Turkey and the Wolf — Restaurant in New Orleans

The Collard Melt! Saw it on the Food Network with Guy WHILE in NOLA! So, you know it was meant to be baby! It took me several days to find my way there due to a few factors. At some point, my friend and I Ubered it. The Uber, Jake, told us about a couple of eateries including what he enjoyed here -The Collard Melt -haha! See, kismic!

While in a really long line, it gave us a chance to check out the scenery and menu -even though I knew what I was having! Interestingly odd! I kept expecting to see a turkey and a wolf hanging out in their odd decor, but nah!

The cashier was super friendly! And their table numbers are old animal kid toys.(Love the reuse, reduce, recycle actions put into place!) I asked if we may have the Zebra instead of the dinosaur. They also serve the community by allowing customers to buy a meal that they make themselves for someone in need. They keep the funds separate, so it makes it easy to donate and feel comfortable that they are feeding the community. I love small businesses, as they are community oriented and not everyone has to work for large corporations or the government. They're supporting quality living and giving back to their community! 💚🤎🧡💛 The Collard Melt comes highly recommended! It seems like such an odd combination, yet it was delish! I am not for much bread but dog gone if that Collard Melt was not worth it -plus, I was on vacation! With the fries, my friend and I really should have shared one melt and maybe considered a desert to share. We shared the fries which had a nice seasoning.

The Collard Melt was 5 stars!!! but the fries were 3 simply, because it was like we ended up with mostly those tiny end pieces that fall to the bottom of a bag. Although tasty, they were about 50%+ not the fries you want to pay for But eat when you need to get a new bag of fries from the market.

But, the sammich was great! I will recommend that bad buddy forever!! The top is collard greens with a special tangy orange sauce. The bottom is coleslaw that has a sweet flavor. The two sides are separated by a slice of bread in the middle. Each side has a thick slice of cheese (my friend's did as that's what's on the menu). I can't recall if I asked for vegan cheese and they didn't have it or I just ordered no cheese. Either way, we both enjoyed the sandwich. We left stuffed! And I felt that way for a couple of hours! Which is why I meant to mention we share but forgot with that really long line. It wasn't a horrible line, as it moved at a decent pace, but still long. It was worth the wait! So no complaints.

I do not get the point of all of the cups on the chandeliers but the rest of the decor is kind of funny and quite odd. I still think they should put a turkey and wolf decor around not just the couple of wolf items. I am guessing turkey for vegetarians and wolf is meat eaters. Maybe I'm over thinking it. Either way, I loved NOLA and plan to revisit at some point. I most definitely want to eat here again! To be honest, this is the only restaurant there, that I feel like I definitely need to visit again. There were some others that it would be cool if I did and fine if I ate somewhere else, since New Orleans has much to offer even us non-seafoodies. But Turkey and The Wolf is a must revisit to try something different, perhaps! 😋🍴

I searched high and wide for the Food Network episode, so I could make The Collard Melt recipe as close as possible at home -as I live nowhere near NOLA. There is a Turkey and The Wolf...

It all started with a rare visit to the neighborhood used bookstore where I came across upon their cookbook. The name was “catchy” so one can’t be surprised that I found myself flipping through all the pages to see what it was all about. Sure enough, the words and photos captivated me enough to walk out of there with only this book in hand. The words were fun. Their style was fun. Their personality came across in everything and every part of the book. I found myself thoroughly curious - enough to eventually book this trip down to NOLA. (Found out later that Bon Appetit had name them best new restaurant in America years back.)

They were my first stop in NOLA and I couldn’t be more excited. I joined the line that had formed way before they opened that morning and chatted with some of the locals as to how often they would visit this spot. Most that I talked to that day visit on average three times a week, which really says a lot about who they are. Not only are they a “tourist” spot at this point, they’ve also seemingly cemented their place into the local palate.

The line moved fast the moments their doors opened. It didn’t take long before I stepped into the establishment and felt ported to another time and place. Stickers and “art” adored just about every aspect of the space. Definitely quirky and cartoonish…and very much hipster. It was playful and expressive and even the staff are notably contributing to the overall atmosphere of this tiny 30-40 seater space. Walked up to the counter at my turn and placed an order for all the items I’ve previously bookmarked to try from the book before parking myself at the nearest open table. Fast, simple, and no-fuss service. Let’s dooooo this.

Kitchen was obviously efficient. Sure, it’s a relatively simple menu but they definitely had their kitchen gears greased and going. I watched as food flew out of the kitchen to all the different tables at quite the epic speed. They were fast and efficient. Impressive.

My turn came as quickly and one by one my dishes arrived. I took my pictures and then just dug in like a voracious wolf. Must. Consume. It. All.

For all the hype, these were just plain normal dishes and flavors re-plated and re-branded. Nothing really blew me out of mind considering this is NOLA and the food scene is GREAT. They were just…normal sandwiches. Flavors were good but just “normal” and as expected. Luckily, I didn’t plan my whole trip around this NOR had to wait in line like some of the others that came much later than I did. Otherwise, I would be thoroughly disappointed.

Funny thing is I had my book with me and initially wanted to have it signed. After dining here though, I didn’t even bother and probably will donate it back to the original used bookstore I originally purchased it from.

Worth one visit just to experience it for yourself. I rather crawl the rest of what NOLA...

Taking Comfort food to a WHOLEE NOTTTA LEVEL!

Yes, it is ALL the hype. They are only open for lunch so get your fix in before 5pm. This place is as cozy as it gets so get to know your neighbor in line because they'll be one. It was a full house when we got there so we were about to sit outside but thankfully it was only a ten minute wait for seats inside. I would say unique decor from the vintage chairs to the wooden pig seating figurines.

Let's talk food.

Collard Green Melt - $10.5 - slow-cooked collards, swiss cheese, pickled cherry pepper dressing, cole slaw, on rye bread YOU WIN. No seriously, this is one of the most delicious things I've ever put in my mouth. I really love the layers of creamy and tangy. I mean, I was very skeptical of ordering this because it didn't have any type of protein.. but you know bacon wouldn't be a bad idea. The pickled cherry pepper dressing is ridiciously addicting.. like I want to put it on everything... Overall, so my best pick here!

Fried Bologna - $11.5 - leighann's bologna, hot english mustard, potato chips, shrettuce, mayo, american cheese on white It's super heavy and rich, but hey it said fried. From the buttered thick toast to the crispy fried potato chips, you're really asking for a heartattack. I recommened trying this at least once in your life.

Lamb Neck Roti - $12.5 - lamb neck, slow cookedin chiles and carraway, lemony yogurt, cucumbers, onions, heady herbs on roti bread Hmm, my thoughts were holy cow that's a lot of dill. Nicely tendered and flavored lamb neck but the roti itself was a bit thick and not as fluffy as I'd like but still a good option.

Tacos Inauthenticos - 2 for $7 - hog's headcheese, jalapenos, shrettuce, sour cream, valentina, american cheese on Migdalia's handmade corn tortillas. These were your classic tacos topped with torillia strips for added crunch. It was good to try, but it wasn't anything extraordinary.

Kandi's Constant, Gentle Pressure - $9 - pineapple rum, ghost pepper tequila, lime, allspice dram This cocktail was bomb dot com. I wasn't expecting to have cocktails for lunch but this is worth it!

Last word.

YES, I would recommend this place to anyone because of the experience and delicious food! COLLARD GREEN MELT, just do...