I was diving into my third beignet of the morning, my face smeared with grease and powdered sugar, when I decided that I couldn’t go on this way. During my latest visit to New Orleans, I was eating well. Too well: deep-fried balls of crabmeat at Sylvain, a rich charcuterie plate at Cochon, a wurst covered in shrimp etouffée at Dat Dog, ham-stacked po’ boys from Booty’s Street Food, and a many-layered meat sub called a muffuletta at Central Grocery.
I put down the beignet and began wondering: Can you stay healthy while visiting the Big Easy, a city known for its excess and indulgence?
“It is impossible,” said Efrem, my Eritrean taxi driver, when I asked him for advice on eating healthfully. “I have been in New Orleans for 15 years. I never go out to eat.”
That was a first. Cab drivers are usually the most reliable source of restaurant recommendations. Efrem explained that because he didn’t care for fried food, he could hardly eat out in New Orleans.
Luckily, I found that there was a way to stay healthy, although you may have to get off the beaten tourist path — which turned out to be a blessing. While in search of wholesome, non-guilt-inducing food and ways to work off any excess, I discovered unexpected treasures in New Orleans.
The first stop on my quest for a healthier New Orleans was Magazine Street, Uptown’s shopping thoroughfare, where you can spend a whole day walking from one boutique to another. Sure, the street is jampacked with temptations such as District Donuts and Sliders, which, as the name would suggest, sells sliders, doughnuts and even iced coffee on tap. (How I resisted it is beyond me.)
Instead, I went into Raw Republic, a juice bar that supplies its healthful concoctions (think cucumber, parsley, kale, apple and pineapple) to upscale coffee shops around town. All its offerings were labeled organic and raw, and the shop also offered tips on cleansing regimens, something I might have needed after my trip if I hadn’t had my beignet epiphany.
But rather than skip dinner in favor of a liquid diet, I went to Dominique’s on Magazine, reopened in 2013 after an 18-month hiatus. The smart restaurant, run by Mauritian chef Dominique Macquet, features a vertical hydroponic farm that grows half a dozen varieties of peppers, heirloom tomatoes and herbs such as basil, cilantro, marjoram and lavender right on the premises. Framed and hung on the courtyard walls, the turfs of herbs are edible works of art — and certainly project a healthier vibe than, say, a deep fryer. Here, I sampled a lighter take on local ingredients, such as a gulf octopus seviche and grilled cobia, a lean local fish, both accompanied by heaps of fresh herbs.
I was on the right path.
Many locals whom I asked about healthful food pointed me to Satsuma, a cafe in New Orleans’s bohemia du jour, the Bywater. To get there, I rented a simple road bike at Bicycle Michael’s, a busy shop on youthful Frenchmen Street. The lanky, many-tattooed gentleman at the counter explained why bicycling was catching on as a popular mode of transportation in New Orleans: “The city’s so flat.” He explained that, thanks to the increasing number of cyclists and the expanding network of bicycle lanes, moving around the city on two wheels has become easier than ever.
With his assurance, I pedaled to the Bywater, part of the so-called Sliver by the River, a crescent of higher land that largely escaped the ravages of Hurricane Katrina. The journey was a breeze, merely 10 minutes of leisurely pedaling from the shop. Together with its more developed neighbor, Faubourg Marigny, the Bywater counts as the most colorful neighborhood in New Orleans, its grid of intimate streets lined with French- and Spanish-style homes in every shade of Crayola.
WHERE TO STAY
Bywater Bed & Breakfast
1026 Clouet St.
504-944-8438
A homey inn filled with folk art. Rooms from $100.
Loews New Orleans
300 Poydras St.
504-595-3300
http://www.loewshotels.com/new-orleans-hotel
In the central business district, this 285-room property boasts a panoramic gym and a lap pool. Rooms from $189.
Maison Dupuy
1001 Toulouse St.
504-586-8000
French Quarter boutique hotel with a heated pool in the courtyard and a gym. Rooms from $129.
WHERE TO EAT
Dominique’s on Magazine
4213 Magazine St.
504-891-9282
http://www.dominiquesonmag.com
In an airy art deco firehouse, serving lighter takes on local ingredients. Entrees such as yellowtail snapper served with green mango relish start at $24.
Satsuma Cafe
3218 Dauphine St.
504-304-5962
satsumacafe.com
A popular neighborhood breakfast/lunch cafe serving seasonal salads and sandwiches starting at $5.50.
Maurepas Foods
3200 Burgundy St.
504-267-0072
Locally sourced fare such as goat tacos starting at $8.
WHAT TO DO
Bicycle Michael’s
622 Frenchmen St.
504-945-9505
bicyclemichaels.com
Bicycle rentals start at $25 for a half-day.
Crescent City Farmers Market
http://www.crescentcityfarmersmarket.org
Sample the region’s freshest produce and seafood at the market, which takes place on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday in various locations.
Freret Street Yoga
4608 Freret St.
504-899-1142
freretstreetyoga.com
An intimate, friendly yoga studio on the up-and-coming Freret Street. Drop-in classes $16.
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INFORMATION
