at night. It cooked the whole time. The skin, because it cooked so slowly was so evenly crackled it was amazing it was this dark brown color. It was so good.

MEAT ME: So they didn’t rotate it? It was all cooked on one side?

Karen: No. Yeah it was amazing! (laughing) They do really cool things with pigs.

MEAT ME: I get jealous that I have to go back to Los Angeles you have really wonderful things out here.

Karen: Yea. We do.

MEAT ME: So what is the deal with the really cool meat case?

Karen: We cure everything here not everything is there we have meat in other places as well. We actually use all that stuff it is humidified in their and some age for a shot period of time and some age for 18 months or even longer.

MEAT ME: Really.

Karen: It’s amazing it is like a party in there when we bring the stuff down.

MEAT ME: Do you do dry aged beef?

Karen: No. We have some beef in there but we pretty much focus on the pork. We do the curing.

MEAT ME: And finally what is in this Sandwich?

Karen: Cochon Muffaletta. It is Italian meats with an olive salad with cheese. It is a classic New Orleans sandwich they have it all over the French quarter and different places. Since we cure the meats here it is way better.

It certainly is I can not complain about that. After a few more shots around the shop I noticed their T-Shirt section. One of the shirts had this hot warrior chic on it riding a bucking pig over the top it read “Pig Slayer”. Of course I didn’t just buy one I bought 4. Probably the coolest thing I have ever seen.

If anyone has time to check out any of Donald or Stephen’s restaurants I highly recommend it. Besides who wants to be that guy benched for the basketball game. Not me.

You can check out Cochon Butcher at: http://www.cochonbutcher.com/
Cochon Butcher on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/CochonButcherDining
An Twitter https://twitter.com/#!/cochonbutcher

Pig Slayer!
Sean Rice
aka MEAT ME