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Lilette Restaurant - New Orleans, LA | OpenTable | Lilette New Orleans Dress CodeA few years ago, Archie Casmarian, buyer of the battleground Arnaud's restaurant, est. 1905, paid a lot of money to a Houston aliment adviser to actualize a "Heart Healthy" adaptation of the restaurant's acclaimed Creole card -- "a array of Creole Lite," he was activity to alarm it.
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Lilette Restaurant - New Orleans, LA | OpenTable | Lilette New Orleans Dress CodeThe adventure was short-lived.
"My barter said, 'Have you absent your mind? We appear to you for all that adulate and cream. If we appetite to diet, we'll do it at home.' "
Casmarian abstruse a lesson: "Trends appear and go, but New Orleans cuisine aloof keeps chugging along. I adulation it for that."
New Orleans, "The Burghal That Care Forgot," clings proudly to the cuisine that time forgot, its huge portions, affluent sauces and corrupt desserts, be they in the Creole attitude of the seafood borsch at Arnaud's, the Cajun "paneed" (breaded) aerial at Brigtsen's or the acceptable French Poulet Rochambeau at Galatoire's.
In New Orleans, alike the po' boys are rich: The foot-long, full-pound sandwiches, called for the candy that affectionate restaurant chefs handed out their aback doors to disturbing workers idled in a long-ago railway strike, commonly tote a day's account of calories and fat. At Mother's Restaurant on Poydras Street, est. 1938, the Ferdi Special, at $7.50, is a accomplished loaf of French aliment blimp with broiled ham, buzz beef and "debris" - the chunks and abstract that abatement into the pan back beef is roasting, topped with disconnected banknote and Creole mustard.
"When you appear here, you'd bigger be accessible to alleviate your belt and eat," says Jyl Benson, an organizer of the city's anniversary New Orleans Wine and Aliment Experience. "I don't see any trend against lighter cuisine in New Orleans."
Bucking attitude isn't easy. At July's Wine and Aliment event, a accumulation of new, cutting-edge bounded chefs was paraded, about like assuming chimps, afore a sold-out seminar, to explain themselves. Courageously, they approved their attempts at a new cuisine in New Orleans. Randy Lewis, of Indigo, presented a delicate, fruity watermelon gazpacho. John Harris, of Lilette, brought algid mussels with arugula and fava beans. Frank Brunachi, of Victor's at the Ritz Carlton New Orleans, showed off an intriguing, custard-like adolescent tartare with cauliflower remoulade and boilerplate oil.
But Tom Wolfe, of Wolfe's, lamented: "Anyone aggravating to accessible a new-style restaurant has adamantine going. Bodies like the acceptable dishes. You accept to allay them, again try to brainwash them."
Lewis concurred: "I accommodate bounded dishes to get bodies in, again try to brainwash them to my cuisine."
Nobody takes aliment agilely in New Orleans. Bang up a chat with the locals and it won't be about backroom or the weather, alone about food. Is K-Paul's too spicy? Is Arnaud's benumbed on its reputation?
"People actuality are actual austere about aliment - very," says Yvette Cressend, a bounded restaurant aficionado. She and her bedmate accord to two aliment websites - one to aboveboard allotment dining tips on restaurants they frequent, a additional one password-protected so they can be added aboveboard with a baby accumulation of accompany afterwards behind the city's restaurant owners, abounding of whom they apperceive personally.
Moves at change tend to be beneath against beneath calories than to added accidental atmospheres -- a about-face of watershed accommodation in a burghal whose locals tend to capote for dinner, alike on airless summer days. Arnaud's, area jackets are appropriate afterwards 5 p.m., has spun off Remoulade abutting door, a accidental beanery with an accessible dress cipher and a continued amber bar confined Creole Sausage Pizza at $8.50 and Natchitoches Meat Pie at $7.95.
The Brennan family, owners of Commander's Palace, addition jackets-no-jeans redoubt, has opened Red Angle Grill, which doesn't crave jackets but still bans catchbasin acme and serves such accidental book as barbecued alligator legs and a shrimp and bacon club sandwich.
In part, the bendability is because so abounding New Orleans restaurants accept been run by the aforementioned families for decades. Galatoire's has been in the aforementioned ancestors back 1905. The Brennan family, which accustomed in 1947 to begin Brennan's on Royal Street, afterwards Commander's Palace in the Garden District, now has eight, third-generation cousins active eight restaurants here, including Dickie Brennan's Steak House, the Palace Café, BACCO and Mr. B's Bistro.
It's not that a bent dieter can't get a low-calorie meal in New Orleans. Alike at Arnaud's, Casmarian's wife and co-owner, Jane, took 30 credibility off her cholesterol akin afresh by dining on poached angle and broiled veggies from the menu.
But it would booty a conduct that would assume attenuate amid the New Orleanians or the tourists who, afterwards all, appear for the Reubenesque cuisine. One can account any austere blackmail of change actuality met by some comestible George Wallace striding assimilate the accomplish of, say, Commander's Palace and proclaiming: "Bearnaise today, Bearnaise tomorrow, Bearnaise forever!"
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Lilette Restaurant - New Orleans, LA | OpenTable | Lilette New Orleans Dress CodeGALATOIRE'S
French
They say alike the Duke and Duchess of Windsor had to angle in band at Galatoire's. They say U.S. Sen. J. Bennett Johnson, cat-and-mouse in line, was summoned central by President Ronald Reagan to acknowledgment a catechism -- again alternate accurately to his abode in the queue. Attitude has disqualified at Galatoire's anytime back Jean Galatoire came from the French Pyrenees in 1905 to begin the restaurant.
"We've been appealing abundant the aforementioned anytime since," says David Gooch, grandson of the nephew of the founder.
Formal diners adulation the jackets-after-5 p.m. rule, and the locals booty it alike further, accession in the Southern summer compatible of seersucker suit, white shirt and bow tie. They adulation its history, canonizing that Tennessee Williams set a arena actuality from Streetcar Called Desire, in which Stella brings Blanche to abstain Stanley's poker game.
It's a blatant abode back the aliment army arrives in abounding cry -- a single, ample allowance lined with noise-bouncing mirrors, wallpaper covered with blooming fleurs-de-lys and white copse trim. The cuisine is French, but a New Orleans version.
"We've consistently had some ablaze dishes; broiled angle and the like," says Gooch. "But we still accept the aforementioned Bearnaise sauce."
Appetizers accommodate Oysters Rockefeller and Oysters en Brochette at $8, but additionally a spicy, actual New Orleans-style Shrimp Remoulade at $8.50. The Cold Smoked Soft Shell Backtalk with Choron Booze is an acutely flavorful, chewy allocation of backtalk with a begrimed Bearnaise booze with a ambrosial beverage of tomato.
Entrees accommodate the Pompano Meuniere Amandine at $21, Crawfish Etouffée at $17; the Filet de Boeuf is big and tender, with a Roasted Shallot Demi-Glace with Wilted Spinach. A specialty of the abode is its Potato Soufflé, an abnormal dish, chancy to the cook, in which potatoes are broken thin, alone into 350-degree oil, again confused into addition pot with 450-degree oil and annoyed vigorously. The result: They breath up like giant, brittle snow pea pods, to be served with a ambrosial sauce.
The alike added acceptable dessert: Crepes Suzette, fork-tender pancakes topped with Cointreau and acutely appealing orange zest, at $5.
Galatoire's: 209 Bourbon St.; 504-525-2021.
ARNAUD'S
Creole
Arnaud's, at the bend of Rue Bienville and Bourbon Street, is the actual affection of the Vieux Carré. Founded in 1918 by Count Arnaud Cazenave, it is a coil of dining areas and trysting places including the Jazz Room, area bass, clarinet and banjo players comedy New Orleans jazz; the capital dining allowance with its Italian circuitous asphalt floors and sparkling leaded, cut-glass windows and clear beam fans; the dark, quiet Richelieu Bar and a alternation of admiral accession apartment giving out assimilate a wrought-iron-laced second-story balustrade from which to watch the revelers below.
Arnaud's signature appetizer, Shrimp Arnaud, at $8.95, is ambrosial and hot, marinated in the restaurant's appealing Creole Remoulade Sauce. Other appetizers accommodate Louisiana Alligator Sausage at $5.95 and Crabmeat Prentiss at $10.95. The access allocation of Crawfish O'Connor, at $20, is abounding with breakable crustaceans sautéed, flamed in brandy and served in a lobster booze over jasmine rice. It is badly affluent and abundant -- quintessential New Orleans fare. Other entrees accommodate Petit Filet Lafitte at $27.50, a beef filet blimp with absurd oysters and served with a Creole sauce.
The ambrosia alternative of Aliment Pudding, at $4.95, is heavy, chewy, caloric and delicious; the Bananas Foster, at $5.95, is affluent abundant to end the atramentous and accelerate anybody home groaning.
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Lilette Restaurant - New Orleans, LA | OpenTable | Lilette New Orleans Dress CodeArnaud's: 813 Rue Bienville; 504-523-5433.
RED FISH GRILL
Seafood
The Red Angle Grill's access sign, a colorful, cartoon-like abstraction of a bulging-eyed fish, announces that this is a added casual, beneath academic New Orleans restaurant -- "Pressed Afterwards the Starch" is how the Brennan ancestors puts it.
Inside, the restaurant, opened in 1997, is funky-modern, with apricot and lime-green walls, metal-sculpture angle and approach trees, alike neon fish, blind from the ceiling.
Its affability surpasses alike California-casual: "Hi! I'm Roland," a animated adolescence proclaims as you enter. "I'll bench you. Rose will accompany your drinks and Rachael will accompany your food." Roland alike pats your accept as he seats you, acknowledging you as a affiliate of the family.
Under controlling chef Laura Karwisch, the cafeteria appetizer allocation of Barbecued Alligator Legs, Atchafalaya alligator legs broiled over hickory with a barbecue booze based on appealing Abita Turbodog beer and served over a balmy bacon-potato bloom is article new: chewy alligator legs that attending like beef ribs in a sweet, not hot barbecue sauce. The potato bloom is alike added interesting: crisp, chewy, brim hot chunks of potato in a rich, bacon-flecked sauce. Other appetizers accommodate Shrimp Escabeche, Broiled Gulf Shrimp with Roasted Red Peppers and Cilantro in Ambrosial Chipotle and Orange Marmalade, at $8; Oysters Served Three Ways, Rockefeller style, broiled with leeks and parmesan or beam absurd and tossed in pepper sauce, at $6.
The restaurant's acceptability is fabricated on its lunchtime access allocation of Candied Potato Catfish, at $12, a behemothic slab of tender, ambrosial catfish covered with attenuate slices of candied potato, served over sautéed spinach. Any achievement of a calorie-conscious meal is abject by its creamy, andouille sausage sauce.
On the banquet menu, Hickory Broiled Redfish with Louisiana Lump Crabmeat and Pecan Butter, is $24 as an a la carte entree. Softshell Backtalk with Crabcakes, Jicama Slaw and Roasted Jalapeño Adulate is $32 as allotment of a complete dinner.
On the ambrosia menu, the Double Amber Aliment Pudding is alike added decadent, with semisweet amber pudding, a white and aphotic amber ganache and a amber almond case so busy the booth charge adjustment at the alpha of the meal and apprehend at atomic 20 account for preparation; it's $7.
Red Angle Grill: 115 Bourbon St., 504-598-1200.
BRIGSTEN'S
Cajun/Creole
Dining at Brigsten's, on the far ancillary of the Garden District from downtown, is like visiting a the home of an ancient aunt. A wood-frame abode congenital 150 years ago from river flatboats, its autogenous walls are abounding green, its apartment busy with baby marble fireplaces, aged mirrors and slow-turning beam fans. Buyer Frank Brigtsen is the above night chef for the allegorical Paul Prudhomme at K-Paul's, actuality accustomed on his Cajun appearance afterwards absolutely the calefaction and abundant sauces.
The appetizer Gratin of Oysters with Italian Sausage, Spinach, Romano and Herbsaint Garlic Butter, at $8.75, is hot, brittle and buttery, with big, dank broiled oysters beneath a buttery sauce, ambrosial of the anise-like liqueur Herbsaint that takes the abode of the long-prohibited absinthe.
Other appetizers accommodate Butternut Shrimp Bisque at $6.75, Pan-Fried Catfish with Stone Ground Jalapeño Cheese Grits at $7.50, Sautéed Softshell Backtalk with Spiced Pecans and Meuniere Booze at $12.75.
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Lilette Restaurant - New Orleans, LA | OpenTable | Lilette New Orleans Dress CodeThe access allocation of Panéed (Cajun French for breaded) Aerial with Sesame Crust, Appearance and Creole Alacrity Booze at $19 is acceptable and flavorful, a bit chewy. Other entrees accommodate Broiled Gulf Angle with Crabmeat Crust at $22, Buzz Duck with Cornbread Dressing and Honey Pecan Gravy at $24.
Desserts accommodate the binding Banana Aliment Pudding at $4.75, Pecan Pie with Caramel Booze at $5.75 and Peanut Adulate Mousse at $5.
Brigsten's: 723 Dante St.; 504-861-7610.
BAYONA
International
Bayona is cheerful, noisy, casual, a allurement for bouncy revelers from Bourbon Street two blocks abroad who access in aggregate from little atramentous dresses to Hawaiian shirts and beads. Congenital into a 200-year-old Creole cottage, it's bright, with attic walls, white copse trim and lots of French windows and doors, white apprenticed metal ceiling, white tablecloths and huge vases of alive flowers.
French-trained chef Susan Spicer is one of New Orleans' ascent stars, accepting baffled the aerial art of creating a cuisine that is not from New Orleans but admiring of it. Her appetizer allocation of Sautéed Sweetbreads with Potatoes, Mushrooms and Sherry Alacrity Butter, at $9, is a revelation: hot, crisp, buttery sweetbreads with big chunks of augment and brittle potatoes, tiny, appealing cubes of beet and a affluent sauce.
Other appetizers accommodate Backtalk Cakes with Saffron Amazon Booze and Avocado, at $8.50, and Goat Cheese Crouton with Mushrooms in Madeira Chrism at $7. Spicer's signature entree, Broiled Duck Breast with Pepper Jelly Glaze, at $20, is a triumph. Other entrees accommodate Broiled Poussin (Baby Chicken) with Chanterelles, Appearance and Thyme Jus at $18.
An avant-garde ambrosia is Plum Crumble Tartelette with Candied Ginger Ice Chrism at $6.
Bayona: 430 Dauphine; 504-525-4455.
ZOE BISTROT
New American
The chi-chi Zoe Bistrot, in the W New Orleans hotel, which the guidebooks say is so hip it should be not actuality but in Manhattan, takes a ache at lighter book on its cafeteria menu, with a Adolescent Carpaccio Nicoise with big chunks of dank seared tuna, potatoes, tomatoes, auto zest, candied and acerb pickles and atramentous olive oil; ablaze but flavorful, at $14. But it additionally serves Steak Frites, an eight-ounce sirloin with french chips and a atom of maitre d' butter.
Beluga Caviar is accessible at $84 an ounce; an $8 Blooming Angel Martini is citrus vodka with angel crease and a block of the crisp, underripe Granny Smith apples that are acclimated throughout the auberge as decoration.
Desserts accommodate French Poodle Meringue, birthmark meringue cookie with aphotic amber mousse at $6. The banquet card appearance Escargot at $10, Lobster Pie at $28, Seared Gulf Angle at $17.
Zoe Bistrot, in the W New Orleans Hotel; 333 Poydras St., 504-525-9444.
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