Archive for the 'New Orleans' Category
Mona’s
by Jewel Bush
Mona’s
504 Frenchmen St.,
3901 Banks St.,
1120 S. Carrollton Ave.,
Sounds of the Middle East and the Mediterranean set the tone at Mona’s, a locally-owned chain of like fare. The cafés have quite a following in the Big Easy with a reputation of being a cheap means to filling up on tasty gyros, baba ghanoush and falafel. For under 20 bucks, two can dine on sandwiches as well as appetizers and desserts. At $1.99 per serving, the pastries are a must try, especially the buttery baklava and honeyed nammura. The atmosphere is low key, the service is swift and the vittles are inexpensive and scrumptious. What more can you ask?
Court of Two Sisters
by Paul A. Greenburg
Court of Two Sisters
613 Royal St., New Orleans, LA 70130
Only at Court of Two Sisters in the French Quarter is buffet brunch served daily. The buffet is the most extensive and lavish in the city. The restaurant boasts well over a century of experience in feeding the masses. Egg dishes, seafood, carved meats, fresh bakery items, salads and fruits populate the mouthwatering spread. Still, it is the home-churned vanilla ice cream with praline sauce that goes down so easily with the Dixieland jazz as background music. Find a seat in the aged courtyard, and plan to return for dinner, if only to sample the bacon-wrapped oysters en brochette.
Zimmers Seafood
by Jewel Bush
Zimmers Seafood
4915 St. Anthony Ave., (504) 282-7150
Located in one of the areas hardest hit by Hurricane Katrina, the 7th ward, Zimmers Seafood is up and running. And the neighborhood, dotted with FEMA trailers, needs it too. From the marinated crab salad to the fried shrimp platters to the plethora of overstuffed poboys like catfish everything has to be ordered to go from this modest spot. Onion rings and French fries can compliment any meal. Boiled seafood is also on the menu – crawfish and shrimp, whichever is in season. Don’t forget to add a side of potatoes and corn. The market also sells fresh fish.
Galitoire’s
Galatoire’s
209 Bourbon St., (504) 525-2021
The French Quarter destination has been around for more than a century and dubs itself the “grand dame of New Orleans’ old-line restaurants.” And indeed it is. Many a French-Creole culinary delight has emerged from Galatoire’s, where heavenly food is created (poisson meuniére amandine, sautéed filet of fish topped with a browned butter, lemon juice and red wine vinegar sauce, for example) and served in a formal locale. Gentlemen must wear jackets during dinner and on Sundays. The pricey fare is worth the splurge. Try the appetizer Galatoire grand gouté, heapings of shrimp rémoulade, shrimp maison and crabmeat maison costing $26.50.
Bacco
Bacco
310 Chartres Street, New Orleans, LA 70130
(504) 522-2426
With the opening of Bacco, New Orleans stepped up as a player in the “urban chic” restaurant scene. Regional Italian seasonings and preparations blend easily on the menu with Creole sensibilities and distinctive New Orleans home cooking. The dining rooms are upscale, contemporary and imaginatively conceived. Bacco is a comfortable spot to stop for a pre-theatre supper of Maine lobster and Gulf shrimp ravioli, or a late evening Champagne and dessert date. Nothing says romance quite like a glass of icy Veuve Clicquot accompanied by chocolate custard flavored with Framboise and raspberry compote, topped with shaved chocolate and whipped cream.