Planning a trip to New Orleans...first time post Katrina

Travel, Wine Tourism, and Restaurants Forum
21

We ate at Stella! last night. It was excellent, although the service was almost comical. When they served each course, there was a server for each person at the table, which was really a sight at the table of eight near us. My daughter wants a job as the guy walking around with a pyramid of pats of butter on a plate. But the food was really excellent, especially the beet salad, the duck five ways, and the miso seabass. The mark-up on the wine list was absurd. I would bet it was 5x on some of the wines. Good list other than that.

We ate at August tonight. The “gumbo” was a bit too salty, but the chicken was delicious. I recommend it. Nice wine list, and not too terribly marked up.

Cafe du Monde is a tourist trap. Try Croissant D’Or instead.

Not sure what we are doing tomorrow, probably Bon Ton for gumbo, and then Cochon on Tuesday. I’ll post about those later this week.

22

you’ll enjoy Cochon. sad to hear Stella’s has gone wild with their list but i am on J&J’s expense account when i dine there 3/12.

23

Not all of the wines were obscenely priced, but many were. The food was fabulous, and I managed to find a nice wine to accompany the meal at an acceptable, albeit high price. I wonder if they allow byob.

24

I wish I knew the name of the wine bar that a couple of (surprise!) banned Squires members started out there. I know they picked up a lot of really top end wine for the bar, not just overpriced, widely available stuff.

25

Jeff; Thanks! Keep 'em coming! [help.gif]

Great to hear about Stella.…I am still on the fence re: August.


Cheers!
Marshall [cheers.gif]

26

This is a very timely thread. Thanks a ton everybody. I’m heading there for my first post Katrina trip this coming June. Mostly for business but the wife is likely to come down for a couple of days R&R afterwards so I’ll get some rezzos at these places. Never been to any of them.

27

Marshall,

We had not planned on going to August, but it is across the street from our hotel, and we needed to find someplace close since our daugher is sick. We did not have reservations, so we walked in and asked if we could order dinner in the bar. The staff was very friendly, and very accomodating. Our server offered to give us a tour of the restaurant, and to take us into the kitchen to meet the Chef.

The chicken entree was delicious. The gumbo was too salty, but that was not surprising since it was a slow poached egg with bacon in ham hock broth . . . Not exactly traditional gumbo (which I intend to have today).

The wine list was nice. We had an '06 Perrot-Minot Bourgogne with the chicken.

I am not sure that I would go back, given the plethora of options here, but I would also not tell anyone not to go. It gets down to one’s own tastes, and everyone in the restaurant seemed to be enjoying themselves and the food, including us.

28

Todd,

Is the wine bar the Wine Institute New Orleans? I came across WINO while exploring the Arts/Warehouse District today. Nice selection of wines.

29

I’m not sure - could be. Do you recall the owners’ names?

30

I didn’t ask. I was just curious.

31

My favorite place for Cajun Soul Food: The Praline Connection

Just outside the French Quarter on Frenchmen Street.

32

I love New Orleans! My wife and daughter have been trading a stomach bug back and forth, which has dampened the experience, but I have tried to persevere.

We went to The Bon Ton Cafe yesterday for lunch, before my wife succombed. Really fine gumbo and crayfish étouffée. The best we have had here.

We had a light dinner, given the unsteady state of affairs. We went to Drago’s in the Hilton. I had gumbo (okay, nothing special) and charbroiled oysters. Now, I generally prefer to slurp down raw oysters, but these were really good. Really smoky

We had dinner tonight at Cochon. This was my kind of food, and my favorite meal of the vacation. The roasted oysters, with a chili sauce, were incredible, and blew Drago’s out of the water. The Louisiana Cochon, i.e., the puck, was delicious, as was the boucherie plate. So was the shrimp with the cornmeal cake. My only complaint was the wine list. If they allow byob, I would pick up a good bottle at W.I.N.O., up the street. As it was, I stuck with the Hirsch and Stagg bourbons. IMHO, Cochon was the best of the lot, and the competition was high.

33

Bryan Burkey. Very knowledgable guy, great place with so many wines to taste through their Enomatic system. Awesome shop, a must for true wino’s.

34

Back home, s last post about New Orleans.

Had lunch at Stanley, sister restaurant to Stella, before heading to the airport. I had the softshell crab po boy. Delicious. I probably should have tried the Korean BBQ tenderloin with house made kim chee po boy. Oh well. Good place for lunch or breakfast.

All in all, New Orleans lives up to its reputation for great food and good times.

35

Leslie…You still out there? [shrug.gif] [help.gif]


Cheers!
Marshall [whistle2.gif]

36

What? I have never had a bad meal in New Orleans. Okay, I confess that I have only been there for medical conferences and there was way too much drinking goin on. However, I love New Orleans’ cuisine.

37

I don’t mean the other restaurants weren’t also good, just that I can only recall one of them. Actually, one was Mexican, and it was rather crappy.

38

man did they dumb-down the wine program @ Stella’s! nothing with real age anymore and dessert wines only BTG. food was still very nice but the wine was pretty disappointing. somme brought out an 04 Margaux for others @ this big table to enjoy with heartier fare, had a 1/2 glass and felt this wine was as unforgiving as some of my ex’s.

report on Maximo’s tonight to follow. praying for aged Barolo & BdM.

39

Glenn, think the former somm who was there forever left last year. Things are bound to change. What a shame. Keep us posted.

40

hit Royal House Oyster Bar on Royal & St Louis this afternoon. wonderful oysters, had a great raw dozen. not a zoo like Acme, Felix or Desire so a welcome alternative. horrific wine list though, had a Stella.

off to check out WINO.