Foodie Stop: La Petite Grocery

Cuisine: Fresh-Southern Fusion

4238 Magazine Street

New Orleans, LA 70115

Yelp: 4 / 5

Zagat Food: 26 / 30

We Say: Share the Blue Crab Beignets

Usually, anything with the word “petite” shames our “bigger-than-stomach” eyes, but by the end of the meal, these same eyes shrunk back to reality and gained a new appreciation for the smaller, more delicate things in life.

To most and for most things, bigger is better. But, there is certainly fault in this grand level of thinking. For one, how many people can consistently and successfully parallel park their massive hummers on the quaint narrow corridors of the French Quarter without needing an 11-point maneuver? Not many. Praise be to those cute little fiats and buggies. In all seriousness, and particularly when it comes to food, bigger is most certainly not better. When we go out to nice, well reviewed restaurants, we want to try as much as we possibly can. And we know we aren’t the only ones who salivate to this gluttonous fork in the road.

Should we get one appetizer and two entrees? But I like the griddled octopus. And he likes the cauliflower puree. I would like a bite of the lamb meatballs and he would like to nibble on the blue crab beignets. Okay, so four appetizers and two entrees? ….Too much? Waiter, what do you think?

It’s customary to assume you need to order appetizers and an entree for each, especially when you know…sharing isn’t always easy. It’s the food war: the war of all wars. Particularly when it’s Man vs. Woman. Men have this uncanny ability to act like sweet birds before dinner– hailing all to let you know the food is coming to share. Then the innocent waiter approaches plate in hand. And right before the little white saucer touches ground, you look at your sweet bird and he is a ravenous seagull gobbling up the “petite bite” before your eyes can even spot it. The unconscious fight to finish ensues.

Trust us--it’s easy to get excited over a meal, otherwise we wouldn’t be true foodies. The appetizer menu shouldn’t be treated as a warzone, but as a peace treat(y). We recommend skipping the entrees (or sharing one) and ordering many more small plates. The secret to sharing, is the secret to most things in life: wine. Take a sip between each bite and let it carry the tastes deeper into your palette. Wine is the perfect buffer. (And a bottle to share is well worth it too.)

It’s always a good option to default to your waiter’s recommendation, but take it from us: Share small and share often.