Las Vegas Weekly

The New Orleans Connection looks modest from the outside, a large, ramshackle space next to Chicago’s Tasty Dogs, housed in a South Eastern Avenue strip mall. But judge by taste, not by sight: inside you will find authentic and heavenly jambalaya, rice, ham, shrimp and the Cajun holy trinity of minced green peppers, onions and celery. Tasted alongside a jambalaya from a commercial chain, this dish is a revelation. All of the food here, in fact, is slow-cooked and tastes it, the best Louisiana cooking around here since Commander’s Palace closed its doors. All of the food is made from scratch by owner Carmel Frederick and her daughter, both of whom are aided by other family members. From the estimable side dishes, choose étouffée, a thick gravy made from crawfish tails, served over rice, a gooey mac and cheese or terrific sweet potato hush puppies, dusted with confectioner’s sugar. If you can handle dessert, and most of us cannot after a joust with these dishes, there is a wonderful Rocky Road brownie to cut your teeth on, and an ultra-sweet bread pudding.