New Orleans food report

[Cathy]

Had a few good eating experiences in New Orleans last week.

Camellia Grill, 626 S. Carrollton Ave. Recommended by someone on this board. Went late at night for pecan pie, which they heat on the grill! Perfect.

Lunch at Uglesich’s, on Barrone St., was very cool. The fried oyster po boy was as good as I’d heard, and the shrimp uggie was extremely flavorful, if a bit oily (well, I guess that’s what made it flavorful.) The shrimp po boy wasn’t nearly as good.

I absolutely loved Jacques-Imo’s at 8324 Oak Street (861-0886). Some traditional Creole dishes, plus a lot of experimentation. Great fried oyster appetizer. The salad was spinach with a thai-tasing vinaigrette with sesame seeds. Cajun bouillabase had tons of seafood plus saffron croutons. The chef came out and talked to everyone – he seems like a real character. The atmosphere was very festive.

Dinner at Brigstens (723 Dante, 861-7610) was a somewhat more upscale affair. It’s in an old house, in a nice part of town. I had roast duck, which was great – amazing crispy skin. But it was marred by an overly sweet gravy which I couldn’t really eat. No complaints about the sweetness of the pecan pie, though!