Laissez Les Bon Temps Roullez!

[xtian]

I hope all of you Iggles fans will forgive me for thinking beyond Green Sunday, but I've got Mardi Gras on the mind. This year's Gras will be the ten-year anniversary of meeting my husband and subsequently moving to Philly and we're looking to celebrate with some out-of-town friends. By celebrate, I mean enjoy some good food, drink, and music-- not underage kids competing for beads. Anybody serving up some quality N'awlins-style fare for the evening-- etoufee, pirogues, crawfish bread?.... And if they could offer a decent hurricane for posterity's sake and some funky jazz, even better.

Who's got the scoop??

I needs me some good food and good fun on Fat Tuesday in Fat City.

[marinade]

" Dat's tuff Natlie. " (with apologies to Vic & ____). Use to be when Cafe Nola was next to TLA on South Street you could do some respectful carrying-on Ninth Ward style. Wish I could send you and your krew to place that does it right. Closest my wife and I get is a annual costumed Mardi Gras party held the Saturday before 'Gras with some good friends who are former Tulane grads. They lace the buffet with all things N'Awlins with music to boot. Our costumes this year: We got a hold of surgical scrubs and army fatigues. We’re swapping out the tops of one for the bottoms of another. My wife is wearing the surgical top with an O.R. facemask, and camo slax, and boots. and I’m doing camo face paint, camo tunic, and camo cap, surgical scrubs slax. . We’re going as Upper and Lower GI’s. I even made orifice probes from plastic tubing and mini-flashlights. It’s dat kind of krowd.

Bon Temp Roullez - anyway, Y’all.

[herbacidal]

Yea, I don't know of any N'awlins style restaurant that I can recommend in the area.

[g_camper]

Yea, I don't know of any N'awlins style restaurant that I can recommend in the area.

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Rose Tattoo does some pretty good Gumbo, and other things as well.

A little further away, in Media, the New Orleans Cafe usually does something up for Mardi Gras.

There is also a New Orleans based restaurant in West Chester (even further out).

Good luck.

[Rich Pawlak]

Yea, I don't know of any N'awlins style restaurant that I can recommend in the area.

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Rose Tattoo does some pretty good Gumbo, and other things as well.

A little further away, in Media, the New Orleans Cafe usually does something up for Mardi Gras.

There is also a New Orleans based restaurant in West Chester (even further out).

Good luck.

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Add Carmine's Cafe in Havertown to the mix, and Melange Cafe in Cherry Hill, NJ.

[herbacidal]

Rose Tattoo does some pretty good Gumbo, and other things as well.

A little further away, in Media, the New Orleans Cafe usually does something up for Mardi Gras.

There is also a New Orleans based restaurant in West Chester (even further out).

Add Carmine's Cafe in Havertown to the mix, and Melange Cafe in Cherry Hill, NJ.

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Yea, I remember vaguely hearing about a New Orleans type place in West Chester.

I wonder if it's High Street Cafe or Rex's.

I always forget about Melange Cafe and Carmine's.

Edited February 4, 2005 by herbacidal (log)

[philadining]

Yea, I remember vaguely hearing about a New Orleans type place in West Chester. 

I wonder if it's High Street Cafe or Rex's.

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it's the High Street Cafe. There's also a little place called Crawdaddy's on Rt 3 a little east of West Chester, 1215 West Chester Pike. Never been there.

The last I checked, NOLA was still going in Headhouse square, albeit a shadow of its former self. I ate there sometime in the past year and it was decent, if not thrilling. Although if history is any guide, it might very well have changed locations several times since then. We might need to shoot the maite d' with a tranquilizing dart, then put a tracking collar on him so we can find the place....

Sadly my overall reaction to all the New Orleans-style places I've been around here has been similar: OK, but not great. I think I like like Carmine's the best, but none of them seem to be all that authentic, or as good as NOLA in its heyday.

And OK Holly, I guess you were right.... this stuff got lost over in "Where have you been lately". Here's a recent reaction to New Orleans Cafe in Media. Even though the food didn't blow me away, that place would probably be fun around Mardi Gras, I'm sure they have some special festivities, and it's a nice location.

(edited for typos)

Edited February 4, 2005 by philadining (log)

[phungi]

Loving spicy food and living in Wynnewood, Carmine's has to be my favorite local restaurant. Their crab claw appetizer may be the best appy I have had. I have never had a bad meal there, and their BYOB status makes it a true gem.

[herbacidal]

Loving spicy food and living in Wynnewood, Carmine's has to be my favorite local restaurant.  Their crab claw appetizer may be the best appy I have had.  I have never had a bad meal there, and their BYOB status makes it a true gem.

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Didn't Carmine's recently move/expand/have something significant happen?

[marinade]

Loving spicy food and living in Wynnewood, Carmine's has to be my favorite local restaurant.  Their crab claw appetizer may be the best appy I have had.  I have never had a bad meal there, and their BYOB status makes it a true gem.

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Didn't Carmine's recently move/expand/have something significant happen?

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I was at his new location in Narberth. Stopped in to say hi and to grab a menu. He should be open in the middle of the week (Tue/Wed). John put a lot of bucks into place and it looks slick with a brand new open kitchen. I asked him about parking because it's in the middle of a residential neighborhood. He has a couple of lots behind some office buildings in mind, but they're covered w/ Main Line Hooker warning signs. And these bruisers don't wear fish net stockings. His old phone number will switch you to the new location.

Edited March 27, 2005 by marinade (log)

[phungi]

is this a second location or a new locale for the one off Darby Road?

[marinade]

is this a second location or a new locale for the one off Darby Road?

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A new locale.

[paca]

is this a second location or a new locale for the one off Darby Road?

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A new locale.

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Do you know the address? We love Carmine's too, but it's a drive from Landenberg........

[marinade]

is this a second location or a new locale for the one off Darby Road?

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A new locale.

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Do you know the address? We love Carmine's too, but it's a drive from Landenberg........

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If you call Carmine's old number, it will switch you to the new location. They'll give you the exact address. But do ask aqbout parking. I won't pass by it til the middle of the week but when I do. I'll post some more details. BYW, the takeout menu is two to threee dollars less than the sit-in menu.

[marinade]

Carmine's Creole Kitchen's new location is on the 200 block of Woodbine Avenue in Narberth. It's a couple of doors down from the corner of Woodbine & Iona, which at one time was the location of Husch (sic), a long gone fusion joint which use to be the sadly missed Guilianni's, a red checkered tablecloth Italian restaurant.

Carmines were closed as I drove by last night (Tues). There is outdoor furniture in place for patio dining when the weather breaks. There's a possibility that they'll be open by the weekend ... but call. It's still BYOB, and the irony is that the location is a former taproom.

This is a welcome hit for the area and a nice alternative to the Narberthian Bermuda Onion Triangle: The Great American Pub, Mc Sheas, and the Greeks.