Cochon (New Orleans, LA)

 Cochon (New Orleans, Louisiana) – I’m still not sure why we ended up at a restaurant that’s basically renowned for their pork dishes, but we did, especially considering the fact that practically everyone in the group does not eat pork. But we still found a bunch of good things to eat! Our waitress was also super friendly and realized that we weren’t ordering pork and made sure to point out any dishes that had it (such as the bread that they bring out that has pork content in it). We really appreciated her!

We started out with drinks and I ordered an Arnold Palmer and my sister ordered Cheerwine, which is a local soft drink that has been produced for decades in the South. It was essentially a cherry soda. I really liked it! 

First, we ordered a bunch of small plates to pass around the table. There were wood-fired oysters with chili garlic butter that I heard were very good. I’m personally not a big fan of oysters, mussels, clams (unless it’s soup or something), so I passed on that. I don’t particularly enjoy their texture.

Next up, was fried alligator with chili garlic mayonnaise. Yes, alligator! I decided to be bold and try it. I was oh so pleasantly surprised! It tasted like fish or shrimp tempura – basically crispy seafood. It was actually pretty addicting and I wanted to eat a good part of that plate. 

There was also a macaroni and cheese casserole that was ordered alongside an entree, Rabbit and dumplings. I decided to try the rabbit as well, and it was okay. It felt a little gamey to me and I didn’t feel like it had much flavor. Other people on the table liked it though! 

The last small plate was the Louisiana blue crab rice with chili flake and cilantro. I am also not a huge of fan of crab and lobster (by themselves, anyway), but this rice was really good. I would’ve gladly wanted it paired up with my entree. 

The entree I ordered (which was shared, since my eyes are always bigger than my stomach) was Beef Short Rib with Tomato, Squash, Pickled Okra, and Slow Roasted Grits. This was phenomenal. Cochon may be revered for their pork, but they can cook amazing beef too. While the beef I had at Sylvain was more tender than the one at Cochon, I feel like Cochon’s packed more flavor. The complement of the grits and vegetables was so perfect. It all tasted so good together when combined. There was a nice creamy texture combined with the spice and acidity of the vegetables that was fantastic with tender, well cooked meat.