Eating In Translation

Remoulade

A softshell crab po-boy ($11.95) was overwhelmed by its bread.

Remoulade
309 Bourbon St., New Orleans
504-523-0377

Central Grocery

The celebrated muffuletta (half; $6.50) did not make a good first impression. They're prepared in advance and wrapped for travel as a matter of course, but the casual toss on the counter put me off. (On the first night of their drive to California, the Ricardos and Mertzes made do with sandwiches dealt out by an innkeeper with equal insouciance; "I hope you didn't go to too much trouble," said Lucy.)

Despite a terrific olive salad, it was a flat in more ways than one. The muffuletta offered by Dive Bar, though it violates an informal injunction against toasting the finished product, is the superior sandwich.

Central Grocery
923 Decatur St., New Orleans

Kim Son

Full-size, full-service Vietnamese restaurant that serves the standards as well as Southern variants such as crawfish in lemon grass ($9.98). Fine, but nothing special; a little too chewy. Would probably come across better if it preceded rather than followed K-Paul's shrimp and crawfish étouffée.

Kim Son
349 Whitney Ave., Gretna, Louisiana
504-366-2489

The Real Pie Man

A crowd of seeming regulars, a half-hour wait, less than zero atmosphere…a hidden gem? Not to judge by the ya ka mein (medium; $5), which was dull and lacking pepper, despite all the beef.

The Real Pie Man
1701 Franklin St., Gretna, Louisiana
504-362-4545

CC's Coffee

Iced tea with free refills ($1.25).

CC's Coffee
Huey P. Long Ave. at 4th St., Gretna, Louisiana
(one of many locations)

Clyde's Farm

Garlic, peaches, and persimmons were a few of many pickled items on offer; I opted for a pint of fresh, wild blackberries ($3) that, though more sweet than tart, had less flavor than I hoped.

Clyde's Farm
Poplarville, Mississippi
at the Saturday farmer's market,
Huey P. Long Ave. at 4th St., Gretna, Louisiana

Dale and Heather Robertson

A pint of Pontchatula strawberries ($1.50) were very sweet, with lots of flavor, even in the runty ones I expected to be acidic.

Dale and Heather Robertson
Ponchatoula, Louisiana
at the Saturday farmer's market,
Huey P. Long Ave. at 4th St., Gretna, Louisiana

J's Po-Boys

Housemade boudin wasn't readily available so close to New Orleans, but even this brand-name rendition, a spicy link of LeBlanc's (99 cents), didn't leave the parking lot. The setting might have been improved by a pickup truck to lean on — but if I had wheels, I would have headed westward for stuff-it-yourself country.

J's Po-Boys
1 Fifth St., Gretna, Louisiana

Aunt Sally's Praline Shop

This Creole-style praline (1.5 oz.; $1.75) was preceded by an equal weight of samples in creamy and chocolate varieties.

Aunt Sally's Praline Shop
810 Decatur St., New Orleans
800-642-7257

People's Grocery and Deli

Sandwiches, fried seafood, plus a six-flavor selection of Hubig's (89 cents), including the only appearance of strawberry I spotted during my visit.

People's Grocery and Deli
806 Conti St., New Orleans

Sno-Ball stand

The too-variable texture of this blackberry sno-ball (small; $2) ranged from slushy to crunchy, like a New York sidewalk after a particularly sloppy snowfall.

Sno-Ball stand
in the French Market, New Orleans

French Market Seafood

Though crowded to overflowing with spices, mixes, sauces, and the like, this store's family-owned packing plant, east of New Orleans, was destroyed by Katrina; the variety of seafood here at the market simply can't be what it was. Tony Chacere's Original Creole Seasoning (8 oz.; $1.99) awaits BBQ season.

French Market Seafood
1101 North Peters St., New Orleans
800-207-5691

La Spiga Bakery & Café

A firm-rimmed blueberry crisp ($3) packed plenty of fruit under a crumbly, sugary top.

La Spiga Bakery & Café
2440 Chartres St., New Orleans

Elizabeth's

Going only by the name, praline bacon ($5) is not a style I could stomach every day, but judging by all the raves, a morning hike to the Bywater would be well-rewarded.

Quickly rewarded, too, following hot on the heels of my iced tea. They're sweet, leaning toward fatty and salty, exceptionally moist, and fried just past the point where I could twirl them onto my fork. Best in small bites.

Even without the sugary contrast, the plentiful ground beef in Bogalusa rice ($7) was tame, even bland; sausage and the customary dirty-rice vegetables and seasonings contributed more color than savor. A little Crystal's added enough of a kick to bring it up to snuff.

Elizabeth's
601 Gallier St., New Orleans
504-944-9272

Vaughn's

Late night after dinner at K-Paul's, between sets of the Tremé Brass Band, Vaughn's laid out its customary free self-service tubs of red rice and beans, well-larded with assorted meaty offerings.

Vaughn's
800 Lesseps St., New Orleans

K-Paul's Louisiana Kitchen

For my first taste of turtle soup, the K-Paul's version ($7.95) simmered ground meat with onion, bell pepper, celery, tomato, and seasonings in a beef and chicken stock, finished with fresh spinach, hardboiled egg, and dry sherry, plus an extra tot of sherry poured by the waiter, if you please. Raised a pleasant round glow, with a light black-pepper burn at the back of my throat.

Just visible in the back is an exceptional assortment of breads for which my notes are incomplete, though I recall that buttermilk figured in one and molasses in another.

A benchmark shrimp and crawfish étouffée ($29.95) smothered local shellfish in a gravy of browned flour, onion, bell pepper, celery, garlic, and seasonings — but consistent with Cajun practice, no tomatoes. The shrimp, crawfish, rice, and vegetables did all they could to sop it up; once they were gone, I was amazed at just how unabashedly I could wipe the plate clean using only my fork.

K-Paul's Louisiana Kitchen
416 Chartres St., New Orleans
504-524-7394

Kwicky Mart

Just another name for a "Squishy," this afternoon flavored with Coca-Cola (small; $1.49).

Kwicky Mart
3636 Prytania St., New Orleans

La Boulangerie

A cherry custard danish ($2) featured flaky if compressed pastry; not a great deal of custard, but good overall.

La Boulangerie
4526 Magazine St., New Orleans
(one of several locations)
504-269-3777

Tee Eva's

A crawfish pie ($3) was OK but came across prefab.

Tee Eva's
4430 Magazine St., New Orleans
504-899-8350

Casamento's

Thick toast holds up well against the butter sauce on Casamento's trademark oyster loaf (half; $5.95); horseradish and hot sauce are on hand for extra zing. Iced tea ($1.75) was skimpy, but that's hardly the reason for the long lunchtime waiting line.

Casamento's
4300 Magazine St., New Orleans
504-895-9761

Majoria's Commerce Restaurant

This lunchtime-only business-district cafeteria might not invite a second look, except from a clearly local crowd of regulars. After admiring the dexterity of the cashier, who worked the register with one hand while cradling his young son in the other, I sat down to a warm, wet, roast beef po-boy ($6) dripping in peppery gravy. If you must have seafood, for $2 more envision both top and bottom halves layered with shrimp before being pressed together.

Majoria's Commerce Restaurant
300 Camp St., New Orleans
504-561-9239

Upperline

Hoping only to see the menu — normally a T-shirt and shorts don't pass muster in a class joint — I was kindly invited to sit myself down for a complimentary appetizer, should I not pass this way again.

Though more sparing at first sight than my recent po-boy, oysters St. Claude (normally $8.75) were bedecked with an engagingly thick sauce of garlic, lemon, red pepper, and parsley. Pallid rounds of bread made very useful sops — though "wipes" might be more appropriate, given my unsparing approach to every drop.

Upperline
1413 Upperline St., New Orleans
504-891-9822

Felix's

A fried oyster po-boy ($7.95), dressed with lettuce, tomato, mayo, and pickles, was a good-sized, solid production, if unexciting. Very good iced tea ($1.95) included one very welcome refill.

Felix's
4938 Prytania St., New Orleans
(one of two locations)

Pandora's

An orchid vanilla cream sno-ball (small; $1.35) tasted just the way it looks: faintly but pleasantly grape-y. Good work on the ice, too: very finely shaved, very tightly packed.

Pandora's
901 North Carrollton Ave., New Orleans

Orleans Discount Market

The Jerusalem-born owner of this grocery — he's been in New Orleans 17 years — scrapped everything after Katrina and rebuilt from the inside out, over the course of a month. A half-year later, it's still a lonely outpost in the Tremé district, north of the Quarter.

Lots of sandwich options, including shrimp, catfish, hot or smoked sausage, and the usual deli meats, $2 to $3 on a bun, more for a larger helping on French bread. Several flaky slices of trout on a bun ($2) suited me just fine, thanks.

Orleans Discount Market
2899 Orleans St., New Orleans

Brown Derby

At several groceries, I passed on DiSalvo's pickled pork lips (75 cents) — more than anything because even the locals seemed to shy away from those massive jars of pink brine. Your chance, if you want it; here I simply slaked my thirst with Big Shot black cherry soda (24 fl. oz.; 79 cents), a local budget brand whose many flavors I've grown fond of.

Brown Derby
755 North Claiborne St., New Orleans

Matassa's

This grocery wins no prizes for looks or even congeniality, but it carries a wider variety of local and Southern brands than I've seen elsewhere in New Orleans, with the possible exception of the prettified and pricey tourist spots. (They're also one of the few groceries in the Quarter where you can also grab The New York Times or The Wall Street Journal.) LeBlanc's barbeque cane jelly (9.5 oz.; $4.45) awaits some unsuspecting grilled meats back up North.

Matassa's
1001 Dauphine St., New Orleans

The Praline Connection

At lunch, choose from four varieties of beans or peas, or three varieties of greens ($6.95), add one of ten meats ($2.50 to $4), and you'll make your own soul food connection. (Gumbo, po-boys, and much more is available, too.) Good bite to these collard greens; the fried chicken skin had a terrific salt-and-pepper finish.

Had I seen the size of my entree platter beforehand, I might not have started with a hefty heap of fried pickle slices ($5). Glad I tried 'em, but they're just that, no more.

The Praline Connection
542 Frenchman St., New Orleans
504-943-3934

Discount Zone at Spur

OK selection, enhanced by a number of south-of-the-border selections like Barrillitos lemon soda (400 ml.; $1.25), from Mexico. Lemon-flavored, that is, but juiceless, and not worth a detour.

Discount Zone at Spur
2727 Magazine St., New Orleans
(one of many locations)

Big Fisherman Seafood

Smallish selection of fresh seafood, here as elsewhere in the city, compared with what I commonly see even in average New York markets. Zatarain's New Orleans style gumbo base (4.5 oz.; $2.29) will have to bide its time till I return up North.

Big Fisherman Seafood
3301 Magazine St., New Orleans
504-897-9907

Creole Creamery

For an ice cream sampler of four mini-scoops ($4), I tried a lightly caramelized, very peachy sorbet; a bourbon-tinged vanilla with prominent brown sugar; a sweet curry that was just barely recognizable as curry; and honeyed pear with an enticingly creamy base of goat cheese.

On a return visit, the creole cream cheese (one scoop; $2.50) was speckled with tone-on-tone tidbits of what I took for cheese curds. Otherwise, cream cheese, simple and sweet. If you'll be stopping by only once, this is the flavor to consider first.

Creole Creamery
4924 Prytania St., New Orleans
504-894-8680

Zara'a Lil Giant

Good-size grocery with a fair-size selection and an OK sandwich counter. Pop's Golden Gems dried Louisiana shrimp (1.75 oz.; about $2.65) are jerky-textured, with lots of flavor, provided it's dried-shrimp flavor that you're looking for. If you treat them as a snack on their own, gnaw on them slowly and they'll set your mouth to watering.

Zara's Lil Giant
4838 Prytania St., New Orleans
(one of two locations)
504-895-0581

Pete's Patch Peanuts

Samples of boiled peanuts, in regular and Cajun style, confirmed that they're not to my taste. Although generally indifferent to peanut brittle, I loved the extra, earthy edge of the skin-on version ($2 per bag)

Pete's Patch Peanuts
at the Tuesday farmer's market,
200 Magazine St., New Orleans

Briarhill Farms

In China, the small, red fruits of the hawthorn tree are mashed, sugared, and formed into all shapes of sweet finger foods. In the U.S. South, jams and syrups are more common products; another, mayhaw jelly (8 oz.; $3.50), has a mild apple-orange-peach flavor, slightly sweet, with a trace of tartness.

Briarhill Farms
Mt. Hermon, Louisiana
at the Tuesday farmer's market,
200 Magazine St., New Orleans

Café Adelaide

A slice of coconut buttermilk pie with Ponchatoula strawberry sauce ($5) was gently sweet.

Café Adelaide
300 Poydras St., in the Loews New Orleans Hotel
at the Tuesday farmer's market,
200 Magazine St., New Orleans

Schiro's Café & Bar

Also grocery and Laundromat, which makes sense given the guest house upstairs. Zapp's Spicy Cajun Crawtators (2 oz.; 85 cents), one of many flavors in a long local line, aren't as spicy as all that, but they are thick-cut and crunchy like the rest of the Zapp's family.

Schiro's Café & Bar
St. Roch and Royal Sts., New Orleans
504-944-6666

Sound Café

Andrei Codrescu was reading from his collection New Orleans, Mon Amour here, in the front room of Beth's Books. In addition to a few complimentary ginger snaps, I deviated from my customary black coffee for a mocca bianca (large; $3.25), which the barista prepared with exceptional care.

Sound Café
2700 Chartres St., New Orleans

Fiorella's

Four pieces of fried chicken ($9.25), with red beans and rice plus the vegetable of the day, corn, were disappointing, given all I'd heard. The skin was so crisp that it fell off rather that keep company with the meat, and I nearly scalded myself on the first bite until I drained off some liquid. The breast was best of a sorry quartet. Iced tea ($1.75) was weak, too.

Fiorella's
1136 Decatur St., New Orleans
504-528-9566

A&P

Though A&P is a national chain, I expected the French Quarter location to have much more local color. From the vending machine by the door, I procured a Delaware Punch (12 fl. oz.; 60 cents), from the Coca-Cola Co. Looking back at my notes after a couple of hours, I don't even recall whether it was carbonated; it made little favorable impression in any event.

A&P
Royal St. at St. Peter St., New Orleans

BP Shop

Though this gas-station snack shop was outfitted with a half-dozen flavors of Hubig's, I gave a try to Atkinson's Chick-O-Stick (2 oz.; 79 cents), from Lufkin, Texas. Consider it a stiffer, less cloying Butterfinger with bits of toasted coconut.

BP Shop
1101 Tchoupitoulas St., New Orleans
(one of many locations)

Halpern's Home Furnishings Café

On the ground floor, Halpern's sells furniture; one flight up, the tables and chairs are set out for customers at their soup and sandwich shop. Like many New Orleans eateries, on Monday they also offer the city's traditional restorative stomach-filler, red beans and rice, here with smoked sausage ($5).

Halpern's Home Furnishings Cafe
1600 Prytania St., second floor, New Orleans
504-566-1707

Royal Grocery & Deli

After my day at JazzFest, the crawfish boil (offered here Friday through Sunday) found other takers to hunker down at the half-dozen tables inside. Mello Yello (12 fl. oz.; $1) was a mildly carbonated, slightly syrupy citrus soda that I'm sure I must have tried, years back.

On another occasion, at the window on the side street, a toasted coconut sno-ball (small; $1.75) was fine-grained, veering toward slushy. Lots of flavor; Royal Grocery layers its syrup the way better moviehouses add butter to popcorn.

Royal Grocery & Deli
801 Royal St., New Orleans
504-523-4716

Mini Mart

Big Easy beer (12 fl. oz.; $2.75), Marrero, Louisiana. Straw-colored with a foamy white head; lemony malt aroma with slight off-notes that became more apparent with the first sour, hopless mouthful.

Mini Mart
600 Canal St., New Orleans

Stuf Hapn Event Catering

This overstuffed crabmeat po-boy would have been a good deal at $5. As food stalls (but not Springsteen) prepared to call it a day, it was a steal at $3.

Stuf Hapn Event Catering
New Orleans
at JazzFest

Scales

Strawberry lemonade (large; $4) was more strawberry sweet than lemonade tart, and refreshingly so.

Scales
at JazzFest

Ledet & Louque

The top-loading pastry shell of this crawfish puff ($5) gave my plastic fork a rough go of it in the late afternoon. Crawfish, rice, and sauce were fine.

Ledet & Louque
Gramercy, Louisiana
at JazzFest

Fireman Mike's Kitchen

Alligator sauce piquante ($5) sported blackened, fatty, chewy, somewhat gamy chunks of meat in a peppery tomato broth (the "sauce piquante"). With white rice, mushrooms, celery, tomatoes.

Fireman Mike's Kitchen
Metarie, Louisiana
at JazzFest

Cool Brew

An iced café au lait ($5) was just that.

Cool Brew
at JazzFest

Cee Cee's Sno-Balls

In the heart of my finely shaved strawberry sno-ball (small; $2) was a hidey-hole for a half-can of condensed milk (50 cents more). Too much, man.

Cee Cee's Sno-Balls
Slidell, Louisiana
at JazzFest

Dooky Chase

I was able to sample a small taste of Leah Chase's shrimp and chicken Clemenceau, with peas, mushrooms, black pepper, and garlic, only because she made an appearance at one of the JazzFest food-demonstration stages. Like many others, her restaurant was swamped after Katrina, and the facilities in her FEMA trailer across the street provide little opportunity to cook.

I seemed to have missed out on the shellfish — suitably so, since Ms. Chase noted that normally she'd feature shrimp or chicken, but not both. I'd gladly jump at the chance to chow down on either version at a rebuilt Dooky Chase, which she hopes to open by midsummer.

Dooky Chase
2301 Orleans Ave., New Orleans
at JazzFest