Showing posts with label The Praline Connection. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The Praline Connection. Show all posts

The Praline Connection (New Orleans)

Location: New Orleans, USA
Address: 542 Frenchman Street
Website: www.pralineconnection.com
Type of Meal: Dinner



The Praline Connection has been serving good ole’ Cajun-Creole style soul food for almost 25 years. True to form the portions are gigantic with each entrée accompanied by corn bread and two sides (greens, beans, macaroni & cheese or potato salad). The cornbread is likely the healthiest part of the meal, likely lacking oil in the batter it tasted a bit dry. Of course, there were pats of butter on the side so you could slather on extra moisture and flavours if you wanted.


Sharing three entrees and an appetizer between a table of four there was still too much food! As we were waiting for the entrees we decided to get some fried pickles ($5.95) to munch on. Cut into circles rather than lengthwise, the pickles were crunchier given the higher batter ratio. Overall, they weren’t bad but could benefit from being dried longer (as they were getting soggy near the bottom) and being dusted with cornmeal as well. 


When I think of soul food, fried chicken ($13.50) often comes to mind. So, we had to try an order. Praline Connection’s had a light coating - similar to what you'd find at KFC except crispier. Although the chicken meat was very tender and moist, the breading needed a bit more flavour in terms of salt and/or spices. However, it did go nicely with the thick and creamy potato salad. The salad had hints of mustard and something tangy in it (perhaps vinegar) which helped to round out the flavours of fried foods nicely.


The barbeque ribs ($17.95) had a wonderful thick tangy sauce slathered all over them (albeit no smokiness). Also very tender, this was the sole dish of the evening that left me wanting more. The collard greens were decent with a hint of spice; if only they weren’t as mushy it would be even better but I understand they are generally served this way.


Lastly, the fried catfish ($15.95) was another moist and freshly made dish. The fish, lightly dusted with a thin crispy crust, was a fair portion. The lackluster tartar sauce did need more relish in it as it resembled mayonnaise more than tartar. The macaroni and cheese was fairly cheesy with two types of cheese used throughout, yet wasn’t too heavy. Additionally, the macaroni noodles were quite long so that you could almost twirl it around a fork. Unfortunately, it was under seasoned and could have used a bit more salt.



The Praline Connection is ideally located on a busy corner of Frenchmen Street. Indeed, during our visit upon leaving the restaurant we were greeted with an impressive live jazz performance street side. So, if you’re looking for a place to start the night, The Praline Connection may be a good choice. But, you may want to share to avoid feeling overly stuffed for the rest of the night. 



Overall mark - 7 out of 10


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Gastro World's Grading System

  • Anything under 5 - I really disliked and will never go back
  • - decent restaurant but I likely won't return
  • 7 - decent restaurant and I will likely return
  • 8 - great restaurant that I'd be happy to recommend
  • 9 - fantastic restaurant that I would love to visit regularly and highly recommend
  • 10 - absolute perfection!