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FreddyO took the show on the road to New Orleans, and you already know we had to eat. Tucked into the Bywater neighborhood sits Bywater Bakery, the beloved local spot known far beyond the neighborhood as the home of the original Chantilly cake — yes, the same berry-and-cream sensation that made the Whole Foods version a nationwide favorite started right here, with the baker who created it.

If you have never had a real Chantilly cake, understand what we are talking about: light, tender layers of cake, clouds of mascarpone Chantilly cream, and fresh berries all through it — strawberries, blueberries, raspberries — finished so pretty you almost hate to cut it. Almost. One bite explains why people drive across New Orleans, and order it from across the country, for birthdays, weddings, and every celebration in between. This is not a copy of a famous cake. This is the original kitchen it came from.

But Bywater Bakery is a full neighborhood bakery, not a one-cake wonder. On any morning you will find locals posted up with coffee, fresh pastries, breakfast plates, and whatever the kitchen is proud of that day, in a colorful, art-filled space that feels like the Bywater itself — creative, welcoming, and proudly New Orleans. It is the kind of place where the counter staff knows the regulars, visitors get treated like neighbors, and everything coming out of the case is made with real love.

Press play above and take the full tour with FreddyO — step inside Bywater Bakery, hear the Chantilly cake story from the source, and see what else is coming out of that kitchen — then keep scrolling for more FreddyO food favorites. Have you had the original? Talk to us in the comments.

Watch more exclusive videos on the FreddyO YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@freddyo1983

If you ever find yourself in New Orleans hungry at just about any hour, there is a spot on Elysian Fields Avenue that the locals swear by — Melba’s Po’boys. FreddyO pulled up to the neighborhood favorite, and from the moment you walk in, you can smell exactly why the orders stay flying out of the kitchen and the tables stay full in the Crescent City.

This is real New Orleans soul food, the kind that sticks to your ribs. We are talking Po’boys piled high on that good French bread — fried shrimp, catfish, roast beef with gravy — all dressed the way a Po’boy is supposed to be dressed. Then there is the gumbo, the red beans and rice, fried chicken, mac and cheese, bread pudding and all the Southern sides that make you want to order one of everything and worry about it later. Nothing fancy, nothing watered down, just big flavor the Louisiana way.

What makes Melba’s special is that it feels like home. It is a true neighborhood spot where everybody comes through — families after church, workers on break, second-line crowds, and visitors who heard about it and had to see for themselves. The place serves the community around the clock, and on a summer weekend in New Orleans, with the city still buzzing from festival season, there is no wrong time to slide through for a plate and a cold daiquiri to wash it down.

Press play and come hungry, because FreddyO is taking you inside one of the best soul food stops in the Big Easy. New Orleans, we want to hear from you — what is the one plate at Melba’s that everybody has to try on their first visit? Drop it in the comments and put us on game.

Watch more exclusive videos on the FreddyO YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@freddyo1983