In 2014, I took one of the best trips of my entire life when I made my very first excursion to New Orleans.  In fact, I was so impressed with it, I blogged about it.  You can read that here: https://theboywhoatesd.com/2014/03/19/special-report-the-boy-who-ate-new-orleans/

Sad to say I’ve not been back to the big easy since but hopefully someday.  In the years since, any place with New Orleans-style eats on the menu automatically gets my attention.  While choosing what places to cover on this first season of BW8SD: The New Class was no easy feat, the fact that this place was named among the “must-try’s” made it an immediate contender.

Louisiana Purchase is located on the corner of Louisiana Street and University Avenue in the San Diego neighborhood of North Park.  The fact that the place is called “Louisiana Purchase” AND located on Louisiana Street is either an incredible real estate coincidence or was by design because I can’t imagine the place being called “University Purchase”, unless it was opened by Lori Laughlin (Jokes ripped straight from the headlines of 2019!  You’re welcome!)  Drawing on the famously bold flavors of New Orleans, Lousiana Purchase bills itself as an “intimate cocktail restaurant”.  Executive Chef (and NOLA transplant) Quinnton Austin is serving up inventive takes on classic Southern cooking while the bar eschews the more “sugary” New Orleans standards in favor of a more modern focus on “Quality and craftsmanship”, per their website.

Joining me on this maiden voyage to Lousiana Purchase was my own delightful band of anthropomorphized bayou critters to my Princess Tiana.  But let’s face it, I’m more Charlotte. 

Aimee-Roommate since the 90’s, BFF, allergic to hot dogs and therefore labeled a commie by many

Dan-Lawful pirate, metal lover, can tell you everything about a great beer.  And he will.

David-Wonder Woman superfan, musical theatre enthusiast, the narrator’s love interest

Harry-The I.T. guy, equal parts Type A and goofy as all get out, He probably knows how to fix that.

Kelsey-Project manager, Keeper of Christmas, has been known to drop it like it’s hot

Joseph-Music educator, loves just about every food I won’t touch, masterclass Dad joker

Shannan-Medical examiner, pumpkin enthusiast, drives the coolest car you’ve ever seen

Louisiana Purchase is the type of place that lets you know straight out the gate who they are and what they’re about.  The buy-in for me was immediate.  From the purple lights of the bar to the portraits of Snoop Dogg and Britney near the restrooms but for myself and others at my table, the biggest non-food highlights was the music.  All night we were treated to a sublime curated mix of 90’s-early 2000’s R&B.  I’m talking full-on Bill Bellamy MTV Jams-era bliss.  As more and more plates arrived to our table throughout the night, their arrivals were set to the sounds of Lauryn Hill, SWV, Maxwell, Soul For Real and Mary J. Blige.  What sold me was hearing the 12” version of Jodeci’s undisputed 1992 boot knockin’ classic “Come and Talk To Me”.  THE TWELVE INCH.  Remember 12” remixes and Maxi-Singles?  Kids, ask your parents.  The 90’s were it.  We were a PROPER COUNTRY.  Seriously, wall-to-wall bangers all night.

While their food is undoubtedly the focus, Louisiana Purchase also offers a full menu of fun, Nawlins-inspired cocktails, both traditional and with a twist.  I was eager to partake of said cocktails since I enjoyed so many in the Big Easy (from what I’m told, I had a lovely time) but your boy was unfortunately on a round of antibiotics for a UTI that night so I had to lean entirely on my amazing krewe to drink and dish on my behest.  And boy, were they up to the challenge.  Aimee had the French Margarita, with cognac, fresh citrus and agave nectar.  She gave it a thumbs up for the sweet, refreshing balance of the agave nectar and the cognac.  Shannan had the Hand Grenade, a frozen cocktail blended with Jameson, Cantaloupe, Honeydew, Fresh Citrus and mint.  It had a really nice flavor without being too strong.

Harry and Dan both ordered the Praline Old Fashioned (Bourbon, pecan orgeat, orange bitters and chicory bitters).  Harry found the drink very accessible with controlled flavors and a mild sweetness.  Dan found it had a woody taste but no buzz (“Alexa, play ‘You’ve Got a Friend In Me’”)  Harry also gave high marks to the Jamaican Superman (LP LIT Mix, sorel, lemon, simple syrup and starry).  David went the classic New Orleans route and tried Lousiana Purchase’s very fun take on a Hurricane.  Made with a house rum blend, house fassionola (A word I absolutely did not have to Google), almond orgeat, fresh citrus and burlesque bitters, which I can only assume is the flavor of a disastrous 2010 film starring Cher and Christina Aguilera that only gay men are able to enjoy.  Served with a side of Pop Rocks (yes, really), it takes the experience to a whole new level.  He said the drink was (surprisingly) not too sweet.  Also, shout out to our server, Abraham, for letting David pick out another flavor pop rocks after being brought strawberry, which he is allergic to.  I was delighted watching him and Shannan toss back pop rocks and giggle while they drank a sip of hurricane like two adorable children getting drunk on a Wednesday night.

The cocktails continued to appear at various points through the night.  At one point, David had the Strong Island Iced Tea.  As a native of Oceanside Long Island, New York, this was a no-brainer for him to try.  Made with LP LIT Mix, orange curacao, lemon, simple syrup and cola, the Strong Island changes up the recipe of a classic Long Island but, according to David, very successfully and deliciously evokes the flavor of a young person trying to get as drunk as possible for as little money as possible.  Y’know, the good ol’ days.   

We started with several small dishes for the table.  Garlic Cheddar Biscuits arrived.  They were large, fluffy and served with jam and honey butter.  A nice mix of savory and sweetness.   The taste and textures were a hit with the table overall.  Among the most anticipated dishes of the night was an original creation by chef Austin; Alligator Andouille Cheesecake.  Savory cheesecake, alligator, andouille and a crawfish cream sauce.  Wildly creative, original and absolutely not for me.  I know. I KNOW. CALM DOWN.  I got no problem with alligators.  In fact, one used to live in our yard in Florida and my Mom made the front page of the local newspaper in her efforts to stop wildlife authorities from killing it (That story is 100 percent true).  I just can’t get down with reptiles as food.  It’s a me problem.  This is why I bring other people with me.  According to the more adventurous eaters at my table, the cheesecake (which, btw, this isn’t a slice of cheesecake, it’s a whole mini cheesecake about 4” in diameter) was rich, creamy and intensely flavorful.  A wholly satisfying experience for everyone who tried it.  There was also some discussion about what constitutes a “cheesecake” and whether or not this dish qualifies.  More on that on this week’s podcast episode.  The point is, the dish brought raves from those brave enough to give it a go.  Love that for them. 

 My first plate of the night was the crawfish Mac and Cheese.  Homestyle Gouda Mac and Cheese with big chunks of tender crawfish.  This might be the best Mac and Cheese I’ve ever had.  Where most homestyle Mac and Cheese dishes get it wrong for me is the texture of the pasta.  It’s almost always overboiled and mushy.  These elbows were al dente.  Perfectly cooked.  The cheese was kept in check, giving the right amount of rich, velvety, sauce consistency without being overly stringy (which I’m also not a fan of).  There was just the right amount of crisp on top and a slight heat on the finish.  An absolute stunner of a dish.  I would go back for this alone.

Harry was a fan of the ACME Chargrilled Oysters, seven gulf oysters with garlic lemon butter and parmesan.   David ordered the Crawfish Garlic Parm Wings.  Chicken wings are smothered in a rich garlic sauce with crawfish and dusted with parmesan.  The dish is traditionally offered with fries but, as said fries include a batter, Gluten-unfriendly David had a side of brussels sprouts instead.  David said the wings were very messy but cooked to perfection.  Agreed on both counts.  The crawfish adds so much richness to the crispy wings while the parmesan glides in with just the right kick of salt on the finish.  Kelsey had the Spinach N’ Artichoke Toast (Spinach and artichoke dip on toasted sourdough with fried jumbo crab).  She had some issues.  While the dish is listed among the ‘shareables’ on the menu, she found it barely appetizer sized and a bit of a non-bargain at $22. 

The main courses started arriving.  David had the shrimp N’ grits, served with a garlic tomato creole sauce and topped with bacon lardon (Which, as any culinary expert will tell you, is simply fully erect bacon).  He says the shrimp were plump and perfectly cooked with expertly flavored cheese grits.  The only possible drawback to this dish (and I have to agree) is the tomato sauce which doesn’t overpower the rest of the dish but, if overdressed, could easily do that.  It skirts the line of “too much”.   Kelsey ordered the Crab Stuffed Shrimp and was underwhelmed.  The accompanying jerk ranch dip helped but does not rank among her favorite sauces.  Joseph had the Shrimp N’ Fried Cabbage.  Served with andouille sausage, peppers, bacon and jerk spices, he found the Shrimp to be the most delicious part of the dish with a nice mix of sweet and spicy from the cabbage.  The only real misfire here for him was the rice, which was more undercooked than he liked.  In his words “Unintentionally crunchy rice is something that is hard to reel me back in from”.

My main course for the night was the Uptown Kitchen Sink Gumbo.  A blonde roux gumbo (which I can only assume means it’s dumber but hotter than the other rouxs and never has to pay for a drink at the bar), roasted chicken, andouille sausage, crawfish and shrimp with a scoop of rice taking centerstage.  There’s a certain feeling to gumbo done right.  An unctuousness, a depth of flavor that half-assing any step of the process will immediately destroy.  You can taste the time in a good gumbo.  You can taste the care.  Plus, if you’re going to open a New Orleans-style restaurant and your gumbo is a buncha bullshit, don’t bother.  Bestie, this is the real deal.  While I think it’s weird to anthropomorphize food, it felt like this dish exuded actual swagger and confidence.  It walked into the room and did what it does in a “Stay humble but let bitches know” kinda way.  I see you, Gumbo.  We all see you.  So good.      

Aimee had one of the house specials (A rotating menu at Louisiana Purchase); Halibut with crawfish chowder, grilled cajun corn, red potatoes, applewood smoked bacon and grits.  The richness of the chowder had Aimee wishing it had been served over rice instead.  She was also convinced the dish was served with polenta and not grits.  She insists there is a difference that she can spot immediately; an innate ability to those born and raised in Southern Alabama, along with the ability to make any topic of conversation about college football.  She said the halibut was perfectly cooked and delicious. 

Dan ordered the Lemon Pepper Catfish with two sides (he chose brussels sprouts and LP’s Gouda Mac and Cheese that I lost my shit over just 4 paragraphs ago).  He found the fish to be wonderfully flaky with balanced seasoning and a non-greasy fry.  The maple butter on the brussels made the side cloyingly sweet while the Mac and Cheese felt too heavy and overpowering in contrast to the rest of his meal.    For his main course, Harry had the Crafwish Monica Ribeye, A USDA Prime 14oz cast iron seared ribeye paired with nola’s famous spice cream sauce.  He said it was cooked to a perfect medium rare.  In fact, he found the sauce to be a detractor and could almost be left off for him.   

The dessert menu at Lousiana Purchase doesn’t offer a whole bunch in terms of selection (with only two options) but at least we got to try all both of them.  First up, the Ooey Gooey.  Yellow cake with cream cheese topped with cinnamon, bananas foster and vanilla ice cream.  The cake was light, buttery and fluffy with just enough ice cream to keep the bananas foster in check.  We were all pretty full at this point in the night so Harry and Shannan got the other dessert (classic beignets) to go and play Lousiana Purchase: The Home Game.  Follow up reports were fabulous.  Sweet, doughy with a light crisp that gives way to soft insides.  Again, this is another NOLA classic that I feel like you need to get right.  Lousiana Purchase was up to the challenge.   

The evening didn’t go perfectly (I’ll get to that in a minute) but I have to highlight the service at Louisiana Purchase, which was top shelf.  Our server, Abraham, was charming, knowledgeable, helpful and even nice enough to split the bill for us, even though everyone had obeyed my threats to bring cash. That having been said, there were some missteps with the pacing of our meal.  A cocktail and side dish were forgotten but no one seemed particularly peeved about it.  It was a Wednesday night and we were a big group.  

I can’t see myself ever ordering that much rich food again in one sitting BUT, I really loved what I had and I am already planning to return.  If you love New Orleans food, Louisiana Purchase is a San Diego must.  The good times will roll.  No diggity.  No Doubt.

Be sure to watch the YouTube Series episode about my visit!: https://www.youtube.com/@TheBoyWhoAteSanDiego/featured

For a more deep dive discussion among the panel, check out the Podcast!: https://theboywhoatesandiego.podbean.com/

Further reading: https://www.louisianapurchasesd.com/