New Orleans Trip Report

[Jaymes]

...and when she asked for fried shrimp, the waiter sighed, and said, "Ah, no, chere.  I cannot let that happen today."

What a wonderful post.

And a terrific anecdote....

I'll bet the waiter that could not "let that happen today, Dear" was a career waiter.

They are another reason why New Orleans is one of my favorite food destinations in all the world.

The place is indeed magical, beyond the obvious, in a way that only a few other towns are...

[jess mebane]

What a wonderful post.

You are too kind. Especially when I re-read it and discover I've made a rather lengthy rip-off of that old salt about time in New Orleans by that old, dead, drunken Southern writer. Know the one I mean? What's a good link for famous quotations?

[joiei]

from Tom Fitzmorris on Friday. The West Bank is a definite place to look for non tourist places. Some of the best Vietnamese is there along with Pupuseria de la Corozon. And now this place.

RESTAURANT REPORT

Clementine's Belgian Bistrot

Ratings: 82, 2$

Gretna: 2505 Whitney Ave.

366-3995

Lunch and dinner continuously Tues.-Sat.

DC, MC, V (No American Express)

What's Belgian food like? New Orleans diners are getting our first

chance to sample it these days. It's the theme of a pleasant restaurant

that's worth looking for in Gretna.

And you will have to look for it. Unless you remember Willy Coln's

Chalet of the 1980s. Clementine's is where that was, near Oakwood

Mall a few blocks south of West Bank Expressway. The location is not

very visible, but the owners thought the building was perfect for the

kind of restaurant they had in mind. It is--except for the lack of a

billboard or something to allow more people to discover the place.

I spent some time in Belgium a few years ago. The food I found there

was the most pleasant culinary surprise in all my European travels.

Belgian restaurants are spectacular, with polished, unforgettably

delicious food served in a French style but with much less pretension

than in France. A handful of specialties come from the Flemish (read

Dutch) half of the country, but the flavors are overwhelmingly

influenced by the French side.

The most distinctive items on Belgian menus are mussels, pommes

frites (French fries, if I may be permitted to call them that), and stews

made with almost every form of protein. Brussels sprouts and Belgian

endives, true to their names, are constantly on the table, as well.

Sometimes familiarity with a cuisine is a disadvantage. I had high

expectations of Clementine's because of my Belgian experiences. Like

most ethnic cuisines removed from their homes, unfortunately, it didn't

quite hit the mark. On the other hand, the prices are so low (too low,

I'd say) that much can be forgiven in the details, and I've gotten over

my initial disappointment enough to be called a semi-regular there

now.

Start with the soup of the day. Every one I've had showed a homely,

rustic quality that we don't see much in soups. For example, my most

recent one was a cabbage soup with a few thin slices of sausage

floating around in an orange broth--very tasty. They also make a nice

onion soup every day.

If you will not be having mussels for an entree, get the offbeat garlic

mussels. It's the standard preparation for snails, but applied to about a

dozen mussels. The flavor of the mussels gets subsumed, but scooping

up the garlic-and-herb butter with bread is as good as ever. They do

shrimp in a somewhat similar but less buttery way, and that's nice too.

The distinctive salad is named for the town of Liege, and is reminiscent

of a Nicoise salad without the tuna: bacon, onions, potatoes and green

beans. At lunch, they send you a simple salad with nice spring greens

on top and shredded iceberg on the bottom, all dressed with a

straightforward vinaigrette.

Okay. You want to eat like they do in Belgium, you eat mussels. The

standard serving of mussels over there is by the bucket--five or six

dozen per person. Clementine's has black mussels from the northeast

Atlantic, fresh and vivid, served three different ways. My favorite is the

vin blanc style, which includes not only the white wine of the name but

also enough cream to make it pretty rich. Onions, herbs, and the

mussel juices contribute to the sloshy sauce at the bottom of the big

bowl, which is just great eaten with a spoon, dipped with bread, or

even slurped out of a mussel shell.

They also make the commonly-seen mussels mariniere without the

cream, and a Provencale version with tomatoes. Each is good, involve

the proper surfeit of mussels (mussels, the restaurants don't want you

to know, are very cheap), and come with a side order of fries.

The passion Belgians have for fried potatoes is so intense that the

French make ethnic jokes on the subject. Let them laugh: Belgian fries

are the world's best, and even though they serve them everywhere

(even in a Chinese restaurant I saw in Brussels), you never get enough

of them. I wish I could say that the ones at Clementine's were models

of the style, but they're not. They are fresh-cut fries--which right there

places them far above the local average --but the ones at

Chateaubriand Steakhouse and Rene Bistrot actually come closer to

what I remember. Anyway, ask for some mayonnaise, the classic dip

for Belgian fries.

If you're not ordering mussels, take a look at the entree specials of the

day. These have been uniformly good, even the ones that were very

unusual (such as a cheesy puff pastry they did one day). Or get the

fondue.

Fondue? That's something else we see very little of around New

Orleans. They make the three classic kinds: cheese (you dip bread into

the molten cheese), steak (you fry it at the table), and chocolate

(pound cake and fruit). You need at least two people to order any of

that.

On the regular menu, the best items are the poulet estragon (chicken

with a tarragon cream sauce), carbonnades Flamandes (an herbal

Flemish-style beef stew), the almond catfish (which would be better

with flounder or trout), and the basic sirloin steak with fries. They also

make crepes stuffed with many different fillings, but these are very

light.

Crepes, speaking of that, make the best desserts here, and the best of

those is the crepe Clementine. They bakes some apples into a thicker

pancake than the word "crepe" suggests, top it with ice cream, and

flame it at the table (if they can get the damn lighter to fire up) with

Grand Marnier.

The service staff is almost too nice, particularly one older waitress who

came straight over from the old country and treats you like her family.

If she serves your table, there's almost no way you can leave

Clementine's without a smile on your face.

TEN BEST DISHES AT CLEMENTINE'S BELGIAN BISTROT

1. Moules (mussels) vin blanc.

2. Steak fondue.

3. Crepe Clementine.

4. Garlic mussels.

5. Garlic shrimp.

6. Belgian fries.

7. Crepe Campagnarde (mushrooms, ham, bacon, and cheese)

8. Steak frites.

9. Poulet estragon.

10. Salade Liegoise.

[baruch]

what a terrific NO thread; however, somewhat difficult to piece together who/what are the BEST?

NO IS that "magical town"; therefore, somewhat difficult to separate the ambience from the cuisine, which are so intertwined; therefore,

seems like:

of the "institutions", arnaud's is slightly ahead. i have never eaten at galatoire's, but would go there 1st, & sit downstairs, & tell the waiter to order, just for the experience!!

of the "well-knowns", seems like acme/felix are musts, just for oysters & chablis (?), uglesich's, brennan's for their wine & bananas foster (great NO "combo", n'est pas?), cafe du monde just for the hell of it, central groc for their muffaletta's!, mother's for a carb overload

for the food, seems like bayona, brigtsen's

unfortunately, have not been in a while, so have left out newly opened restaurants/joints. but, appears to me one goes to NO "FOR" the ambience of the oldies & the traditional; but that is just my personal preference.

invite comments...

[joiei]

RESTAURANT REPORT

Laurentino's

Ratings: 82, 2$

Metairie: 4410 Transcontinental

779-9393

Lunch Mon.-Fri. Dinner Mon.-Sat.

No credit cards. Checks accepted.

Last year, New Orleans diners had an attack of hunger for Thai food.

This year, our efflorescing taste seems to be for the food of Spain.

We've almost always had a Spanish restaurant or two around town.

Back in the 1960s and 1970s, a place called Espana managed to hang

on for a long time by serving terrific Spanish cooking (as well as

enough Italian food to keep the room full). A few Mexican and Cuban

restaurants featured paella or arroz con calamares, thereby suggesting

that Mexican and Spanish cooking are similar. Which they really aren't

very.

Almost as soon as Laurentino's opened last year, I started hearing

enthusiastic reports about it, and they've increased in number. Now

that I've been there a few times, it's clear that a lot of this can be

credited as much to a new interest in the cuisine among diners as to

the goodness of chef-owner Xavier Laurentino's cooking.

The menu goes on for pages, but it's actually rather limited. As it

should be: this is a small restaurant, and one that's not usually full.

The chef says, however, that he has many more arrows in his quiver,

and these will come out as time goes on.

The most interesting part of dining here is the menu of tapas-style

appetizers. They're much larger than the word "tapas" suggests.

Although they run in price between $4 and $7, almost all are big

enough to split.

Absolutely the best is the Serrano ham, served on round croutons

spread with a light aioli. Ham is probably the most commonly-eaten

food in Spain, appearing on almost every table at almost every meal.

Serrano ham is dry-cured in a way similar to that used to make Italian

prosciutto. It's firm, intensely flavorful, and irresistible, even though it

just looks like a slice of ham on a piece of bread.

Similar canapes are made with tuna, Manchego cheese (the

Parmigiana-like cheese from La Mancha), roasted red peppers, and

thinly-sliced pork loin. An assortment of these, all passed around the

table, is a delicious and distinctively Spanish beginning to the meal.

More tapas: shrimp or chicken, served in an orange sauce jammed

with garlic, are tasty but don't wear well. (Just get one or the other.)

The mussels vinaigrette sound much better than they are; for some

reason, for this dish they use the large, tasteless green-lipped mussels,

and that makes the whole dish fall flat.

They make a few homemade soups. Gazpacho, of course, is on the

menu--but they don't plan to serve it till the weather warms up a bit

more. Right now, the lentil soup will have to do, and it does well.

The large paella pans hanging on the wall should tell you, if you didn't

already know, that paella is the entree to get here. Paella is often

compared with jambalaya, but that's misleading. The pan is indeed

dominated by rice and studded with chicken, seafood, and

vegetables--but the flavor is totally different. Much milder, and without

the smoky flavors or tomato one finds in jambalaya.

Laurentino's paella is served for any number of people.They just use a

bigger pan the more eaters at the table. There's always be too much to

finish. The full combo (you can also order just chicken, just seafood, or

even vegetarian) comes out hot and aromatic, all the different

elements lending a different taste in each forkful. It's delicious and fun.

There's a puzzling aspect of the paella, though. While most of the

ingredients are quite good--even the mussels are the good black

kind--some of them are inexplicable. If those aren't canned peas and

canned green beans in there, then they have figured out a way to

make fresh taste like canned. And I can't detect the slightest hint of

saffron--not even annato, the widely-used fake saffron coloring. The

price is so low ($15 per person) that I can understand the ingredient

deficiencies. But I keep wondering how good a premium paella would

be here.

Laurentino's makes a pasta variation on paella called "fideua." It

sounds good, but it's not as good as the rice version, mainly because

the pasta gets overcooked.

If you're not going to eat paella, the options are few. There's an

interesting lamb stew served over potatoes with peppers and onions, a

few pasta dishes (the best is a layered eggplant lasagna with a

standard Italian red sauce). The rest of the entrees are larger versions

of some of the appetizers.

Desserts are all homemade. They make two kinds of flan, one slightly

richer than the other, and an almond ice cream, served beribboned

with chocolate sauce and whipped cream underneath the ice cream (?).

The staff is friendly and pleased that you're trying these unaccustomed

(to most people) specialties. Chef Xavier himself is almost always on

hand, very willing to tell you all you want to know about his

interpretation of Spanish cuisine. Which, if you don't have time to talk,

is essayed thoroughly on the menu itself.

As you might imagine, the wine list is dominated by Spanish wines,

which are vastly better than they were a generation ago. They also

have a few good Chilean wines. All these go very well with the food.

Most of my quibbles about Laurentino's are minor. But here's a big

issue: the no-credit-card policy is ridiculous. It keeps would-be

customers away, and limits the ordering of those who do show up. I'd

love to see this restaurant thrive, but to do so they need to address

the card issue urgently.

TEN BEST DISHES AT LAURENTINO'S

1. Paella Valenciana (combination)

2. Serrano ham tapas.

3. Tuna and olive tapas.

4. Garlic chicken.

5. Lentil soup.

6. Manchego cheese tapas.

7. Chorizo poor boy (lunch).

8. Almond nougat ice cream.

9. Flan.

10. Eggplant and meat lasagna.

[davidscooking]

Get out of the FQ when you come here!

One of the very best NO restaurants is Clancy's, at Annunciation and Webster, way Uptown. Upperline is also excellent....

[Deacon]

New Orleans Trip Report II--The Quickening

After deleting my first and last meals in this fine city (you don't need to hear about my spur-of-the-moment ideas, unless they end up as good ideas), I ended up with just one entire day's worth of meals to report about. Sorry I couldn't include more. This trip ended up mostly as an investigation of you-know-who's places, except that I didn't have time for Delmonico. Next time I intend to try it and also Mosca's.

Cafe du Monde, Oakwood Mall, Gretna (killing time)-- (See "My Cafe du Monde Theory," elsewhere in "South & Southwest." Unnecessarily long.)

The Grill Room at the Windsor Court Hotel (breakfast) -- The hotel was more modern than I expected. Comfortable dark lobby with lots of light wood paneling. Courteous staff. Same decor up one flight in the Grill Room, with paintings of fox hunts, etc. on the walls, and windows overlooking green plantings for a little color. I'm here for breakfast because it would obviously be cheaper than dinner and I still get to check out everything else. The huge room was practically deserted.

One thing I don't appreciate is having juice pushed on me for breakfast. No fewer than three hard-working staff members asked me if I wanted juice. No, dammit, when I want juice, I'll tell you, stop asking. To be fair, they were just trying to be thorough, but it's my pet peeve at breakfast. Anyhow, I had the "Eggs Windsor Court," which was a "Benedict"-style stack. The bread round wasn't an English muffin and wasn't sweet, filled with shitake mushrooms minced fine, also just enough black pepper. On the top, a small dab of caviar. Diced tomatoes around it on the plate. Excellent coffee. Friendly, efficient service. $25 for breakfast. More if you order juice.

NOLA (lunch) -- The line at 11:30 AM was so long I thought it might be the line for K-Paul's around the corner. A dark, industrial space with visible heating ducts and a forbidding reservation desk with an even more forbidding reservation clerk. Right behind that, an elevator packed full of people being whisked upstairs to their privileged tables. Open kitchen with bar seating. No dress code. Can I sit at the kitchen bar? No, you can't, those places are reserved. Can I sit at the bar? Yes, sir, right this way.

Friendly, even chatty, bartender. Entire staff (except for previously mentioned reservation troll) was friendly, joked with patrons and each other. Wine-by-the-glass list was on chalkboard behind me. You don't see very many "UB40" references on wine lists nowadays, but the chalkboard listed "Elzar's Red Red Wine" as their house plonk for the day. I had some sort of Gruner-Veltliner, slightly sweet, while reading the menu. My only regret, upon seeing the menu, was that I couldn't try everything. Elzar was beginning to win me over despite my misgivings.

Me: "So what are the chances of seeing the big guy? Slim to none?"

Brian the bartender: "None. He and his wife just had a baby."

For a horrible minute there, I was going to suggest that the little tyke should be named Bam-Bam. Fortunately I kept my mouth shut on that one rather than get thrown out on my ass for insolence. Brian the bartender informed me about Tchoup-Chop, Elzar's new place in Orlando, and also warned me about two other new places, one in Atlanta, the other possibly in Houston. Elzar's fiendish encirclement of the globe continues.

Switched over to 2000 Byron pinot noir for the duration. Very aromatic & plummy, slightly bitter and astringent. First course: cochon de lait. Basically pork gumbo. I may be asking for trouble. It turned out to be excellent, basically andouille sausage gumbo with a little pulled pork, very tender, presumably milk-fed (?) Breads were very good: a cheddar & green onion biscuit (could really taste the green onion), and jalapeno cornbread (not too crumbly with a bite that only kicks in after awhile).

Second course: "grilled swordfish with Creole smothered white beans, garlic roasted eggplant, Louisiana crawfish creme fraiche & parsnip chips." The parsnip chips were really long shavings. Kind of stringy, kind of chewy, a little like eating paper made out of cornstalks, possibly not the best idea Elzar's ever had. On the plate to either side, two dark, smoky, and vaginal-looking eggplant slices. I liked it, and I hate eggplant. The swordfish itself was a dense block of solid fish, topped by very tiny crawfish, like the kind of shrimp you see making up 99-cent shrimp cocktails in Las Vegas. The block of fish was atop a hearty, tomato-flavored sauce thick with white beans. The fish was thick and did not flake readily, which was okay with me. Aside from the parsnip garnish on top, all was good. $50 for lunch, with two glasses of wine.

Emeril's (dinner) -- You-know-who's flagship, down in the warehouse district. Jacket required, supposedly. Not too loud, considering the place was filled to capacity twenty minutes after it opened. Solid chairs (with soft cushions) went with the hardwood floor. Room is very "hip, cool, with-it, and today"--unlike the old-style New Orleans places (that's what Delmonico is for). It has been noted elsewhere that the kitchen bar has a proscenium arch over it, making the bar the focal point of the room and the kitchen the stage. What no one else has mentioned is that the panels composing the arch were each lit from within, and each panel contained a different grain, seed or spice--nice touch. The silverware in the place settings was upside down for some inexplicable reason, maybe just to be different. These are serious cooks who are not "bamming" anything, and as for the staff being "Emerilized" *cough*choke*, they just seemed to be good at their jobs. Very disconcerting and disorienting to glimpse a chef's balding head down the top of his toque--like staring down a chimney at a bird's nest.

I was prepared to hate this place. I grumpily ordered a martini with a lot of finicky instructions, expecting them to screw it up so I could have an excuse to start complaining. They brought it just as I had ordered it, as if I were a regular who asked for one that way every time.

Although the man next to me at the bar highly recommended his green salad with black-eyed peas, followed by rosemary-crusted rack of lamb with Cajun spice, I went for the full seven-course degustation menu with corresponding wines. Hubba hubba hubba.

amuse bouche: two spoonfuls of tomato gazpacho, "to welcome you to the restaurant." Cold enough to be refreshing, with a lot of cilantro. The breads were out now: a sourdough baguette, a large slice of something like brioche, and a non-descript white roll. All three provided good background for the rest of the food, adding depth and personality without overshadowing the courses.

appetizer: "seared and sliced bluefin tuna with heart of palm, cucumber cappellini, avocado, and an apple-celery coulis," accompanied by non-vintage Billecart salmon brut rose champagne. Two slices, a little smaller than a deck of cards, barely done around the edges and raw in the middle, just as advertised. Peppery around the edges, tender enough for sashimi. Draped over strands of cucumber "pasta." Hearts of palm were tiny slices, would've enjoyed more of those. All produce was very fresh, cold but without any ice crystals. By this time, all scepticism had faded and I was singing Elzar's praises. I could not reconcile the food I was eating with the lumpy schlmiel I'd seen on TV. You don't suppose the guy on TV's only a front for the real Elzar that they've got chained to a stove in a basement somewhere?

fish: "sauteed skatewing with sesame-crusted jasmine rice cake and Asian vegetables in a coconut-lemongrass broth," accompanied by 2000 Tokay pinot gris herrenweg "cuvee reserve," Charles Schleret. Elzar does traditional Thai food. This is the kind of dish that probably gets served nightly at "Tchop-Chop," I just wasn't expecting it here. I like Thai food, and halfway through this dish I was absolutely dumbfounded with amazement. Slightly crunchy black sesame seeds, also green and red peppers, like a mild yellow curry. The whole thing was not overly spicy, very subtle. The Tokay pinot gris was an excellent accompaniment. I started to wish it had been even spicier, then realized that if it had been my taste buds would've been overwhelmed for the next course. I could've eaten an entire plate of this jasmine-scented Thai rice.

fowl: "homemade boudin-stuffed quail with smoked onion-haricot vert salad, creamy rosemary polenta and crispy beet greens," accompanied by 1999 Crozer-Hermitage, Marc Sorrel. The leaf on top of everything was crisped to translucentcy and was delicious and crackling all by itself. The steak knives here are interesting little implements that look like unfolded switchblades. By this time I was nibbling every last morsel off the leg bones. The place was getting to me. Everything was good, every bite. Well, not everything: I ran across some skin or inedible membrane with this dish, just a bit. And I noticed that some of the glassware had little chips. My expectations were so high by this time that any imperfection glared.

beast: "braised beef short rib with stuffed baby eggplant, grilled ramps, olive-whipped potato and sun-dried tomato-veal reduction," accompanied by 2000 Les Baux de Provence "Reserve du Mas," Mas de Gourgonnier. They brought a new switchblade for this, so that I wouldn't have to sully the flavor with that of the previous course. Just one short bone about the diameter of a nickel. Sort of like a Swiss steak, actually. Still don't know what "ramps" are. I apologize for the lack of detail, as I had abandoned the note taking at this point. Too busy eating. They asked me if I wanted port to accompany the next course; I said no.

cheese: "brebis, sheep's milk from Pyrenees." This was a simple presentation with a tiny slab of cheese at 3 o'clock on the plate. At 12 o'clock was a slice of French bread, at 6 o'clock a few walnuts that looked as if they had been hand-selected one-by-one, and at 9 o'clock was a fan of small green apple slices. The bread and cheese went well together, also the cheese, walnuts and apple.

dessert: "dark chocolate terrine with caramelized banana and anglaise." The banana slice had a crackly skin of hard caramel on top. It all went on top of the chocolate terrine, which was sort of like eating a slab of chocolate asphalt, and I mean that in a good way. The coffee was good. Then they brought a chocolate praline with nuts "in case you're not full." I couldn't see the room because I was facing toward the kitchen for the entire meal, but the mood was high and festive as I walked out.

$65 without wine, $125 with wine, plus tip. Whew. One of the best dinners I have ever had. It must be great to live in New York City and have your pick of a different restaurant at that level of quality every night of the month. This was an experience, and anyone who bad-mouths Elzar's food will have to answer to me.

Edited April 21, 2003 by Deacon (log)

[Bill Klapp]

Mother's. Poydras Street, near the Windsor Court Hotel. Roast beef po-boy "dressed"-mayo, Creole mustard, cabbage (the slaw makes itself as you eat the sandwich!), gravy and a handful of what they call "debris", which are the crisp brown bits of meat that fall off a properly cooked pot roast. Afterward, eat at the admittedly brilliant fine-dining establishments above. And then ask yourself if any of the latter meals were as deeply satisfying as that po-boy! I weep openly whenever I think of that sandwich. Thus, I'm thinking of Casamento's now to take my mind off my troubles...

[scottie]

We had the fam in town for Jazz Fest, so I actually got to go to some restaurants I could not otherwise afford:

Deanie's Seafood: The original, out in Bucktown. Waited two hours for a table. Terrible, terrible service. Food was fine, but if you want good fried seafood, Casamento's or Uglesich's are the way to go.

Restaurant Cuvee: Excellent. Everyone enjoyed it. Slight mix-up with the wine- I have noticed that restaurants around here will try to give you a more expensive wine from the same vintner you ordered. Hmm. But the food was great and the service was good.

Galatoire's: This was the second time I've been here, and it was even worse than the first. The service was excruciatingly abysmal, this at a place where the only justification for the price is the service. The food was mediocre- incredibly overpriced, and the presentation- I just don't get it. A hunk of meat with no garnish or sides. Not charming at all.

Santa Fe: In the Marigny. Good food, nothing spectacular. Everything came with nuts and raisins on top, for some reason. Great margaritas.

Now here are my humble opinions about other places around town, some informed by my friendship with various folks in the industry:

Commander's: If you're going to go to an old-line NOLA restaurant, this is the one. At least it's dependaple and the service is always good. Antoine's has great atmosphere, but...do you really want food from 1890?

Clancy's: Always good. A little clubby- you have to be in the know.

Lilette's: Fabulous, I love it! Great, superfresh and creative with local ingredients.

Rene Bistrot: Also a favorite. The wine selection is outstanding. The cooking is straightforward and priced accordingly. Just high-quality ingredients prepared in the way to best bring out their flavors. What a concept. I love the skate wing.

Dante's Kitchen: Haven't been there in a while, but it's dependable, good, fresh local food.

La Crepe Nanou: The above post on the new Belgian restaurant reminded me of Crepe Nanou, always a great spot for a romantic dinner or to take the parents. Good, fresh food, excellent mussels, I love the Tropical Salad with hearts of palm and avocado. Great atmosphere and reasonably priced.

Sugar Magnolia: No no no! I cannot understand why this place is so popular. The service sucks out loud and they still haven't figured out how to handle their volume. Plus, I know from a former cook that everything comes from Sysco.

Two good, cheap places for breakfast and lunch are: Surrey's Juice Bar, several blocks downtown from Sugar Mag on Magazine; and Slim Goody's Diner, on Magazine near Louisiana St. Both have yummy, creative breakfasts and good prices. Far superior to Camellia or Bluebird.

I totally believe that visitors need to get out of the French Quarter. There are plenty of good places to eat that don't cost a lot of money: Bennachin's, the African restaurant recently relocated to Royal st.; Pho Tau Bay, the Vietnamese restaurant on the West Bank. Jacques-Imo's, Casamento's, Uglesich's. Byblos and Mona's for Lebanese food. Cafe Negril on Frenchmen st. for Jamaican food.

Don't waste your money on overpriced slop for the tourists!

I'm done now.

[hollywood]

Very comprehensive coverage. Oddly, I've been to Galatoire's several times over the years and always had excellent service and pretty good food. Agree about Commander's. It's sorta the Taillevent of NO.

I wish Deacon would come back and throw in his 2 cents.

[nolatara]

I live in New Orleans, and never have a problem finding a great place to eat. Some favorites are Cafe Degas (bistro) , Gabrielle (French), Jacques Imo's, Byblos (Lebanese) , Cafe Giovanni (my favorite!), Commander's, Charles Seafood for raw oysters, and Vincent's for Italian. Except for Commander's, most of these places are frequented mostly by locals. When I do eat at Commander's, I let them know I'm a local when I make the reservation, and I've never been disappointed in my experiences there.

[hollywood]

Welcome aboard, nolatara. BTW, do you think it would help for an out of towner to claim to be a local in making reservations? Or, is there a better strategy for getting a good meal?

[nolatara]

It wouldn't hurt anything. I know the local food critic tells people to do that.

[Zeb A]

So, my wife and I recently completed a trip to New Orleans. Below I will attach excerpts from a journal. On this trip, we intentionally tried to eat at nicer and/or notable restaurants. So, we really didn't experience any local dives. Long story short, we thought Bayona and Peristyle were very good. They are certainly restaurants that we would enjoy revisiting. We also ate at Commander's Palace, Brennan's, Emeril's Nola, and Galatoire's. While we enjoyed our meals at those restaurants and were also glad to experience them from a somehwat historical perspective, we would not return to any of them for another meal. None of the food was surprising at any of those restaurants, and, not surprisingly, they (except for Galatoire's) had a chain-like feel. Also, I personally find it hard to not factor cost into my overall perception of a restaurant, and, from that perspective, these four restaurants were seriously over-priced. I have to say that I was very surprised to not be able to find more restaurants in New Orleans like Bayona and Peristyle. Maybe we just missed them, but it was not for lack of serious research. In any event, it was a great trip, and I would recommend each restaurant for at least a one-time look-see. Here are the journal extracts (parts written by me, parts written by my wife):

New Orleans Trip

June 19-22, 2003

. . .

There was never any question that this trip would be about the food. Then again, it seems most of our trips end up focusing heavily on food. We did the obligatory research and made reservations for lunch and dinner. Here are the results:

Thursday, June 19, 2003

We arrived in New Orleans with just enough time to take a cab to our hotel, unpack, get our bearings and then head out for our first meal at Commander’s Palace. Commander’s Palace is a large house in the garden district that has served as a restaurant for 100 years. Many famous chefs in town started at this restaurant (including Emeril). We got to the restaurant (the only one to which we had to take a cab) early enough to stroll around the garden district and see some of the large houses and gardens in the area. Lafayette Cemetery, however, was closed, so Zeb was reduced to sticking his head through the metal gate.

Dinner consisted of:

Trio of Soups – Turtle Soup au Sherry, Country Gumbo and Truffled Bean Soup

Grilled Veal Chop Tchoupitoulas - Veal with goat cheese, stone ground grits, and brandied wild mushroom demi-glace

Creole Bread Pudding Soufflé with Whiskey Sauce

Romaine Salad - Romaine lettuce, slivered red onion, crushed capers and aged Parmesan, tossed with creamy artichoke-black pepper dressing

Jack Daniel’s Glazed Stuffed Quail - Blue crab-black pepper brioche stuffing with green apple braised cabbage and toasted pecan-molasses demi glâce

Cheese plate

Dinner here was good and the service was fine, if not a little ill-timed (our main courses came out on top of our appetizers and Zeb was almost finished with dinner before his wine arrived). Best part of the meal – Bread Pudding Soufflé. Worst part – the check – overpriced, but still worth one visit.

Post-dinner—a leisurely stroll down Bourbon Street. Now that was a sight to see. It is almost like some kind of madness takes over when one walks down these 8-10 blocks. Every cheesy and tacky item you can think of is for sale. All vices are on display. Open beer is allowed (more accurately, it is encouraged). Grandparents and Great-grandparents who I bet have not ever had cheap keg beer in a plastic cup walk around with monster size beverages (I wanted to follow them to see if the cups of beer magically dropped from their hands when they exited Bourbon Street and came back to reality.) A handy A&P that stays open almost perpetually supplied some beer for the room. In most cities, I would have felt foolish carrying a newly-purchased Styrofoam cooler, filled with beer and ice, back to my room—but not here! I fit right in.

We stayed at Soniat House, in the French Quarter, but a bit off the beaten path. It was a very nice place, furnished with antiques and offering good service. As with most hotels that come with charm, it also came with some inconveniences, such as poor plumbing, but we would definitely recommend the hotel.

Friday, June 20, 2003

Lunch was at Bayona, one of Susan Spicer’s restaurants and a nice walk from our hotel. Only a few tables were occupied when we arrived, but the place soon filled. We had a long, leisurely lunch here with great food at reasonable prices – one of the best, if not the best meals we had. Zeb picked all the winners, although mine were all great, too. His sandwich was outrageous – like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich with duck – you’d have to taste it to believe it. The soup he ordered was cold, spicy and sweet with cantaloupe. But his dessert – holy cow – one of the best things we ever put in our mouths. Fresh peaches on top, followed by a crunchy, cinnamony, almond meringue, creamy panna cotta and when you reached down to the very bottom, caramel. Yum.

Here’s lunch:

Spicy Thai Cucumber and Melon Soup

Smoked Duck, Cashew Butter and Pepper Jelly Sandwich

Parfait of Fresh Peaches, Buttermilk Panna Cotta, Cinnamon Meringue and Caramel

Sauce

Salad of Mixed Greens, Avocado, Vidalia Onions and Fried Crawfish

Penne Pasta with Smoked Trout, Asparagus and a Lemon Cream Sauce

Crème Caramel with Blackberries

After lunch, we spent the day walking along the various streets and alleys in the Quarter. The weather was not as hot as had been expected (still plenty warm), and it was a very pleasant way to spend the day. After a beer at Pat O’Briens and a DVD back at the room, we were ready for dinner.

Dinner was at Peristyle. Anne Kearney, chef, has won many awards. The restaurant is small and the tables intimate (read, close together). We had the misfortune of being seated next to a very young, very loud, very pretentious lawyer, who spoke loudly both on and off the phone during his entire dinner. Nonetheless, an enjoyable meal, making Friday our best food day.

Dinner consisted of:

Pissaladiere – a caramelized onion tart with goat cheese and black olives

Pan roasted yellow fin tuna with Yukon potatoes and celeriac, hericot verts, and demi glace reduction with balsamic soaked sun dried tomatoes and pines nuts

Cheese plate

Coconut Tart

Tomato, Pepper and Shrimp Soup

Pan roasted chicken with toasted walnut acini de pepi "risotto", hericot verts, and carrots, sauced with reisling demi glace reduction of applewood smoked bacon and seedless grapes

Fresh Peach Tart

Tonight, after dinner, we took a stroll over to the Faubourg Marigny section, which borders the Quarter. The streets were jumping as music streamed out of the many bars and clubs. But, we are old and tired—so, we called it a night.

Saturday, June 21, 2003

Only one meal today, since the wedding was tonight. So, we had to do it. We had to include at least one of Emeril’s restaurants. We chose Nola, Emeril’s most casual restaurant for lunch. It looked as if others had the same idea, as the place was packed and we watched a few groups without reservations get turned away.

Lunch was good, but oh so overpriced. Maybe it wasn’t this way before Emeril hit it big, but lunch takes on a whole new meaning with $25 entrees. (The Chorizo was served medium rare, which, at least to us, was somewhat disconcerting—Zeb, of course, ate it anyway.) Anyway, here it is:

Cornmeal-Crusted Plaquemines Parish Oysters with Baby Spinach, Warm Apple-Smoked Bacon Dressing, Goat Cheese, Calamata Olives, Hard-Boiled Eggs and Shiitake Mushroom Chips

Mixed Grill of Herb-Marinated Filet Mignon Brochette, Homemade Chorizo and Gulf Shrimp with Slow-Cooked Greens, Roasted Garlic-Potato Cake and Creole Meuniere Sauce

Absolut Lemon Drop Cake with Citron-Crème Anglaise, Blueberry Coulis and Fresh Berries

Seafood chowder

Cedar Plank-Roasted Redfish with Citrus-Horseradish Crust, Lemon-Butter Sauce and Vietnamese Seafood Salad (cooked in wood burning oven)

NOLA Banana Pudding Layer Cake with a Graham Cracker Crust, Homemade Vanilla Wafers and a Warm Fudge Drizzle

After lunch, we again ambled around the Quarter. We also went down to the river and checked out the Aquarium. Jelly-fish are truly strange.

The wedding was on the upper deck of the Steamboat Natchez. We arrived just before 7:00 and watched a casual, very nice ceremony lasting only 15 or so minutes. Everyone then moved inside for drinks and appetizers as the ship headed down the river. Dinner was typical New Orleans fare – gumbo, jambalaya, etc. A zydeco band played, the groom “beat boxed,” your typical scene. . . .

Sunday, June 22, 2003

Our last day in New Orleans. We slept late again and headed out for brunch at a restaurant known for breakfast – Brennan’s. Brunch was good, but (and we hate to harp on price), incredibly overpriced.

Eggs Sardou - poached eggs on artichoke bottoms with hollandaise

Grillades of veal in a tomato-pepper sauce with grits

Crepes Fitzgerald - Crepes filled with cream cheese and sour cream served with a topping of strawberries flamed

Creole Onion Soup

Eggs Hussarde - Poached eggs atop Holland rusks, Canadian bacon, and Marchand de Vin sauce, and Topped with Hollandaise sauce.

Bananas Foster

We had a nice walk, looked through some galleries, ate 3 beignets at Cafe du Monde, and then saw a good German movie set mostly in Africa at a theatre by the water. Our last meal was at Galatoire’s, a New Orleans institution that has been run by the same family since 1905. Amazingly enough, the restaurant is right on Bourbon street, nestled between strip joints, bead shops, and a massive number of bars selling “Big Ass Beer” and “Grenades” (actually in big cheesy plastic grenades). The downstairs of the retaurant is reserved for “locals,” so we were seated upstairs with the rest of our kind. Our waiter was a nice ol’ guy – Zeb said he kept wanting to ask questions just so he could hear him speak (New Orleans style). Our meal was solid – everything we got was good, but it was still amazing to think that Gourmet had rated this restaurant as the 24th best in the country. On the plus side, the meal was not nearly as pricey as some hade been. Our meal:

Oysters Rockefeller – an amazingly bright green

Crabmeat Sardou – lump crab over artichoke bottoms with hollandaise

Salad Maison

Trout Meuniere Amandine

Cup Custard Maison

O.k. uncle. I told Zeb this latest binge is just what I needed to send me into maternity clothes once and for all. Anyway, a nice, relaxing trip and good food.

[Sandra Levine]

Ranitidine and I spend some of our honeymoon in New Orleans. I gained five pounds in four days. It was the beginning of the end of my figure. But, I enjoyed your post.

[hollywood]

Zeb, great post. Made me hungry--for food and for New Orleans. Love Soniat House. Mmmm. That homemade jam and biscuits. Restaurantwise, you might try Brigtsen's next time around. Ciao.

[Kim WB]

I agree with many of your opinions, and the restaurants you chose to visit as a good representation of NOLA , but I would tweak the order a bit: Commander's for Sunday Brunch, Magical. Eggs, softshells and hollandaise...Bayona for dinner next time...not as reasonably priced as their lunch, but better than Peristlye, which is on my "glad I went but won't return" list...just not special enough. Sounds like a wonderful trip...thanks fo the report.

[dbrociner]

I loved your post. Great descriptions. How did you find time to eat while taking such comprehensive notes? I even tried to click on _Sometimes A Great Notion_, which made me laugh. Every time you see something underlined on the web you think its hypertexed. You forget that the proper way to quote a book is to underline its title. Thanks for the great review and the smile.

[Varmint]

Thanks for the great report, Zebster and Deanna. When you going to get Mrs. A on eGullet?!?!

[Zeb A]

Thanks for the great report, Zebster and Deanna.  When you going to get Mrs. A on eGullet?!?!

Not sure. She actiually asked about it once. I just need to get her set up. The value of our household contributions would increase ten-fold if she posted.

[Zeb A]

I loved your post. Great descriptions. How did you find time to eat while taking such comprehensive notes? I even tried to click on _Sometimes A Great Notion_, which made me laugh. Every time you see something underlined on the web you think its hypertexed. You forget that the proper way to quote a book is to underline its title. Thanks for the great review and the smile.

We actually don't really take notes. My wife has a great memory for all things food, so she can recall most of what we ate. Then, I often will go back and find the actual descriptions from the restaurant web-site, if they post recent menus. For other places, we actaully called-back later when doing the journal to get the decsription. For example, Peristyle does not seem to have a website, so we had to call them when we got home.

Sometimes a Great Notion is a novel by Ken Kesey. I highly recommend it.

[davidscooking]

Bayona, Peristyle, Galatoire: good choices all. Not surprised that you were disappointed with Emeril. I don't know a single local that would eat at one of his joints. Absurdly-sized portions don't make up for overpriced and decidedly average food. Plus, the guy is a buffoon....

On your next visit, make a trip uptown, to Clancy's or Upperline or Brigtsen's or Jacques Imos or... well, that'll get you started.

Ciao,

d

[Bux]

I loved your post. Great descriptions. How did you find time to eat while taking such comprehensive notes? I even tried to click on _Sometimes A Great Notion_, which made me laugh. Every time you see something underlined on the web you think its hypertexed. You forget that the proper way to quote a book is to underline its title. Thanks for the great review and the smile.

The proper way to quote a book is to underline its title if you're using a typewriter. Typewriters don't have an italic font. You shouldn't see underlining in a magazine or newspaper as it disrupts the flow of text. On the web, underlining is also the convention for showing links and should really be reserved for that use. Italics are just as easy to do as underlined. Click on the "I" button above the text box and enter the text to be italicized or learn the code.

[i]test to appear in italics here[/i]

will render as

text to appear in italics here

[Roger McShane]

Bayona, Peristyle, Galatoire: good choices all. Not surprised that you were disappointed with Emeril. I don't know a single local that would eat at one of his joints. Absurdly-sized portions don't make up for overpriced and decidedly average food. Plus, the guy is a buffoon....

Couldn't agree more David. My meals at Emeril's restaurants have been consistent in their mediocrity. I like Bayona and have had some good dishes at Peristyle. Galatoire is the sort of place I like to go to in the same way I like to go to the museum in Thessaloniki - I get the feeling I have been frozen in a different era! The service is some of the best around even if the food is ordinary.

Next visit I must try to get to Brigsten's.