385337 Mon Mar 26 20:13:44 -0700 2007 5 9 New Orleans 0 2423857 It’s casual and fun…and loud. The service was friendly and very helpful. Our group ranged from 5 years old to 95 years old ,and everyone really enjoyed it. CALAMARI – Fried in the standard fashion. Underneath, on the plate, is a very garlicky sauce to sop up onto the squid. Nothing special. BOUDIN – The meat in this homemade sausage is fresh, tender and spicy. The natural casing isn’t crisp, so it’s difficult to cut. But this mildly spicy dish is tasty. ALIGATOR AND SHRIMP CHEESE CAKE – Delicious and different. The texture is like a Spanish tortilla, but much more flavorful. This is a winner. CRAB CAKES – You get 3 large meaty crab cakes with a nice sauce drizzled over it and some greens. This is rich and quite good. FRIED GREEN TOMATOES – These are served with large shrimp and a tangy remoulade sauce. This was another great dish. DINNER SALAD (comes with the dinners) – Spinach leaves drenched in a warm oil and vinegar dressing. The dressing wasn’t warm enough to wilt the spinach, but it softened it slightly. It was way overdressed. CORNBREAD (a basket is placed on the table) – This is quite good. It’s got good corn flavor, and the texture is just about right. It’s moist enough that it doesn’t crumble, but it’s not oily at all. CRAWFISH ETOUFFE – Tasty sauce, tiny crawfish and a pile of rice in the middle. My nephew has a pet crawfish and wanted to see what it would taste like. The SHRIMP ETOUFFE is basically the same except made with shrimp. BLACKENED LAMB SIRLOIN – This was a great dish. The lamb loin was filleted and perfectly tender. The blackening wasn’t spicy, but added good flavoring. It’s served with some long-cooked peppers and onions. ROASTED RABBIT – This was served over small pasta shells and had a nice roux. It was good. A lot of food. GODZILLA MEETS THE FRIED GREEN TOMATOES – This was the best dish in terms of presentation. It’s a medium-sized soft shell crab, deep fried, and served “overtaking” a pile of fried green tomatoes. Tasty and awesome-lookin’ VEGETARIAN DISH – It’s a lot of food. It’s a stuffed artichoke and has various squash, eggplant and other vegetables with a tasty curry sauce. JAMBALAYA – The sausage is good, although there isn’t much in there. The rice is okay, but a little bland. CORN MACQUE CHOUX – This was the best side dish. It’s perfectly al dente cooked corn with a little cream and a little ham. It’s delicious. COUNTRY GREENS – Another good side dish. They are tender and a little smoky tasting. BREAD PUDDING DESSERT – This was awesome. A little crust on the top and soft and warm on the inside. This was an outstanding swan song to a great meal. CRÈME BRULEE – Very good standard preparation, but it’s served in a larger, flatter dish so you get more of the caramelized sugar topping. STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE – The niece loved this so much that we literally had to take it away from her. The strawberries were delicious. STUFFED PUFF PASTRIES - Difficult to cut and eat. Not so good. The wine list won’t win any awards, but most people should be able to find something they’ll like. There’s also beer, and I think there are cocktails (I didn’t have one). This is welcome relief from the more stuffy restaurants like Brennan’s and Antoine’s. The food here is quite good, but you don’t have to be all respectable and stuff (although the staff are very respectful and professional). Appetizers $5-$12, Mains $15-$30. It gets crowded, so make a reservation. I hope to go back some day. Jacque Imo’s Café 8324 Oak Street New Orleans (504) 861-0886 Mon Mar 26 20:13:44 -0700 2007 13464 lil mikey 1 2424276 Thanks for your post. I like details. Tue Mar 27 00:13:46 -0700 2007 2423857 47097 southerngal 1 2424385 That was a terrific post. I am planning to have my rehearsal dinner at Jacques-Imo's. My fiancee and I are both vegetarians, so we'd been wondering what the vegetarian delight was like. Tue Mar 27 04:44:36 -0700 2007 2423857 61867 Jackpot 1 2424623 Would the vegetarian dish be appropriate for a vegan? Or does it have cheese or egg in it? Tue Mar 27 07:05:31 -0700 2007 2423857 14049 cajungirl 2 2427278 I don't know everything that's in it. I suggest calling and telling them you're vegan. They seemed very accommodating. Tue Mar 27 18:40:47 -0700 2007 2424623 13464 lil mikey 3 2428547 Thanks, just asking for my fallen-away daughter, fallen away from Cajun and Creole cooking, that is. It's hard to take her out to eat with the family! Wed Mar 28 09:05:46 -0700 2007 2427278 14049 cajungirl