gmi3804

I almost never get a beef at Johnnie's - I always go with the Sausage. I just can't get enough of the perfect cooked-over-real-charcoal smokiness. I can take or leave their french fries - they're rather thin and fast-cooling and taste of grease. And I do love their Italian lemonade on a hot summer day.

We spent two wonderful days in NOLA over Easter weekend! Not having visited since Katrina, we were eager to return to supoprt the town we love so much. We arrived Friday morning in time to survey some of the damage (my partner Greg used to live there; his old neighborhood, Lakeview, is almost totally devastated) and make our noon lunch reservation at Lilette. I'll concentrate on the wonderful meals we enjoyed. Lilette - lunch A charming corner bistro on Magazine St., Lilette was a chic and relaxing start to our culinary adventure. Appetizers: Sizzling shrimp with lemon oregano vinaigrette Steamed Littleneck clams with Vidalia onion broth and fava bean bruschetta Entrees: Braised and crisped pork belly with tomato-cucumber salad Braised beef short rib with deep-fried sweet potato gnocchi Desserts: Black Pepper pound cake with fresh strawberry ice cream and champagne zabaglione Almond financier with caramelized apples and vanilla ice cream Vizard's on the Avenue - Dinner On Friday evening, we met a friend at the newish Vizard's on the Avenue. Chef Kevin Vizard (formerly of Cafe Adelaide) is at the helm of this civilizedl, dimly lit room. Appetizers: Creole Crab "Dugout" - Crispy eggplant, jumbo lump crab, crimini mushrooms, green onion, bernaise Scallop Flan - jumbo lump crab, melted leek, creamy crab jus Fried Oysters Bruschetta - balsamic marinated tomatoes, basil, crostini, manchego Entrees: "Chicken and Dumplings" - pan-roasted poulet rouge, foraged mushrooms, fava beans, gnocchi, herb poultry jus Crab-crusted Sheepshead - kale chiffonade, fennel and jicama salad, saffron broth Fried Softshell Crab - shaved asparagus, fennel, red onion, oven-roasted tomato, avocado dressing Desserts: Warm Pecan Torte - cafe au lait ice cream, chocolate ganache, melted toffee "Almond Joy" - coconut panna cotta, almond florentine, ganache Banana Tamale - white chocolate tabasco gelato, rum foster sauce Restaurant August - Dinner The same friend met us on Saturday night for our last dinner at Restaurant August, on of our all-time favorites. John Besh is clearly still at the top of his game. Appetizers: Salad of heirloom beets, crab meat, Allen Benton's cherry wood bacon, mustard greens, and quail eggs with black-eyed pea croutons White asparagus "Soup and Salad" with local crab and Meyer lemon P & J Oysters: crispy-fried with Lousiana caviar "ranch dressing", pepper-seared with country ham and truffle spoon bread, horseradish crusted Entrees: Cassoulet of Wade Rodi's rabbit cooked two ways (roasted loin stuffed with rabbit mousse) Moroccan-spiced duck with soft polenta, roasted duck foie gras, and local strawberries (two of us had this) Desserts: Ponchatoula strawberries shortcake, cobbler, and mille-feuille Pere Roux's Banana Rum Cake with Creole cream-cheese icing (two of us had this as well) Early on Sunday morning, before our flight home, we made our obligatory stop at Cafe du Monde for Cafe au Lait and Beignets! It was great to see this crippled city rebuilding after so much devastation. The spirit of the people and the pride in their city was very much evident everywhere we went. We can't wait to go back.

George, I am not sure that I see the similarity. I thought the execution was better at Primehouse. Molto E ← Fair enough - it just seemed that DBP was going for the Steakhouse Plus concept that Custom House already did. But it seems as if DBP is more of a meat-and-potatoes place than Custom House, not that there's anything wrong with that.

Am I the only one who thinks that David Burke Primehouse is a Custom House knock-off? The "concepts" seem very similar, with DBP being the more "whimsical" of the two. If I'm way off base here, I'll offer a Litellaesque, "Never mind!" in advance.

Cheers to Alinea's First Anniversary. Thanks to all at Alinea who've helped change and refine our ideas about food and Fine Dining.

Will I not be able to drive in Chicago any more?

Why is Coke II coming to mind?

I checked the weather report too - looks near-perfect! I mean, I love NOLA, but that humidity! I don't know how you guys take it!

We're leaving for NOLA tomorrow for the weekend! Can't wait to see our favorite city and show our support (i.e., spend LOTS of $$!) and love. It's been too long. Reading this thread has whetted my appetite, and we've got an impressive lineup of meals planned: Lilette, August, Table One, Vizard's on the Avenue, plus all the little "in between" snacks!

I've thoroughly enjoyed reading your report, Doc. Thanks for sharing!

How about a Mac Nut Cream Pie recipe? Does anyone have a good one?

Gee, I should have wished for a million bucks instead! In the absence of that, it's great to hear the decor will get the re-do that the food (and staff) deserves. I look forward to the new look.

I love Avenues, but I just wish The Peninsula management/powers-that-be would recognize the talent they have in the kitchen (Chef GEB and crew) and put a little money into redecorating the room so that it better matches the sublime cuisine. The staid "traditional" decor just doesn't do the food, service, or Chef justice.

One of the things I like about Schwa is that it's a small enough place that it makes you feel like you've wandered into a large dinner party. Very unique!

There is nothing wrong with carnivore gluttony. Absolutely nothing!

[showing snobby side] I always thought combos were for the same type of person who would order Veal Parmigiana. [/showing snobby side]

Nothin' gets me more fired up for spring/summer than driving up to Johnnie's and smelling the smoke from the sausages grilling over real charcoal. Gimme a double sausage with sweet and hot - I'll add a bit of (gasp!) ketchup - and a large ice. And then a nice afternoon nap.

I haven't been, but hear good things about ROOTS. It's not "fine dining" like Sanford, but looks rather creative and serious about food. Has anyone been?

Ahem!

That's because while OpenTable does allow you to look at any restaurant's reservation book, the restaurant can still control how many tables can be reserved by customers via the OpenTable website. Whenever I can't get my preferred seating time at any OpenTable restaurant, I'll still phone the place and talk to a live person. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't, but it's always worth a try.

I had a very memorable birthday dinner at House of Nanking in 1994. We'd eaten at several high-end places, and had a reservation at Masa's for my birthday dinner. I just couldn't stomach another four-hour dinner, so the Concierge at the Sherman House took me aside and whispered that we might enjoy House of Nanking. The line stretched halfway down the block, and we were seated at a long communal table. The owner did the "let me cook for you" thing. I honestly don't remember everything we had, but there wasn't a dud among the offerings; we even shared with our neighbors! Everyone in the restaurant sang "Happy Birthday" to me, and we left sated and happy. Upon walking out, everyone in line also sang "Happy Birthday" to me, as they all wanted to know who this George character was!

There's something that's just wrong about the deep-fried cheesecake on Scotty's menu. To offer it in a place where one has to be seen in a swimsuit should be illegal.

Sounds wonderful, Ron! Sweets & Savories has some really tempting mid-week specials. In addition to the $10 burgers, they have wine specials on other nights. I wish I could remember which nights offer which specials. Perhaps someone who's been recently can list them? I love supporting great places like these.

A little bit after the fact, Banana Moon is no more. There are some rumors of a nasty split; seems the pastry chef (one of the partners) just walked away. Doesn't sound pretty.

I'm suprised at Ronnie too. He must have eaten too much split pea soup before the event. <== Obscure Solly's (or was it Manzo's?) reference... Thanks for the photojournal. Looks like a wonderful time. I'd go to Hawaii for a hot dog. Why not?!?