October 8, 2012
Eating my way through New Orleans

As usual my plans revolve around food; I managed to entice, a couple of my foodie friends to join me in New Orleans for a night and a day of food, drink and cigars. Arnold Gentilezza and Amadee Emanuelli, both coworkers, but working in other locales. Arnold drove in just for dinner from Baton Rouge and Amadee traveled from Biloxi, they met me at the Marriott Hotel at 555 Canal Street, New Orleans, We had 7:45 reservations for dinner at the Palace Café  Dickie Brennan’s  new place at 455 Canal Street just across Chartres Street, a very short walk, practically next door to the Marriott,. We were just a few minutes early and the hostess took us to the bar and assured us that it would be just a few minutes, and it was, I didn’t have time to finish my perfectly made Hendrix perfect martini. Upstairs in the beautiful dining room we were seated at a balcony table overlooking the bar and dining areas below, the view was outstanding; wrought iron, columns and stained glass. A properly set table with all the necessary hardware, servers bordering on overly attentive and their bountiful menu.

For starters Amadee ordered  Barbecued Shrimp In a New Orleans style barbecue sauce, spiked with Abita beer, served with Creole toasted French Bread, Arnold had the Shrimp Rémoulade  Spicy boiled shrimp dressed in New Orleans rémoulade, served in a crisp tomato cup on micro greens with herb vinaigrette and chopped egg .  I had heard so much about the Crabmeat Cheesecake baked in a pecan crust with a wild mushroom sauté and Creole meunière  from my new friends from Covington, Louisiana, Buddy and Annie Spell that it was a must do for me. The other guys didn’t rave about their appetizers, saying that they were okay, but my Crabmeat Cheesecake was outstanding the others had a taste and agreed that it far surpassed their choices. We were offered wine or other potables but opted for water instead. Round Two here come the entrees , the Shrimp Tchefuncte, Very nice gulf shrimp in a Creole meunière sauce with green onions, roasted mushrooms and popcorn rice was Amadee’s choice, Arnold opted for the  Crispy Braised Pork Shank  with a warm salad of crispy sweet potatoes, bleu cheese, frisée & house made bacon, finished with a Ponchatoula strawberry barbecue sauce and after looking at the other offerings I too ate the “Pig Leg”, it was good and plentiful but not remarkable, Arnold and I both shared some of the pig meat with Amadee and we shared the same opinion on the value of the dish, okay but not memorable. Desert was offered and refused. For no other reason other than that Arnold had to drive back to Baton Rouge, it was early and desert wasn’t what any of us had in mind. Outside and goodbye to Arnie, Amadee and I headed to the Royal Oyster house, Amadeee had been “jonesing” for oysters so we headed for our desert bar at the oyster bar.

RATING  ONE to FIVE    3.25

The Royal House had been recommended, not that it is better than all of the other Oyster Joints in the Quarter; it was the favorite place of my Covington friends. Again just a few blocks into Vieux Carrie on the corner of Royal and St. Louis and we needed to walk off the meal which we had finished just an hour before. When we arrived I was sort of taken aback at the crowd at the door, it was about eight deep, not in line but a crowd, and I was thinking “this isn’t going to work” but Amadee pushed through the throng and told the door guy that we just wanted to sit at the bar and with a big toothy smile “Arrow” said, “well you gentlmens just come ooon inn,” and we did. Sitting at the end of the bar near the service station we were greeted by another big toothy smile and I mean GOLD toothy, Willie the Shucker, Willie Gant to be exact gave us the old home treatment, “What’ll you gents have?” we each held up a dozen fingers and the bi-valve mollusks were relieved of their shells and what a treat. These spectacular morsels come from the brackish waters where the Pearl River meets the Gulf of Mexico near the Louisiana Mississippi border, born under ideal conditions and grown to a very respectable 2 plus inches of pure oyster meat. Willie and each his teammates open 7 to 8 hundred of these delicacies a day, served raw on the half shell with a little cocktail sauce and horseradish, a squeeze of lemon and a dash of Tabasco Sauce ®, either on a cracker or just “slurp em’” out of the shell , Deeelicious.  We each finished our respective dozen and ordered another half dozen apiece. Ummmm Good.

RATING  ONE to FIVE    3.75

Then off to Bourbon Street to observe the wild and weird and they were in fine form for a balmy October Saturday night, the beads were flying and the Ta Ta’s were showing, unbelievable.

 A short walk down Bourbon Street is the New Orleans Cigar Factory; small, quaint and been there forever, one youngish guy rolling and from what I have heard from old time rollers he won’t last because he rolls two hundred to three hundred sticks a day, the old timers  say his hands will give out. We each bought a cigar lighted up and waked back to the Marriott. What a day, a great evening makes.

Sunday, October 07, 2012, for me I’m usually up a 5:30 but today I slept in until seven, made my way to the hotel’s coffee shop for a great pot of Arabica and a plate of six small beignets and a couple of slice strawberries. I had called my new best friend in the NOLA foodie business Jimmy Boudreaux the reservationist at Commanders Palace, one of New Orleans oldest and finest on Thursday of last week and the best he could do was 1:45, well that’s sort of late to hold for breakfast / lunch brunch but I had, had the fluffy little dough pillows drenched in powdered sugar and sided with strawberries, enough to tied me over, well maybe. Jimmy said to call him after 9:30 to see if he had had any cancellations and he did, he was able to move us back to 12:30 which was perfect. Arrived a little early and were shown the bar and at Commanders that is a treat, you have to walk through the working kitchen and I mean working. But it’s working like a fine timepiece and every piece is fitting together perfectly, the hostess doesn’t let you tarry but gives you enough time to see it in its finest. At the bar I had to have one of the signature Bloody Marys, with the rim of the glass dusted with Commanders secret seasoning; other than the traditional salting they rim the glass with a Cajun seasoning plus other herbs and spices, the only one that stands out in my mind is the oregano. Another hostess arrives and puts our drinks on a tray so we can’t spill them as she shows us to our table. What can I say,

”this is Commander’s Palace” exquisite; our wait staff was made up of three  first class waiters, Jon, Woody and Patrick; they catered to our every need, explained every item which we asked about, and moved in and out without  “hovering” . When my Bloody Mary was exhausted I ordered a Sazarac Cocktail, it came perfect, yesterday when I arrive at the hotel I ordered one and sent it back, too sweet  For our first course Amadee ordered the  Turtle Soup A Commander’s classic ~ Finished tableside with a splash of sherry and I ordered the Oyster & Absinthe “Dome” Poached briny Gulf oysters with bacon, artichokes, tarragon, cream, and a splash of Parisian absinthe ~ Presented under a flaky pastry shell . Astonishing, unreal , delicious. For Entrees I chose the Shrimp and Grits, I have had this dish prepared at the home of friends who are well versed in the culinary arts, I have had them in the Carolina Low Country, in Savannah  and in Texas but these were the best ever. Amadee selected the Lobster Truffel, I tasted it was delectable. We both followed the dinner with their Bread Pudding topped with the whisky sauce and then possibly the best cup of coffee I have ever had, Amadee being from Puerto Rico a coffee producing area and grew up with connoisseurs of their native bean  is somewhat of a coffee expert and explained the process of making and roasting the beans and talked about the Alto Grande coffees which was the favorite of his family.

You think that’s perfect, well we asked about the possibility of smoking a cigar and were taken to a private garden patio, filled with sub-tropical plants, tables with ashtrays and served a 20 year old Warres tawny port, enjoyed two of my birthday H. Upman selects, we were cordially greeted by kitchen and wait staff who were taking “smoke breaks” . Before leaving were  joined by Steve Woodruff who is the Operations Manager for Commander’s Palace as well as Café Adelaide, and told some of the history of the “Brennan’s “ family of restaurants    

RATING  ONE to FIVE    5.00

Ratings are based on: Ambiance, Value, Expectation, Service, Quality

-o-