Peristyle, NOLA

[kimwb1]

Hi..I recall there were some foodbytes folks last year who went to NO...looking for reviews on Peristyle, going to Jazz fest and need to decide if that's going to be my non-cajun/creole choice.  Been to Bayonna 2x...adored it, but looking for a new one.

[tommy]

i enjoyed emeril's immensely, and i'm not afraid to admit it even though i'm generally snickered at.  well, i'm generally snickered at anyway, but for completely different reasons.

i didn't, however, enjoy NOLA (another emeril place).  but as a disclaimer i always mention that i was pretty buzzed when i went there.  but i did feel overwhelmed with ppl and noise and food.

[thereuare]

I was there last August and REALLY (i mean REALLY) enjoyed my meal at Irene's.... it's mostly a local's place that doesn't take reservations, but they have a nice piano bar area that you can wait for your table (or wait in the garage, and then move your way up to the piano bar area to wait(i'm not kidding)).

This was one of the most memorable meals i've had in the last year.

I know you were looking for a comment on Peristyle, but i had to throw in my 2 cents.

[kimwb1]

I've heard good things about Irene's, too...but after a day at Jazz fest,  we prefer an upscale, more elegant place.  After all, I've already had crawfish and poboys and oysters for lunch!

And Tommy, I liked Emeril's too, and NOLA as well. Not the best meals ever, but a good rest. experience, a little loud and yes. touristy, but good. You can't get much more touristy than Commander's, and I think that's one of the best!

Anyway, wish I could remember who was the Peristyle fan!

[tommy]

you might want to try this forum.  it's generally a zoo, but you might get a good suggestion if you have patience.  actually, checking in right now, it's an effing mess, not much unlike the useless njo.com forum.  oh well.  the nola forum served me well last year.  too bad.

good luck!

[Rail Paul]

Is Peristyle the place which was the object of a contest between Anne Rice and another well heeled local?

At the end of one of her books, Lestat disappears into the window of an abandoned auto dealership in the Garden District. Anne wanted that building, but was outbid by another local. She then funded several groups which objected to the glitz of her rival's design.

They slugged it out for a year...

[mikec]

In my last trip to New Orleans, Peristyle was the best meal that I had bar none.  Bayona was good, but Peristyle was on another level.  If its still on the menu get the stuffed quail!

[TAPrice]

It looks the after a long history Peristyle has come to an end. Ian McNulty got a press release announcing that it will close this Friday.

[MikeHartnett]

I was there not too long ago and it was absolutely awful. It was empty, and still painfully slow, the food was overcooked (all of it), and the chef was more focused on chatting with Tom Fitzmorris about his plans for the upcoming Eat Club dinner than making sure the experience was acceptable. Plus the maitre d' was just plain weird. I hope it can be fixed with this new incarnation.

[paz5559]

Is Peristyle the place which was the object of a contest between Anne Rice and another well heeled local?<p>At the end of one of her books, Lestat disappears into the window of an abandoned auto dealership in the Garden District. Anne wanted that building, but was outbid by another local. She then funded several groups which objected to the glitz of her rival's design.<p>They slugged it out for a year...

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You are thinking of Copeland's

[Mayhaw Man]

Is Peristyle the place which was the object of a contest between Anne Rice and another well heeled local?<p>At the end of one of her books, Lestat disappears into the window of an abandoned auto dealership in the Garden District. Anne wanted that building, but was outbid by another local. She then funded several groups which objected to the glitz of her rival's design.<p>They slugged it out for a year...

←

You are thinking of Copeland's

←

Actually he's thinking of Cheescake Bistro and the hotel that is on top of that. The building, for many years, was the home of the New Orleans Mercedes-Benz Dealership.

It provided for some great entertainment, as Rice and Copeland battled it out in the Picayune with full page "fyymf" tastelesness.

[Timh]

I remember the fight also centered around that monstrosity known as Straya, gaudy colors, ridiculous concept, classic A.C.

I worked at Peristyle in the interim between John and Anne. Wendy Jordan was Chef(She now runs a crazy popular place w/ her husband michael(ex Emeril chef de cuisine, ran his place in Vegas, then their own outside of vegas) the Peristyle is a beautiful restaurant in an old , full of crazy history kind of way. The stories that could be told of the goings on in that place(beginning with Marty, when it was Marty's) would be worth a book itself.

Edited August 9, 2008 by Timh (log)

[Mayhaw Man]

Sorry about that. It was Straya and I knew it. Unfortunately, as I live just around the corner, I got used to looking at it as the abandoned and really, really annoying Cheesecake Bistro. Happily for the neighborhood, it's open again, as is the hotel, so it looks like there is life in the middle of the block.

I wish they would head down the street to the old Copeland's at St Chuck and Nap. That place drives me crazy. I was just there thirty minutes ago buying a paper from the guy on the corner that is always there on Sundays and, as usual, it looks worse than it did last time I looked at it. It's been three years, almost, and the place didn't even flood. Time to sell or rehab. Please.