The Green Goddess, New Orleans

I couldn’t have asked for a better last meal on our last night in New Orleans, on the last night of our vacation. The Green Goddess sits in a dark alley and, had it not been for our Christmas Eve Reveillon dinner across the alley at The Pelican Club, we would have never seen this small, unassuming restaurant.

Then, on Christmas Day, while sipping some superb cocktails at the Bar UnCommon, we were talking with Laura McMillian (from Bar UnCommon), about our traditional meal at The Pelican Club. Laura immediately suggested we check out The Green Goddess. Having nothing but absolute respect for advice coming from a foodie such as herself, we made a point to check out this goddess…

What a delight! But, my camera app was malfunctioning, so there are sadly no photos of food- just the view from the cozy bar where we sat to eat and drink. Turns out the cozy bar was the best seat in the house to experience this place…

We were somehow meant to go to The Green Goddess because we walked in and were promptly greeted by the most on-point bartender/waiter/mixologist I’d ever seen (Scott, it turns out is his name), and he asked if we had been on the streetcar that afternoon. I immediately remembered looking right at him as we were packed like sardines on the streetcar coming from the garden district back towards the French Quarter. Not to get totally off the topic of food, but it felt like a book or movie where two characters who appear to have nothing to do with each other cross paths in more than one place. Very cool. Scott himself was very cool, too. Turns out he’s been to Boulder…

Scott really keeps The Green Goddess moving at the pace it needs to in order to accommodate the seemingly never-ending line of hungry patrons eager for a bite of the fine cuisine one can only eat at an establishment of similar culinary prowess as The Green Goddess. I mean that seriously. If you spend any time reading their website and/or menu, you’ll know what I mean.

According to their website, the Green Goddess “blends New Orleans sensibilities with a globetrotting sampling of ingredients, all emanating from the small open kitchen where chefs Chris DeBarr and Paul Artigues make it happen.” This restaurant is, as they say, “the kind of place that defies labels” as it showcases local Louisiana seafood, sausages, and produce while marrying them with “exotic tastes that reference New Orleans’ historic role as one of the greatest port cities in the world, where anything can be found.”

The best of everything seems to be found on their menu. Scott told us that they enjoy supporting smaller, independent businesses that produce small-batch, high quality foods and food products. I had to Google a few things just out of curiosity, such as Clear Creek Distillery in Oregon, where The Green Goddess purchases Cranberry Liqueur and Pear Brandy.

I could go on and on, but I won’t. I’ll tell you that everything on their menu is bound to be good, so check them at:

307 Exchange Place

New Orleans, LA 70130

504-301-3347