Hi everybody!
In the spirit of Mardi Gras and Fat Tuesday today, I wanted to share a really cool spot I visited a while ago that I’ve been itching to come back to: Heaven on Seven in The Loop.
This New Orleans/Cajun style restaurant celebrates the holiday and serves soul food 365 days a year.
First on the menu is the blueberry hush puppy/beignet hybrid – sweet, crumbly and oh so good. If you want to start brunch on a sweet note, grab these!
Next, fluffy eggs and cornbread biscuits topped with Louisiana caviar. These had a nice flavor to them and the contrast of crunchy biscuit to soft egg worked really well.
Going back to sweet again we have the Bananas Foster French Toast. Caramelized/brûléed bananas, pecans, cinnamon, and sweet syrup – mmm! I love a good french toast so I’m glad this one did not disappoint!
Back to savory again and with a NOLA staple: Gumbo – 2 ways; vegetarian with collard greens and chicken & andouille sausage. They may not be pretty looking but both were packed with flavor – I was shocked in a good way! Out of the two, I did favor the sausage one but you can’t go wrong with either.
When in Rome, right? This was my first Hurricane ever and I definitely see why it’s such a staple! Citrusy but dangerous…just a couple of these and you’ll be set for the rest of the day! 🤣
I love me some Shrimp n’ Grits so I was the most excited about this next course…and not surprisingly was my favorite. The dish was served 3 ways: spicy, pork belly instead of shrimp, and barbecue/sweet style. Again, all very flavorful and the grits themselves were so cheesy and melted in your mouth.
The most unique dish award for the afternoon goes to the Catfish Kimchi wings. I never thought I would have catfish at a restaurant (let alone in one of the country’s biggest cities of all places) but these were great! They had a nice kick with the sweet sauce and the crunch of the wing was perfect. If you’re feeling adventurous, try these!
I love shrimp (and most seafood in general) so this was an easy dish to like. This coconut shrimp was sticky sweet and had a slight kick topped with jalapeños – a nice classic!
More Southern classics coming your way in the form of Po’boys. The first was the shrimp – a little dry without the sauce since it’s fried but once added it’s good! I’m more of a grilled shrimp person so this wasn’t my favorite but decent. The next was a Nashville hot chicken version and it brought me right back to Music City.
Another first for me during this meal was banana pudding. And after having this one, I’m really wondering why it took me so long! It was pillowy and sweet and definitely a comfort food.
The final three desserts were all tasty in different ways. First up is the Key Lime Ice Box Pie – citrusy and creamy. The lime added a nice bite between the rest of the sweet treats.
The next one, Pecan Pie, is one of my favorite pies in general so this was not a hard sell. Basically fall in a bite if you ask me!
The final one really took the cake though: Peanut Butter Chocolate Pie. It was so decadent and moist – similar to a cheesecake almost. Out of all the sweet items, this was my favorite one. If you know someone who loves peanut butter and chocolate as much as I do, do NOT skip this!
A million courses later and we made it! Everything was delicious and Jimmy Banos, the owner, couldn’t have been nicer. Whether it’s Mardi Gras season or not – stop into Heaven on Seven and be prepared for a full, happy stomach.
See you in the next post!
