Cowbell

I first heard word of Cowbell through my co-worker, Gay. The restaurant is in an old gas station where Oak Street meets River Road, so nice and close to me. It was also mentioned that something called an "adult grilled cheese" was on the menu, which right away sparked my curiosity. Let's not forget that this place is organic and locally sourced, from what I understand. I decided to finally check the place out for a Friday lunch.



Right away I fell in love with the decor. The inside is light and airy, tables made of distressed wood, flowers in glass bottles, and various sculptures including an awesome egret. Look how they post their specials with a little magnet.


Although I really wanted to try their naturally raised beef burger, I opted for a cheaper course since it was lunch and got that much anticipated Adult-style grilled cheese with a mug of the daily soup. Cory copied and got the same thing. We also split an order of fries as an "appetizer".


The grilled cheese consisted of goat cheese, grilled asparagus slices, tomatoes, and something sweet. Fig? The soup of the day was a delicious white bean and vegetable.
I was very happy with my meal. The service was a tad sub-par. Our fries came at the same time as the grilled cheese and it was hard to get a hold of any of the 3 different people that waited on us. Since Cory was on a lunch break for work ('twas my day off!) I think he felt the stress of the wait more than me. I'm not really holding the service against them just yet because I'm anxious to get back there and try more food! The burger and also their brunch.


Cowbell
8801 Oak St
NOLA 70118

Improvised Black Bean Soup

Last year I moved into my apartment right before January 2010. Since I was moving into my first New Orleans apartment, and because it was close to New Year's, the first thing I cooked in my kitchen was a black eyed pea soup for good luck. Today I basically switched out the black eyed peas and replaced them with black beans to get this black bean soup. It still came out darn delicious.


Here's what you need:

olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 carrots, chopped
3 celery ribs, diced
1 large green bell pepper, diced
3 cans of black beans, rinsed
32 oz or so of vegetable broth (I used less, just finishing off an open container I had in the fridge)
1 can diced tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon basil
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
salt as needed



In a large sauce pan, over medium heat, cook onions, garlic, carrots, celery, and bell pepper in a little bit of olive oil. Saute about 10 minutes, or until tender. Stir in black beans, broth, tomatoes, and spices. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes.



This makes a pretty huge batch of soup, so be prepared to share or eat it all week.