A major draw of being in New Orleans during the weeks of Mardi Gras parades—now underway ending with the Big Day on February 13th-is, naturally, sampling the restaurants in the city. But for those who can’t make it to the Big Easy during this stretch, or simply miss it and want to relive the dining experiences at home, it’s easy to get signature dishes from some of the city’s most famous eateries and bakeries shipped to points around the U.S. Various New Orleans establishments have partnered with Goldbelly and the shipments arrive in refrigerated or frozen form with instructions on how to defrost and heat them, bringing them close to on site restaurant form. (When scanning the city’s offerings, though, be warned that they’re not always grouped together. Type “New Orleans” and keep scrolling; other cities may be mixed in.)
The proper kickoff for Mardi Gras season that goes on sale at the start of carnival is a King Cake, a sweet cross between a coffee cake and a cinnamon roll usually in an oblong shape and heavily dusted in the Mardi Gras trio of colors: yellow, purple and green. Inside the cake might be cream cheese or fruit fillings although different bakeries do a form of cake jazz riff with other variations (such as Brennan’s Bananas Foster spin on its famous dessert also available by mail order.) The one constant, though, is the small plastic baby tucked within. By tradition, whoever finds it in his or her slice has to buy the next one or throw a party. Among the options that can be delivered quickly: Gambino’s Bakery’s traditional versions and upscale bakery Sucré’s round, braided brioche version with more subtle frosted colors. (Beads may also be included.)
Gumbo, the essential dish between a soup and a stew, thickened with a roux or ground sassafras and filled with a choice of chicken, sausage and various types of seafood is argued about here the way New Yorkers argue about bagels. A typical answer for which is the best is usually the one someone’s mother made or what they grew up with and there are different versions all over town. But the most famous belongs to Dooky Chase’s from the late Leah Chase’s recipe at the restaurant she and husband Dooky Chase Jr. took over from his parents in 1946; her great grandson and great great granddaughter are carrying on the tradition. It’s a classic Creole spicy gumbo with smoked and hot sausage, chicken, shrimp, onion, celery, garlic and a mix of seafood, crab and chicken stocks. Other signatures such as Chicken Creole, Creole Jambalaya and Crawfish Étouffée are available as well.
Ordering long distance from Commander’s Palace obviously can’t include the full on site experience of the lively, jazz filled dining room within the turquoise gingerbread house in the Garden District. But it will get diners a few specialties from this longtime favorite that has been serving since 1893. Their seafood gumbo with shellfish, finfish, the holy trinity of green pepper, onion and celery, tomato, okra and a mix of stocks—seafood, shrimp and crab- can be ordered on its own or as part of a three course dinner. In that package, gumbo or the equally famous turtle soup is the first course, followed by shrimp and grits and pecan pie.
There’s often a line outside a restaurant at the corner of Poydras and Tchoupitoulas Streets: diners angling for a table at Mother’s Restaurant which started as a po’boy shop selling the city’s distinctive French bread sandwiches in 1938. The po’boy available for shipping includes ham and roast beef (with debris-shreds of beef simmered in pan drippings) and instructions are included about how to construct it with the additions of shredded cabbage, a mustard/mayonnaise mixture and sliced pickles. But it’s just part of the family favorites dinner kit that also includes chicken and sausage Jambalaya, Red Beans & Rice and Bread Pudding with brandy sauce.
Another classic sandwich that can be imported was developed by Sicilian immigrant Salvatore Lupo at the shop Central Grocery that he opened in the French Quarter in 1906. Instead of offering separate plates of ingredients to the workers who stopped by for lunch, he piled them all in slabs of a Sicilian sesame loaf and named it muffaletta. It remains today as he designed it: ham, salami, mortadella, Swiss, Provolone and marinated olive salad with other pickled vegetables. Sandwiches arrive ready to eat but bread can be reheated for extra crispness.