Dessert is one of life’s great pleasures and as a traveler catering to my sweet tooth is about authenticity, culture and “the experience.” Forget King cake and beignets, bananas Foster is my “go-to” NOLA dessert. Whether it is traditional, French toast, pancakes, milkshake, cupcakes, bread pudding or in a doughnut form; I am here for ALL of the bananas Foster goodness. I spent years indulging in the sweet treat not knowing that it is a breakfast dessert created in The Big Easy by Brennan’s Restaurant 68 years ago.
Long before brunch was even a THING, Brennan’s was creating a buzz with their lavish gourmet breakfast in the 1940’s. “Breakfast at Brennan’s” – continues to be a three-course feast that starts with an “eye opener”, followed by three food courses that complement the wine found in their 10,000 bottle wine collection that is housed in the restaurant’s stone cellar and finishes with flaming, rum-soaked bananas. A landmark that is nestled in the historic French Quarter of New Orleans, Brennan’s lavish breakfasts, brandy milk punch, turtle soup & boozy, flaming bananas Foster are LEGENDARY! The spirit of the restaurant’s first chef, Paul Blangé -- who along with Ella Brennan brought bananas Foster into existence -- does still rattle about the kitchen. On my recent visit to “The Pink Lady” on Royal Street, we had an opportunity to try the turtle soup and bananas Foster during a private dinner in the cutest dining suite at the iconic pink venue.
Taking in the Creole influenced delicacies of the region has become a priority when I travel to New Orleans. This famous treat that is NOLA in dessert form — bananas, butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, rum, banana liqueur and vanilla ice cream — was named for Richard Foster, a friend of Brennan’s founder Owen Brennan, for a dinner in 1951 celebrating his work. While the liquor burns off quickly, the dish flares up creating a show that draws you into the enticing dessert that pays homage to the sweet legacy of New Orleans’ once-booming banana trade. Our server used a jigger to pour enough rum for a show, but not enough to send us running for extinguishers.
Gluttony was off the table that night, as I reveled in the restaurant’s refreshing spin on traditional Creole cuisine that sent my taste buds swarming at the heart of New Orleans dining. Offering a contemporary culinary voice for the next generation, the exclusive cuisine—principally French, with a Spanish influence, and contributions from Italian cooking; newfound cultural influences, like Vietnamese, flourish in promising flavors that are beautifully plated.
Full of old-fashioned Southern charm, we explored the colorful personality and European influenced décor of each dining room before settling down in our own suite for an evening of sisterhood, fine food and plenty of laughter.
“Travel the world, eat good food and take great photos.”