Readers Really Want To Travel To New Orleans

People must be gearing up for Mardi Gras season, given the results of our latest poll.

We asked readers what food city they're most excited to visit, and New Orleans won with 45 percent of the vote.

New York City, voted best food city in the last poll (although that poll did not include New Orleans), came in second with 17 percent. Portland followed, with 15 percent, Chicago with 11, and San Francisco with 10 percent.

Los Angeles was dead last with just 3 percent of the votes.

Mardi Gras aside, New Orleans does have a historic food scene with an eclectic variety of cuisines. There are oyster bars, killer bars, and great brunch spots, not to mention the Creole cuisine and unforgettable jazz scene.

For those of you who already have tickets out there, here are the best five dishes to share in NOLA, a chef's insider tips to the city, and a short history of gumbo. For those of you stuck in New York (like us folks), here's how to eat New Orleans-style at home.

The Daily Byte is a regular column dedicated to covering interesting food news and trends across the country. Click here for previous columns.