Perino’s Boiling Pot | Great Seafood in Harvey LA

It’s pretty hard to impress a New Orleans native with boiled seafood.  After all, we learn to peel crawfish and shrimp and pick crabs as soon as we are big enough to sit at the table – mostly because our parents quickly got tired of doing it for us.  So while I had heard good things about Perino’s from friends, I didn’t have any really high expectations when we pulled into the parking lot on the West Bank Expressway.

The front of the building is very plain and when you enter there is a to-go counter and a large, open dining room jam packed with cafeteria like tables and chairs for family style seating along with a few arcade games and a claw machine for the kids, big or small.  Very 1970s, right down to the neon beer signs and stuffed animals hanging on the walls.  Topping each table is a big roll of paper towels, a basket of crackers and butter and a rack of condiments including a huge squeeze bottle of cocktail sauce – the only thing missing is the newspaper covering the tables.

The menu is pretty simple and straightforward.  Seasonal boiled and fried seafood and traditional sides such as potatoes, corn and sausage.  The specials when we visited were the fried crawfish tails and fried alligator, served in a basket with fries.  Since the whole reason we came was because we heard how good the boiled seafood was, we promptly ordered crabs and shrimp and decided to try the crawfish tail basket as well instead of sides.

Thank goodness we ordered the crawfish, because each basket came with a bowl of some of the best gumbo I’ve ever eaten.  Filled with shrimp and crab claw meat and perfectly spiced, I think hubby and I set a record for the fastest gumbo eating.  We weren’t the only ones impressed, as I heard other diners complimenting it as well.  It’s only served by the cup or the bowl, but I’d gladly pay for a gallon of it to serve for dinner at home.

 

 

Dear hubby jumped into the crawfish tails (which were pretty darn good) before I could take a picture, but the blue crabs and shrimp were out of this world.  Well seasoned and juicy, I knew it was a good meal by the number of paper towels we went through!  The wait staff was very friendly, the big screen TV was playing a college football game and there was just a comfortable, old New Orleans feel to the place. 

It’s not fancy by any means, but if you are looking for casual, family friendly dining and delicious food, take a drive to Harvey and check out Perino’s Boiling Pot.  You won’t be sorry.

Perino’s Boiling Pot is located at 3754 West Bank Expressway in Harvey LA.  Open Sunday through Thursday from 11:30 am – 10 pm and until 11 pm on Friday and Saturday.  Need more information?  Give them a call at (504) 340-5539.

Zea’s Restaurant | Fresh Local Dining in Harvey LA

Way back in my previous life as a boring banker working in Elmwood, I had a work buddy that I ate lunch with almost every day.  We had a schedule of where we would eat each day of the week (it is New Orleans – food is important!).  Usually, it was a local hole in the wall or sometimes even (gasp) fast food that would allow us to drive, eat and get back to our desks before that one hour was up. 

But every now and again, we wanted to go somewhere and relax and have a meal that couldn’t be found just anywhere.  Something that wasn’t a run of the mill burger or half limp salad like you usually find in chain restaurants. 

That’s when we would head to Zea’s Restaurant.  I always lamented the fact that they didn’t have a West Bank location because I absolutely adore their fresh spinach salad with homemade pepper jelly vinaigrette and would order it every time we visited. 

After I left banking, I didn’t get out to any of their locations for a long time, so when I stumbled across the salad dressing being sold in Rouse’s Supermarket, I did a little happy dance in the aisle and proceeded to have it with dinner every night for a week (yes, it’s that good).

So when Zea’s opened a location in Harvey, bringing the New Orleans number of restaurants to 5, I almost wrecked the car snapping my head around to make sure that I had really seen what I thought I had seen.  While I’ll miss the Semolina’s that was there before, the menu at Zea’s more than makes up for that loss.

Located right in front of the Palace Theatre on Manhattan Blvd. (hint: get there early on Friday and Saturday nights), the designers have done a beautiful job of making the interior a welcome respite from the outdoors. 

There’s a full service bar, where you can enjoy a meal or just have a cocktail if you are waiting on friends or on a table.  I highly recommend that you call ahead the day you plan to dine and make a reservation, because the place fills up fast at peak lunch and dinner times.

The interior is cool and relaxing, with a great decor and a professional wait staff that is well versed on the menu.  When I last ate there, everyone dug into their plates so quickly that I didn’t have a chance to get good pictures of the food.  Rest assured, it was delicious! 

As a bonus,  I found a new favorite dish…the Mediterranean Hummus -  topped with feta cheese, sun dried tomatoes, roasted garlic and calamata olives and served with pita bread.  It’s a big enough portion to make a great shared appetizer and we didn’t leave a single drop on the plate.

Want to treat a friend?  Gift cards are available online, along with some of the signature Zea’s sauces.  They also have an extensive catering menu – something to keep in mind as you start to plan those holiday parties.

The next time you are looking for a place to eat on the West Bank, give Zea’s a try.  Not only will you have a delicious meal, but it’s another way to support a Louisiana business and stay local.

Zea’s Restaurant is located at 1121 Manhattan Blvd. Harvey, LA 70056
(504) 361-8293

(504) 361-8590 Fax
Sun-Thurs 11am-9pm
Fri-Sat 11am-10pm
Map | Menu | Summer Menu

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Monroe Street Cafe | A Charming Place to Eat in Gretna LA

One of the things I adore about the West Bank is that the people who live here love to eat as much as I do.  They will invite you to dinner, a BBQ or a boil at the drop of a hat.  Some of our friends are excellent cooks who should be making a living at it.

Since I really don’t like to cook, we are usually looking for a place to eat each weekend.  Sometimes it’s an old standby, but today we visited the new Monroe Street Cafe that Ernie and Joanne Elfer opened a few weeks ago in Gretna.  Serving breakfast, lunch (with a rotating menu of daily specials) and dinner they are a welcome addition to the West Bank restaurant scene with family members working alongside each other in the kitchen and the dining room.

We were greeted by Rosey, the Elfer’s daughter, as we entered and made to feel as if we were special guests from the moment we arrived.

The colors and decorations are warm and welcoming, from the comfortable upholstered dining chairs right down to the fresh flowers that were on every table.  Huge old mirrors have been framed on the walls of the dining area and give a sense of spaciousness to a room that could feel small but definitely does not.

We’ve known Ernie for years and had the chance to eat his delicious food before the cafe was even a thought, so I knew it would be good.  The buzz is all about the muffaletta pizzas, but since we had a bit of a late night I was ready for breakfast or brunch.  Lucky me, there is a Sunday brunch from 6 am to 2 pm each week.

For only $13.99, the brunch includes a juice cocktail, fresh fruit, shrimp remoulade, eggs Benedict, sausage, ham and cheese Elfair, the most amazing roasted garlic grits, biscuits, pecan delight (a mini warm pecan pie with whipped cream) and coffee or tea.  I couldn’t even finish all of the food on my plate, so the pecan delight will be a treat later tonight…

If you’re not in the mood for brunch, you can also build your own breakfast, dig into a 3 egg omelet, have a pizza topped with scrambled eggs, ham and sausage, or choose from a wide selection of homemade pastries that are baked fresh every day.  Rounding out the menu are the soup of the day and a great selection of sandwiches and salads.  Prices are reasonable, with almost every menu item under $8.

Hubby is a little bit of very picky eater, but he didn’t leave a single bite on his plate today.  Fortunately, I was able to grab a picture before he dug into the huge spaghetti plate topped with homemade meatballs.

Chef Ernie takes great pride in greeting everyone that visits and stepped out to see how we enjoyed our meal. He took us on a tour of the back dining room that is not open to the public yet, but will be known as The Chief’s Room when it is complete.  Ernie was Chief Choctaw 2007 and plans to decorate the room with his costume and other memorabilia from his reign and has invited other past Chiefs to display any of their items as well.  Hmmm…that may be just the right place for the next Krewe of Choctaw board of directors meeting to be held.

Our next visit will be for one of the made to order pizzas.  Ernie says that his pizza is designed for those that love it as much as he does – a hand tossed dough basted with blends of garlic, olive oil, herbs and spices and your choice of sauce (red, olio, alfredo, BBQ or creole) is served with plenty of toppings and cheese.

If you are looking for a new, inexpensive West Bank place to eat, I definitely recommend that you check out Monroe St. Cafe.  Delicious food, great service and another wonderful way to stay local.

 

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Monroe St. Cafe is located at 1038 Monroe Street (the corner of Monroe and Anson) in Gretna LA and is open 11 am – 9 pm Monday through Thursday, 11 am – 10 pm Friday and Saturday and 6 am – 2 pm on Sundays.  Take out orders are available by calling 361-7300. Tell him West Bank Living sent you!

O’Briens Grille | Elegant Gretna Dining in the Most Unlikely Location

If you aren’t paying attention while driving down Belle Chasse Highway, you just might miss O’Briens Grille due to it’s location next door to Mudbug’s Storage and behind the Drive Side Daiquiri Shop.  It would certainly be a shame, because I’ve had two recent opportunities to eat there and was blown away.  This is definitely one book you should not judge by it’s cover.

You’d never know from the tall, skinny building, the location and even the casual sounding name that you were entering a fine dining establishment.  Featuring white linens, a professional wait staff that knew the ins and outs of the entire menu and chefs that have worked in some of the finest restaurants New Orleans has to offer, this is a gem on the West Bank.

We were welcomed by the owner when we entered and made to feel as if we were the only guests.  That couldn’t be farther from the truth though, since at lunchtime there was not an empty seat in the house by noon.  Despite the fact that it’s not a very large dining room, the noise level was never overwhelming, allowing the group I was with to hold a conversation with ease.  The lighting is soft and warm, giving the feeling that you’ve stepped out of the rat race for a little while and allowing you to relax while enjoying your meal.

And the food….oh, the food….

We started our lunch with the Fried Green Tomatoes Napoleon appetizer ($9).  Filled with shrimp remoulade and surrounded by a roasted red pepper puree, it was an excellent way to kick off our meal, and was so good that I ordered it again on my return trip for dinner.

I don’t usually eat very heavy foods at lunch, so we all stuck to salads.  Not to worry, these were entree sized plates filled with deliciousness and just begging to be photographed.

On the left is the Steak and Spinach Salad made with shaved prime rib, sautéed Vidalia onions, feta cheese and roasted red peppers ($12) and on the right is the Cajun Cobb Salad, breaking tradition with the addition of crawfish tails and smoked gouda cheese ($13).  I had the Cobb Salad and it was absolutely wonderful.

On the left is the grilled tuna sandwich topped with avocado, sprouts and aioli ($14) and on the right is the Tomato & Crab Salad that included avocado and was full of beautiful lump crab meat ($12).

As we all tasted from each other’s plates, it became apparent that there was not a mediocre dish on the table.  On my return trip last week for dinner I forgot my camera , but thoroughly enjoyed the filet (which was cooked perfectly) and the house Riesling was a reasonably priced wine to go along with it.

I can’t believe that O’Briens has been open for over a year and I’ve been missing out on it simply because of the location.  Don’t make the same mistake!

O’Briens Grille is located at 2020 Belle Chasse Highway in Gretna.  Reservations are recommended and can be made by calling (504) 391-7229.

Let us know if you loved it as much as we did…

Sahara Cafe – Middle Eastern Dining on the West Bank

While driving my youngest to and from school, I’ve been watching folks go in and out of the Sahara Cafe for several weeks, preparing for the launch of this new restaurant on the corner of Lapalco Blvd. and Realty Dr.  Finally, they are open for business, serving traditional Middle Eastern food in Gretna. 

I met up with some friends for dinner this week and we went to check them out.  The restaurant just opened about 2 weeks ago, so the staff is still getting familiar with the finer points of the menu, but the service was outstanding and very friendly. 

Questions about the food were welcomed and we started off with a table full of appetizers so we could taste lots of different things.  Baskets of warm pita bread were quickly refilled as we made our way through grape leaves stuffed with rice and vegetables, falafel (kind of like a hush puppy, but made with ground chick peas), kibby and plates of green and black olives.

Then came the entrees, which were huge!  Here are a couple of the plates we ordered:

 
This is the Gyro Plate – spiced lamb & beef with tahini sauce, hummus and salad

Chicken Shawarma – chicken and onions, with hummus, salad and pita bread on the side

 

 

Despite our protests that we were too stuffed for dessert, the owner sent out samples of baklava for the entire table to sample….yum!

Affordable Dining

Appetizers at Sahara Cafe range from $2.99 to $12.99 (for a sample platter), while entrees are priced from $9.99 to $12.99.  Four different vegetarian platters are available for only $8.99 and the sandwiches are a bargain at less than $6 for any of them.  Kids plates are $5.99 and desserts are hard to pass up since they are all sold for $1.99.

On our way out the door, we had a chance to chat for a few minutes with the owner, who told us that he plans to add outdoor seating in the future, something that will be welcomed when the evenings are cool and pleasant again in the fall. 

I’m wishing him the best of luck in his new venture and will definitely be back soon!

The Sahara Cafe is located at 401 Realty Drive in Gretna (just off of Lapalco Blvd and 1 block from Wall Blvd).  Hours are from 8:30 am – 10:00 pm, 7 days a week.  For more information, to place an order or request a catering menu, call (504) 394-0460.

 

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Are you considering a move to Gretna LA? The West Bank Living Team provides local, professional real estate services to buyers, sellers and military relocations to and from NAS JRB New Orleans. It would be our pleasure to assist you with all of your real estate needs and help you settle into our community.

 

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