collardman's Profile
URGENT REQUEST: Sunday Dinner in or around Lafayette??
I can't tell you much about Sunday choices. However, Prejean's looks like a tourist place but during the week it is packed at lunch with local business people. Part of that may be it's location as a good place to meet that is better than the fast food houses
Breakfast/Brunch in/near French Quarter
Cafe Atchafalaya weekend brunch (and Bloody Mary Bar).
Cafe Reconcile for weekday lunch, or Mandinas. Both reasonable cost and local cooking.
Court of Two Sisters is good if your main interest is eating boiled shrimp. Most thing there are Ok but mundane and you can do better for the money.
San Francisco Hound Coming to New Orleans: Please Critique My List for My First Visit!!!
If you removed every tour bit you might fit in every restaurant stop! The WWII museum is a minimum of 4 hours. You can easlly spend 8 hours there. Standing in line then watching the movie (great!) will alone take up an hour.
While you can do sandwich lunches pretty quickly realize that most of your sit down meals can (and should) take 2-3 hours.
I think you should pare down your list and save something for your next visit! I've got to take a nap just from reading it. :-)
Mega Visit -- Trip Report In Progress
I just returned from lunch at Napoleon House and I had the same view of the muff, not enough olive salad. It was unbalanced and a bit dry.
Meauxbar is next on my list and expect to go this or next weekend. My business partner lives just up the street from there and he and his wife go frequently and we will be going with them.
Restaurants near Roosevelt Hotel
Good list. This question comes up often so you could also do a search but you will find the above plus a few more, convenient to but not as close to the Roosevelt.
HELP!!!
Good selection for a weekend and all but Commanders and Emeril's are walkable in the Quarter. In the Quarter tho you can substitute Emeril's NOLA for the flagship with NOLA being a tad less expensive and a tad less formal.
Offer Input on my plan for next weekend in New Orleans
Brigsten's has more fans here but either is a good choice. Brigsten's has the edge on service.
I think all will suggest that you skip Mothers. Bon Ton is a good lunch choice in the same area but they are closed on weekends.
Report from "Baby's First Fest"
Nice review, particularly about some places that don't get mentioned much, like Brennans.
Glad you liked MiLa and I thought the little one would get good reviews by most restaurant staff.
Crystal Room @ Le Pavillon Hotel
I've heard similar comments second hand. Those that have been there for a reason say nice things but apparently no one makes it a destination.
Oyster Banh Mi?
gumbolox my thought was the same, go to a Vietnamese place that fries seafood and ask them to do a banh mi around fried oysters.
casual dinner & blues
I'm not crazy about Big Al Carson's singing ability but I'd go for his band and particulalry the guy with the harp...amazing sound. Then there is Walter Wolfman Washington. the B3 can fall under blues at times so there is Joe Krown.
And +1 for Two Sisters. Cafe Reconcile is a bit harder to get to without a cab. And the reasonable cost food in the Frenchman Street area with associated music, tho not necessarily blues.
3 dinners to experience the full spectrum of new orleans
Hazelhurst you are correct that it is quite a challenge. I like Commanders, Brigtsen's and MiLa for a spread of experiences, including food, service and atmosphere. And it can be done at more reasonable cost than throwing in August or Stella. I'm considering ordering as desired not working with lunch or tasting menus.
Report on Our Dining During Jazz Fest Visit
I don't mean to appologize, as I'm no fan of poor service in a good place, but knowing a number of people in the restaurant trenches N.O. has had a very heavy holiday/festival/sporting event run since the first of the year and FOTH and kitchens are running on fumes.
Maybe owners aren't, but staff are looking forward to mid May.
There are very few times that anyone here pans Dante's. Sometimes they suffer in comparison to their neighbor across the street.
asian grocery shopping
There is a Korean market on Transcontinental at Vets, next to a Pho restaurant. I used to buy kimchee there before I started making my own. I haven't checked them for radishes. I've used regular radishes or made kimchee without them.
Then there is the Boss of all Asian grocers, Hong Kong Market on the West Bank. It is a long haul from the N. Shore but worth going to at least once as a destination just to browse and have lunch.
Advise for Crawfish Boil Mar 2012
Per local radio, it was the crawfish farmers who were lobbying Jindal to divert more water through Morganza.
The trip to the lake at the 17th Street Canal, i.e., Bucktown, can be worth it. If you don't like what you see at Deanies, there are other casual places within a block , mainly R&O highly rated for their poor boys. Or you can ease back a way to Harrison Ave. and go to Mondo.
Upcoming trip for non-seafood eater!! Please help
Of course at the Roosevelt you have Dominica and Luke, both good places for big or small eating after a reception. Also, the apps next door at MiLa. Some of the same choices fit the Ritz as you just cross Canal Street a bit. Another good choice is Bombay Club. Good drinks and bar food, possibly suitible after a reception.
Others in the Ritz area are mostly seafood, Acme/Felix and GW Fins, but even they have non seafood dishes. Then a few more blocks toward the river or down river are Green Goddess and Pelican Club, both with good seafood alternatives.
Upcoming trip for non-seafood eater!! Please help
Most of the good N.O. restaurants are not "seafood restaurants". Of course they will have a good choice of app/entrees/salads/soups with good fresh seafood, but they are far from being one note places. And many of the dishes recommended by CH's are because of the good use of seafood.
When I eat out in N.O. I believe I choose very few seafood dishes as I can do most of them just as well at home with ingredients as good and fresh as the restaurants.
Your choice may be more about where your husbands receptions are going to be and what is near them and/or your hotel. While mid may is slowing down a bit and you may be able to do a walk in at some restaurants, it is better to have a reservation. In my experience at conferences a reservation has also been a good excuse to get away from receptions.
Sunday Brunch -- Commander's or Atchafalaya?
That is really a personal call. Two good choices, both with good, but different food. Completely different atmospheres.
CP polished fine dining, can't go wrong. CA good brunch with jazz band, Bloody Mary bar, but more casual and laid back, can't go wrong either!.
It depends on the experience you want to have.
Sweetbreads
At that time there were 6 of us and all we ordered (and reordered) were apps. MilLa's menu is very seasonal so of the following all I remember are the oysters and the sweetbreads
http://marriottmarketing.com/ord/production/MSYBR_MilaNewOrleans/menu_dinner.php
Where Should We Avoid?
Our favorites in the area are Dominica and the Sazerac Bar, MiLa, and Luke. For a little bit further away there are Rio Mar (lunch and dinner), Emeril's, Bon Ton, Grand Isle (lunch) and in the other direction Herbsaint.
Where Should We Avoid?
To go back to part of your original query, we spend an anniversary weekend at the Roosevelt every December and between that and a large trade show that goes on at the same time, spend almost a week eating like a tourist in our home town.
We've never been that concerned about transiting to/from the hotel and the FQ restaurants. But we do stick with Decatur and Bourbon Streets north/south and busier cross streets like St Louis or Conti and do keep some situational awareness returning along Bourbon Street.
Then there are so many good places withing 2-3 blocks of the Roosevelt on the American side. Foot traffic is lighter at night but the street lighting in the CBD/Warehouse district is much more distinct than in the Quarter.
Returning from a week in Baltimore where I was hit on every evening by street people it made me realize how very rare that is when walking the "tourist" streets of N.O.
As has been noted most of the noted restaurants are patronized by locals and by tourists alike and if it is a tourist trap you won't see its name mentioned fondly here.
New Orleans in August (seeking advice)
There was something in the paper about the transit authority phasing in an app that would show you the whereabouts of busses/streetcars, but I don't think that's very active yet.
Here is the link for the St. Charles line outbound. Norta.com will give you other bits of information, including a cheaper pass if you plan on more streetcar/bus riding. Even in the summer it is a decent way to get to many restaurants that are withing a few blocks of a transportation line.
http://www.norta.com/rta_system/SystemMap/IndividualMap/index.html?ID=12#
Sweetbreads
I'm a Bayona fan for the food, although the service has been spotty.
MiLa has had a sweetbread app that one group i was with ended up reordering it instead of dessert.
Bland Oysters... What's up?
I'm guessing it has to be the souce and conditions vary. I've had some "local" oysters this years that were flavorful but not salty. About 2 weeks ago we had oysters at Morton's that were about the best that I've had in LA in years. Almost as good as what we've been getting in Mobile/Panama City/Apalach for a year. But most of the time the Morton's oysters are just OK.
last week we had wonderful oysters at a brew pub in Baltimore (but they were $2.50 each...ouch)
Foodie's first trip to New Orleans and needs advice!!
If you will note from another thread it states Casamentos has already closed for the summer. Maybe someone else can confirm that.
New Orleans in August (seeking advice)
As others have said, it's a good time to hit the restaurants. Many good deals.
Shift your clock a little. Fit your outside time to 6 AM-11 AM and 7 PM on. My favorite time in New Orleans is just before sunrise during the summer.
Offal after Fest
Last minute during Jazz Fest??? If you're talking sausage maybe you can get in at Crescent Pie & Sausage.. i think there are a couple places at Jazz Fest that have chicken gizzards/livers.
Bon Ton Cafe?
Solid upper middle in food and price. I have no qualms in taking guests there when they're looking for a traditional Louisiana touch.
Dinner for 17; guest of honor is kosher
GW Fins menu fits including the general food cost. I don't know the size of their private room. The party size will be the biggest challenge. Last time we were at GW Fins there was a bachelor party of of about 8 in the main dining room having a good time.
Antoine's is the place with the many small rooms and they can satisfy with some good fish dishes but remind them to hold the crabmeat!
San Francisco Hound Coming to New Orleans: Please Critique My List for My First Visit!!!
Hunt, have you tried The Canteen in SFO?
I had an amazing meal there. Small diner with a different menu every day. The evening I went there was only one choice for a four course meal. And for you the wine list is very very short.
