Tag Archives: restaurants

Three Strikes: Rene Bistrot

Posted on January 4, 2013 | 2 Comments

She Said:

Do you ever walk into a place and instantly feel it is doomed? That’s just what happened to us last Monday afternoon.

It’s noon on Christmas Eve and I’ve just wrapped up a half day of work. The husband and I decide to escape the crowds at our house and head instead to lunch. For whatever reason we were in the mood for an experience slightly more upscale where we could enjoy a glass of wine over a festive meal. This was very spur of the moment, and every place we called was either closed or booked.  

Rene’ Bistro had been on our radar since it opened in the Renaissance Arts hotel earlier this year.  And after the first several places we considered  were closed Steve suggested aptly any place that is in a hotel should be open. So to Rene’ Bistro we headed. We arrived to an empty house. No trouble getting a seat in this place, it would seem. Few places need a festive set of diners more than this one; the decor is hotel-bland with the kind of could-be-anywhere vibe that has you looking for the buffet station. Shortly after being seated we were greeted by another patron however: a fruit fly. And then another. You get the idea. Not exactly what I was looking for. Strike 1. Continue reading →

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Posted in Food, Lunch, Restaurant, Reviews, She said

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Night in Tunisia: Jamila’s

Posted on February 13, 2011 | 1 Comment

He Said:

You might not realize that Jamila’s is a classic New Orleans restaurant until sometime after you’ve left.

The North-African menu certainly has little in common with the culinary idiom of the Big Easy; you won’t find gumbo or etouffee here. But what you will find is an approach to eating that will seem very familiar to you if you are a passionate NOLA diner. And that makes good sense, when you think about it. While our New Orleans eating perspective is unique in America, it is rooted in Old World sensibilities and rhythms, and Jamila’s has these in spades.

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Abandon All Hope, Ye Who Enter (after 10:45): Dante’s Kitchen

Posted on January 19, 2011 | 1 Comment

He said:

Actually, I really, really like Dante’s kitchen. A lot.

I almost went with En fuego: Dante’s Kitchen, which would have been perhaps a more accurate post title, and I seriously considered The Magic of Dante, referencing a local magician, because it’s not easy to come up with any Dante line that doesn’t reference everybody’s favorite Italian poet. In the end, I decided to stick with the catchy branding Dante stuck on a big sign just outside the gates of hell near the beginning of the Inferno, the only part of his trilogy anyone ever even thinks about reading. Atonement and Grace as delivered in the Purgatorio and Paradiso? Boring. Testimony, as if we needed it, that badness is more interesting than goodness any time.

Dante was not shy, placing numerous contemporaries with whom he had a beef in whatever circle of hell he felt most appropriate, naming names, and subjecting them to various hideous and eternal torments. Were I a million times more talented than I actually am, I might try a NOLA version. Between Orleans and Jefferson Parishes, I think the circles of damnation might have a wait-list.

Wait a second: Isn’t there supposed to be a restaurant review here? Ok then: My mother’s birthday was this past Monday, so we took she and my father to the wonderful Dante’s Kitchen for brunch Sunday morning. In Kitchen Confidential, Anthony Bourdain rails against brunch as amateur hour, the service for which no chef wants to be present, and generally an opportunity for the restaurant to get rid of whatever didn’t sell during the week by repackaging it as a special, as in specially designed to offload this crap. I’m sure Bourdain knows what he’s talking about. He is, like, famous and everything. But brunch is not that way at every restaurant, and certainly not at Dante’s. First, brunch is big business. Dante’s opens at 10:30, and that’s when you want to be there. Unless you want to stand around and drink for awhile as you wait for a table, which come to think of it is not such a bad thing. Ok, so maybe abandon all hope is a little strong, but I couldn’t find be prepared to wait for a table in my Dante concordance. Maybe I missed it.

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Posted in Breakfast, He Said, Restaurant, Reviews

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Restaurant August: An Affair Rekindled?

Posted on January 18, 2011 | 3 Comments

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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A Mixed Bag: Meson 923

Posted on January 9, 2011 | 6 Comments

She Said:

Remember those days trick-or-treating as a kid when you would visit the house that had pre-made themed bags filled with candy?  Unbelievably coordinated symphonies of Snickers and Pixie Sticks creating a unified experience of Halloween goodness? But inevitably you would get to the cat lady’s house, the home of a sweet woman who was so excited to share her version. You opened the beautiful bag only to discover it was filled with Bit-O-Honey and those crappy orange and black candies that don’t even have names. WTF?  That fairly appropriately describes our experience this past Thursday at Meson 923.

Several months ago when we asked a local food writer which new restaurant was really impressing, without hesitation he offered Meson 923.  That brought on much conversation surrounding this restaurant as well as several others.  It has been on our short list ever since.

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Posted in Reviews, She said

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Size Matters: A Guide to a Guy’s Weekend in the Big Easy

Posted on January 8, 2011 | 3 Comments

He Said:

Let’s face it: Women are better then men at this. In my experience, a girls weekend involves a degree of anticipation and planning foreign to most guys. Often, a male gathering involves a sports bar and a quick check to ensure there’s money for beer, quantity trumping quality in many cases. However, most of us still don’t carry purses, and that does make it less likely a calculator will be produced at the table for the hideous purpose of splitting the check, a practice that should be illegal in any civilized country. So we’ve got that going for us.

But we can do better than just showing up and drinking right? There’s more to New Orleans than Hurricanes and Hand Grenades, correct? If you’re planning a guys weekend in NOLA and want to be sure to hit the hot spots on Bourbon, you can stop reading now, because this post won’t help you. But really, who needs a tour guide? Bourbon Street isn’t what you’d call subtle in its charms. Just show up; you’ll manage to find the party. Trust me. But if you’re looking for something different, you’ve come to the right post. Here’s my take on the male foodie’s weekend in New Orleans. Hand-grenade free, but hopefully complete with acceptable levels of testosterone.

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Posted in He Said, Lists, Reviews

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And Now For Something Completely Different: Cafe Abyssinia

Posted on December 22, 2010 | 4 Comments

He Said:

My mother would hate this place. If however, you actually like to run with scissors, play in the rain, not look where you’re going, swim five minutes after eating, jump off a bridge because your friend told you to, and otherwise tempt fate up to and including eating with your fingers, Abyssinia might be just the place for you.

Prior to my current career, there was a shadowy chapter in my past that involved desertion from the French Foreign Legion. Said desertion allegedly the culmination of a disagreement over cheese that escalated into a knife fight (but just the little round brie knives, not the sharp ones) in a wadi outside of Tangier. As a result, I spent a few years as a soldier-of-fortune in East Africa, searching for the Ark of the Covenant and becoming somewhat of an expert in Ethiopian Cuisine. I can’t say much more about those days, for obvious reasons. In most cases when questioned my wife claims that I am ‘full of shit’ or ‘making that up’ in order to discourage too much attention. So far, so good.

Anyway, that background makes me ideally suited to review our recent trip to the new Cafe Abyssinia at 3511 Magazine Street. You have to look close to find this place. It is almost directly across the street from Martin Wine Cellar and next door to a snowball stand, but set well off the street with only a small sign to betray its presence. We stopped in to check it out, and here is what we discovered:

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Posted in Dinner, Dinner, He Said, Restaurant, Reviews

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Bouligny: It’s a great big beautiful tomorrow

Posted on December 9, 2010 | 1 Comment

She said:

Man, there’s nothing to do in this town!
Ever sit on the couch and ponder how few options in dining and entertainment we have in New Orleans?  Yeah, me either.  On the contrary, any single decision means there are hundreds of others left blowing in the wind.  One recent Friday evening after a spirited game of Rock, Paper, Scissors He said victoriously and rather smugly chose Bouligny Tavern as our starting point.  (This is of course how I remember it.)

We ventured out early, which is never a good sign if you intend to have plans post-dinner, and arrived at Bouligny about 6:30 pm.  There were still at this time several open tables as well as the bar.  Looking around the room, I realized that this is definitely one of the see and be seen places around town where the pretty people go.  It makes sense, as the atmosphere inside is significantly different (in a good way) from most other bars and restaurants throughout the city.  It reminds me of Tomorrowland in Disney. You know, yesterday’s cutting edge vision of tomorrow which has now become yesterday and is therefore vintage.  I’m not sure I understand that analogy myself.

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Posted in Dinner, Restaurant, She said, Tapas

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Camellia Grill French Quarter: Flower Power

Posted on December 6, 2010 | 2 Comments

She Said:

I’ll see your fries and raise you a freeze. Watch out, Clover Grill, because there is competition brewing in the Quarter. Thanks to our trusty Gambit, I was the first in this household to learn of the new location of Camellia Grill opening in the French Quarter.  (We have an ongoing battle to be in-the-know on all things food throughout the GNO area). We immediately knew that we had to stake a claim on this one since it is after all in our back yard. Perfect, because we had multiple parties to attend this weekend and the forecast was partly cloudy with an 80% chance of late night/hangover food.

Saturday we made the pre-pounce stalker walk-by to check the scene out on our way to our first party. After party number 2, I was not really hungry and asked if we could beg-off till breakfast. He said graciously agreed and I went off to dreamland with visions of fluffy omelets dancing in my head.  Sunday morning we strategically planned our day to include Mass at the Cathedral, breakfast, a trip to Jefferson to decorate our tree and house, and MV Burger’s foie gras special later in the evening.  It was set: Mass, then breakfast.

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Posted in Breakfast, Restaurant, Reviews, She said

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Dominique’s on Magazine: Who’s that girl?

Posted on December 1, 2010 | Leave a comment

He said:

‘Who is that?’

First day. New year. You pass through the door into home room, picking up the thread of last June with your fellow travelers, and there she is: The new girl in class, transferred in from across town. In two weeks, she’ll take her destined place in the alpha social circle, and long before that she’ll have realized you’re an epsilon semi-moron. but none of that matters right now as the crush hits you like a freight train and eighth-grade life feels very good.

Dominique’s on Magazine is that girl, the prettiest new restaurant I’ve been to in a long time, and that includes Bouligny and Oak, two other very self-consciously designed spaces. Some might say that’s just noise; the style obscuring the substance, as it were. I could not disagree more. When you’re dropping upward of $100 for dinner, you’re paying for the whole experience, and you have a right to expect it. It reminds be of my general beef with many steak houses (pun very much intended). Don’t charge me $200 for dinner for two and bring some lame-ass “gratin” side dish over along with your standard crappy mushrooms just because you think you’ve got good steak. I’m paying two-hundred bucks; I want you to pay attention to all the dishes. Do you hear me, Ruth’s? Ok, that was a little rant. Back to the topic at hand.

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Posted in Dinner, Dinner, He Said, Restaurant, Reviews

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