Tuesday, October 6, is National Noodle Day,
so grab the family and celebrate this day with some of the best pasta in New
Orleans. Where Y'at has listed five different restaurants that are open
and want to serve you for this important occasion. Skip Taco Tuesday this week
and try one of the many great places for pasta that New Orleans has to offer.
Each spot has something for everyone in the family.
Oceana Grill
One of the best restaurants in the French
Quarter is Oceana Grill, so it would
only make sense to visit this fun dining place for the best pasta. Their menu
features two unique New Orleans-style pastas: the Cajun Jambalaya Pasta and the
Mardi Gras Pasta. The Jambalaya Pasta is a traditional deep-South recipe, with
shrimp, alligator sausage, and peppers in a creamy Creole sauce, all served atop
fettuccine noodles. The Mardi Gras Pasta is one that definitely needs to be
tried. This pasta has shrimp, crawfish tails, and bell peppers in a creamy
Alfredo sauce. 739 Conti St., (504) 525-6002, oceanagrill.com
Josephine Estelle
Open Wednesday through Sunday, Josephine Estelle offers a nice selection of delicious
pastas. The pasta that stands out the most would be the campanelle pasta: noodles shaped like cones with ruffled edges, served
with mushrooms, leeks, and black truffles and available for brunch. Other tempting options include spaghetti with shrimp, serrano, and cauliflower; tortellini with acorn squash, truffles, and goat cheese; or the rigatoni with "Maw Maw's gravy." These New Orleans award-winning
chefs make this one of the best places to load up on carbs. 600 Carondelet
St., (504) 930-3070, josephineestelle.com
Andrea's Restaurant
Originally from Capri, Italy, chef Andrea
Apuzzo of Andrea's Restaurant
can give you the taste and atmosphere you want. With a great bar, Happy Hour
from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., and an extensive menu, this local favorite makes for
the perfect place to celebrate National Noodle Day. Their pasta-packed menu has
so much to offer, with pasta entrees such as Andrea's LA Crabmeat Ravioli. This
homemade ravioli is stuffed with crabmeat and tossed with a light crabmeat
cream sauce. Andrea's features daily specials and live music, Thursday thru
Sunday evenings. 3100 19th St., Metairie, (504) 834-8583, andreasrestaurant.com
Vincent's Italian Cuisine
Vincent's is currently taking
to-go orders, and they are available for dine-in with a reservation. This
"little Italian place on the side street" quickly became a hidden jewel when it
was founded in 1989 in Metairie. There are now two locations, an Uptown
location as well as the one in Metairie. Both spots have a good selection of
pastas to choose from. The house special is the cannelloni pasta, which is
stuffed with veal, pureed spinach, and parmesan cheese, baked on a bed of
Alfredo cream, and topped with a light red sauce. They also have Italian sausage
served over angel hair pasta with red sauce. The Metairie location is open for
dinner Monday and Sunday, from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., and for lunch Tuesday thru
Friday, from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. The location Uptown is open for dinner
Tuesday thru Sunday, from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., and lunch Tuesday thru Friday,
11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Olde NOLA Cookery
Another French Quarter favorite, the Olde NOLA Cookery, serves food "cooked by locals and spiced
with history." Open very late seven days a week, this menu offers all the
classic pasta favorites, including shrimp and chicken Alfredo. They also offer
a crawfish pasta that is tossed in homemade Alfredo sauce. Unlike the others,
the Olde NOLA Cookery includes a vegetarian pasta on their menu, which comes
with a choice of Alfredo or marinara. 205 Bourbon St., (504) 525-4577, nolacookery.com
