montuori's Profile
Need a Dinner Rec Near Snug Harbor
The Marigny Brasserie isn't particularly notable (someone here once referred to it as "Sysco Catering" which sounds about on target). Adolfo's is pretty good though--their rack of lamb, a special, is very good indeed. (Adolfo's is cash only.)
Where Should We Avoid?
It's a safe enough walk; however, (a) don't be showing off your new phone, (b) keep a tight grip on your bag, and (c) if you look even a little unsteady on your feet take a cab. In other words, don't be an easy target.
That said, United is cheap and comes almost immediately; any maitre d' will call one for you.
Bland Oysters... What's up?
Easy. Northeastern oysters taste like something; gulf oysters should be fried or topped with stuff or avoided, the taste down here comes from the additions not the oysters (which border on the inedible in the best of times especially if you're accustomed to cold water bivalves). Opt for the crawfish.
That said, purists will tell you there are four days in January where the oysters are first rate. They're correct but which four days are hard to predict.
Another "Please Critique My Weekend Itinerary" Thread
I wouldn't count on La Petite Grocery coming through. They mean well but fall short.
Casual dinner for 12 near CBC, FQ during Jazzfest
I echo uptownlibrarian's sentiment ... what you're asking seems none too easy. That said, I'd give Capdeville a call and see if they can help you out. It's a little off the beaten path (well ... for the CBD) and might not be all booked up yet. I don't hear much about them on CH or elsewhere but like their food quite a bit.
Though it's a cab ride (I wouldn't count on being able to squeeze onto a streetcar) someone mentioned having a good large group experience at The Uptowner/Gabrielle's recently. They seem setup for it anyway. Also a cab ride is Elizabeth's out in the Bywater ... I've had excellent success with large (20+) impromptu groups there but not during JF.
And as I write all that I'm thinking to myself that Tracey's or Negril is probably going to be a great choice. Note also that Maison (on Frenchmen) serves passable food and might take reservations for a group that size (they have a table in the window that would seat 12). It's not a destination place but it's good enough and the entertainment is usually very good.
Romantic, Fine & Fairly Intimate Dinner
Hey there, I didn't meant to dump on the place too much. Stella was a solid B+ experience for both food and service. In terms of New Orleans service (which I find inconsistent) it was above the odds but not the level of hospitality I've come to expect at similar price points in Boston or New York.
What stuck with me from my last visit was the waiter dropping the check alongside our desserts ... that's just never acceptable. It had been a tough night for the restaurant, they lost their water half way through dinner service (but before we arrived). While I can sympathize at the difficulty, a top-tier restaurant would have either put on a happy face and not passed their woes along to their guests or would have suggested we dine elsewhere that evening and secured us alternate reservations. That, for me, is the difference between the B+ and an A.
Foodwise every dish individually has been well executed. It lacked a "wow factor" but that's okay, most food does. My recommendation would be to opt for a la carte rather than the tasting.
All that said, I don't doubt for a second you and others have had fine experiences there. If the prices were about 15% less, I'd probably rave about the place. As it stands, they've set themselves up as a first-tier restaurant but (at a national level) fall short--in my opinion.
(Or maybe I just need a 15% raise!)
Romantic, Fine & Fairly Intimate Dinner
I chuckle because for me (and obviously not everyone) having only a few tables makes it *less* intimate, since conversations don't get lost in the noise. I find that Bayona hits the sweet spot for romantic but while the food's always excellent, the service can be hit or miss.
For what it's worth, when I've dined at Stella I've found that the service to be lacking in a specific way: you're supposed to feel honored to be there and eating their food. It's fine, as far as it goes, but the food's not *that* good[*] and it makes for an evening of living up to the restaurant's expectations of you rather than the other way around. In short, they're not particularly hospitable.
[*] Compared to similar fine dining I find that the food's lacks a sense of narrative, their tasting menu fails to tell a story ... compared with, say Emeril's (say what you will, they're very good at a tasting menu) or Menton (Boston), which are about the same price point, Stella's tasting feels like a collection of dishes rather than a coherent meal. Maybe I'm too picky but when they drop a $700 tab (for two), I feel entitled to nitpick.
New Orleans restaurant for group of 10 during Jazz Fest!
Both good choices. Since you have wheels, keep the possibility of Maurapas Foods (on Burgundy in the Bywater) and Bacchanal (the corner of Poland & Charters) in mind.
Maurapas gets busy but might be able to take a reservation still. Their dishes ring in at a reasonable price (I think everything's less than $15) and the food is very good. I had a flounder special (pan fried with grilled head on shrimp on top over braised greens with a scallop broth) there this week that was as good as you'd get anywhere. They also have a reasonable selection of veg options and a fine bar program (including some fancy non-alcoholic bevvies).
Bacchanal is a wine shop/bar that serves pretty high quality food on paper plates in their courtyard. (The disposable servingware doesn't do it for me but the food's good and they serve their wine in real stemware, so that's okay.) They finally got their music license, so will no doubt have entertainment. Really a low-key place that does a great job at what they do. I could see a group of students digging this place. (One of the big differences between eating outside in NOLA vs. MA is that the temps don't plummet once the sun goes down. Eating outside up north becomes a test of having the right clothing, that's not true here and should be taken advantage of!)
Looking for the Soul of New Orleans
Hell and damnation. The T-P outed Cajun Seafood just today: http://www.nola.com/dining-guide/index.ssf/2012/04/cajun_seafoods_success_testame.html ... apparently Anderson was following Jeffsayyes around.
my "slightly off the beaten path" meal report
Good call on the Joint. It routinely gets snubbed on CH and I'm not sure why, their BBQ is first rate. Though as you found out, their sides--except for the beans--are second fiddle. It's one of the few places that not only survived a move but improved in the process.
Regarding mac & cheese: the best I've had in the city is at (unlikely as this sounds) the Ugly Dog Saloon, across the street from Cochon. I think the absolute lack of pretension helps them a lot ... the lobster, truffle oil, secret eight cheese blend, &c. are all gloriously absent. (Oh c'mon, don't look at me like that. You can only sit at the Cochon bar so many times without being a little curious about the Ugly Dog.)
Glad you enjoyed your trip!
New Orleans on a Budget
The Moon Wok isn't bad but it's not really a Chinese place as their sign says, it's Vietnamese (though, admittedly, with a few Chinese dishes). I prefer the little place in the back of the Lost Love Lounge, partially because it's without stumbling distance but also because the LLL runs pretty good drink specials ($3 Covington brews last week). I suspect the LLL might be 21+ only, if that's an issue.
Up the street from there on Burgundy there's a new place, Suis Generis, that has a reasonable menu that's mostly under $20 but on Thursdays has taco night for cheaper money. I've eaten there a couple of times now (though not for the tacos yet) and recommend it both on the strength of the food but also the absurdly cheap bottles of wine (the bottles start at $12!) and cool atmosphere. They have the best cheap solution to sound dampening I've seen (hint: look up). And although not necessarily relevant: a damn fine bloody mary.
Soulcat's recommendation for Verti Marte is a good one, but note that wait times around lunch can be long (like 90 minutes long the last time I ordered ... call ahead). As noted, one sandwich for two people is a reasonable amount of food.
I agree with teachergirl, below ... a $20 lunch for two is close to $60 by the time you're done with tax and tip (and that's if you don't drink anything). I think a meal always tastes better when you're not worried about the cost; I remember the days of being awfully worried.
Saturday Morning Bachelor Party Brunch
Elizabeth's comes immediately to mind. Cheap, fun, no pretense, pretty good grub.
Looking for great steaks!
Mr. John's really lives up to the hype. Thanks all for the recs ... I had it in my head that the place was tourist-centric ... it might be--a little--but the steaks really are damn good.
Our trip to NOLA with kids
Ah, I've bought groceries there. Specifically, Luxardo cherries a bunch of years back when they were more difficult to come by in other stores. (They make for a fine Manhattan garnish.)
Thanks for your review. I have friends with kids who visit and really have no idea of where to send them (and what they should expect). It's always nice to get the post-visit report.
Free Food at Music Shows
RB&R is served at the Candlelight Lounge on Wednesdays (when the Treme Brass Band plays).
any new veggie treats?
The Wandering Buddha (in the Hi-Ho Lounge on St. Claude) serves vegan Korean food. I have little basis of comparison and really have no idea if it's *good* vegan Korean food or not but the scallion pancakes are pretty excellent. Also on St. Claude in the Healing Center is Fatoush, a Turkish (I believe, my apologies if it's actually Greek) place with a bevy of veg options (though not exclusively vegetarian). The service is ... young ... but the food is surprisingly good.
Nawlins Trip Advice
Yes, recently. So far as I've heard he's not bartending anywhere else at the moment. Fabulous bartender (and a great guy), I hope he lands somewhere soon.
Nawlins Trip Advice
Tonique is a good choice. Cure isn't faux anything and a great choice but admittedly harder to get to for most. I understand that Paul has left Tujague's and Chris has left UnCommon ... I don't fully know the details of their respective departures but certainly there's nothing left at UnCommon to warrant a visit. Tujague's ... maybe.
On the other hand, Victory on Baronne is worth the visit. Bellocq ... eh? Okay but not first rank. Stick to the cheaper libations and perhaps appreciate the atmosphere.
French 75 ... lovely. Well mixed drinks and worthy nosh. The Carousel Bar has jacked their prices on "martinis" (most aren't) though their Sazaracs are still fine.
New Orleans on a Budget
I made the mistake of going to Mena's exactly once and would never, ever go back. I assumed I had an unusual experience. Pretty much anywhere beats it.
New Orleans on a Budget
I don't think Buffa's has tamales on the menu since it changed hands earlier in the year. Still not a bad choice for other grub (but the menu has expanded and the prices have been bumped up a little). It's worth noting that the back room at Buffa's has music Th-Sun (and open night mic on Wed but then you often have to put music in quotes...) and doesn't require 21+.
40th Birthday week in NOLA--Frequent visitor looking for a great mix of old and new
uptownlibrarian's suggestion of calling first is a good idea. That said, I have seen children (they're those little people who don't drink much, right?) in Bacchanal's courtyard so if you're interested I wouldn't rule it out without checking. (Bacchanal, the place who thumbed their nose at all sorts of licensing, doesn't seem like a place that plays by any sort of strict rules.) For what it's worth, I like the place and they're super friendly.
ROOT
Man. I so wanted to like this place and managed to get turned off before even being seated. We wandered by a couple Saturdays ago and saw the bar was three quarters empty so we wandered in. Standing at the empty (!) podium we had a waiter make eye contact and promptly scurry back to the kitchen but waited the two minutes for the hostess to finish the conversation she was having with her coworker and wander back. But that was just to tell us that we couldn't eat at the mostly empty bar. In fairness to her ineptitude, she offered to make recommendations for other places in the neighborhood; I took that as a sign to run far, far away and not look back.
Now it's tough. I'd actually like to try the place but with FOH service like that, I think I'll be sticking to places who understand the rudiments of hospitality. And I much prefer eating at the bar, something I guess can't be done.
On the flip side, we ended up at Butcher and learning that they have the best friggin' chocolate cake anywhere ... somehow it's both light and super chocolaty both. They seemed to appreciate my patronage.
[EDIT: goodness, we did a lot of wandering here ... sorry for the terrible narrative!]
Nawlins Trip Advice
My (limited) understanding of recent open container law changes is that drivers should not have access to booze while they're driving or they can be ticketed. Drive up daiquiri shops should put a plastic film over the top of the container (similar to how bubble tea is often packaged) to ensure drivers can't get at the sickly sweet "goodness" within. Experience has shown that this law is ignored by citizens and police alike (though not by me, I ride a motorcycle and these roads are brutal).
Also, your presumed typo "[Gin]" was awfully apropos ... good one.
New (or new to me) Bywater/Marigny Destinations
We've had the opportunity to try out a few new places in the
'hood recently and I'll be damned if the Bywater isn't on track
to be an actual dining destination (though in many ways this'll
make me sad).
First up is Suis Generis (http://www.suisgeneris.com/) in the
3200 block of Burgundy (next to Bud Rips). Had a great meal
there: asian inspired chicken wings and slaw, a corn & seafood
chower that had just enough kick to it to interesting (I'm
originally from Boston and have strong feelings about anything
named "Chowder"), a crusted flounder that was perfectly cooked
and served on top of a citrus scented rice, an amazing T-bone of
lamb on mashed sweet potatoes, and a damn fine flan (that was
amazingly lactic and just bitter enough from the caramel). That
plus a bottle of wine rang in at $75 or so. The menu is small (4
apps, 4 mains, 4 desserts) but interesting. Wine (a nice list
... I don't think there was a bot over $40 and most were $15 -
$30), beer, and some cocktails. It's a great space, a lot of
thought was put into the decor and it shows. The waitstaff were
on top of their game, friendly without being familiar. Cash
only, ATM in the back.
Across the street (see what I mean about becoming a destination?) is
Maurepas Foods (http://maurepasfoods.com/). We stopped in on a Friday
around 5 and the place was already hopping. We sat ourselves at the
bar and had a few classics (last words, avaitions, old fashioneds)
that were correctly made (especially the avaition which tend to skew
towards sweet or violet in the wrong hands). Ordered up two rounds of
small plates: some carrots (when writing this I realize "carrots"
doesn't sound very interesting ... rest assured, they were excellent),
the goat tacos--also very good, the mussels prepared with a beer &
stilton broth (unusual and delicious), and the kohlrabi--another
sleeper that the bartender steered us towards. None of the dishes
were more than $11. The bar staff were fabulous, firing the second
round of food when they knew we were ready; when places get busy, this
is one of the niceties that gets dropped, we were happy it wasn't.
The Joint's new location is pretty fabulous. They've kept a good deal
of decor from the original Poland Ave. location but added a bar (and
bartender). The food is exactly the same (which is to say first rate
BBQ) still served in baskets with sauce on the side. I know that BBQ
in NOLA gets the bird from lots of folks, I think in the Joint's case
that's undeserved.
We tried Melange (Chartres St. just off of Frenchmen;
http://www.melangenola.com/) and were decidedly "eh" about it. It was
awfully slow at 9 on a Wednesday and perhaps the lack of patrons in
such a big space was off putting. We were drinking Manhattans: the
barkeep remembered the bitters (yay!) but was out of house cured
cherries and didn't bother to offer a twist. That's a small niggle
but apparently they're priding themselves on their cocktail program.
The food was decidedly average: we had a special pork tenderloin with
an andouille glaze and mashed spuds--flavorful but not particularly
exciting and maybe riding a little too much on the heat of the sausage
to be considered really great, basically something I'd whip up at home
on a weeknight--and a smoked duck quesadilla which tasted great but
was overcooked (dare I say burnt?). All in all, not a terrible option
but not a first rate place in my opinion. (They do very well on Yelp
so maybe I hit them on an off night or something, though that's not a
great excuse.)
Last is Mojitos (http://www.mojitosnola.com/) in that weird triangle
between Esplanade and Frenchmen. We went here on a lark figuring
that, hey, it's right there, let's try. Gosh ... we should have gone
sooner. The small plate food was great, run by the chef himself, and
the drinks competently made if not crazy outstanding. (They also had
the Andygator on tap which is a win in my book.) The music scene was
a-ok, the Smoking Time Jazz Club played the earlier set and a small
brass band I didn't recognize played the later set. Big props for the
courtyard which did in fact summon up a Havana feel. I liked the
place more than the Three Muses (a place I find confusing: is it a
bar? a restaurant? do I order from the waitress if I'm just having a
drink?).
Anyway, exciting times round these parts.
NYC Foodie First Time (Birthday) Trip to New Orleans April 11-16
The Joint's really pretty good. Their recent move into new digs is a big win--the food's the same and they've added a bar. A good choice if you're headed out to Vaughn's.
What do you think of Mojitos Grill and Bar?
"Better than good" is a pretty apt description. I've shied away from this place thinking it would be all salsa music and touristy food (based on location and the terrible name). That was a mistake. We had some very nice tapas style food here last night (crawfish fritters, a squid ink risotto, a short rib and grits, and a stuffed pepper) and it was all well prepared and tasty. The outside bar is close enough to hear the music playing inside but distant enough to allow for a conversation. Anyhow, it'll end up on my list of recommended places near Frenchmen St.
Etouffee with dirty rice ? [Moved from New Orleans]
The Bywater Restaurant & BBQ (http://bywaterrestaurant.com/) has it on their menu. I haven't had it (nor am particularly tempted by it) but apparently it exists.
Starving Student Couple Needs Advice on One Fancy Meal
This is an excellent suggestion. The service at Irene's is hard to beat.
(I think there are two types of acceptable hospitality: the kind where you feel the restaurant staff are gracious and the rare kind where the restaurant staff make *you* feel gracious. Irene's, for whatever reason--as mentioned, they're certainly not stuffy--fits squarely into that latter camp for me.)
am I missing something or should I switch it up? 4 days over St. Patty's day weekend
You ask "am I getting a good mix?" I personally think the answer to that question is "no." You've picked out fine places that are absolutely CH approved but there's little excitement and nothing new here. At the risk of drawing ire from folks for whom this is a perfect dining itinerary, I'd suggest trying something you haven't heard a whole lot about. Eat, Iris, Root, Ignatius, Maurepas ... foodwise there's a lot going on around here beyond CP, Gal's, and the Besh chain. Just a though.
