For many New Orleanians, any bowl of gumbo is liable to be judged against the version they grew up eating, usually the one from home. That’s a lot to live up to. It’s also precisely the reason why chef Bunny Young puts so much into her gumbo at Vaucresson Creole Café & Deli.
Heads turn when the dishes come out of the kitchen at this 7th Ward butcher shop-turned-Creole soul restaurant. It’s not because they’re outlandish or made for Instagram. It’s because they look like New Orleans home cooking, a type that is increasingly rare to find at restaurants.
“You ask where to find the best gumbo, the best étouffée in New Orleans, and people will tell you it’s at home,” said Young before one busy Tuesday lunch shift. “Well, that’s what I want to do here. I’m trying to bring a taste of home.”
She has resoundingly succeeded. The dark roux is deeply layered with flavor. A shellfish essence is steeped in. The shrimp pop. One type of sausage won’t do, so there’s smoky andouille and Vaucresson’s own hot sausage. Chicken gizzards give it another dimension, earthy and savory…