NOLA just took on a whole new meaning -- New-Orleans-In-Los-Angeles! And lucky for us. Little Jewel is a gem.

One recent Saturday after a surf session up at Zuma, we had Po'Boys for lunch. In fact over the past few months, it seemed, Po'Boys had been all over the radar screen. I had been reading about them and seeing recipes here and there, and I had been wanting to make one at home. I could get oysters from McCalls and fry them was the idea. Then we had some late fall tomatoes from the garden that were green and were most likely not going to ripen, so I figured, hey, why not a fried green tomato Po'Boy? That sounds good, right? I researched a bunch of recipes and came up something like this: I sliced the green tomatoes and dredged them in flour. I dragged them through beaten egg and then rolled them in panko. After that they got shallow fried until crisp. I sliced open one of Karen McCall's baguettes, slathered on mayonnaise, and lay down the fried tomatoes. These were topped with shredded lettuce, sliced red tomato and pickles, and that was it. The results were pretty good, but they were nothing like the Fried Catfish Po'Boy I had at the Little Jewel of New Orleans not too long ago that you see here:

Doesn't that look awesome? The fish was mild and fried to perfection. There was just the right amount of lettuce, tomato and pickle, and lots of mayonnaise, which is a very good thing in my book. A few dashes of Crystal Hot Sauce and it's sandwich heaven. Also, it was huge! You could have easily fed two, but I ate the whole thing, along with the bag of chips, and no I don't regret it. Below is the one I made us, for comparison. It's okay, but kind of amateur hour, I'd say. Something to work on, though.

I think my bread was a little too crusty, and I'm not sure if my dredge was traditional. I think with the panko, definitely not. But I plan to keep at making these guys at home, maybe with those Oysters from McCalls next time.  Or I'll just pick one up at the Little Jewel.

I don't exactly know when I first read about the Little Jewel of New Orleans, which was opened by Chef Marcus Christiana-Beniger and partner Eunah Kang, but once I did, I knew I had to get down there. Here's a confession: I've never been to New Orleans. It's on the list, but we just haven't gotten to it yet. I want to go just for a few days of eating delicious things, and drinking Sazeracs. But I can easily get to the Little Jewel, and the first time I went, for that Po'boy, I even found a parking space right in front that still had time on the meter! It's such a cool little place, with bluesy music playing in the background and a colorful downtown clientele. It's both a deli, and a market that sells things you don't normally find in L.A. I definitely want to try a bunch of these things, but most especially, since I'm a mayo freak, the Blue Plate Mayonnaise. Here's a little glimpse inside. Note the sign that says "desire" right over the door where the Chef comes out to bring you your food. That's appropriate, I'd say.

I started following the Chef, and the Little Jewel, on Instagram and Twitter and soon I learned Muffulettas were coming. I've talked about our love for the Italian Sandwich, for both the definitive version, the Godmother, from Bay Cities in Santa Monica, and for a version I've made at home. Well, the Muffuletta is a close cousin, lots of delicious meats and cheese piled on a roll, but here with an olive salad on top and then the whole thing is weighted down for several hours or even overnight, so all the flavors meld. Take a look at Little Jewel's version (which, again, is huge by the way -- this is the half order!)

This sandwich was insane! I mean just look at all that meat and cheese, and the olive salad, salty and a little spicy, provides the perfect counterpunch to the sandwich's richness. Wow, just so, so good.

But wait, there's more. I found out this was a special on Mondays:

Yep, red beans and rice, one of those meals that's really so simple and elemental. I like those kinds of meals. Well, this past Monday I got the red beans and rice, and like everything I've had so far at Little Jewel, it rocked. The beans were tender but a little firm, there were nice sized pieces of smoky sausage in the mix, and the broth was rich, with a little bit of spice. So good with the rice, and that little piece of toasted garlicky bread. I could have ordered a sausage link on the side. But I restrained myself. Maybe next time. I still have to go back for gumbo, for a muffuletta that's toasted (I didn't know you could get it toasted…gotta try that), for the hush puppies and for just about everything on the Chef's menu because it all sounds so enticing.

This place is indeed a jewel in downtown Los Angeles.  GO!

Here are some vitals:

Little Jewel of New Orleans:  www.littlejewel.la.com
On Instagram: @chefmarkvsaugustvs
On Twitter: @LittleJewelofNO
McCalls for baguettes and oysters: www.mccallsmeatandfish.com