Tag Archives: Restaurant August

Restaurant August: An Affair Rekindled?

She said:

Over the past few years our relationship has been a bit rocky.  It all started about two years ago when my husband and I experienced a rather inspiring meal, but an unfortunate and loud argument between serving staff behind our table.  That isn’t exactly what you hope for in a five-star restaurant.  Then we decided to head that way for lunch, in our opinion a bit less committment.  We entered and were told to have a seat at the bar as it was about a 5 minute wait.  Over 20 minutes later, we’d not been acknowledged.  That is until we actually walked out the front door at which time the maitre’d came after us for a snappy interaction of sorts.  After this experience, we were a bit hesitant to try it again.

Every so often the idea of giving it another go was discussed and for one reason or another dismissed.  Until this past month when He Said and I were discussing where to celebrate my annual birthday dinner.  We’d been to Stella! twice this year (once in November), the chef’s table at Commanders is upcoming (!!),  and we’d spent our most recent anniversary at Lilette.  We gave some consideration to Gautreau’s, Patois, and even a first go at Le Foret, but in the end it was August.

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Fantasy Gastronomy: The Top 10 Restaurants in New Orleans (via mock draft)

He and She said:

Well, Brett Anderson from the Times Picayune has released his annual list of the top 10 restaurants in New Orleans, so we thought it might be time to do our own.

On a brief side note, an additional benefit of Anderson’s list is the way it brings out the tinfoil hat crowd in the comments section, an enlightened crew who appear convinced that Anderson, Donald Link and John Besh have united in an unholy triumvirate to rule the galaxy while making tasty Louisiana dishes. Multitasking, I guess. Then again, its Snooki and The Situation’s world, and I’m just living in it, so what do I know?

Ok, enough ranting:

We’ve done a post on the most interesting restaurants in NOLA (might be time to update that soon), but that is not what we’re after here. This is our take on the best, so the charming and interesting Mimi’s, for example, probably won’t find a place here.

I had the great idea to do this as a mock draft. When I explained this to my wife, she enthusiastically replied: “What the hell are you talking about?” But, after I explained a bit, she came around to my way of thinking. So, ladies first, and we’ll take turns picking a restaurant and telling you why it’s so great as we fill out our list of ten. Nobody loves a gimmick more than me.

A quick note: some relatively new entries to the NOLA scene that might be contenders for this list, most notably Le Foret and Meson 923, are ineligible, for the simple reason that we have not been there. And for the record, we are in neither Besh, Link, or anyone else’s pocket, although we hope to be one day. Until then, we have nothing to offer but unbiased opinion and the dream of one day being corrupted via a free plate of foie gras. Or pomme frites (in duck fat). Or pretty much anything else.

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