By Dr. Nicole Caridad Ralston
As a food writer and consultant in New Orleans, Dr. Nicole Caridad Ralston holds a special place in her heart for the culinary world. In her latest pursuit, a foodie concierge service, folks can work with her to curate a can’t-miss itinerary featuring the best the greater New Orleans area has to offer. On social media, she also shares her favorite bites and the history behind the cuisine she’s showcasing. She’s even coming out with a book, Roodie & Toodie: The Foodies, which features Roodie and Toodie, food-loving twins who are not only fascinated by the delicious food of New Orleans but also embark on an adventure to learn about the origins of their favorite dishes. We sat down with Nicole to learn more about her foodie journey.
When did you first start writing about food?
It was when I first moved to New Orleans. I was working at the University of New Orleans, and I was immersed right away with people from the state and learned very quickly about the food culture and history here and where the favorite places for locals were. And anytime I would go out somewhere, I would text family and friends to show them what I was trying and couldn’t wait to show them when they would come to visit. It started to get out of hand, and I needed a way to organize all the places I was going to. So, I started a blog on Tumblr and several years went by and I was interviewed by a student from Xavier University who asked me whether I’d considered putting my stuff on Instagram. I decided to try it out, and it just took off.
How do you see the influence of New Orleans’ rich food history and communities in the current culinary scene today?
New Orleans really is so community-focused. In some ways, throughout history, it has been forced to be like that—not in a bad way, but just by the nature of its location, geographically. And so, I think that has led to really a mix of cultures in terms of how that shows up in food, right? So, it’s, like, West African influence and it’s, of course, like, French and Spanish influence but also, like, indigenous communities’ influence. But I think that’s what’s most interesting about New Orleans food culture, is that there’s always been so much mixing and mingling amongst several different cultures. There’s really so much richness in our cuisine, just by nature of so many people throughout history kind of coming in and out of the city.
What are your current favorite bites in New Orleans?
There’s so many! I love Queen Trini Lisa. She has these Trinidadian doubles that are really good. Fritai is one of my favorites for Haitian food. They have this pork and plantain sandwich that I really love. Alma Cafe is another one of my favorites. I love Lil’ Dizzy’s Cafe for authentic Creole soul food. And then I also love some of our longstanding restaurants like Commander’s Palace and Brennan’s. And Dakar, that one is so interesting because [Chef Serigne Mbaye] is so focused on the Western African influence of our cuisine, which has been, you know, hidden in some ways throughout our food history. We uplift, often, like, French influence but not so much the West African influence. And so, I love what he’s doing over there. The food is out-of-control delicious; like, it is truly an experience. But I love, too, that he kind of infuses history throughout each course as well.
