| By ANNETTE SISCO | Staff writer |
Greetings, New Orleans food fans! This week, we learn about a shakeup in the New Orleans food scene, to bring smoked tacos, a Japanese-style steakhouse and a culinary park on Freret Street. The new Indian restaurant LUFU does everything a little differently. New Orleans' Coffee Festival is coming in September, and Hubig's is bringing back another classic pastry: peach pies. Sadly, in the latest hit during a slow summer, Le Chat Noir has closed. Finally, if you love Vietnamese food, you'll love Liz Faul's recipe for vermicelli noodle bowls with sauce. 1. Three in one! Smoked tacos, steak, a food park? Three restaurant projects are in the works around New Orleans, stemming from one partnership between a local restaurant developer and a Denver-based hospitality company, Ian McNulty reports. 2. Indian fusion. A trio of 20-somethings from India were cooking at different restaurants, mostly fielding Creole food. Each yearned for the flavors they knew from home. Now, they've combined forces, and menus, at LUFU ("Let Us Feed U"). 3. Wait! There's more. Coffee-lovers can take part in the New Orleans Coffee Festival Sept. 15-16: It's part industry convention, part celebration. Fans of Hubig's pies (that's all of us, BTW) cheered last weekend when peach pies joined the roster of returning classics. And after a tough summer, the upscale Le Chat Noir has closed up shop. 4. Noodling around in the kitchen? Traditional Vietnamese food has become a delicious addition to the list of favorite New Orleans dishes. For a perfect, light summer dinner, Liz Faul walks us through her recipe for vermicelli noodle bowls with Vietnamese sauce. That's it for the food newsletter, but in New Orleans, the food news never stops. Keep up with all the inside info at Where NOLA Eats. P.S.: Want to support local journalism that matters? Subscribe here. It's our best deal! | 