New Orleans Restaurants

[Shel E.]

I have been to August which I consider to be an extraordinary restaurant.

Can you weigh in with your favorite, top-end restaurant in the Big Easy? Thanks. I am headed to NO early next month.

[Remander]

Just dined at Brigtsen’s. Excellent!! It's about a $15 plus tip cab ride (one way) from the French Quarter, but worth it. Have reservations. The staff is very friendly, and the food is top notch. The seafood platter is awesome. None fried. It's like a tapas platter of top-notch oyster, shrimp, and fish dishes. They'll call you a cab as you eat your pecan pie, which they added a scoop of homemade ice cream to at our request. I am not a dessert fan, but that pie was something memorable.

[terpsichore]

I ate at KPaul's last week, and it was a fantastic meal.

Their Corn/Crab/Shrimp bisque is one of the most delicious things I've eaten in a long time. So good that I went back to the bar the next day and got it again.

[Bill Hunt]

Sounds great. Did you pair this with any wine. I'm thinking a FR Chard, maybe a Meursault, or a Montrachet. For similar, we did several Montrachets, with Ku`kui Corn Chowder in Hawai`i, and the pairing was sublime.

Just curious,
Hunt

[kevin]

For some reason, I think Kpaul's might have a subpar wine list though.

Don't quote me on it though.

[Philly]

Kevin--What are you basing your comment on? Anything?

[kevin]

Probably based on my opinion.

but under each dish is a recommendation of the wine by the glass to go with each dish, but usually all the wines choices have been quite boring.

[Bill Hunt]

That is too bad. To me, wine is an integral part of my meal, and I often rely on the sommelier to fill in the blanks, based on the kitchen. If they got lazy, it is not good. When I make recommendations, they are based on my knowledge of the food, and are something that I have experienced. Maybe they need to have more Monday AM meetings!

Hunt

[Bill Hunt]

Redux: it's been too long, since I dined there to recall their wine list, or their recs. Still, I agree that the recs. should be spot-on, and make both the food and the wine sing.

Hunt

[Shel E.]

Thanks everyone. I have added Brigtsen's, Lilette, Commander's and Cochon to our reservations list. Also, we will visiting beautiful, downtown Lacombe to have lunch at La Provence and dinner at Sal and Judy's, a joint beloved by the locals.
BTW, last year I had a mediocre and expensive dinner at Cuvee. Herbsaint is another one to avoid - I thought the service was not up to the cuisine.

[bronwen]

I'd add Clancy's to your list. I lived nearby and went 3 or 4 times a week, I love it.

[Bill Hunt]

Our Cuvée experience was 50-50 for the six diners. My meal was great, as was the meal for two others. However, for three of the diners, things were not so swell. Wife's meal was filled with mistakes, and even with the appearance of the chef, with a replacement and an apology, not up to par. Still, 50-50 is not a thumbs-down, only a comment. I'd go back, but not on the next trip.

Hunt

[princsoreo]

I had a great experience at Cuvee on a recent trip, but it was dinner for 2 and we did the complete tasting menu. It was super expensive but also very inventive and good! I also loved Commander's although I almost didn't want to because it's so popular and two times ago I went to Dominique's and had a great dinner including an amazing raw tuna appetizer with crisp seared pineappe slices.

[robrob]

I agree with Herbsaints's service and I am not the only one!

[philmaur]

Bayona!

[cor]

Brigsten's
Bayona
Arnaud's
Emeril's or Delmonico

[Bill Hunt]

For some reason, my attempt to post did not work. I think that the servers might be acting up, so I’m trying again. If this is a duplicate post, I hope the mods will clean out one.

This is based on our last trip down, in August (the month, not the restaurant), plus many years of living in, and then traveling to NOLA:

1.) Brigtsen’s (won’t factor in wife’s preference, though she’s a native)
2.) Restaurant August
3.) Galatoire’s
4.) Cochon
5.) Bayona
6.) Arnaud’s
7.) Toss up: G W Fins, Emeril’s, Delmonico, Cuvée
11,) Commander's Palace (fell down the list after last two trips)
12.) Comeback Inn (far W. Metairie)
13.) Le Parvenu (Kenner)
14.) Palace Grill
15.) Breakfast - toss up: Camilla Grill and The Coffee Pot

Now, I have not dined at Clancy’s, Luc or Stella! (on my next trip in March)

Links did not register for Commander's, or Palace Grill, but will add these.

Hunt

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Restaurant August
301 Tchoupitoulas Street, New Orleans, LA 70130

Cochon
930 Tchoupitoulas St., New Orleans, LA 70130

Camellia Grill
626 S Carrollton Ave, New Orleans, LA 70118

Coffee Pot Restaurant
714 Saint Peter St, New Orleans, LA 70116

Bayona
430 Dauphine St, New Orleans, LA 70112

Emeril's Restaurant
800 Tchoupitoulas, New Orleans, LA 70130

Galatoire's Restaurant
209 Bourbon St., New Orleans, LA 70130

Gw Fins
808 Bienville St., New Orleans, LA 70112

Cuvee Restaurant
322 Magazine Street, New Orleans, LA 70130

Brigtsen's Restaurant
723 Dante St, New Orleans, LA 70118

Arnaud's Restaurant
813 Rue Bienville Street, New Orleans, LA 70112

Come Back Inn
3826 Williams Blvd, Kenner, LA 70065

Le Parvenu Restaurant
509 Williams Blvd, Kenner, LA 70062

Delmonico Restaurant & Bar
800 Tchoupitoulas St, New Orleans, LA 70130

[Bill Hunt]

Additional links added.

Hunt

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Commander's Palace Restaurant
1403 Washington Ave, New Orleans, LA 70130

Palace Cafe
605 Canal St, New Orleans, LA 70130

[kevin]

bill, do you like kpaul's and what did you have at Galatoire's?

in my opinion, based on one dish alone (mainly), Brigtsen's might just be my favorite restaurant in the entire city.

[Bill Hunt]

It has been too many years, since I last dined at K-Paul's to comment, other than to say that the experiences were good. I need to fit it back into the rotation, as many here do enjoy it.

Galatoire's last experience was just pre-K. As I recall, I had the trout amandine as my main, and it was excellent. Wife, who is the NOLA native in the group, had pompano, and begged that it not be done in butter. They accommodated her nicely. I cannot recall the mains for the other couple, or the appetizers, that any of us had. The meal was very good and the service great. The only complaint that I had was that the other two couples in our little room/area had to be the loudest 4 folk, around whom I have dined in years. The server whispered that one was a high-end land developer and always got that way. Though they were 10' from us, we could not talk/hear over their screaming and shouting. On that trip, Galatoire’s got first place (tied with Brigtsen’s), regardless of our dining companions, and we did the “grand tour,” Antoine’s, Arnaud’s, Brennan’s, Commander’s, Galatoire’s, plus Muriel’s, GW Fins, Louis XVI, Commander’s again, plus several cooking events at/from other restaurants, for events. We did Brgtsen’s for a family event, after everyone else had left town, so maybe it should not have been counted, as Chef Frank did a special menu for my brother-in-law.

I have looked for my reviews of all of the dining, both the event and the extracurricular, but cannot find them. Also, being pre-K, they should be taken with a big grain of salt. Also, my reviews, and impressions of restaurants are built on often only one visit per year, or maybe even every four years. Consider too, that I have to admit that it has been years, since I lived in the area, and though I love the food, some of the aspects that are ingrained in NOLA cuisine, might not make the same impression on me, as they did. I still think that I know great food, but, dang-it, NOLA cuisine is special, and regardless of how well one’s palette is honed, a local is a better resource, when it comes to the fine details.

Hunt

[EDIT] The trout amandine was not the best that I have had, but was in the top four. Best was from a lady chef, who used to own a restaurant on Oak St, near River Rd., with her husband. Right now, her name eludes me, but they sold the restaurant, and now she does high-end dinner catering only. Her take on that dish was transcendenal.

[ichabodsdad]

I think you are thinking about Patty Constantine(sp?). The restaurant was Constantine's? She still does high end catering and her food is great! Never had the dish you mention, but she does have a unique take on dishes.

[Bill Hunt]

Thank you Ichabodsdad. You are 100% correct. I could not conjure up her name for anything. I'd normally have called my b-i-l, but he's off camping in the wilderness for another week.

Appreciate your helping my failing memory. Back in the Constatine's days, her trout almandine was the one, by which I judged all others, and still is.

Hunt

[ksherk]

And while we're at it (not to hijack Shel's question), what about high-end places within or within easy reach of the Garden District? I'm coming for Jazz Fest and want to plan an Nice Dinner to kick off the weekend.

Merci, y'all!

[TigerAtty]

"High-end"? I got out of August two nights ago for $200 for two people. I call anything over $100 for two people high end, but actually hate to classify based on price as some of my best experiences have been in hole in the wall places. Regardless, uptown, check Upperline, La Crepe Nanou, Brigsten's, Herbsaint, Martinique, Dante's, etc. The best would be to bounce around on the boards and you'll see where people have discussed all of these. If you've got the time and the cash, hit up Besh's personal menu at August with the wine pairing for $150 per person. Otherwise, the venison there is fantastic.

[Kingrover]

I second the Tasting Menu at August, everything was amazing, and the courses don't stop coming. The wine pairing gets a little crazy, I had a hard time finishing a glass before the next one came out...by the end I was getting pretty drunk. Every course was transcendent though, definitely worth the money if you are going to try August only once.

For a high-end steakhouse, I love Besh's Steakhouse in Harrah's. While people may be a little gunshy about heading in there because its in a casino, the restaurant is well-insulated. The food is really rich and heavy, but damn good. Its a different kind of steakhouse.

[bronwen]

Commander's Palace, of course.

[jeffchow]

Stella

[uptownlibrarian]

Stella and Galatoire's. This isn't really newsworthy, more common sense, but we called for a Valentine's reservation at Stella last week and they had only a few spots left at less than ideal times. I mention it because early next month is Carnival/Mardi Gras so it will probably be equally difficult to get a good time unless you're pretty flexible.

[Shel E.]

I've been to Galatoire's for lunch twice. Excellent, and I do plan to have lunch there at least once next month. Talk about old school.

[mikek]

Second Stellas.