Robert Peyton's Profile
Nola Martini Fans??
Ordering a vodka Martini is like ordering a "Rum & Coke" only with Bourbon.
Best Vietnamese Dishes in NOLA
If you do brave the journey to the best bank, make sure as you return and pay the toll, you stop completely and let the light turn green. I got a ticket last week even though I paid the toll, because, apparently, I drove through immediately.
Anyway, for my taste, Pho Tau Bay is superior Pho, but as a fallback, I really like Pho Bang, on Vets Higway. I like the texture of their fatty brisket, and their broth too.
The lemon grass beef spring rolls at 9 Roses are freaking awesome, I have to say. I could sit at a table there and go through order after order.
Luke or other good place with oysters
My last meal at Jaques-Imo's was pretty good, food-wise, but I'd never recommend a big group go there. You can barely hear the person right next to you, you'd never be able to have a conversation with someone a few seats down.
Lots of restaurants are loud, but Jacques-Imo's is really a step beyond.
I think Luke is an excellent suggestion. I've seen the service drag at lunch, but that's an anomaly, I think.
If, like EC said on Monday, you're just looking for beer and oysters, you'd have a hard time doing better than Grand Isle.
what should i order at nine roses?
I'm partial to the beef spring rolls, and the shrimp on sugar cane is always good. Last time I was there I had the watercress soup, and that was good too. If you want something a little different, there's a soup that includes banana blossoms that's excellent to get and share.
Lilette
The only real knock I've heard about Lilette is that the restaurant's menu hasn't really changed since before Katrina. Not 100% accurate, but there's some justification. The thing is, the menu as it exists is popular for a reason. There's not really a weak link.
I dig the place, personally, but I do wish he'd throw a few curves at some point.
Best Place to Eat Appetizers
Try Lilette. I frequently eat solely off their appetizer menu.
http://www.liletterestaurant.com/
Cuvee is another good choice, though I think you'd do pretty well grazing on salad/apps at just about any fine-dining restaurant in New Orleans.
Need recs for a birthday dinner
I guess I'm the third to say perfect recommendations HC.
I think you could probably get away with jeans and a nice shirt at Cafe Adelaide too, but my last meal there wasn't all that great. That was right after the chef change, so I'd imagine they've gotten back up to speed.
Pupusas and Taco Stands?
La Profecia, on Jefferson Highway near Causeway. It's in a strip-mall not too far from Ochsner Hospital. Very good pupusas.
Herbsaint or Cuvee for Fish?
I'd say you should flip a coin Powderhound, because both Cuvee and Herbsaint are outstanding restaurants, and both do fish very well.
Neither of them are likely to be importing Dover Sole, but then I think that's a plus.
Ugelsich's; reopened?
It's not open. They periodically do a public relations event to sell books.
Oh, and: http://www.chowhound.com/topics/501906
It's, what, half a dozen posts down from this one?
Pho Tau Bay in Metairie...Closed? Also, review of Vietnam Cuisine
You should rethink your fear of angering regular posters. There are a lot of good folks posting on this board, and you've named some of them. But nobody, and I mean nobody with an opinion worth two poops is going to get upset if you disagree with them.
If you post something based on your experience, it's of value here. Not everyone is going to agree, and heck, you might even be wrong, but you should never be afraid of sharing your opinion.
Just my .02.
I mean, unless you disagree with me. Then you're a filthy heretic.
Herbsaint or Cobalt?
If you want to dine out at a popular restaurant during Jazz Fest, at 8:00 p.m. no less, you should expect to wait, and an hour isn't out of line. I'm not saying it's pleasant, only that it's something you should expect at a time of year when we have tens of thousands of tourists in town to enjoy the fest and eat out at our better restaurants.
I'm not sure what you expected them to do, given that it was a packed restaurant, and your wait wasn't unusually long. It's a shame you took your displeasure out on the wait staff by leaving a small tip, but I'm glad you had a better experience at Cafe Atchafalaya.
Fantastic Italian - Leonardo's Trattoria
They're open for lunch now. I was there yesterday, and it looks like I had at least some of the same things you did. The mozzarella "sandwiches" on the appetizer menu were very good, and the caponata - once it warmed up a little from being refrigerated - was nice too. The pizza I had was okay; I probably should have ordered one with sausage. The pasta dish mentioned above was excellent. It's little envelopes of fresh pasta filled with ricotta and a chiffonade of spinach, topped with tomato sauce and parmesan cheese and baked.
I thought the sauce (which also topped the mozzarella in carozzo) was good. It was lighter than I expected. It hadn't had the life cooked out of it.
But what really freaking irks me is that I latched onto this place in part because I keep trying to find new places to write about. And then I get scooped here! I can't win I tell you. I can't win. ;)
Sweetbreads, Best in N.O.? Good butcher shop? Is there any market where you can by them raw?
I know I've seen them for sale frozen; I think it was Langenstein's in Metairie.
Stella! is Stellar & Bayona Sublime + More
Excellent write-up Bill, thanks for putting in the effort.
Jfood at Stella - Not a Good Experience
You would be missing one of the best restaurants in the City if you skip it. I've had a couple of very good meals there in the last few years, and I wish I had the chance to visit more often.
One bad meal, post Jazz-fest at that, does not make a bad restaurant.
La Thai Uptown was great
What was Thai about your meal?
I think the appeal to many people about La Thai is that they do a kind of upscale fusion thing. It was very popular on Metairie Road.
Personally, I'm not a fan of fusion food, and I really wish we had better Thai food in New Orleans. I think Merlin could pull it off too, if he wanted.
NOLA party in Wisc. - One more dish (CH, please leave in NOLA board)
Have you considered souffle potatoes? It's not the easiest thing in the world to pull off, because it requires frying the thinly sliced spuds twice, but it's spectacularly good.
Also, if you're looking for a good New Orleans cookbook, give this a shot: http://www.amazon.com/Picayunes-Creole-Cookbook-Picayune/dp/0486423247/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1205976966&sr=8-1
NOLA resident - where do you eat?
"Do you think since the place was packed and you had a 20 minute wait says something?"
Yes. Inertia is a factor in dining as well as a fundamental principal of physics.
Columbia Cafe - Shreveport
It's outstanding. It's been quite a while since I've visited, but I was very impressed by the food, service and atmosphere when I was there. I had fish, haddock I believe, over a salad of tomatoes and asparagus.
If you're going to Shreveport, and haven't already, check out Chicken Fried Gourmet: http://www.chickenfriedgourmet.typepad.com/
Any word on Sara Roahen, former food critic for Gambit?
Yeah, I don't know where I got that idea, or what the link was supposed to lead to.
I'm going to pick the book up today, for sure. It looks great.
Also, thanks rocuronium, for the link to that interview. I'd missed it.
Chateau du lac?
Spoke to them this evening: they are looking to open next week sometime. They've passed the health inspections, and are waiting for the liquor license.
Has anyone been to Takumi?
I had a poor experience, but I'd love to hear that it was an anomaly. Please let us know how it went?
Breakfast in NOLA
I had lunch for around the fifth time at Luke one day this week, and enjoyed it again. It's directly across St. Charles Avenue from my office building, so it's convenient for me, but I mention it because if you are staying in the CBD or in the Quarter, it will be more convenient for you than a hike out to any of the various outlying neighborhoods.
That said, I can tell you that layne's recommendations are very good, and the Coffee Pot sounds good too.
Source for pork belly?
There's an Asian market on Transcontinental at Veteran's Highway where you can find frozen pork belly, along with a few cuts of Korean-style beef.
You will not find pork belly at Whole Foods, but if you ask, you might find one of the purveyors at the Farmer's Market to save some for you. Hasn't really worked for me, but that's no indication it won't work for you.
Irenes on a Sat. night
Give the maitre'd a $20. You'll be seated. Or at least that was the case many years ago.
Which is why I don't eat there.
Hot New Restaurants
You will be fine. They're both good restaurants, and besides, unless you're considering sitting at home with a cup of hot broth, where are you going to get a good meal that doesn't seem "rich" in comparison to standard fare?
MiLa is very good, although it's new. I think they are still training some of the wait staff, but the food I've had so far (been once for lunch, once for bar food) was really good. There's a dish on the dinner menu that I haven't had yet: Pork Cheeks and Langoustines, that I'm really looking forward to.
question, somewhat trivial
Jimmy: Nothing is coming to mind at the moment, but maybe if you gave us a better sense of the timing? Are we talking the 80's? 90's?
