shanefink's Profile
Dinner for 17; guest of honor is kosher
Try calling the best Israeli chef in the country at Domenica and see what he can do for you. It’s the not mixing meat and dairy thing that’s difficult down here as well as all the seafood broths.
Looking for great steaks!
I guess I’m the only one who was disappointed with La Boca. I thought the skirt steak was terribly fatty. I know it’s a fatty cut, but it was too chewy. it should have been tenderized more. The sauces were fine, but they seemed more like a novelty than anything else.
Best Sushi in New Orleans?
Surprised you didn’t mention Kyoto. The one on Prytania is pretty good, but the one in Harahan is great. It’s basically the same menu, but owned by a Japanese chef that really knows his fish. Their pieces are larger and seem fresher to me. Chiba is very good too. Had the best piece of uni I’ve had in a long time.
Looking for great steaks!
There really isn’t anything wrong with the steaks at Crescent City, but there’s sides are abysmal. They really need to upgrade from the canned products.
Dickie Brennan's Boardroom
Steaks $350, Apps $150, Sides $100, cocktails $250, 4 bottles of wine $250, dessert and port $150, tax $200. You’re pretty close and I think you’d have good food and a fun time. There are better steaks in this town so if you’re going for the food quality alone, I’d choose Mr. John’s Steakhouse.
Tourist/Foodie's weeklong vacation: restaurant reviews
Man, you did some good eatin’.
Summer Visit to New Orleans - Feedback Sought
I think a junior high school girl would get a kick out of Jacques-Imos, but Dante’s would be a good choice too.
Closest alternative to Commander's Palace Brunch
Brennan’s is probably closest to Commander’s except that I find it to be so overpriced and the service isn’t nearly as good. If you have the money to burn, I guess it would suit your needs though.
Solo Lunch(es) in New Orleans
I would look for places that have a nice bar to eat at like Coquette or Mr. B’s.
Best Up and Coming Chef/Owners
Hey Chowhounds, my friend from Dining Out Magazine has asked me to help him find 3-4 chefs for a PBS TV show that will go around the country to different cities to feature up and coming chef/owners on a TV show with a studio audience. The chefs must be good on TV and not super well-known like Emeril or Jack and they must have an ownership stake in the restaurant. The first three that came to my mind were Nathaniel Zimet, Alon Shaya and Chris deBarre. Feel free to throw out some names for consideration. I haven’t been eating out as much lately so I’m sure there are other great choices.
spiciest food in new orleans
I got the spicy (not the thai spicy) at Sukho Thai and it was too hot for me to eat at the Uptown location. It was too spicy, and not in a good way.
Starving Student Couple Needs Advice on One Fancy Meal
Commander’s isn’t too touristy and it would be a memorable meal. It’s not stuffy like Antoine’s either. If you can bring a sportcoast for your boyfriend, it would be my choice for 1 over the top meal. Otherwise I’d go toward the other end of the spectrum and go somewhere small and romantic like Brigtsen’s or Stella.
Taking my mom to NOLA for the weekend. Would LOVE you forever if you could help.
I disagree about Dickie B’s, Hunt. I think their steaks are solid and their sides are done well. But what I like best about it is the character of the bar area and the New Orleans-feel to the whole place. It’s reminds me of going to Mr. B’s or Gal’s, but it’s a steakhouse. The only steakhouse that I like better is Mr. John’s.
Veal Parmigiana
If you’re longing for traditional New York-style Italian food, head over to Vincent’s on St. Charles. They make a good veal parm.
Kings Cake
Yes, I would agree that Haydel’s has the best.
There are all kinds of stuffed king cakes with different fruit fillings, as well as different cheeses. My personal favorite is the cream cheese, but many people prefer the original with no filling.
Follow up after help from Chowhound asking for NOLA recs
I can’t believe you sounded like you were going to melt and it was January. Enjoyed reading about your trip though. Surprised you didn’t like the zoo. We locals like it just fine. Try going to a zoo in Guiling, China.
Restaurants to AVOID
I think we should leave the haters to Yelp. This board is more about positive recognition. Most of the places in the FQ that make this list, I feel sorry for them. The staffs they have to work with are so bad. Anyone decent that works in the FQ works at a top-tier restaurant, leaving the bottom feeders to places like Maspero’s. Plus it's so hard to staff for seasonal restaurants. ie. You might need 100 employees for Mardi Gras through Jazz Fest and 40 for the summer. How do you get those temporary employees. You hire what you can.
Help me pick some restaurants for my family's first time in New Orleans
I think you guys are missing his point. I don’t think they’d be comfortable in August or Commander’s no matter what the price was. You should probably go to one of the neighborhood joints like Mandina’s, Joey Ks, Casamentos, Charlie's or some of our po boy spots like Parkway, Guy’s or Parasol’s. There are plenty of breakfast options like Surrey’s, Slim Goody’s, Old Coffee Pot or Camelia Grill. If you want to splurge on a place with a homey-feel to it then Cafe Atchafalaya would be a good choice for brunch, lunch or dinner.
NOLA refresher please
Domenica is Besh’s best bet. Gautreau’s is not in the Garden District. It is on a quiet street Uptown. You can walk there from the Streetcar.
Restaurants to AVOID
I can’t believe this. Are you sure there wasn’t a hidden camera? This place was so good a few years ago. Glad I read your review.
2 days in New Orleans where should I eat?
Commander’s, K-Paul’s and Brennan’s are way out of your budget especially if you plan on having any cocktails. You should go to Old Coffee Pot or take the Magazine Street bus to Surry’s for a great breakfast ($10ish) and grab a po-boy at Johnny’s or do a chowhound search for best po-boys in New Orleans ($10ish) or try Cochon Butcher for an amazing sandwich ($10ish) and one of their side plates like marinated brussel sprouts. For dinner, splurge a little a head over to Domenica ($20ish) or try it during happy hour for 1/2price pizzas and wines. Also, Luke has $.50 oysters during happy hour and try to go to Big Fisherman on Magazine Street and pick yourself up about 5pounds of crawfish and boiled potatoes, corn and garlic.
Going crazy trying to decide. Mr. B's, Antoine's or Galatoire's?
Not really. It’s just totally different. The other three are old school restaurants with similar styles, classic New Orleans dishes and the decor would be along the same lines. NOLA is totally new school where, as someone said on here recently, Emeril tests out his new menu items. It’s much more modern looking inside. Also Galatoire’s and Antoine’s have dress codes and NOLA and Mr. B’s do not.
Going crazy trying to decide. Mr. B's, Antoine's or Galatoire's?
I don’t think Mr. B’s is worth going to unless you like shrimp. The best thing on Galatoire’s menu is the pompano so that’s a good option. Antoine’s is hit-or-miss. How alergic is he to shrimp? I mean, does he get a little red and his eyes water or does his throat close and you have to rush him to the hospital. Because if it’s number one, I say get the BBQ Shrimp and deal with the consequences later. Just kidding. I ask this because I have a cousin that is alergic to shellfish and he gets sick if it’s cooked in the same fry oil that he chicken wings are cooked in. If it’s anything like that, be very careful and ask lots of questions because many restaurants use seafood stock in their sauces. NOLA is good, but it’s not at all similar to the first three restaurants you mentioned.
Help me hone my NOLA Plans
I disagree on Coop’s. I like alright, but whenever I send out of town folks there, they absolutely love it. The price is right and if you’re looking for a dive bar with good food, this is definitely a good option.
This Sunday in the Quarter
Really? That’s the first time I heard that. I don’t frequent the Quarter dining scene that much and it was on my list of places to try. Any reasons in particular?
Jazz Fest
Good list. I used to love the crawfish bread and I still get it once per Fest, but not as good as it once was. Also I’ve had better luck with it earlier in the day. It’s pretty bad later in the day. As for her question, I usually forego fine dining during Jazz Fest. Most of my out of town guests do too. I used to try to rally them for dinners, but half the time they were too burnt out and canceled. Most of my friends nap from 7-11 and then go out to see shows all night long. Those 2am shows are ridicilous, but I guess it’s not so bad when you don’t have a 3 year old waking you up at 6:00 in the morning. The food at Jazz Fest is half the fun. It should be called the New Orleans Jazz, Heritage and Food Festival.
