In New Orleans, No Waistline Is Safe

Nevin Barich

NEW ORLEANS , April 10, 2018 (Off The Menu) – I’m writing this blog in the press box of the Mercedes Benz Superdome in New Orleans. It’s 11:35 p.m. local time, I have a plate of fried chicken tenders in front of me, and I’ve gained 6 pounds in four days.

I was warned this might happen before joining my wife on her work trip to New Orleans. The city is a great eating town, I was told. It takes pride in its food. Everything is rich, buttery, melts in your mouth. Every bite will make you hunger for more. Calorie counters need not visit!

I didn’t give these warnings much heed as I entered the city. After all, I’ve been to places known for its food: New York City, Paris, Rome. I’ve eaten fattening things all over the world, but I’ve always balanced fattening cuisine with my regular diet. Moderation is the key, I tell myself.

But here’s the “problem” (and I use the term loosely, because in fairness, the food is freakin’ delicious!) with New Orleans. It doesn’t mess around. Like at all! My first meal was beignets on a Friday morning. Wait, let me rephrase: a plate full of powdered sugar with beignets buried underneath. Seriously, the plate must have contained 8,000 calories. And when I made a slight mention about the amount of powdered sugar on my plate—seriously, I felt like Al Pacino in “Scarface” during one of his cocaine binging scenes—some locals nearby looked at me like I was nuts. Clearly this was the norm in these parts.

And things went “downhill” from there. The Jambalaya? Full of fattening sausage and delicious. The fried chicken? Loaded with country crazy and delicious. The Shrimp Po Boy? Loaded with fried seafood and mayo and delicious. The Turtle Pie? Delicious. The andouille sausage? Delicious. Even the random piece of pizza I had on Bourbon Street to tide me over until dinner was delicious!

And now here I am, nearing midnight in the Superdome, a now-empty plate in front of me of what was once fried food, waiting for my wife to finish her work. I joined a countless list of people who ventured into this city for the first time and will come out heavier than when they entered it. 

The point of this blog? Simple:

In New Orleans, food reigns supreme. Even the strongest of us are powerless.

Nevin Barich is the Food and Beverage Analyst for Industry Intelligence, which can help YOU better address your own industry challenges. We invite you to come take a look at our service. Call us today at 310-553-0008 and we’ll schedule you for a 15-minute demo.

* All content is copyrighted by Industry Intelligence, or the original respective author or source. You may not recirculate, redistrubte or publish the analysis and presentation included in the service without Industry Intelligence's prior written consent. Please review our terms of use.