A little over a year ago, Allison Vega and her partner Chris Wilson opened Larder, a gourmet market and eatery on Veterans Highway next to Trader Joe’s. It’s a small building that used to be a fast food joint and was most recently a drive-thru beignet place.
I went on the first day, thinking I was checking the progress in eager anticipation, but the doors were open. I perused the very small market and bought some charming Christmas dish towels, but what I ate was forgettable enough that I forgot it. It was actually very good, just not enough to remember that I needed to go back and get it again.
I returned weeks later for breakfast and discovered a fantastic biscuit could be had there. On another visit, an Entercom expat and I had lunch, trying to figure out a way to work together. She is now the producer of the Food Show, a life-saving development.
My now-producer Patty also remarked at that lunch that Larder reminded her of a place Allison had in the Caribbean, where she and husband Drew and family lived for 11 years. It was hard for me to imagine a place like this down there. California, yes, but Caribbean, no.
Since that visit, I have dropped in a few times, and I’ve always left with the same feeling. I like the food, which is fresh, modern and delicious. I love what they did to the place, which is fresh, modern and hip. But I find the place puzzling, and I often struggle to find something to want. I am a creature of habit, and nothing other than the biscuit has wowed me enough to want it again. On my last visit this was problematic. I was short on time and struggled to order something quickly, deferring at the last minute to a salad trio from their case, struggling further to come up with the three I desired.
While I tried to put together my trio salad, I noticed a soup special posted on the wall behind the person taking my order. Unstuffed cabbage soup. Hmmm. Intriguing. I have never understood the appeal of stuffed cabbage leaves, but I wanted to see how they did this soup. I ordered it and went back to assembling the trio.
I really wanted only one salad, the rosemary shrimp, ignoring doubts about the overpowering herb. Staring at the case some more, I added cranberry and goat cheese couscous, and finally the artichoke Greek salad.
Waiting outside in the glorious sunshine, I sat in the patio area which had attracted me from the highway. On all previous visits I did not sit there, and I always wanted to. It reminds me of a courtyard in France, with cafe chairs and pea gravel. Delightful! It is charming and unique, and I didn’t even notice the roar of the highway,
I definitely did notice the Asian chicken salad at an adjacent table. Immediately I had salad envy, and I don’t even care for Asian flavors in a salad. The two who had it were very happy with their selection.
My unstuffed cabbage soup arrived quickly at the table with the salad trio, which was enormous. This cabbage soup was really good, and that surprised me. Stuffed cabbage seems a silly dish, but there is nothing wrong with the flavors. The soup was really chunky, heavy on the tomato, and replete with meat. Even the cup was very filling. Glad I stuck with the small portion.
The rosemary shrimp was exactly what I had hoped for. The rosemary was just a hint in the background. The shrimp were chopped into slightly smaller pieces than they would have been whole. The dressing coated everything evenly, in a light way, wth the proper level of creaminess.
But it was hardly the only delicious thing on the plate. I really loved the couscous salad as well. And the Greek salad was just as good as the other two. The Greek salad reminded me of a true Greek salad in Greece, which is just like a Greek salad here minus the lettuce. There was purple onion, peppers, olives, tomato, oregano, artichoke, and lots of feta cubes in a light and perky vinaigrette. I wish I didn’t have to finish them all but the many vibrant flavors compelled me.
I would return to Larder just to sit in the patio area, but the food is really pleasing as well. This little charmer is a great addition to Metairie’s casual dining scene.
