Seeking two fine dinners in New Orleans

[oshdad]

Senior couple returning to New Orleans after twenty years wants the best New Orleans can offer in fine dining for two dinners and possibly one lunch. Any style cooking goes but let me know if it is real loud noisy as that is a turn off and has to be taken into consideration.

Is Pascal's Manale still around and still good? On several occasions we had the best oysters and BBQ shrimp in memory but that was long ago.

[erikschwarz]

You can't go far wrong with the restaurants cited in these replies. Knowledgeable opinion is divided on Manale's: I like the place but my partner loathes it. I would add this: if budget is an issue at all, you should consider taking advantage of the summer "Coolinary" specials being offered by many top-drawer restaurants here. These include Manale's, Brigtsen's and Pelican Club - all cited in this thread - as well as other contenders such as Ralph's On the Park, Upperline and Martinique Bistro. If you really want to save money, go to restaurant.com and download some coupons. Fees vary from day to day, but usually you can download $25 restaurant coupons for $2 or $3 each. Some restrictions apply. Participating local faves include Coquette, Cafe Degas, Le Parvenu, Cafe Minh and lots more.

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

Le Parvenu Restaurant
509 Williams Blvd, Kenner, LA 70062

Pelican Club Restaurant & Bar
312 Exchange Alley, New Orleans, LA 70130

Upperline Restaurant
1413 Upperline St, New Orleans, LA

Cafe Minh
4139 Canal St, New Orleans, LA 70119

Cafe Degas
3127 Esplanade Ave, New Orleans, LA 70119

[JPAub]

Just to throw out one more.... I thoroughly enjoyed dinner at The Pelican Club.

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Pelican Club Restaurant & Bar
312 Exchange Alley, New Orleans, LA 70130

[Christine]

Yes, we second the Pelican Club as well. The food and service there are fantastic!!!

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Pelican Club Restaurant & Bar
312 Exchange Alley, New Orleans, LA 70130

[uptownlibrarian]

I enjoy going to Manales every once in awhile, but it's not oyster season right now so that would probably tip my personal dining scale away from there, especially if I only had three meals. But I like several of their pasta dishes, in addition to the BBQ shrimp. My only beef with them is that it's not particularly good value for money, in my very humble opinion.

[lenwood]

Pascal's Manale has that old time New Orleans feel still that a returning couple would feel very comfortable and reminiscent about. (The food there never blew me away but it hasn't changed.)

[Suzy Wong]

Lunch or dinner, classic, old school cajun cuisine at Bon Ton..:
http://www.thebontoncafe.com/

Galatoire's, a true New Orleans experience in every way.

If you go a little early or later and not at a peak time, most places will (obviously) be less loud.

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

Bon Ton Cafe
401 Magazine St, New Orleans, LA 70130

[GDPhalp]

Dinner 1: Tasting menu at Restaurant August
Lunch: Commanders Palace (garden room)
Dinner 2: Stella!

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Restaurant August
301 Tchoupitoulas Street, New Orleans, LA 70130

[kibbles]

perfect.

[Bill Hunt]

Nice list.

Of the three, CP's should be the loudest, but then it is lunch.

I have been impressed with the ability to speak in a reasonable voice, hear and be heard, in the other two.

The food, service and ambiance has been great, plus the noise level has been quite low.

Though I can project to "the back tables," I hate to have to do so. I find that too many restaurants cultivate, what they would typify as a "positive vibe," with loud music, highly reflective surfaces, and the encouragement in screaming and shouting patrons. Hope that they have found their "niche," and that reviewers point me away from these.

Hunt

[thew]

i adore August

[Littleman]

I suggest lunch in Commander's Palace Garden Room located in the Garden District. A street car ride to Commander's and a stroll down Magazine after lunch would be fun. I suggest dinner at Galatoire's in the FQ one night and dinner at August or Emeril's the next night. If you have a difficulty with reservations at Commander's have lunch at Coquette which is several blocks S of Commander's on Magazine.

Will you be staying in the FQ. Good luck.

Emeril's @ 800 Tchoupitoulas St., New Orleans, LA. 504 - 528 - 9393.
http://www.emerils.com/restaurant/1/Emerils-New-Orleans/

Restaurant August @ 301 Tchoupitoulas St., New Orleans, LA. 504 - 299 - 9777.
http://www.restaurantaugust.com/

Commander's Palace @ 1403 Washington Ave., New Orleans, LA. 504 - 899 - 8221.
http://www.commanderspalace.com/

Coquette @ 2800 Magazine St., New Orleans, LA. 504 - 265 - 0421.
http://www.coquette-nola.com/index.html

[latasche]

I would just point out that both Galatoire's and Emeril's can be extremely loud and boisterous at dinner. A reservation upstairs at Galatoire's would be less noisy, but Jazzy's recs for dinner above are better food than Galatoire's IMO. Emeril's is excellent, but very noisy, especially on busy weekend nights.

[kibbles]

+1

[JazzyB]

Manale's is still around however, Mr. B's has the best bbq shrimp. Their gumbo ya-ya is good as well. Lunch at Commander's in the garden room. Dinner: August, Stella!, Le Foret. Brigtsen's is delicious lalthough it lacks the elegant ambience of the others.

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

Le Foret
129 Camp Street, New Orleans, LA 70130