Harold & Belle’s (Los Angeles)

Harold & Belle’s (https://haroldandbelles.com/) is a historic, Black-owned Los Angeles restaurant that has been serving the delicious cuisine of New Orleans since 1969, in the same location in the Jefferson Park neighborhood.  On my most recent work trip to L.A., I had a rare free day to play tourist before teaching several classes, so I went to the brand-new, awe-inspiring Lucas Museum of Narrative Art with a good friend.  We have shared many culinary adventures over the past three years, and this time, we decided to try Harold & Belle’s for lunch after exploring the museum.

The restaurant serves brunch on the weekends, so there was a saxophonist playing along to jazz, R&B, pop, and soul backing tracks, adding to the cool, sophisticated mood of the place, and we were able to choose from the brunch menu in addition to the regular menu.  We were tempted by drop biscuits from the brunch menu, but they were out of those by the time we arrived.  It wasn’t a problem, because we didn’t even realize that all diners get a basket of French bread, perfectly crackly on the outside and fluffy on the inside, already sliced and buttered.  This great bread and the live jazz set the tone for a terrific lunch to follow.

My friend ordered the shrimp and grits étouffée off the weekend brunch menu, with blackened shrimp, corn grits, crawfish gravy, and garlic trinity (referring to onions, green bell peppers, and celery, the “trinity” that makes up the basis of so many Cajun and Creole dishes).  

Whenever I visit a new restaurant, and especially when I’m traveling, I always like to maximize the experience by trying as many different things as I can.  Because of this, I was drawn to the home-style platter, which comes with jambalaya, red beans, and a choice of fried wings, fried catfish, or hot links.  They all sounded good to me, so I consulted with my friend to break the tie, and we shared the catfish.  Nothing could have prepared us for the massive mountain of crispy fried boneless catfish filets, though.  I never expected such a huge portion, and they were so good with the accompanying tartar sauce and a bottle of Louisiana hot sauce.  They weren’t greasy at all!   
I was so full, I saved the jambalaya and red beans to enjoy in my hotel room later, where I had a fridge and a microwave.  The red beans were great as a solo side dish, but the jambalaya wasn’t full of different proteins like I am used to from elsewhere.  It was essentially just saucy rice, so I guess it complemented the red beans, which didn’t come with their own white rice.  I knew the microwave would ruin that catfish, so I sent my friend home with the leftovers, since he has an air fryer.  One of these days, I need to get one of those!

The menu said all the house specialties come with a side, so I chose macaroni and cheese as yet another component of this legendary lunch. There is such a wide range of macaroni and cheese, ranging from the best thing you’ve ever eaten in your life to sub-“Blue Box” disappointment (and I actually like “Blue Box” mac and cheese, having never eaten it until I was an adult).  This was the good kind, like a creamy, buttery casserole, then finished under the broiler for a crispy cheese crust on top.  I enjoyed this mac and cheese on the premises, knowing it wouldn’t be as good back in my room, microwave or no microwave.   

I’ve been kicking myself ever since for not trying the filé gumbo while we were at Harold & Belle’s, since it features a dark roux, ground sassafras (that’s the filé powder, used to thicken the gumbo instead of okra), shrimp, sausage, ham, blue crab, and chicken.  As good as all the things I tried were, that might have been the best choice of all, but I can only eat so much.

But we left satisfied, and I would encourage any Angelenos and tourists alike to try Harold & Belle’s.  I love that Los Angeles has so much rich culinary history, and so many restaurants have survived for a half-century or more, doing the same things they have always done, because they are just that good.  As I continue to check these iconic L.A. eateries off my list, I realized I had never heard of Harold & Belle’s before, but it definitely belongs in the pantheon of Los Angeles classics.  I haven’t had a chance to return to the Big Easy in 25 years, but those flavors brought me right back, reminding me what it means to miss New Orleans.  And this wasn’t even the first good New Orleans restaurant I’ve enjoyed in L.A.  I still need to review the other one some time!