The “Fifty Fifty” in Lovely’s refers to pizza and ice cream—two of the best things in the world. It’s basically the most Portland restaurant I can think of. Everything there is 100% locally sourced. Even the flour, which the chef there uses to turn into this ridiculous sourdough bread that she then just basically puts pizza toppings on, is freshly milled. It’s not a typical pizza place at all. They don’t use tomatoes unless they’re in season or unless they preserve them.
But, like the city itself, the cuisine of New Orleans is forever changing. These days, you’re just as likely to come across Vietnamese po’ boys and braised-greens street tacos as you are traditional eggs Sardou, turtle soup, or soufflé potatoes. From Danish-inspired aebelskivers, to Vietnamese-inflected Mardi Gras king cakes, to whole pompano roasted Uruguayan asado–style over an open flame, New Orleans has so much going on that it can be hard to know where to start.
