kate7047's Profile
San Francisco Hound Coming to New Orleans: Please Critique My List for My First Visit!!!
OK, I'll chime in. I'm not local but have made about 20 trips in past 2 years, mainly focusing on eating.
Dinners- LOVE all 4. Don't need to change a thing.
Contenders- Stella and Lilette were two of the best dinners I've had in Nola. Might sub out Emeril's (above) and add either of those two as a dinner instead. Herbsaint was good but not great but we ate there last Mardi Gras and the place was nuts, so will go again next week. Jacques-Imo was not great and stupidly crowded and doesn't take reservations and is too far away, so forget it. Sylvain was nice, good little courtyard behind it, but mainly interesting in that they serve late. Wouldn't bother unless I needed dinner at 11 PM. (BTW, odd how Nola has so few places serving late, but that's a different topic.)
Lunch- Central Grocery- Meh. Famous but not so great. Acme- I found it VERY disappointing. Would take the oysters from Dragos (especially chargrilled) any time over Acme (though we went to the one in Metairie, not FQ. Hope the ones in FQ are as good.) LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Casamentos and would go there in a heartbeat. Would add Stanley for lunch. Have had a couple of great lunches there.
Drinks-agree with Cure, second Carousel Bar.
Have a great trip!
Camellia Grill
I agree with you. Possibly people get the wrong idea. Its basically a diner with attitude and history. We were there last time about 2 months ago around 12:30 (AM). Place was quite crowded. Students, regular folks looking for food before heading home, 2 couples all decked out who had just come from the opera. Grabbed a burger (mediocre-ordinary), onion rings (very, very good) and a chocolate-cherry freeze (YUM!!!). Full stomachs and on our way in 30 minutes. Character, history, fun, pretty decent food but certainly not fine dining. But I enjoy it. And love those freezes!
New Orleans restaurant for group of 10 during Jazz Fest!
Dick and Jenny's is on Opentable now, but limited availability for JF weekend. I second the food trucks idea.
New Orleans restaurant for group of 10 during Jazz Fest!
I ran this question past my daughter who is undergrad at Tulane. She +1'd Dick and Jennys. It's very close to Tipitinas. Another place she liked which is very close by and really NOLA is Casamentos. About 4 blocks from Tipitinas and fantastic food but casual and cheaper. Further uptown and closer to Maple Leaf she mentioned Dante's Kitchen (I love that place too, but might be pushing the budget) and Camellia Grill. Camellia Grill is hardly fine dining but you won't find anything like it in Western Mass and it's open till 2AM if you're looking for food (burgers, fries and "freezes") after Maple Leaf.
Gourmet cheese shoppe?
Agree. Fantastic cheese selection, obnoxious staff with attitudes. But really, really great cheeses.
Lillette or Herbsaint?
Hmmm... Well, I will have to be the one to vote for Lillette over Herbsaint. Just better meals all around as well as fantastic cocktails. But I agree with the general sentiment that you are better off doing BOTH and skipping Jacques-Imos unless it's the "experience" you seek and not the food. And I'll agree about Cafe Atchafalaya too. Had excellent brunch there a couple weeks ago. Good live jazz during Sunday brunch too.
Client dinner - reccomendations appreciated
We have had wonderful meals at Azul, in the Mandarin Oriental on Brickell Key. Excellent service and wine list. Very helpful sommelier. Very good choice if looking to impress clients.
Po boy Fest advice needed
Yeah, I was afraid of that. Well, maybe we will go early then and bail out by early afternoon. I love a good Po-boy for breakfast!
Po boy Fest advice needed
We will be in town this weekend and I'm interested in hitting the Po boy Fest on Sunday. However, I admit to being concerned about a repeat of the god-awful crowds I heard about last year. Any advice on how to manage it (other than shelling out 200 bucks for VIP wristband). Go early? Start at far end and work back toward Carrollton? The food vendor list looks pretty great. Advice about must-try Po boys? Thanks to all!
nice place open late uptown
Thanks. I've been there for a drink but never ate there before.
nice place open late uptown
I'm looking for advice seeking nice place (ie not like Camellia Grill) with kitchen open till maybe 11:30 uptown/Carrollton/Garden District area. Most kitchens seem to close 10 to 10:30ish and I hate gettingg the stink-eye if I arrive 10 minutes till closing. Thanks! (Not to slander Camellia Grill. But want tables, good food, wine,,. You know...)
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Camellia Grill
626 S Carrollton Ave, New Orleans, LA 70118
Dine Out Ft. Lauderdale
Went to Cafe Maxx last night and we all had the Dine Out menu. Overall I thought the choices were quite good. I had the pot stickers followed by the goat cheese salad, then the pork chop and finally bread pudding. No complaints, all really good. Ran up a good sized bar bill too between the four of us. But it really burned me that we had to ask for the menu. I don't think I've ever had to ask for Miami Spice menus. What is it with these places?
Uptown (Riverbend/Carrolton area) best restaurants
+2 on Refuel. Love the omelets. Grits are my favorite, though I think loading them up with heavy cream makes them that way. (NOT that that's a bad thing!) Also a fruity iced-tea that I love. Lines for brunch can get very long there too.
Uptown (Riverbend/Carrolton area) best restaurants
I have to add Restaurant Patois to the list. Wonderful rabbit and andouille gumbo (which won our family's vote for best gumbo of the trip) as well as fabulous house charcuterie and a great duck confit. We have had great fun at Dante's- terrific drinks and casual setting where we made dinner out of small plates and appetizers. Went to Brightsen's for our anniversary last year and also excellent. I've heard great things about Jamila's (from daughter at Tulane) and it's on the list for my next trip.
Sounds like a great list. Have fun!
Mexican Coca-Cola in S. Florida?
They carry Mexican Coke by the case at the Davie Costco. Near the back behind the freezer cases, under big sign saying "Mexican Coke". ;)
Recs for places walking distance from Tulane
Yeah. Could happen. I had a few friends who were on the 6 year plan. Sure gets expensive tho!
Visit to Grandma in Ft Lauderdale: How do I make this amazing?
"Caribbean" carries quite a range down here. I'm guessing you mean Jamaican/West Indian, not Cuban, which are everywhere down here. Couple Caribbean places I can recommend- Calypso Restaurant in Pompano has good seafood, conch and "cutters" (sandwiches) and jerk chicken. Casual. Islands in the Pines in Pembroke Pines at University and Pines Blvd is really authentic with curries, oxtail and calaloo and delish rice and peas. Along a different line, Tap Tap Haitian in South Beach is worth considering. And Sugar Reef is also worth mentioning as a way to get Caribbean and waterfront at the same time. It's not super-authentic Jamaican, more like Caribbean-influenced but it's ocean front, outdoor seating and on the Broadwalk in Hollywood (at New York St) and is always enjoyable.
For a splurge and on the water, consider Neomi's Grill, in the Trump International Beach Resort, Sunny Isles. Also, they're participating in "Miami Spice" the 3 course prix-fix summer restaurant promotion going on right now, so you might NOT have to break the bank quite so badly. Have fun with Grandma!
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Tap Tap Haitian Restaurant
819 5th St, Miami Beach, FL 33139
Sugar Reef
600 N Surf Rd, Hollywood, FL 33019
Neomi's Grill
18001 Collins Avenue, Sunny Isles, FL 33160
South Beach Cafe
121 5th St, Miami Beach, FL 33139
Best Italian in Hollywood - affordable
I second the Liguori's recommendation. Excellent pizza. Capriccio's at Sheridan and University is a little more upscale but I can recommend as well. Also, for something a little different, consider the Beefeater Steakhouse on Hollywood Blvd just west of Young Circle. It's an Argentine steakhouse, very casual and inexpensive (with fabulous chimichurri sauce!) , and has some good pastas and Italian dishes, due to Argentina's large Italian population.
Recs for places walking distance from Tulane
Woo hoo! Thanks to all for great ideas!
Actually, Choupique, we intend to ditch offspring at school and her dad and I intend to spend a couple extra days exploring the city and tasting, er, testing the environs. No offense taken. We will not hover. She has to go to school. (Been there, done that.) Now it's time for us to branch out to explore things too. I've only been to NOLA once before, which was in April to look at the campus (Tulane came late to my kid's radar screen) so we have a lot to learn.
BTW, we live in south Florida, so 94 degrees 99% humidity at this time of year is familiar. Maybe we'll cab it to Dante's so we don't look like wet rags, especially after move in.
I think we will have our work cut out for us. This really is a whole new area for us and we only have like 4 years of visits to eat our way around the restaurants there. Gotta get to it!
Thanks for all the great suggestions. I'll report back on this NOLA-newbie's impressions.
Recs for places walking distance from Tulane
We are depositing offspring at Tulane in a couple weeks (incoming freshman). Husband and I will spend a few extra days there and want to eat well and also take offspring (young foodie) out to dinner. Have reservations at Dante's and Mat and Naddie's. I'm looking for 2 more dinners and also some breakfast and lunch options, ideally walking distance from Tulane, and especially places that are casual and typical of NOLA. Places that require using streetcar are also OK but need to be able to round-trip it pretty quickly for breakfast and lunch. Thanks to all.
Little sister moving to New Orleans!
Wow, Littleman! Great list! My daughter is starting at Tulane in August and I can tell you her momma is excited about visiting NOLA to take her out to dinner. (Hey, it's tough but somebody has got to do it...)
While visiting Tulane last spring we ate at Commanders Palace and Stella!. Loved both and I'm looking forward to more, uh, experimenting. I also told her to find us some nightlife where I won't be the oldest person there by 25 years that has good music. Seems likely there would be some places. Any suggestions in the food-and-music-and-drinking area? Thanks.
key lime pie at grocery store hollywood
Bob Roth's is the best and a "real" Florida treat, unlike Publix, which is OK but generic. Roths is not far from Hollywood if you have a car. Go north on A1A, turn left on "Old Griffin Rd" and follow it about 3-4 miles. It's just past the turnpike overpass on the left. They have a big orange out front. (As an aside, when Griffin Rd was widened a few years ago, the building needed a variance to stay put, as it would now be too close to the road. They brought key lime pies to the city council meeting deciding their fate, and it clinched the deal!)
Top Ribs in FLA
No, no connection. I've eaten in both and Tom Jenkin is entirely better. The Boca/Palm Beach Tom seems to sell his sauce in Publix, but the joint is nowhere near as good as Tom Jenkins.
Review- Armadillo Beach in Dania Beach
I'm not aware of McCarthy having been at Michael's Kitchen, and I doubt it, unless his stint was brief. After Armadillo Cafe closed he was at KM at The Grapevine in Plantation (he was "KM") until maybe a year ago, and Armadillo Beach opened in April.
Rosa Mexicano Report- Miami
Conceivably my memory is fading re. Rosa Mexicano as I haven't eaten there in years, but I agree with you that "upscale Mexican" seems like an oxymoron. Nevertheless I think Eduardo's comes closest. I like Eduardo's better than Canyon, mainly because Canyon has more singles-bar elements, but also because I think Eduardo's has more creative ingredients. I think the original idea was the introduction to the American tastebuds that there's more to Mexican food than tacos and beans, and Eduardo's ventures into more interesting areas new to me, such as Mexican artisanal cheeses, nopales, cuitlacoche or regional distintions such as Oaxacan and Yucatecan dishes.
Review- Armadillo Beach in Dania Beach
DH and I went to the new Armadillo Beach in Dania Beach last night (1200 S Federal Hiway, Dania Beach, FL, 954-920-6166). We have been fans of chef Kevin McCarthy for over 10 years, having followed him from the Davie place on Griffin Rd to University to Grapevine. Now he has launched another venture, this time in Dania Beach where I suspect he partially escapes some of the high-rent real estate problems found in western Broward.
The restaurant is small, with about 14 tables and an unused bar at one side. They were about 90% occupied on Friday night at 8:00. The décor is simple, with gold-washed walls, white tablecloths and votive candles in sand. A neon armadillo is in the window marking the spot. There is ample parking in back for this small space. The space was snug but acceptable, but the AC seemed to conk out as the night went on (or was it the wine?) The chef came around toward the end and greeted everyone, and there seemed to be several tables of frequent repeat guests.
The hostess and the waiter greeted us promptly, and we ordered a bottle of Conundrum for old time’s sake (We were first introduced to this pleasant white sipping wine at the old Armadillo Café in Davie. Seems McCarthy has been carrying it for years.) We ordered the special appetizer, described as “whitewater clams”, which we were told were local Florida farmed freshwater clams. There were about a dozen, about 1/1/2 to 2 inches across and prepared with tomatoes, sliced green olives and a garlicky broth. (The olives seemed a strange choice, as they were ordinary jarred olives with pimento. Could do better there.) The clams were good, though small, but the broth was to die for, and we got more of the rolls to soak it up. Yum. I could bathe in the stuff.
The DH had roast duck breast that was delicious. It was perfectly seared with a chili coating, which had a nice crisp bite to it. It was served with wilted cabbage mix. Though I generally hate cooked cabbage, this stuff was great! Wilted but still with some crunch, with FABULOUS cubes of smoked bacon and apple slices.
I had the yellowtail snapper served with a wild mushroom, red pepper and tomato topping. It was a huge serving of fish and the topping was very good, with several whole chanterelles included. It was served with green beans (nicely crunchy) and succotash (god I hate lima beans). Overall, I liked the duck better.
We skipped dessert due to a need to pick up the offspring from a party, but I (closely) observed the neighboring table’s order of what looked like chocolate profiteroles with raspberries and ice cream (does drooling on them mean I got too close?), so I know what I will order next time.
The prices were very reasonable and the total tab came to $112 before tip. I will return soon, and recommend you try it too!
Rosa Mexicano Report- Miami
I first ate at Rosa Mexicano in the late '80s. They had one location on the east side in NYC (1st Ave in the 50's I think) and we ate there somewhat regularly until we moved to FL 10 years later. At that time it was a new concept, the presentation of authentic Mexican cuisine not simply made up of tacos and burritos. The location was bright and pretty and the guacamole made tableside was a signature dish. Sounds like they still have that going for them in a big way. Josefina Howard, who I believe was a chef-owner (co-owner?) was locally famous at a time BEFORE food tv and the massive celebrity chef thing today, and I remember profiles in the Times and local TV with her as a leader in "authentic" Mexican food. Obviously Rosa Mexicano has branched out massively of late with numerous locations, which IMHO usually goes with a decline in quality, oversite, authenticity etc. That said, I have not eaten in any of the outposts such as the Florida one. (I think Eduardo de San Angel locally, would be my top choice for upscale Mexican food.)
open late, Coral Gables. Advise?
Looking for recomendations for late (11-midnight) dinner in Coral Gables or vic. (Don't want to trek to South Beach.) Thanks.
Best sushi in South Florida?
A place I like for sushi is a strange entry into this competition. The best sushi in my area is at Islamorada Fish Company in the gigantic Outdoor World in Dania. It is a perfectly ordinary fish house, but they hired a sushi chef a couple years ago who is first rate, and the sushi is the best around, tho the decor is wierd for sushi. The fish is absolutely fresh and very well prepared, tho I usually go for sashimi.
Rome picks..How did I do?
While it's not a "regular" restaurant, but a wine bar, by far my nominee for do-not-miss is Cul de Sac, on the Piazza Pasquino. They have an unbelievable wine list and you can select from a huge assortment of meats and cheeses. It's served with the spectacular bread I came to expect in Rome, and is definitely a meal. (The only downside I could see is that, if I had gone there my first night in Rome I might not have gone anywhere else, it's that great!) Another place where we had a terrific meal was Ristorante Montevecchio, Piazza Montevecchio 22. It is very small (about 8 tables), so a reservation is a good idea. The beef and fish dishes were excellent, though my lamb was overcooked. Osteria del Gallo (and it's cousin, Ditrambo) were OK, but just a short walk down the via dei Pellegrino from them is Al Bric, which is MUCH better. I also have to put in my favorite gelateria, Gelateria al Teatro, via san simione 70, just off via dei Coronari.
