Carmo
527 Julia St, New Orleans, LA 70130, USA
Warehouse District & Center City
Anecdotes & Analysis
In the center of the Warehouse and Arts Districts, Cafe Carmo has opened a vegetarian- and vegan-friendly restaurant in the perfect spot for such a restaurant. Its menu too is right for the area, because the half of it that's not veg is on the light side, and takes as its inspiration the food of Brazil and the Caribbean. Those should be a big hit in this semi-tropical town, but only in recent years have we seen much of either.<br /> <br /> I like the way they play the vegetarian game here. Dishes are described as containing meats and cheese in normal amounts, but "vegetarian meat" or "vegan cheese" are offered as substitutes. That way nobody gets hurt. Unless you're in a hurry to read the menu, because this sometimes adds a paragraph (I am not exaggerating) to the dish's description.<br /> <br />
Most Interesting Dishes
<em><strong>Salads</strong></em><br /> Carmo salad (rice, pineapple, avocado, nuts, raisins, cucumber, ham, mango vinaigrette)<br /> Esmeralda salad (quinoa, black beans, corn, peppers, cilantro, coconut chili lime vinaigrette, pumpkin seeds, cotija cheese)<br /> Broken noodle salad (rice noodles, tofu, peanuts, bean sprouts, cucumber, peas, mushrooms, cabbage, cilantro, peppers, scallions, citrus ginger chili vinaigrette)<br /> Jaciara's salpicão (smoked chicken, turkey, ham, raisins, green peas, peppers, cucumbers, cheese, shoestring potatoes)<br /> Green salad (tomatoes, cucumbers, seasonal produce, balsamic vinaigrette)<br /> <br /> <em><strong>Sandwiches </strong></em><br /> Rico (breadless: plantain patty, cheese, pulled pork, avocado, salsa fresca)<br /> Veggie king (avocados, cucumbers, red onion, swiss cheese, alfalfa sprouts, lettuce and tomatoes<br /> Tuna salad (yellowfin tuna, sourdough, avocado, cucumber)<br /> Deli sandwiches to order (many breads, meatsm cheeses, and vegetables to choose from)<br /> <br /> <em><strong>Starters</strong></em><br /> Vietnamese pork eggrolls<br /> Acarajéa: Brazilian black-eyed pea fritter, vatapá (spicy cashew peanut paste), shrimp, salsa fresca<br /> Rum-cured, cold-smoked yellowfin tuna, chili oil, red onions, pea sprouts, quail eggs<br /> Banquette breads (made with Armenian flatbread topped with cheese, shrimp, or savory herbs; there's also a sweet version with bananas and cinnamon sugar)<br /> <br /> <em><strong>Entrees are daily specials</strong></em><br /> <br /> <em><strong>Sides </strong></em><br /> Brazilian cheese bread<br /> Caribbean banana cake
Holiday Ratings
2
Christmas
0
Thanksgiving