PhotosTravel JournalsRestaurant ReviewsFood & WineLinksBusiness

New Orleans 2004

Adolfo's

We took some friends here for the first time. I was crushed that they didn't have the garlic soup since I bragged on it so much beforehand! It was the best garlic soup in the city, in my opinion. I hope they bring it back. Anyway, Tom and I shared some mussels in white wine, garlic, and basil - essentially pesto. They were delicious and there was lots of sauce to mop up with the garlic bread they serve. I had Fish Sean, which is prepared with baby clams marinara. There was a choice of 4 fish that night: salmon, snapper, mahi mahi and tilapia. Entrees come with a pasta course beforehand (I love that - truly Italian) - just a little spaghetti with a very light tomato sauce. The entree plate comes with a small green salad. It satisfied my craving for a red sauce and the fish tasted really fresh. Tom had snapper in a spinach-lemon sauce - that was good, too - very spinachy. ;-) They only have three wines, all $24 a bottle: a cab, a merlot, and a chianti. We had the chianti, which was fine. I had forgotten how much of a bargain this place is. Entrees can be had for $12 or $13. Very good value. November 2004

Angeli

This is a 24-hour (on the weekends anyway) pizza place on Decatur that serves salads, sandwiches, pastas and breakfast to locals and tourists alike. Favorite dishes: spicy chicken pizza and anything made with the spicy meatballs; we've had the calzone and sandwich, both good. If you're getting a salad, the sun-dried tomato vinaigrette looks like a marinara sauce, but it is really a delicious dressing. Reasonable prices and good people-watching here, especially in the wee hours. October 2004

Barataria

This is one of our neighborhood restaurants, which we visited recently to participate in Dining for Life (a portion of the bill goes to NO/AIDS Task Force). We've been here a couple times, but this was the first time we were seated in the room facing Harrison Avenue, which was much too bright. We shared some crab cakes to start. Not bad, crispy enough, but not crabby enough for me - I'm picky about crabcakes. I had grilled amberjack for my main course with grilled asparagus and sauteed vegetables. After sending it back, it was wonderful! Now if someone can't cook my fish perfectly, I actually prefer it slightly underdone to slightly overdone. But this was raw in the middle! But it came back perfect the 2nd time. Tom had blackened catfish with crabmeat sauce, which was also good. That and a bottle of Reynolds Shiraz came to about $65, including tax. We like this place a lot. Another favorite dish is the scallop salad. Nice bar, too, with very reasonable wines by the glass. July 2004

Bella Luna

We came here for our second anniversary. Here is Tom's review:

We were warmly greeted and escorted to a lovely private table, half-hidden (so we could smooch without offending others) in the corner. That particular table has a door to the balcony overlooking The River—very nice. On an evening with a full “Bella Luna,” you could gaze at her rising over the Westbank. The meal started with champagne and an amuse-bouche of fettucine Alfredo (the best I ever tasted), and hors d’oeuvres of carpaccio and seviche. Love dem raw meats! A bottle of ’97 LeRoy Bourgogne accompanied Paula’s risotto with shrimp, scallops, and mussels and my potato-encrusted grouper with grilled vegetables. Both entrées were perfectly prepared and served—even the different plate colors harmonized with each dish. Absolutely delicious. A basket of assorted breads and butter presented on a cold slab of marble came with the meal. Just when we were going to pack it in for the night (so to speak), out comes a dessert sampler (cheesecake, key lime pie, carrot cake, berries, white chocolate ice cream, tropical fruit sorbet) with two glasses of champagne. Wow! It was truly a wonderful dining experience. The staff was just about perfect, the kitchen outdid itself, and special thanks must go to our good friend who works there and saw that we were well taken care of.

I have to add that this was definitely one of the best meals I have had in New Orleans and that's saying a lot! August 2004

Bombay Club

This is one of our favorite places. We first came here together on our first date in March of 2001. We generally just have drinks and listen to the live music, but we came here for a late supper after the Seinfeld show. We shared the Asian flash-fried calamari, which I had here before. They were not flash-fried. In fact, they were likely fried hours before they landed on our table. Not good, but we managed to eat the whole thing thanks to the sauce: wonderfully sweet, sour, and spicy. Next, I had scallops wrapped in pancetta (looking suspiciously like regular ol' bacon, if you ask me) with wild mushroom risotto. This was a good dish, but a little chintzy for $26. Tom had the duck duet, which included confit of duck, duck breast with a sauce made with Calvados, sweet potato beignets and mashed potatoes. This was a very good dish (and $24 - go figure!). The wine list has no red wines under $35, and overall, is fairly expensive. We sat in the bar area and had very good service, but the table of four behind us was VERY LOUD. (You know, one of those guys who wants the whole place to hear every syllable he utters.) If you go here, try to reserve one of the private booths (with curtain) for a truly romantic setting. They're also known for their martinis here. The chocolate martini and tangerine martini are my favorites.

Bon Ton Cafe

This was our first time at the Bon Ton, despite it being a New Orleans institution and on our list for years. The space is cute (red and white checkered tablecloths) and they have a great menu, especially if you're a seafood lover. We both started with turtle soup - tasty enough, but too tomatoey for me. I still prefer Commander's Palace. The waitress (old-time *career* waitresses here - got to love that) told us all about their signature dishes, so I chose one of those: pan-broiled shrimp - perfectly cooked shrimp in a yummy, very garlicky sauce. I had a side of sauteed spinach with broccoli and carrots. Tom had an eggplant, shrimp and crabmeat dish which was just delicious - often the eggplant gets lost, but it didn't in this dish. It was a good meal, and definitely a place to take out-of-towners. It's very New Orleans. We saw three lone diners there, one of which was clearly a regular; lots of tables of 3 and 4, too - very festive atmosphere. September 2004

Brennan's

I took Tom here for breakfast on the morning of his birthday. Everyone should do Breakfast at Brennan's at least once, in my opinion. We both chose the $35 breakfast menu, which includes an appetizer, entree and dessert. I had a brandy milk punch for my eye-opener and Tom had a Bloody Mary. We started with turtle soup, which was good, but not as good as Commander's Palace, which has become my standard for judging all turtle soups. ;-) I had Eggs Ellen, which were poached eggs served atop a good, healthy, piece of grilled salmon, topped with hollandaise sauce. Tom enjoyed his poached eggs on fried trout with creamed spinach. For dessert, I had a terrific bananas Foster and Tom had the crepes Fitzgerald - very light, filled with what we figured was probably Creole cream cheese, topped with a strawberry compote. The service was very good and professional. As I said afterwards, I don't think I have 1. been this full at 10:30 a.m., nor 2., spent this much money by 10:30 a.m.! It was worth it, especially for a special celebration. June 2004

Brewhouse Grill

This is a local brewpub on Carrollton Avenue just off Canal Boulevard, now reachable by streetcar. The beers are pretty good, except I ordered a Pilsner once and saw the bartender pour from the Pilsner tap, but I just knew it wasn't a Pilsner! No matter, though. Tom loves the BBQ Shrimp po' boy here and it has recently appeared in a salad, with some tomatoes, cucumbers and cheddar and a nice touch of herbs. Very good and nicely spiced shrimp. July 2004, August 2004

Bruning's

We come here quite often, sit at the bar, and watch the pelicans on the lake. I always have the same thing: a broiled soft-shell crab. It comes with spicy, boiled new potatoes, Texas toast and a small side salad. It's good comfort food. Tom also gets the crab, but has had the fried catfish here as well, which he liked a lot. Very reasonable prices and good service from people who have been working here for years; no ambiance at all, but the setting is nice and there's a handful of tables upstairs with a good view of the lake, as is the bar. Several times in 2003 & 2004, September 2004 the most recent

Cafe Degas

On Esplanade. I left saying the same thing I did last time: "It's good, but overpriced." But we sat out on the patio, which really is a lovely setting. Tom had a very tasty, very good bouillabaisse - and the man knows his bouillabaisse. I had a salad nicoise with real tuna (nicely seared, but not sushi grade - ugh), olives, potatoes, green beans, tomatoes, hard boiled egg, and anchovies. I was so thrilled to see white anchovies. I love those things. I made my anti-anchovy better half try some and he agreed that they ain't your standard anchovy. Anyway, we both had a glass of Cotes-du Rhone - the bill came to $39 sans tax & tip. November 2004

Chateaubriand

Tom and I had Thanksgiving dinner 2004 here. I started with a very good corn & crab bisque - not too thick and good crab flavor. Tom had a sausage and potato salad, which was good - very French. I had a filet with potatoes. They had a fancy name for them, but they were essentially gratin potatoes - very good - and green beans. Tom had the rack of lamb, which was delicious. It came with some ordinary couscous but a delicious Provencal tomato (broiled and topped with bread crumbs.) The chocolate pecan pie was excellent, but I had to have pumpkin pie. Here was the big disappointment. I swear it was a Mrs. Smith's pie! Now, if I had been at a friend's home or family's and someone served that, fine. But to be out in a place that calls itself a fine restaurant? Uh uh. I don't think we'd go back here. There are a lot of "fine" restaurants in New Orleans that make their own desserts - or at least, get them from a good bakery! November, 2004

Christian's

Christian's was Tom's choice for my first Annual 39th birthday dinner. It was definitely one of the best meals we've had in New Orleans. First off, I love the space! I mean, I knew it used to be a church, but until you step inside and see how they make it work, I don't think it can be appreciated. Great lighting, lovely windows, cool architecture, nicely spaced tables, very romantic.

I started off with a crab turnover - crab, eggplant and feta cheese in puff pastry with sun-dried tomato sauce. It was very tasty, but Tom's appetizer's was extraordinary: a cold-smoked soft shell crab, battered and deep-fried. Wow! The smokiness really came through, it was fried perfectly and the garnish was even amazing - sauteed, crispy parsley. All of the fish entrees looked good and that's probably the thing to order here, but we were both in the mood for meat, so I had a filet mignon au poivre with a demi-glace sauce with crispy potato chunks (sort of like home fries but just potatoes) and Tom had roasted duck with wild rice. Both good. I don't order steak out much since I never seem to get it cooked the way I like it, but this was perfect.

For dessert we shared flaming fresh seasonal fruit (turned out to be strawberries) over homemade vanilla ice cream. Sounds boring, but it was so good and refreshing and the ice cream was delicious - creamy and rich. Oh, we also had cafe brulot, which I had once before in Lake Charles. At Christian's, they set lemon peel afire (more flames!) and then pour the coffee into that concoction and heat it some more; all done tableside, so it was a fun show. The cafe brulot had that wonderful citrus flavor, reminiscent of lemon peel served with espresso, like the Brooklyn Italians I knew used to do.

The service was very good - nice, personable (but not so much so that he was sharing his life story - I hate that!), professional and very knowledgeable. We also had a NON-VINTAGE Chateauneuf-du-Pape, which I still don't believe. It was good, but I have a hard time believing the French would allow an NV wine from this region to be produced. If it's true, this is something very very new. Anyway, great meal - highly recommend. September 2004

Cobalt

I've been here three times, all good experiences. The food is inventive, the service is friendly and efficient, and there are some good, inexpensive choices on the wine list. Last time I was here, I started with the Cobalt Caesar with roasted pumpkin seeds, dry jack cheese and red chili croutons. Onto seared rare yellowfin tuna with a yellow rice-rock shrimp chili relleno, tropical fruit salsa and lime butter sauce. Yum! The three friends I was with also had nothing but raves about their meals. April 2004

Commander's Palace

One of Tom's favorites, we decided to treat ourselves to an impromptu Friday lunch. A call one day in advance secured a 1:30 reservation. Commander's has $.25 martinis every day at lunch - including cosmos. We were seated upstairs (in Siberia again!) in a lovely, warm, small yellow room. We thought it would be a great room for a private party. We both opted for the daily fixed price lunch special. The price of an entree gets you an appetizer from the daily menu - a real steal, actually. We both started with gazpacho, which was not the chunky type, but pureed smooth with a hint of onion; very good and refreshing. Tom had the mixed grill for an entree: some quail, duck and lamb. It proved to be a much better dish than my roasted halibut, which had the consistency of a frozen fish filet. Very disappointing! Service was top-notch, as is expected. Two courses and two drinks each ended up costing $45 with tax & tip. Not bad, if my meal was much better. This won't turn me off to Commander's, but I think I would order a la carte next time at lunch. More money, but I guess "You get what you pay for" rings true here. July 2004

Coop's

Clearly one of our favorite holes in the wall to eat. I had one of my favorite dishes in town, Chicken Tchoupitoulas: a chicken breast pounded thin with shrimp and tasso in a *spicy* cream sauce, creole green beans and rice. $9.95 for a plate of food I couldn't even finish. (And I can eat!) Tom had a pasta dish with tasso, shrimp, mushrooms and green beans. That was very tasty, too. The food has always been good here (delicious, actually, total comfort food), but one probably shouldn't peer into a dark corner there, if you know what I mean. ;-) November 2004

Dante's Kitchen

In the Riverbend area of town (just across the street from Brigtsen's), we chose this place for a recent Friday lunch because they had outdoor seating and it was a beautiful, unusually pleasant August day. We sat on the pretty patio with a sauvignon blanc and an Abita. I had a grilled shrimp, andouille, and goat cheese spinach salad. It was tasty (the shrimp were cooked well, but much too salty) but chintzy - considering it was under the category "Big Salads" and they charged $11/$12 for it! Tom had a pulled pork sandwich which was served on some really good bread and was very tasty. Cute space, nice menu - would go back and try something else next time. August 2004

Deanie's

We went to the one in Metairie and the one in the French Quarter within the same month. The menus are identical, the space in the Quarter is a little nicer. In Metaire, I had the seafood salad. I'm a fan of big salads (with a lot of stuff in them) and this one didn't disappoint - lots of shrimp, lots of crabmeat, tons of greens and veggies and a very interesting, albeit slightly sweet roasted onion balsamic vinaigrette. In the Quarter, I had the seafood pizza - it was nothing special at all. Tom had softshell crab which he proclaimed not as good as Bruning's and a very good, stuffed flounder. Our friends who were in from out of town loved their entrees at the Quarter location. May 2004, September 2004

Dominique's

This is really a special occassion place. I was here with my girlfriends, celebrating a birthday. I had foie gras to start, and then seared key west yellowtail snapper with hearts of palm. We shared several desserts: ile flottante (I haven't had this since Paris - this was an updated version, but good), a cappamisu (Cappuccino dipped mocha wafers layered with Kahlua), and a chocolate souffle, which needs to be ordered in advance. The space is beautiful and the service was top-notch. Very expensive. April 2004

Dooky Chase

This is a New Orleans institution, opened in 1940 (and it shows!). If you go here, take a cab there and back - it's not located in a good neighborhood. We had very spotty service on the night we went, but the server did inform us she was new. The cuisine is down-home Creole cooking. We had the table d'hote menu which includes a salad, entree and sides. I had the grillades with jambalaya and smothered okra - the veal was pounded extra thin and the sauce was a rich, deep, dark, tomato sauce - very good. Tom ordered the chicken & shrimp Creole, which was also covered in a delicious sauce. The space, in addition to being worn, was much too brightly lit. There were a lot of large parties here - very festive and loud atmosphere. June 2004

Felix

If the line is too long at Acme, go to Felix - but only for oysters on the half-shell. I can't vouch for other food here, but I have never heard anyone speak highly of it. We had a couple dozen enjoyable raw osyters here in June. June 2004

Herbsaint

We finally made it to Herbsaint after a Wednesday concert in nearby Lafayette Square. The "small plates" listed on the menu are simply just appetizers, but the mere mention of then got me thinking - and wanting - tapas. So we ordered four small plates for the two of us. The moules-frites were wonderful; garlicky sauce and REAL french fries. The antipasto was a nice mixture of marinated eggplant, radishes, rillettes, salami and sheep's milk cheese, but we both felt it could use more vegetables. The shrimp was served on a cake of green chile grits with tasso cream sauce, and the beef short ribs were braised and falling off the bone. The sauteed banana tart with fleur-de-sel caramel sauce was to die for. All of the dishes were good as was the service. We'll go back, but next time try the entrees (large plates) which sounded good. April 2004

Hillery's

This is the restaurant in the St. Marie Antoinette hotel on Toulouse Street. We came here because we had a gift certificate. On a Friday night, the place was dead, which is always a little scary. The space is lovely, but the food was just OK. Not bad, but nothing to write home about. I had a corn & shrimp bisque, which had a nice light, creamy texture. My duck dish was tasty enough, but again, not great. The portions here were ridiculously large, in my opinion. We won't bother returning - it was just very ordinary. August 2004

K-Paul's

I had been wanting to go to this restaurant long before I ever set foot in New Orleans. I had a Monday lunch here, shortly after they began to open for lunch (only Friday through Monday, though). I had a sushi tuna salad with wasabi dressing and toasted pumpkin seeds. The sushi was wonderful, the dressing tasty and the greens were just gorgeous! The seeds really added a nice texture and flavor. My friend had pecan-encrusted redfish, which was very good. I also tried my other friend's BBQ oysters which were delicious. If you're on Atkins, don't come here! They bake their bread on the premises (how many restaurants can say they do that?!) and it is really delicious - several differnt varieties of breads, muffins, rolls, etc. Oh, and one of the best Bloody Marys I have had in town yet. They use vodka-infused jalapenos; very very spicy. Good service. This is an absolute must-go-back. April 2004

So we did, this time with friends, and again for lunch. They change their menu (with the exception of a few items) every day. K-Paul's makes a "Creole" Bloody Mary that is one of the best I've had in town. The garnishes are soaked in vodka - very powerful! Our server brought out some fried oysters, compliments of the chef. They were so good, and juicy when you bit into them. Perfect. Three of us had the blackened drum for lunch which came with whipped potatoes (very tasty) and sauteed veggies. The fish tasted fresh, it was cooked perfectly and there was just the right amount of spice. Tom started with the turtle soup which he said was good, and had fried chicken with black-eyed peas and rice for his main course. It was good comfort food, but I liked the drum much better. And of course, the great bread, muffins and biscuits that are baked there. A very good meal. November 2004

La Madeleine

This a chain of bakeries cum cafes, located all over town. We've been here a few times, both for breakfast and lunch. Pastries are OK, but not stellar. I've had a decent salmon Caesar salad here, with good dressing. It's set up cafeteria style - good prices. October 2004

Lebanon's Cafe

A small, Middle Eastern restaurant uptown on Carrollton, just off St. Charles. We had a very good, reasonably priced lunch on a recent weekend. I had a vegetarian plate, which came with falafel (I had not had it since I used to go to my "falafel guy" in Lower Manhattan some 10 years ago!), baba ghanouj, hummus, tabbouleh salad, and pita. The hummus and baba ghanouj were drizzled with olive oil, the tabbouleh was refreshing and light, and the falafel crispy outside and moist within. Delicious. Tom had lamb kebob, which was a wonderful lamb & vegetable dish (served off the skewer) in a light fresh veggie-based sauce. We both had Lebanese iced tea, which has spices and pine nuts in it. Yummy! Good service, good prices. July 2004
On second trip here, I had chicken kabab, which are chunks of chicken cooked in spices with peppers and onions. It comes with hummus, small green salad, and pita. A lot of food at not a lot of money. August 2004

Louisiana Pizza Kitchen

I've always liked this place, but prefer the one in the Quarter, and in fact, will not go back to the one on Carrollton. I've had more than one so-so meal there. LPK has my 2nd favorite (real) Caesar salad in the city (after Zea) which I had this time. Tom had rosemary chicken with penne and marinara sauce, which is also a good dish here that I have had fairly recently. The pizza here is fine, but by no means to go out of your way for. There's outdoor dining at the FQ location, overlooking the French Market. I didn't like the Bloody Mary, however - way too much lemon. Good selection of wines by the glass. July 2004

Mandina's

I met a dear friend at Mandina's recently. You have to get there by 11:30 or be prepared to wait! I had Trout Almadine: perfectly cooked fish, fried nice & crisp, with a good gravy; substituted boiled potatoes for French Fries; and a side green salad with a good (not bottled) Italian dressing. $14.95. Not cheap for lunch, but a lot of food. Good, kind service, as always. My friend had the Trout Meuniere, which looked exactly the same as mine - sans almonds, of course. She's a dessert gal and made me (;-)) have a bite of her Milky Way pie. No, not chopped up pieces of Milky Way thrown onto a pie, but a chocolate, nougat, caramel concoction which tasted just like a Milky Way. Yummy! By the time we left at 1:00, the line was out the door. December 2004

Mena's Palace

This little hole in the wall on Chartres Street is well-known for their breakfasts, which I can't vouch for. We came here just before a movie at Canal Place and were in a bit of a hurry. Mostly all of the patrons were ordering breakfast, which they stop serving at noon. I had an OK roast beef po'boy and Tom had a meatball parm. Would I send someone out of their way to go here? No. But we'd go back if we were looking for something cheap (very cheap) and fast at that end of the Quarter. Hey, it's better than Johnny's. August 2004

Marigny Brasserie

I had a wonderful lobster and scallop dish here and some foie gras to start. The food was good, but the service was painfully slow the night we were there - and believe me, I appreciate lingering over a meal. April 2004
Tom and I went back for Sunday brunch and had a great meal - and great service. We shared the foie gras du jour to start, which was set atop a boudin cake. Sound awful? It wasn't! It really worked well and the flavors complimented each other. I had some poached eggs with duck and sweet potato hash, which were just wonderful. Tom liked his waffle with berry compote. May 2004

Marisol

We went to Marisol twice during the month of September. The first time was with friends for their Friday night tapas happy hour. We had lots of different tapas and it may be too hard to choose a favorite, but I loved the shrimp in garlic sauce and the mussels with chorizo. The smoked fish was also delicious as was the beef and the sausage-potato tapas. So many delicious sauces to sop up with those warm, yummy rolls. It was fun having all those little tastes.

The second time we went, we ordered from the regular menu and sat out in the lovely courtyard by the fountain - nice night. We started with some amuse bouches, compliments of the house: paella served in mussel shells - yummy! You could taste the saffron. I had the foie gras. I've had it here before. I love the way Chef Pete does it - I've never seen this anywhere else. Cooked in a bottle and served with cracked black pepper, fleur du sel and grilled toast points. Nice presentation as the server removes the foie from the bottle. It makes its own wonderful sauce, of which I had to stop myself from sopping up every bit. Tom had the charcuterie du jour which was a terrine of pork, duck and pistachios - served with chutney. That was good, too. Tom also enjoyed a tender pork shoulder served with aligot (a potato and gruyere dish from Auvergne, France), onions and olives in a wonderful sauce. I had Hawaiian Hebi - a mild fish that reminded me of tuna. It was delicious! Served like tuna - not cooked through - which is how I like it. It was served very simply with some chanterelles and a nice, light, sauce - can't remember how the sauce was made (I need to take notes, I think). We found a wine on the menu that we had for the first time at the Vega Tapas Cafe and loved: Domaine du Vipur Minervois. This one was a 1998 and it was excellent. No room for dessert. I finally got to meet Chef Pete, and Janis was a gracious hostess, as always. September 2004

Maximo's

This was our second choice after the St. Joseph's Day Festival in the Quarter. There was more than a two-hour wait at Irene's - I think not! We shared the clams Arrabiata to start, which was a special. These were simply wonderful - baby clams in a spicy tomato sauce - a sop-it-up-with-bread kind of sauce - just delicious. Tom had a veal t-bone for his main course which was very good; I had the special fish which was grilled red snapper. It was fine, but way overpriced. For $26, I got about four ounces of fish, nicely cooked, and a side of pasta and broccoli that came with every other entree, so they were nothing special. We had a good Sardinian wine with the meal. We won't rush back here for dinner, but I can see us sitting at the bar with a glass of chianti and those clams again. Yum! Good service. March 2004

Mona's

We had lunch outside on the terrace on a nice, non-humid day in September at this Middle Eastern restaurant on Banks Street. I had a mixed vegetarian plate of hummus, babaghanouj, falafel and tabouleh (loved the babaghanouj here). Tom had a gyro plate - lamb with a side of hummus and salad, and plenty of warm pita for both of us. The Lebanese tea is sweetened here (yuck. They will make it for you unsweetened at Lebanon's Cafe, by the way, but not here) so we had mint tea - very tasty. September 2004

Mothers

This is a little hole in the wall place, open forever, with down-home cooking. People rave about it; I didn't get it. I mean, I had a really good roast beef, debris and ham po'boy, but I wouldn't make a point of going back unless I was in the neighborhood and it was convenient. You order up front, they call your name when it's ready, and you find a table. There are always long lines here. June 2004

New Orleans Hamburger and Seafood Company

It's a chain, but we've had several good lunches here. My favorite dish is the blackened redfish salad. Good, spicy fish, lots of greens, vegetables and an interesting lime vinaigrette. Tom has had a very good catfish pecan here. Reasonable prices, order up front and your food is brought to you, no ambiance. May 2004, August 2004

The New Orleans Grapevine

I've been to this small wine bar across from the Bourbon Orleans several times, the most recently when my girlfriends were in town. They have a couple different flights of wine and the servers are very knowledgeable. We had a few appetizers - scallops wrapped in prosciutto nearly brought tears to our eyes, they were so good. The mussels in red wine sauce were very good as well. April 2004

Pampy's

Creole cuisine in the middle of New Orleans' seventh ward. We went here early with a large party and most of us had the "Early Bird Special." For $13.95, you get an appetizer, entree, dessert and iced tea or coffee; a really good deal. I started with a shrimp and corn bisque which was done with a ridiculous amount of cream. It was much too thick - lots of crab, though, and tasty enough, but I have had much better. My entree was pork in mustard sauce - very dry pork, but the potatoes and veggies it came with were very good. Tom chose a much better entree: pecan encrusted tilapia topped with crabmeat - delicious. We all had bread pudding for dessert, which was excellent - made with cinnamon bread, we thought. It wasn't a great meal, but at those prices, it would be worth going back to try something else. The regular menu looked good, too, and I would like to give that a shot. Lots of wines by the glass here, very good service for our party of eleven, and really pretty, cozy, nice space. There seemed to be lots of regulars here. July 2004

Pelican Club

Tom and I had our Reveillon 2004 dinner here. There were definitely high points on the food, but the service was just off. I thought Pelican Club was a high-end type of place, but it sure didn't feel like it. The soups we started with were delicious. I had cream of oyster, mirilton and tasso soup. Just the right consistency and three perfectly fried oysters floating in it. Tom had turtle and alligator soup which was also very good. Appetizers were lobster and crab seviche with jicama in a spicy sauce (very good, served "up" in a blue martini glass) and crabcakes, which were just so-so. Tom's crabcakes came with potato salad, which I thought the chef might do something creative with. Uh uh. Just regular ol' potato salad - maybe right from the local grocery store deli. Tom's entree was better than mine: a duck trio: confit, breast, and bbq - served with coconut Thai rice. The confit was my favorite but the bbq was pretty good, too. When I see rabbit on a menu, I jump on it. This was to be paneed and done with a Marsala sauce. Well, the first few pieces I tasted were delicious - so juicy and flavorful. But that was it. The rest was a big FLAP O' SKIN - no meat. Ewwwww! Now, I know rabbits (and goose and duck) have lots of skin, but this was ridiculous. I tackled the other things on my plate: cornbread stuffing with dried cherries (yum), wild mushrooms (yum) and haricots verts (yum). I didn't send it back because frankly, I didn't want another one. But I did complain to the waiter - probably fell on deaf ears. For desserts, we had a creme brulee, which passed the spoon-tapping test, and was very good; and a white chocolate bread pudding, which looked like a cake, but was bready with just a hint of white chocolate. Good. All this for the price of the entree, in this case, about $38. Lagniappe was a glass of eggnog at the end of the meal. We had a bottle of Chateau de Launay Bordeaux.

Bear with me, now comes the service. I know people make mistakes, but I expected the service to be more polished, to get that "queen" treatment here. Tom got a forkful of potato salad dropped on him, they mixed up our orders twice, we were served soup with no spoons, desserts with no utensils, and they forgot the lagniappe eggnog which is on the menu. There were other things, but they're too nitpicky to mention. Mind you, there were only about 10 tables full (a couple were 4-tops) and I counted SIX servers. What's up with that? We also heard a couple of them grumbling under their breath, and they didn't seem to talk to each other. No teamwork. It really felt like an unhappy group with low to no morale. As I said to Tom, it had the aura of a restaurant that is about to close. Things just weren't flowing. So many great choices in New Orleans - we wouldn't bother with this one again. December 2004

Ralph's on the Park

We had Easter brunch here, Ralph Brennan's newest restaurant in New Orleans, overlooking City Park. We were seated upstairs, and like so many places in New Orleans, upstairs is Siberia and downstairs is the happenin' place. No matter, it was quiet upstairs and the space was very pretty. We really liked our server - I wish I could remember his name. He was professional, knowledgeable, friendly but not overbearing. Tom started with an oyster dish and I had some spicy shrimp. For entrees, I had lobster ravioli (which I had at Mr. B's years ago and have been dreaming about ever since!) and Tom had drum with bearnaise sauce. Both dishes were wonderful. For dessert, the Ponchatoula strawberry shortcake was delicious. I made a faux pas while giving Tom a ravioli to taste; I used my teaspoon to give him some of the wonderful lobster sauce. The server swooped down upon me, took the spoon, replaced it immediately with a tablespoon, and said, "Perhaps you'd like a larger spoon for that, m'aam?" Oops! It was done without an ounce of pretention, though. Besides, with a sauce that good, shouldn't my place have been set with a sauce spoon? Anyway, it was truly a perfect meal in a restaurant worthy of the Brennan name - classy all the way, with the maitre d' addressing us by name as we left. We'll be back. April 2004

Red Maple

If you ever find yourself on the West Bank, particularly in Gretna, do go to the Red Maple. It's located in a lovely old home with a fish pond and little bridge leading up to the entrance. The interior is just as pleasant - and very cozy. We went there with friends of ours who are regulars who recommend the gumbo and several of the fish dishes. The night we went, I had a special of grilled tuna with coconut/lime sauce, topped with crabmeat. The tuna was a bit overdone for me, but the sauce was so delicious, it frankly didn't matter so much! The tuna was served with brabant potatoes (kind of like home fries, only bigger chunks) and a salad to start, with a good house dressing: Creole French. Tom had a fabulous seafood pasta dish: oysters, shrimp et al in a very fresh tomato sauce. The service was very good and there's a nice selection of wines by the glass. August 2004

Sandro's Trattoria

In the TJ Maxx plaza on Veteran's. This was our second time here. The first time, we had mussels and grilled veggies, which were both good. Today, we both had padella (an Italian pasta pie, essentially, bound together with eggs & cheese). Tom had his with Italian sausage, I had mine with grilled chicken. The padella was sauced with salsa rossa, pink sauce - but this only had a touch of cream which I like. I've had pink sauces with way too much cream - they get gloppy. The Italian sausage was just OK; I like lots of fennel in mine. The chicken, believe it or not, was good! Good grill marks, nice charcoal flavor, juicy and REAL. Good meal & reasonable; $4 glasses of wine. The space is cute, simple, & cafe-like. They also have appetizers, salads, panini, pasta and other entrees on the menu. I liked the waitress - we had her both times. Friendly, but with just enough of an edge (she's from Chicago) so as not to be annoying! With a couple 15 bottles of wine, we will likely go back for dinner sometime.June 2004

Sun Ray Grill

by Tom

On Sugar Bowl afternoon, Paula and I trekked into Metairie for a little lunch. We wound up at the Sun Ray on Pink Street. We were simply looking for a place that was new to us, and the first couple of choices weren't serving. We nearly passed by this one, too, because it really looked deserted. We went on in and were shown a seat a the dining room with only one other table, out of a dozen or so, occupied. The tables were the old square steel-banded dinette set style, the tops of which had been "artistically" painted. There was also art on the walls in the fashion of places with works for sale, but with no placards or prices. The chairs were also from the '50s or '60s, with dark green upholstery and casters. The decor was just old, not nostalgic, and there was an odor of age and dust (although not filth, as we have sometimes experienced elsewhere) permeating the air.

Oh yes, the food! My burger came with bacon and cheese, and it was very good, but nothing special. The side of slaw was excellent. Paula's pecan-encrusted chicken salad was delicious. She, as usual, requested the honey-mustard dressing on the side, and the salad as tossed was good enough not to need the dressing. I tried it on my slaw (which was fairly dry--as I prefer it), and it was quite good. We had a country French red wine, La Vielle Ferme, that was a real bargain at $4.50 a glass. The service, by a teenage young lady new to the area, was very good.

Perhaps the most interesting part of the meal was that, on our way out, we overheard a Tiger fan on his cell phone leaving a voice-mail message to his 7 year old son's teacher: "We're down in New Orleans, and we're going to the Sugar Bowl, so Johnnie won't be in school tomorrow." A total bill of under thirty bucks was very reasonable for a very good lunch, but I'm afraid the ambience was low enough that we won't likely be back. January 2004

We recently went to the new Sun Ray Grill which is in the American Can Building. We sat outside on a little patio in the front of the building, which is covered. Tom had a chicken burrito and I had a chicken and spinach quesedilla with peppers, which came with an excellent roasted red pepper sauce. Good lunch. This is one of those menus that has something for everyone. August 2004, September 2004

Sushi Cafe

We had lunch at this former home on Esplanade Avenue (right next door to Cafe Degas) in September. I had a few pieces of sushi a la carte, which were pretty good. Tom got a sushi and sashimi lunch combination that was HUGE. Very reasonable prices here, nice service, and a typical hole-in-the-wall-sushi-place kind of ambiance. September 2004

Tommy's Cuisine

This was our first time at Tommy's, which for those of you who don't know, was started by a chef who worked at Irene's. The menu is exactly the same, save for a few specials. I started with a smoked duck salad with baby spinach, mushrooms, grapes and bacon. The duck was declicious - almost tasted like a prosciutto. I also had drum which was sauteed with artichokes and tomatoes and topped with jumbo lump crabmeat in a light red pepper sauce; served with a side of sauteed spinach. Tom started with the escargots, which are stuffed in mushrooms and then prepared a la Bourguignonne - a wonderful dish. The osso buco was a special and it was delicious; served with a nicely done risotto. We went with some friends and everyone was pretty pleased with their meals. I really like the space here, too: dimly lit, high ceilings, very romantic.November 2004

Two Tony's

We've eaten at this little Italian place in Bucktown several times for lunch. Lots of regulars here. Favorite dishes are lasagna and other pasta dishes - they have a good marinara sauce here and good meatballs. Skip the Italian sausage - I found it bland. There's always good-looking (or sounding!) specials here and we plan to come back for dinner sometime. The prices are very reasonable. April 2004

Vega Tapas Cafe

This tapas restaurant in Old Metairie sponsored “Tours of the Mediterranean” during the summer featuring specialties from a Mediterranean country each week. We went to the France week (quelle surprise). It was advertised as 5 courses for $25; add wine pairings for $15. We actually got six courses – all very small, tapas style – and three glasses of wine. It was delicious! Here’s what we ate: Pissaladière with chicken liver mousse and greens; Salad with duck confit, dried cherries, and chevre; Sea bass en papillote with potatoes, artichokes, brussel spouts, herbes de Provence in a beurre blanc sauce; Coquilles St. Jacques – scallops seared and served with white beans and smoked bacon in a lemon Dijon sauce; Steak Frites – with a demi-glace, served with French fries; Crepes with chevre, apples, pears in a caramel brandy sauce. The dishes got better as we went along and all in all, it was a wonderful meal, and a great deal. My only complaint was that the wine pairings were brought out at the same time at the beginning of the meal with no explanation whatsoever! I like to know why the chef/wine person chose a particular wine for a particular dish. But no matter, we experimented with all three throughout dinner. The wines were a Muscadet, a really good Minervois (Domaine du Vipur 2002, which I am going to look for now) and a Cotes de Catalenes 1998. The regular tapas menu looks great, the space is nice with lots of interesting artwork for sale on the wall, and the service was very good. August 2004

Zea

Yes, that's right, we were at Bed, Bath & Beyond for the umpteenth time. Ugh! Anyway, our reward was lunch at Zea. This was the first time we ate there. I had a Ceasar salad with grilled chicken, and you know, I think the dressing was real! How exciting. At least it tasted real - and good - to me, and I guess that's all that matters. It had the right color, too. And the chicken was real - and actually grilled - go figure! Tom had the Rotisserie salad, which had pork, bacon & cheese. It wasn't the healthiest of lunches, but it was very good. The Belgian ale, which is their seasonal brew, was just wonderful. It had quite a bite, verified by the bartender, who said it was stronger than most. He was right. I was quite happy after a pint. ;-> January 2004
On subsequent trips, Tom has had the ribs - dry rub and very good - what a treat; and the lamb special, which was also tasty. I have had the Asian tuna salad; a nice portion of fish, but quite pricy for a salad. They have a good selection of wines by the glass. May 2004, June 2004.
On a July outing here, I had the bronzed trout with roasted corn grits (these were phenomenal) and collard greens. It was a great dish, and Tom and I decided Zea has one of the best deals in towns: lunch specials every day with two sides, all or most under $10. July 2004
I am working my way through the salads at Zea (hard to do since the Caesar is my favorite so I want to keep ordering it when I'm there) and had the grilled chicken pepper jelly salad this time. It was delicious; grilled chicken, rosemary potatoes, olives, sun-dried tomatoes and raisins. The sweet & salty combination was perfect. This is not, I repeat, NOT a healthy salad! September 2004

Zeke's

This is a casual seafood eatery in a strip mall in Old Metairie. Favorite dishes: oysters, both on the half-shell and charbroiled; fried calamari. I've been told by a highly reliable gumbo connoisseur that the gumbo here is one of the best in the city. I have yet to try it, but will wait for a (cold) winter day, sometime during those two weeks coming up. September 2004