There’s something about the restaurants of New Orleans that feels different. It’s not just the food, though a plate of red beans and rice, fried chicken, or a po’boy can change your whole day; it’s the people and the history behind it all. Every restaurant has a story. Every meal represents what is great about New Orleans. Here’s how you can support New Orleans restaurants even if you’re miles away.
But for those of us who live outside of New Orleans, it’s easy to miss that feeling. We miss that smell of beans simmering that’s floating down the street, or the laughter and sounds coming out of a restaurant’s dining room, or that feeling of excitement as you walk through that threshold and into the lobby, waiting to be seated, as the busy dining room is a buzz of activity.
That’s what I miss most. That anticipation of the meal. That itinerary of a day’s worth of meals planned out and a map zig-zagged with lines planning out the routes. But the best feeling is knowing that I’m supporting a restaurant that has its place in New Orleans’ food history.
I don’t get to make it to New Orleans as often as I like anymore. It’s been busy with our four kids and all of their extra activities – especially my oldest, who plays travel and high school baseball. So, that yearly pilgrimage is on hold for a bit. But I do try to support New Orleans any way that I can, whether it’s sourcing food from online retailers like Camellia Beans or Parish Rice, buying merchandise and cookbooks directly from a restaurant, or even supporting organizations like Beanlandia and the Krewe of Red Beans.
Supporting the restaurants from miles away has been one of my newest and favorite ways to shop. You can support so many restaurants by buying their merchandise online. Many of these small, family-run spots have online shops that sell t-shirts, hats, cookbooks (sometimes autographed), and sometimes fun little extras like a gumbo mix, a container of Creole seasoning, and more.
Not only does this put a few dollars back into the hands of the people who make the food we love, but it also lets us carry a little piece of New Orleans wherever we are. Plus, we can advertise our love for the city and restaurants miles away.
I try to be a New Orleans ambassador. Here’s how you can be one too.
I have my little collection. A shirt and hat from Lil Dizzy’s Café, the Tremé institution that serves red beans so good they’ll make you homesick for a place you’ve never lived. I also have their amazing cookbook.
SHOP LIL DIZZY’S CAFE >>> https://lildizzyscafe.net/new-orleans-treme-lil-dizzys-cafe-food-56458
Chef Eric Cook of Gris-Gris has one of my favorite new cookbooks. When you order online, you have an opportunity to get an autographed copy of Modern Creole. It’s like getting a front row seat in his kitchen. There are plenty of merch options for Gris-Gris and his other restaurant, Saint John, too.
SHOP GRIS-GRIS RESTAURANT >>> https://grisgrisnola.com/merchandise
From Killer Po’boys, I picked up a shirt. If you’ve ever had one of their po’boys, you know what it means to miss New Orleans. Plus, who wouldn’t want to wear a shirt with that great logo on it?
SHOP KILLER POBOYS >>> https://www.killerpoboys.com/shop-montauk
Read my interview with Cam Boudreaux when I asked him, How Do You Red Bean?
One of my favorites is the hat and shirt from Junior’s on Harrison. I get the most comments on the “Home of the $5 Red Beans” combo than anything else.
SHOP JUNIOR’S ON HARRISON >>> https://www.hufftmarchand.com/merch
I also love to shop the food brands’ websites like Camellia Beans. I have a wide variety of shirts and posters that I purchased from them, along with various other merchandise. Each time I put an order through their website, I add a little something extra to take advantage of that free shipping.
You can read more about shopping for Louisiana brands in my Ultimate Gift Guide for Red Beans and Rice Lovers.
Each of these items feels like more than just merchandise. They’re small reminders of meals, stories told, and traditions kept alive. When I pull a shirt on or wear a hat, it brings back memories of New Orleans and why I love the city, the culture, the people, the food, and the music. You know what it means. And that matters to me.
For many of these restaurants, every online order makes a difference. Whether it’s a shirt sale, a cookbook shipped out, or even a coffee mug tucked into a box, these small gestures add up.
A place like Lil Dizzy’s and Killer Poboys aren’t just feeding people, they’re feeding a culture. Supporting them from afar could help ensure that they will still be there the next time we go and visit.
Sure, my one purchase of a shirt and hat isn’t going to pay for all of their bills, and it won’t be the one sale that keeps the doors open, but it helps. And if each one of us supports a place like Gris-Gris this way, that could be a difference maker during a slow time. Who knows, right?
Over the years, I’ve had the chance to talk with many New Orleans chefs and restaurant owners with my How Do You Red Bean? series and what I wrote for Camellia Beans and their series that highlighted restaurants that use their beans. Each one shared stories about the city’s traditions, their struggles, but also the great sense of community. And I can tell you, one thing they all have in common is gratitude. Gratitude for every person who visits, who orders, who wears their shirts, and tells their friends.
I’m telling you. Pass this on.
Take part in the story.
Order a shirt. Buy a hat. Get the cookbook. Tag them on social media when you’re cooking their recipes or wearing their logo.
Let them know that the spirit of New Orleans doesn’t stop at the parish line. It lives wherever people are who care enough to keep it going.
We know what it means to miss New Orleans, and let’s tell everyone about it.
What New Orleans restaurant shirts, hats, cookbooks, or other merch have you bought online? Please let me know in the comments. And take a picture of it! Share it on social media and tag me and the restaurant! I’d love to see it!
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Eric Olsson is the food blogger of RedBeansAndEric.com. He publishes new recipes and interviews weekly. He has developed recipes and written articles for the famous Camellia brand in New Orleans, Louisiana. He has been mentioned in Louisiana Cookin‘ magazine and has had recipes featured in Taste of Home magazine – with his Creole Turkey recipe being runner up in their annual Thanksgiving recipe contest. He lives outside of Detroit, Michigan, with his wife and four children.
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