If You Had To Choose??

[kittykatkid]

Hi Hounds,
If you had to choose one really great memorable meal at a high end restaurant for a special birthday in NOLA where would you go? Price not an issue?
Thanks!

[joedontexan]

Antoines since 1840 enough said.

[N.O.Food]

Too bad their food has gone so far down hill.

[joedontexan]

New Orleans food critic Tom Fitzmorris just had his birthday lunch there cant be all bad.

[N.O.Food]

When's the last time you ate there?

[edible complex]

doesn't mean anything that he ate there

[Hungry Celeste]

Now that's a lukewarm rec if I ever heard one....

[Sallieb190]

If Fitzmorris ate there - I'd go elsewhere...

[CheBeret]

Hate to say it but I agree. It's got history and ambience, but the food isn't worth the money and is nowhere near the best in town.

[kittykatkid]

Thanks for all the suggestuions. Having sat at the kitchen table at the Commanders Palace twice, I am looking for something along that experience. They serve a wonderful 5 course meal with wine paired to each course. You have a private chef, you get to sit in the kitchen and watch all the goings on. It is very interesting to say the least, then at the end of the meal they bring out the dessert bomb as they call it. Which is 6 or eight (I can't recall )different full size desserts!!! Truely a foodie's delight!! But the table is fully booked for every night we will be in NOLA. I am thinking August, they have a chef's menu there right. Anyone who has been there and done that???

[ZestyZ]

August or Stella. I had amazing, life changing meals at both. They both have tasting menus.

[kittykatkid]

I am thinking August, I have never been there and I have been to Stella twice. I lOVE Stella, I think there food is excellent, but the people I am going with wanted something different this time. A tasting menu would be great, I never had the tasting menu at Stella though.

[uptownlibrarian]

The tasting menu at Stella! has some smaller portions of things from the regular menu, so for something completely different go with August.

[mhdousa]

Herbsaint went out of their way to create a special experience when we celebrated a birthday there last month. The food was phenomenal.

[Bill Hunt]

Not to cast doubt on any of the other recommendations that you have gotten, but I'd look at the New Orleans Grill at the Windsor Court Hotel.

I've reviewed many of these restaurants, but you might need to check the dates a bit now:
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/433877
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/523095
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/570653

Hunt

[TaTee]

If you are going to celebrate at lunchtime, I would suggest Commander's. At night, I would go to Galatoire's.

[philmaur]

Bayona... & Happy B/D! I'll be celebrating mine there next month.

[BayouTeche]

Another for August.

[bonesrus]

Without a doubt..............STELLA!

[edible complex]

Galatoire's

[bayoucook]

Bayona (Susan Spicer's restaurant) or Emeri's Delmonico.

[N.O.Food]

Depends. What kind of food? Nola/Creole or upscale fusion? Stella is fusion. August is French/Creole. Those are probably the two best options, but they're on different ends of the food spectrum.

[nikinik]

Stella!

[JazzyB]

August.