Not Sponsored: Last year, I went to a restaurant called Carmo in the Art District of New Orleans. I was so impressed with Carmo, that I wanted to try more restaurants in that area during 2021. Click here for a listing of restaurants in the Art Warehouse District of New Orleans. The restaurant NOLA Caye caught my eye. They received really good reviews online. So, I decided to go there for lunch. NOLA Caye serves Caribbean Inspired Cuisine. It's across the street from WDSU on Baronne Street. I loved the decor (both inside and outside). I love brick. I loved the mix of brick, brown, black and yellow on the outside. The fairy lights, wrought iron tables, huge potted plants and umbrellas really complimented the building's facade. Very clean. Very minimal. The inside decor was just as beautiful! The first thing that caught my eye was a picture of a beautiful peacock. There was also an assortment of potted plants inside. They were so cute, because each pot displayed a Mardi Gras mask. Not sure if they do this year round, but I thought it was so different and festive. Mardi Gras is February 21, 2021 but it has been cancelled due to covid. Despite Mardi Gras being cancelled, people in New Orleans are decorating their homes etc with Mardi Gras decor to keep the spirit alive. My Mardi Gras wreath survived last year, so I'm displaying it again this year. The inside of NOLA Caye is CLEAN and has a wonderful Caribbean Tropical Vibe. Its uplifting. The waitress and host was very nice. Now the food! I had Ahi Tuna Ceviche and Oysters Ceviche for appetizers. I've had Oysters Rockefeller, Oysters Bienville, Charbroiled Oysters, but never Oysters Ceviche. I never knew there was such a thing. They were so good! Squeezed a little lemon. Used the dipping sauce. Delicious! Very light! Ceviche is new to me. The ceviche was really good at Carmo. I really enjoyed the Oysters Ceviche. The Ahi Tuna Ceviche was ok. I ordered a pina colada. It was refreshing. I'm so use to really sweet pina colada daiquiris, but this was more authentic to pineapple and not as sweet. Entrees!!! I ordered the Three Tacos & One Side. I chose shrimp, oysters and steak. My side was the plantains. I thought all three were delicious. If you get the steak, eat it first. Its best to eat it when its freshly prepared. I was surprised with their Cuban Sandwich. It was three squares. If you Google Cuban Sandwich, you always see these massive sandwiches. I tasted it and it was ok. For dessert I ordered Tres Leches Cake. Its a cake soaked in three kinds of milk (evaporated, condensed and heavy cream). It's topped with whip cream and various fruit (ours had bananas, strawberries, blueberries and raspberries atop). I've never had Tres Leches Cake. I enjoyed it (I found it to be dense/thick but still delicious) and loved the fruit topping. Overall, I enjoyed myself. I do want to go back to NOLA Caye. Maybe this Winter and try their pork chops and ribs. When I do, I'll do a part two :). Across the street was a beautiful mural. New Orleans has a number of murals. I took a picture of this one (last picture below). It was a collaborative effort between Ti-Rock Moore and Brandan Odums.
The word ‘CAYE’ eludes to a small island giving the restaurant’s name a literal translation of “New Orleans Island” or “Isle of New Orleans.
