Big Easy Breakfast
A traditional, soul-satisfying breakfast dish that's gradually disappearing from New Orleans restaurant menus.
Without skipping a beat, any local, or devout fan, can rattle off dozens of New Orleans dishes such as étouffée, gumbo, jambalaya, crab ravigote, muffulettas, po-boys, yaka mein, beignets and king cake. We think of the oyster loaves at Casamento's, banh mi a.k.a. Vietnamese po-boys, tables heavy with boiled crawfish and fixings, red beans and rice, and the multi-layered bliss to be found in a slice of Doberge cake. But in all honesty, when was the last time you thought about grillades and grits?
Grillades and grits is a dish generally made with thinly sliced, or pounded thin medallions of beef, veal or pork that are dusted with seasoned flour, pan fried, and then simmered or braised in a roux-thickened sauce made from the drippings. The sauce includes the trinity—celery, onions and bell peppers—garlic, chopped fresh tomatoes, beef stock, red wine, and seasonings including oregano, basil, bay leaves, and cayenne pepper. It's simmered low and slow for about an hour and served over a large helping of creamy grits.
Origin stories of this classic New Orleans dish seem to differ but one of the first mentions of Grillades and grits appeared sometime in the mid-to-late 19th century. Chef and restaurateur John Folse claims it was created by Cajun country butchers who would pan-fry and stew thin slices of pork with onions in "black iron pots over the boucherie fires" and serve it over grits. New Orleans Magazine credits Madames Begue and Esparbe, who were the wives of farmers and fisherman selling their wares at the French Market. Regardless of where it came from, Grillades and grits was long a dish found listed on our restaurant menus, right alongside Eggs Sardou, cafe au lait, and pain perdu, but you just don't see it that much anymore, even in many of New Orleans old-line restaurants, but there are still a select few.
Arnaud's is a classic Creole, French Quarter restaurant founded by Arnaud Cazenave in 1918 and currently owned and operated by Archie and Jane Casbarian. The Casbarians are the second family to manage the century-old restaurant, renovating the property and keeping it alive since 1978. Every Sunday Arnaud's offers a three-course, prix fixe brunch, and in addition to crab meat cheesecake and Eggs Sardou with artichoke bottoms and creamed baby spinach, they offer their version of grillades and grits. Veal scaloppine (thinly sliced meat dredged in flour and sauteed) is braised in "a rich vegetable sauce" and served with creamy, cheesy grits.
"At Arnaud's, we're committed to preserving the traditional flavors of New Orleans, and grillades and grits is a quintessential Creole dish that embodies the city's rich culinary heritage," explained co-owner Katy Casbarian. "For us, it's about honoring that legacy and offering our guests an authentic taste of New Orleans, especially those who may not be familiar with the dish. Keeping it on the menu is our way of preserving this part of our food culture, and it certainly holds sentimental value because it's a dish that connects generations who have dined with us."
Casbarian also goes on to say that though the dish may not be on many restaurant menus, it's still considered a mainstay at many late night or early morning social events (most notably after a Mardi Gras ball) and family celebrations.
At Drago's Seafood Restaurant's original location in Metairie, they're still serving grillades and grits for breakfast, their version features veal in a mushroom gravy served with grits and a huge, buttery biscuit. Open since 1969 by Drago and Klara Cvitanovich, the chain is now operated by their son Tommy who keeps the classic dish on their breakfast menu simply because he loves it. "Anything that tastes delicious and hearty has a significant meaning to me, because I love good food," explained Tommy. "I especially love grillades and grits with over-easy eggs on top."
Gris Gris, the immensely popular neighborhood gem on Magazine Street, is probably the newest restaurant serving a version of this old-school classic. Chef and owner Eric Cook is a veteran of the New Orleans restaurant scene (and the U.S. Marine Corp) who sharpened his knives in such venerable local establishments as Brennan's, Commander's Palace and Tommy's Cuisine. Over the past five years, he's accrued a list of accolades as long as his arm, opened a second restaurant dubbed Saint John, and released his first cookbook titled Modern Creole: A Taste of New Orleans Culture and Cuisine.
Brunch at Gris Gris is an epic affair filled with bright, seasonal cocktails and dishes including a cochon de lait benedict smothered in Béarnaise and a fried catfish po-boy dressed with Cajun caviar and buttermilk ranch dressing. As an appetizer (yes, you read that right), Cook offers a dish he invented while working at the National WWII Museum's Stage Door Canteen. Originally called "Gizzards of Oz," it's a decadent plate of braised chicken gizzard grillades served atop stone ground grits in a brown gravy with caramelized bell peppers and onions.
Cook sees the descent of grillades and grits as an unfortunate result of current food trends. "Today's world is so visual, the rise in social media and 'eating with your eyes.'" said Cook. "But my motto is and will always be 'brown on brown is the new black.' Good comfort food may not be the prettiest photo, but it's the best bite."
Finally, Lafayette-born chef Jim Richard at Trenasse restaurant has a familial connection to grillades and grits. Richard's heritage in the restaurant industry goes back four generations, and though he didn't appreciate the dish as a child, he grew to understand its importance. "Both sides of my family had a deep connection to food," explained Richard. "My grandfather, Leon Mayers, ran a restaurant in Lafayette, and grillades were a regular feature. But it was my Grandma Richard's veal grillades with white wine that I still strive to emulate today."
First opened in 2013, Trenasse is located inside the InterContinental Hotel on St. Charles Avenue in the Central Business District. The brunch menu features dishes such as fowl gumbo made with chicken and duck confit, blue crab bisque, and a beef grillades benedict. Slowly braised in a rich, dark brown gravy, the grillades sit atop a generous mound of buttery grits and topped with a poached egg and a healthy ladle of Hollandaise. While it may be fading from restaurant menus across the Greater New Orleans area, it's up to us to keep this classic Big Easy brunch staple alive.
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Grillades and Grits can also be found at:
Cafe Degas
3127 Esplanade Ave.
cafedegas.com
Dooky Chase Restaurant
2301 Orleans Ave.
dookychaserestaurants.com
