[Your favorite cereals are back]

"We are the Freakies, we are the Freakies,

and this is our Freakies tree.

We never miss a meal,

cuz we love our cereal...

This was linked on fark.com just today. I'm assuming that's what brought about this thread.

p.s. link to vintage cereal database

[Your favorite cereals are back]

Shit, man. Golden Grahams are still the best. In fact, I was at a baby shower recently where somebody brought a legitimate hors d'oeuvre that was flat-out based on Golden Grahams, coated in some kind of super-sweet molten-marshmallow-style glaze.

[Thanksgiving in New Orleans]

I'll be in New Orleans with my wife and another couple over Thanksgiving weekend.

My boss says he looks forward to a buffet lunch at Kabby's, but to me this looks like a sports bar, which I'm not into at all.

Any recommendations for a Thanksgiving dinner? I assume many restaurants will be open, but who really throws down for this food-centric holiday?

[Charlie Trotter's]

adrober:

My wife and I were actually sitting next to you that night, I think.

I noticed because we were receiving basically the same courses at the same time (my wife is a vegetarian). If it was you, I think I may have turned and said something about it.

I agree that the food was very good, but not spectacular. I was impressed by some of the hard-to-get ingredients being served, and the portion size was as I would expect for an eight course (or so) meal. I left the restaurant in good spirits and sated, but not popping. It's worth noting that Chef Trotter was not in the kitchen that night.

However, I too agree that it was overpriced. I paid the same price, give or take, for a 25-course Tour de Force at Trio, with 16 wines, and had a LOT more fun. I told Chef Grant Achatz as much.

I also did not appreciate the fact that an 18% gratuity was automatically added to the bill. I always tip very well at fine dining places if the service is friendly and good (Trio is exceptional, Trotter's was OK but a little staid) but I'm not a mathemetician, and subtracting 18% from the check to get the pre-tip total and adding another 2% or whatever is way beyond my limited scope.

POSTSCRIPT: I really didn't read Adam's original post as being particularly negative, just critical. He seemed mostly uncomfortable with the service and "small portions". I thought the service was correct and the portion size was correct. If I were "reviewing" my meal on Oct. 31, I would have said that everything was as expected, but the food seemed slightly soulless. My wife's vegetarian menu actually had several dishes that were MUCH more interesting than my meat items. But overall, I would love to return; it's an excellent restaurant.

[Worst Wine Lists 2003]

looks like a brothel

Here's a word for the day that I'm sure many eGulleters will enjoy working into daily conversation.

[A few days in New Orleans]

In the "best deals" category I would like to put in my vote for Commander's Palace. Three course lunch for under $20 with one dollar martinis. You can include bread pudding soufflee as long as you order when you sit down, as it is made to order and takes a while (fine at dinner, but usually a little too long at lunch). Weekdays only.

One dollar martinis? I had no idea! I have eaten at Commander's for dinner and was underwhelmed (but, admittedly, suffering from a horribly-sprained-the-previous-day ankle) but getting drunk and sated for $24 (plus probably about another $6 for the cab to my company's apartment on Camp St) sounds good to me! Followed by a nap of course.

One other thing to mention, going for brunch/lunch at Galatoire's (209 Bourbon) is a real hoot.

[Trio Gains Mobil Fifth Star]

Congrats, ChefG!!

I'll be having the TDF for my birthday this year (Nov 2), can hardly wait!

[A few days in New Orleans]

Some places I like:

La Madeleine French Bakery (547 St Ann St)

A great French bakery located in an old ice cream parlor. Get a tart or whatnot, and sit around and drink coffee. A good long walk from just about anywhere.

Mother's (401 Poydras St)

A great and inexpensive Po Boy with charming (if you're a tourist) service. In the CBD, across the street from the W hotel, only about 2 blocks from your hotel, IIRC. The best bread pudding I've found, anywhere, and they give you like a pint to an order.

Herbsaint (701 Saint Charles Ave)

Also in the CBD. Great French-Creole food, try the Duck Confit or for a snack the Charcuterie Selection. The chef there was sous chef at Bayona for a long time, and I think Susan Spicer owns the place. (See below)

Bayona (430 Dauphine)

A block or so away from Bourbon, this is one of my favorite restaurants in the USA. Definitely get the sweetbreads, the black bean cake, and the quail salad. Go here for dinner. I can't get enough of chef Susan Spicer's cooking.

Also, any of Emeril's restaurants are excellent, just try to ignore the obnoxious Emeril groupies. Finally, I hear Peristyle (1041 Dumaine St) is awesome, but I won't be there until the end of November, but I can report after that.

Note that if you want jambalaya, gumbo, blackened XYZ ("cajun food"), you should go someplace like K-Paul's Louisiana Kitchen (416 Chartres).

If I were you, I would cancel my reservation at Brigtsen's and make it Bayona instead. It's romantic, charming, and utterly scrumptious. They have a website here.

[The French Laundry 2001 - 2005]

I didn't realize that one had choices on the Chef's Tasting Menu...is that typical?

I had the pleasure of dining at Daniel in NYC a couple of months ago, and was surprised to see that every course on their tasting menu had two choices (none with upcharge). Even more surprising was that my wife, a non-hardcore vegetarian, was brought a separate vegetarian tasting menu in which each course also had two options. Needless to say, my wife was in vegetable heaven.