BY ANNETTE SISCO | STAFF WRITER Happy Thursday, food-lovers! Have you dined out lately? We mean, have you dined OUT? New Orleans is all about al fresco these days, as restaurants expand their business model into patios, courtyards and sidewalks. Ian McNulty has allllll the best outdoor dining options in a huge new list, just in time for crisp fall weather. Meanwhile, Oktoberfest and Top Taco are here, with new protocols. And Popeyes pours on the "hottie" sauce in a partnership with Megan Thee Stallion. Let's dig in... 1. Clip 'n' save! From Uptown to Bywater, river to lake, we have the go-to list of New Orleans restaurants that let you enjoy a meal outside. With more than 80 locations, New Orleans will run out of good weather before you run out of places to go. Check it out here. 2. Outside voices. The pandemic propelled outdoor dining, and the city encouraged it with new rules around sidewalks and "parklets." Now restaurants are clamoring to keep it. 3. Wait! There's more. Oktoberfest in New Orleans, Top Taco in Metairie are back; Dooky Chase's cooks with Nina Compton; the old Longway Tavern becomes The Will and The Way; and Popeyes rides with Megan Thee Stallion for a new "hottie sauce." 4. Casserole with the punches? We love delicious, family-friendly casseroles. But all those cream-of-soup calories? Not so much. Food writer Judy Walker has the answer with recipes for lighter versions of chicken spaghetti, scalloped potatoes and shrimp rice casserole. 5. Versatile? No yolk! What to do with leftover egg whites when you can't look at another egg-white omelet? Members of the Where NOLA Eats Facebook group have cracked this problem with 290 ideas and counting. Chime in with your ideas here. That's it for the food newsletter, but in New Orleans the food news never stops. For more, visit us at NOLA.com. Have a great weekend, and thanks for reading! --AS P.S. Want to support our award-winning coverage? We have an amazing online subscription deal for you. Click here for more info. | 