Food and Beverage

I like latin food almost as much as I like latin men and there is no place I would rather go for a steaming plate of paella or ropa vieja than Maya’s Latin Fusion Cuisine Restaurant and bar.

When I first moved to the city I was living two blocks away from this neighborhood spot (located in the 2000 block of Magazine Street across from Juan’s Flying Burrito) and was initially lured in by their $5 fresh margaritas, sangrias, and flavored mojitos. They are nothing like you would find across the street or further uptown at Superior Grill; these margaritas are hand crafted and delicious and there aren’t many cocktails I find as refreshing during a hot NOLA summer. After visiting several times for drinks sitting under the colorful umbrellas on the sidewalk out front I decided to stop in for lunch. Shocked by the wide selection, huge portions, and low price of their 3 course lunch for $13 I have been back many times since. It still shocks me when I talk to people who have never eaten at Maya’s (let alone heard of it), but I’ve been keeping this place a secret for too long.

Whether you decide to dine for lunch or dinner, I recommend starting off any meal with their guacamole and homemade tortilla chips. Both their avocado with mango and their blue cheese tomato salads are light options for vegetarians or perfect add on’s before your main course. For entree’s they have fresh seafood, tons of daily specials, and all the traditional staples you would expect on a latin menu.

The inside is quaint and adorned with antique treasures, perfect for a romantic date night or dinner out with friends. The service is exceptional and the staff is well versed with the menu, specials, and always offering up suggestions of their favorite dishes. The owners Trinity and Edgar are always on hand concocting drinks, delivering sizzling plates of food, and just stopping by to chat and making sure you are enjoying your meals.

Maya’s is located at 2027 Magazine Street in the lower garden district. For more information or to view the menu check out their site at www.mojitoland.com  Reservations can be made by calling (504)309-3401. Closed Monday’s.

Rachael is originally from Harrisburg, PA where she plans to be mayor one day. In the meantime she keeps busy cleaning the skeletons out of her closet, catering to the needs of a very spoiled Siberian Huskey, and hosting her own radio show, Plan DD: The morning after Rachael. Rachael can be reached for questions/comments at rkostel7@gmail.com.

By: Sarah Baird

Gourmet brunch spots opening their doors by night to high-end Ramen lovers, bars doubling as a home for delicious Slavic soul food, dim sum delights taking over the kitchen once a week at a meat-and-three standby: there’s no doubt that our current culinary scene is all about experimenting through pop-ups, temporary spaces and, often, finding out that seemingly strange bedfellows make for phenomenal dining experiences.

Food trucks are an integral part of this new wave dining in New Orleans, and are leading efforts to ensure affordable, inspired culinary options continue to thrive in the city outside of the brick-and-mortar box.

Several months ago on Neighborland, a New Orleans-based online platform which encourages neighbors to share ideas and connect with people about how to make neighborhoods—and the city at large—a better place, a suggestion was posted that New Orleans needed more food trucks. Specifically, a call to action was made for a parade of food trucks through the Central Business District: an idea which set off a spark of excitement for food lovers throughout the city. Current law, however, is not particularly favorable to rolling culinary operations, including statues that limit where food trucks can operate and how long they are allowed to stay parked in a single location.

With momentum picking up behind the movement, the New Orleans Food Truck Coalition (NOFTC) was born as a way for these trailblazers-on-wheels to join forces for their cause: advocating for the reform of current laws, educating about the economic impact of food trucks and raising awareness about the diverse, eclectic dining options offered through this medium.

A petition was created—which now bears over 1,000 signatures—to encourage city council to rethink their approach to food truck law, and Neighborland has partnered with GOOD Magazine to recruit a group of creative thinkers and engaged citizens to brainstorm thoughtful ways to get more food trucks to our fair city. The first-ever food truck round-up is also tentatively slated to occur in the coming weeks, allowing curious eaters to sample goods from multiple trucks without a citywide scavenger hunt.

Especially in these murky recession-lite times, the importance of growing local businesses, creating jobs and encouraging entrepreneurship all while supporting the cultural economy cannot be overstated. Food trucks do all this, and more, while providing us all with phenomenal treats for a fraction of the cost of more traditional establishments.

For more information on how to get involved in the food truck movement in New Orleans (or where to grab a bite!) click it: http://nolafoodtrucks.com/