Look at that fried shrimp. Ma Harper knows how to deep fry seafood. This place is a find. I heard of it 20 years ago, but it wasn't until 2012 that I first made my way there with a friend Tom. We both have enjoyed visiting Ma Harpers for lunch. Ma Harper is from Algiers, Louisiana, and has brought her Creole cooking skills to San Antonio for our delight.
Ma Harper's is located off East I-410 right outside an entrance to Randolph Brooks Base. During the week, the place is not crowded for lunch, and service there is excellent. I prefer the lunch-time visits to the best authentic Creole food in San Antonio. For years, she operated the New Orleans Cookery before moving this the current location and calling what it should be called: Ma Harpers.
Red Beans & Rice:
The mainstay of the New Orleans diet is Creole red beans and rice. What makes it different is what is served with it. The photo above is sausage. Note: red beans in Louisiana means red kidney beans.
Ma also serves deep fried pork chops with her red beans. All entrees come with corn bread.
Yes, fried shrimp makes a great accompaniment for Creole red beans as well. You can get this dish with french fries instead, but why?
Jambalaya:
Jambalaya (pronounced jumbalaya) originated in the Caribbean and made it's way to Creole New Orleans and subsequently to the Cajun community of Southwest Louisiana. Creole and Cajun jambalayas are different, the primary being that Creole has tomato in it, Cajun doesn't. Jambalaya is absolutely my favorite dish, Creole or Cajun. Note: In an earlier post, I explained how to make a Cajun jambalaya.
Gumbo:
Great Creole gumbo here .... seafood and andouie sausage. See the red in the sauce -- that's the tomato. Her corn bread is great with gumbo.
Sunday Brunch:
Ma's Sunday Brunch is on my bucket list. I heard that her family does some wonderful stuff on Sunday that they don't do the rest of the week. And my guess is for you the expect a crowd that day.
