Louisiana Pizza Kitchen

Much of my time in New Orleans is spent in the archives, researching the lives of somewhat obscure chefs and cooks in New Orleans. On a good morning I can wheel my way through 15 reels of microfilm. In between this research, I break for lunch. But my lunch break is so much more than eating: its my portal into New Orleanian culture which is so defined by its food. If I want to write about the history of New Orleans cuisine, I must have a good grasp of its restaurant scene. So, I started my exploration of NOLA cuisine with the Louisiana Pizza Kitchen. The restaurant had decent reviews online, so I headed past the French Market to this small corner restaurant. I immediately liked the ambience: cool exterior with a hip bar-like feel. From my seat I could see the pizza oven and the mastermind cook behind the crispy thin crust of LPK pizzas. My tummy was rumbling, and I was craving good pizza (with a Creole twist?) The service was really fast, and before I could properly look at the menu I found myself ordering a "Four Seasons" pizza and a black cherry soda. When the pizza came it looked delicious: heaps of artichoke hearts, sun dried tomatoes, mushrooms and a dusting of flour on the edges of the crisped crust. I started out with a knife and fork, but was too hungry to stick to such tedious practices, and just picked up the pizza in my hand. Anticipation mounted as I took my first bite, but bizarrely my taste buds were hit by an overwhelming taste of herbes de Provence. What?!, I thought to myself. Upon closer examination, I saw that my knight-in-shining armor cook had been a bit too liberal with his spices. I am not one to normally dislike food, but these herbs were too pungent for the pizza and overwhelmed the simplistic characteristics of good pizza: simple crust, cheese and tomato sauce. Well, at least I had my black cherry soda to cheer me up! If I head back to the Louisiana Pizza Kitchen, I will not order the "Four Seasons" pizza, but I would venture for a simpler pizza which showcases the delicate wood fired crust.