New Orleans in New York

[Brooklyn]

Are there any ideas out there about the best cajun or creole food in New York? As someone who has lived in New Orleans in the past, I certainly appreciate a deft hand with the blackening spices, but haven't come across many opportunities here in the city. Are there any special kitchens out there doing great things with this small subculture of food?

[Jason Perlow]

Jacques-imos in Manhattan opened a few months ago, but its gotten mixed reviews. Some people love it and some feel its not up to the standards of its New Orleans counterpart.

eGullet on Jacques-Imos

[Rachel Perlow]

But it's got to be better than that place on the corner of 48th & 9th.

[Daniel]

I heard good things about gumbo and this place called natchez which is run by a former sous chef of emerald.

[enrevanche]

It is strictly speaking not a Cajun or Creole place, but Mara's Homemade in the East Village has some good New Orleans-inspired cuisine on their menu.

They get extra points in my book for flying up live crawfish in season.

Fried catfish is very good, and so are the homemade shrimp-and-oyster po' boys. Inevitably, there is alligator meat on the menu, though I have not tried it. Desserts also very good.

[Brooklyn]

Jacques-imos in Manhattan opened a few months ago, but its gotten mixed reviews. Some people love it and some feel its not up to the standards of its New Orleans counterpart.

I must say I was excited when the restaurant opened, as the New Orleans branch was truly a favorite for New Orleans locals. I have been once, and so far it was the best I have had in New York- the food was great - but it doesn't match the amazing feeling you get at the place down south. The one time I went, I was pleasently suprised at the amount of food we got for a great price. The fried chicken was a real standout as well.. It sure is a long trek for someone who lives in Brooklyn Heights, though

[Nathan]

I had a mixed reaction to Jacques-Imo -- considering its price level it's certainly worth a look....somethings were quite tasty...others were rather incompetently prepared or simply misconceived.

I didn't like Natchez (other than the gumbo)...and the seating is among the tightest in NYC.

[GaijinGirl]

You *absolutely* can't beat Cooking With Jazz, which is in Queens. One of my top three favorite restaurants....IMHO.

[Bond Girl]

Find Natchez rather unexciting, the food there has lacks spark. Mara's is okay but too salty most of the time. Never tried Jack Imos. I always maintained that if you want good gumbo in NYC, you still have to make it yourself.

[Daniel]

Jacques-Imos kind of was disappointing. I have been there five times. Mainly to drink and listen to the music they had or still have on Sundays. I had the alligator cheese cake twice. The first time it was great, the second time it wasnt done as well. but that done poorly is still pretty good. I also had the gumbo and found it to be good. But IMO the best thing they do there is make a super bloody mary. Complete with pickled okra, pickled string beans, shrimp, and celery. Its a meal in itself.

One thing that disappointed me about Jacques-Imo's is i feel like they rushed to get it open. They have admitted to making a really limited menu, and that they were still getting the kinks out. The place really isnt that complicated. The restaurant is small, the menu is small, and yet there is a vibe that its still a work in progress. I mean they dont even have shrimp cocktail for crying out loud, but they have buckets of cooked shrimp behind the bar to place in drinks? I feel like the owners of this place really half assed it, and its rather apparent.

[Stone]

Can't vouch for its authenticity, but Great Jones Cafe is one of my favorite places. Great blackened catfish and sauteed kale. Good gumbos. Excellent ribs when they have them.

[swami80]

Regarding Jacques Imos, I appreciate all of those who have had positive things to say. We opened this restaurant quietly and did not even put a sign outside because Jacque wanted to test the NY palette for spice, etc. before really getting our name out there. There is no excuse for slow service and we have worked to improve on it. Frankly, we were all stunned andshocked by the inital amount of business, we weren't ready for it. That combined with our opening kitchen staff walking out on opening night due to the voulme of business really crimped our plans. we now think we finally have things running nicely and are once again expanding the menu to New Orleans size. For the record, Jacques New Orleans does not offer a shrimp cocktail either, it is not that we rushed our opening.

We do however now have an authentic Louisiana Oyster bars something Jacques New Orleans does not have.

Regarding the comments on the Times review, I will confirm that we were never looking for a star, in fact, we did not want any press at all and we too were shocked that Ms. Hesser underttok to write a review despite the fact that it would seem to fall under Mr. Asimov's area of expertise. We did not feel that we should be judged against fine dining establishments in NYC. We are trying to be a great neighborhood restaurant, and that's all. Fundametally that is what Jacques Imos New Orleans really is.

I speak the truth, I am Jacques partner and the owner of Jacques-Imos NYC.

Jim Goldman

Admin: this post, and those that follow, were mistakenly made by Mr. Goldman from the account of an associate. Mr. Goldman is registering for his own account, and we expect him to join us shortly with a new user name. Apologies all around for any confusion this may have caused.

Edited July 19, 2004 by slkinsey (log)

[Pan]

Frankly, we were all stunned andshocked by the inital amount of business, we weren't ready for it. That combined with our opening kitchen staff walking out on opening night due to the voulme of business really crimped our plans.

Wow, talk about a tough start!

We're very glad to have you here, Mr. Goldman. Continued good luck to you!

[joiei]

Welcome swami80. Ms. Hesser just does not get it. Nothing better than a good place for a po'boy and some great music. Keep us informed of what's going on.

[ahr]

We opened this restaurant quietly and did not even put a sign outside because Jacque wanted to test the NY palette for spice, etc. before really getting our name out there.

This raises an interesting question: What compromises should a "foreign" chef be willing to make to adapt his cuisine for the local palate -- as opposed to educating it?

[Brooklyn]

As someone who loved the restaurant in New Orleans, I will continue to be a patron here in New York- regardless of what any critic says. New Orleans is such a special and magical place; I certainly appreciate the efforts to try and capture some of that feeling here in the Big Apple.

To the partner of the restaurant....

Will you be serving Louisiana Gulf oysters at the bar?

[swami80]

As of last week, we now have fresh Louisiana oysters at the bar at Jacques-Imo’s NYC. In fact they are free for happy hour.

[ewindels]

I tried GUMBO CAFE on Columbus and 107th Street a couple of weeks ago. Now, I've never been to Louisiana and so can't speak as anything even close to a connoisseur, but this was some of the blandest, most boring food I've ever had. Of spice there was little, of heat none. The place has only five tables all but stacked on top of each other, and the other diners tended to be girthsome, which made quarters cramped. But it sure was cheap!

[Babiemindy]

Great Jones is definitely worth a visit for good cajun food and Abita beer in the city. If you'd venture out of Manhattan: Mardi Gras on Austin street in Forest Hills (Queens) was one of my favorites growing up in the Gardens nearby.

Just came back from my first trip to the Big Easy, Jacques-Imo was fantastic- everything we ordered was delicious, the portions were generous-- their cornbread was out of this world I haven't been to the one in NYC, but I'm still in awe and very impressed by his establishment in NO

[jgould]

Regarding Jacques Imos, There is no excuse for slow service and we have worked to improve on it. Frankly, we were all stunned and shocked by the inital amount of business, we weren't ready for it. That combined with our opening kitchen staff walking out on opening night due to the voulme of business really crimped our plans. we now think we finally have things running nicely...

We did not feel that we should be judged against fine dining establishments in NYC. We are trying to be a great neighborhood restaurant, and that's all. Fundametally that is what Jacques Imos New Orleans really is.

I speak the truth, I am Jacques partner and the owner of Jacques-Imos NYC.

Jim Goldman

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firstly, its great that a real restauranteur is responding in such an honest & forthright way. not only is it greatly appreciated, but also very refreshing. therefore, i assume, constructive criticism is welcome(?)

please excuse my directness, done for brevity:

a) the service has not really improved. i have found the employees, mostly, friendly & sweet; however, they do seem, at many times, to be too casual, "AS IF" they are simply doing this as a stop-over, & treat it as such. this type of ingrained attitude expresses a lackadaisical approach & condoned by management.

b) its terribly naive to have been in the restaurant business, knowing how competitive the nyc restaurant scene is, & TO NOT HAVE ANTICIPATED a large turnout, particularly a N.O.-style restaurant with a successful parent already much beloved!! as well as NOT expecting to be reviewed & compared against others! that's just the way it is.

c) neighborhood restaurant?? for whom? the same crowd as brother jimmy's? loud, young, etc... if that's your concept of a neighborhood place, then it fits right in with all the other nondescript "neighborhood" joints lining amsterdam bet 80th - 83rd. yes, that's exactly what we need. no wonder the UWS is considered a restaurant wasteland.

d) lastly, when jacques decamped back to N.O., the quality & ambience did change dramatically. it doesn't appear that anyone with responsibility is in charge!

i don't know why, but it seems as if the casual nature of N.O. cannot be transferred, nor can a cajun-creole restaurant succeed. without constant attention & tweaking, it may be difficult to sustain. a number of well-intentioned have attempted, but all have failed. will jacques be another??

be curious as to what the next 12 mos bring for jacques-imo's nyc/uws????

[Jammin]

But it's got to be better than that place on the corner of 48th & 9th.

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delta grill i think you mean. quite average-y.