If you have been reading this blog from the beginning than you know that I am a big fan of New Orleans. It may seem like a natural connection (fat guy like fried seafood sandwiches, dressed with tons of mayo), but there is a little more to it than that. My wife went to law school in New Orleans, we were married there, and I’ve gained many pounds eating my way across the city (um… ok, I guess it is a case of “fat guy likes fried seafood sandwiches”). I live blogged the food at last year’s Jazzfest, wrote about how disappointing the New York City Jacques Imo’s was (not surprisingly, it’s closed now), and we’ve had more than one profiled Midtown Lunch’er from the Crescent City.
So, you can imagine how blown away I was when I got this email last week from Blake Killian, author of the great New Orleans food blog Blake Makes, (and part time PR dude):
I’ve been a fan and a reader for a long time. I have a random request, and wanted to know if you’d be interested. One of my clients is a big fan of yours, and he is going to be in NYC March 25-27. He’s wondering if you would be available to go to lunch on one of those days to talk about his new cookbook.
You’d be meeting with Ralph Brennan about his first cookbook. The Brennans are a very old…
Uh- you can stop right there. Are you kidding? The Brennans? As in Brennan’s, the restaurant in the French Quarter- Brennans? As in, Commander’s Palace, home of the greatest dessert ever made in the history of the universe, the Brennan’s? (It’s the bread pudding souffle, by the way). Yeah, I think I’ve heard of them. The weird thing is, how the hell did this guy hear about Midtown Lunch? And a “big fan”? It’s a mystery, and I was afraid to ask “Why?” or “Really?”, too many times, for fear he would realize he had the wrong guy! And while I’d much prefer having lunch with the dude in his city (NYC is great, but it can’t really hold a candle to lunch in New Orleans), I guess I can play host.
But here’s where I need your help… Ralph has challenged me to take him out for the best sandwich in Midtown- a task made all the more difficult by the fact that he is visiting from arguably the greatest sandwich city in the country. So I’m turning the decision over to you guys. Post in the comments where you think I should take him, and whatever you guys decide- that’s where we’ll go. Plus- everyone who posts a comment will be entered to win a copy of his new cookbook, “Ralph Brennan’s New Orleans Seafood Cookbook”.
My initial ideas, after the jump… Read more »
Posted by Zach Brooks at 3:21 pm, March 24th, 2008 under New Orleans, Sandwiches.
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