November 29, 2007

I'm cooking at T. L. Starke's tonight...

I'm covering the kitchen tonight at T. L. Starke's, 3535 Severn in Metairie, so if you're local, come on by and say hi!

Posted by YatPundit at 1:40 PM | Comments (0)

November 6, 2007

John Besh

NYT says nice things about the man who hopefully will be "The Next Iron Chef."

Personally, I can think of half a dozen New Orleans chefs I would have picked over Bobby Flay in the first place, but if Besh gets on the show, I'll be happy.

(h/t Vicky Moos)

Posted by YatPundit at 8:23 AM | Comments (0)

July 9, 2007

RIP, George Brumat

Your food and restaurants have made you immortal, though:

Founder Of Port Of Call, Snug Harbor Dies

The man who founded the well-known French Quarter bar and restaurant Port of Call and the jazz bistro Snug Harbor in the Marigny has died.

George Brumat suffered an apparent heart attack Saturday.

Brumat's passion was jazz music.

He was known to spend most of his nights at Snug Harbor, listening to local and national jazz greats play on his stage.

Brumat was 63 years old.

*raises glass*

Posted by YatPundit at 12:41 PM | Comments (0)

June 25, 2007

New Jersey...

I'm teaching in Berkeley Heights, NJ this week. The hotel where I'm staying is in Basking Ridge, NJ, and there's an interesting Italian place down the street called "Ciao." It's an upscale-but-casual place. I grabbed a seat at the bar rather than a table for one.

I started with a glass of Pinot Noir that was suggested by the bartender, Meredith. After I decided on tuna for dinner, she suggested a white made from Malbec. The Malbec grape usually makes a full-bodied red, but this was wine was made from "skinless" Malbec grapes (her description). I think what she meant was the wine is pressed and the skins are immediately discarded. With red grapes, the skins are usually left in contact with the juice, so the tannin in the skin enriches the wine. It was a good choice, full and fruity.

Apologies for the quality of these photos; they're from my phone and lighting was poor

My first course was cream of asparagus soup:

It was subtle, with thin slices of asparagus throughout.

Next was the main course, seared tuna with a ginger-soy sauce:

That's an arugla and onion salad on either side, grilled asparagus on top, and the tuna was sitting on top of a scoop of wasabi mashed potatoes. The tuna was perfect, the salad and asparagus wonderful. The wasabi mashed potatoes were just a bit odd to my taste. They weren't bad, I just didn't quite know how to process the taste at the same time as the tuna. I didn't eat all that much of the potatoes, which was my rationalization for dessert. I don't totally subscribe to Sajini's theory that dessert is most important, but I don't want to be a glutton, either.

I asked Meredith to pick between a brownie cheesecake, tiramisu, and orange mousse, and she suggested the Orange Mousse:

My guess is that the mousse was the only one of the three made in-house. It was a winner, a tasty combination of orange with blackberries.

I capped off dinner with a cappucino.

Overall, this was a good meal. Given the overall dearth of places to eat near here, I may go back and try Ciao's pizza later this week.

Posted by YatPundit at 11:19 PM | Comments (0)

June 23, 2007

Liuzza's on Bienville

Since Justin had to work at our restaurant on his birthday Wednesday, we took him out to dinner last night. After we rejected his choices of Antoine's or Galatoire's, he countered with Luizza's on Bienville, and everyone was happy.

We ordered two appetizers, onion rings and fried calamari. Both were excellent, particularly the calamari. For entrees, Helen had the half po-boy (fried shrimp) and a cup of soup, which was their shrimp-and-artichoke:

Most places do oyster-artichoke soup, so Liuzza's use of shrimp is a bit different. The soup is a chicken stock and cream base, with shrimp and artichoke hearts, along with a bit of onion and garlic.

Kev had a cheeseburger--he wasn't all that motivated by the seafood and Italian dishes at the restaurant. I had a hot sausage po-boy, and Justin had Crawfish Telemachus:

Forgive the photo, he had started twirling his pasta before I snapped the pic. He was very defensive when it came to his crawfish, but he let me dip some french bread into the sauce. It wasn't as spicy as what I cook at home, but that's ok, it was much better than classic "Crawfish Monica."

No dessert tonight, everyone was stuffed from a most-excellent meal!

Posted by YatPundit at 12:01 PM | Comments (0)

April 27, 2007

yet another consequence of the storm...

...is that restaurants, even the best of them, can't find good, stable help these days:

Waiter melee at Antoine's

Before they could serve the first order of oysters rockefeller, two "apprentice waiters" at Antoine's attacked one another in a melee that ended with a swinging glass bottle and a pool of blood, said the restaurant's owner, Rick Blount.

The melee interupted the table-setting routine and sent one waiter to the hospital and another to police custody -- all before dinner. The New Orleans Police Department initially dispatched officers to the restaurant in the 700 block of St. Louis Street for an alleged shooting, but that later proved false.

we're lucky, our issues with flaky staff usually revolve around drugs and abusive boyfriends. Nobody's gone postal at either restaurant yet (knocks on wood).

Posted by YatPundit at 1:51 PM | Comments (0)

April 1, 2007

FEMA Fiesta Cafe

April 1, 2007

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NEW RESTAURANT OPENS IN METRO NEW ORLEANS

FEMA Fiesta Cafe
cor. Mirabeau and the London Avenue Canal
New Orleans, LA
**********

The restauranteurs who brought you Bonnie's at the Spillway and The Back of the Net are proud to introduce their newest concept, FEMA FIESTA CAFE. Currently located at the corner of Mirabeau Avenue and the London Avenue Canal, Fema Fiesta Cafe is an eclectic fusion of classic New Orleans Creole dishes and Tex-Mex cuisine.

"We wanted a concept that appealed to a large segment of the area's population," says one of the owners.

Starting with appetizers such as the Oysters Rockefeller Burrito, the menu lives up to expectations. Continue your meal with the Gentilly Gumbo, which is served in a square "Floodwall Bowl." Be sure to eat fast, though, before the "floodwall" breaks and all that chicken-andouille goodness ends up in your lap!.

"We went for accuracy on the 'floodwall bowl,' so we hired Eustis Engineering to build our bowl just as good as the canal floodwalls," said another of FFC's owners.

If you manage to get through the soup course safely, you'll be ready to take on entrees such as Evacuation Enchiladas, which are filled with spicy crawfish. As with all things related to evacuations, there's always a bit of a delay when ordering this dish. You might want to have a cocktail while you wait, and we suggest you try the "Broussard Water."

"The idea is to simulate the water that came into houses in Metairie because [Parish President Aaron] Broussard didn't turn the pumps back on in time," said FFC's chief mixologist. "It may look as depressing as when people realized they had to cut out all the walls in their homes, but there's enough rum in that cocktail to ease the pain for a little while."

If enchiladas aren't what you're in the mood for, try the Bush Brick Oven Pizza, which is served flying overhead from the kitchen. It won't touch down in New Orleans on your own, but FFC has two Republicans on staff who can pull the pizza down and force it to be in the same place with New Orleans residents for a little while.

For dessert, try the "C Ray Sundae." It's a waffle bowl filled with five scoops of chocolate chocolate chip ice cream, smothered in hot fudge syrup. Or you can sample the "Heckuva Job Brownies." Both are topped with just a touch of whipped cream.

"In New Orleans, there's always a little white on top," said FFC's pastry chef.

In true New Orleans tradition, the owners of FEMA Fiesta Cafe didn't spend a lot of money on decorations or atmosphere. The restaurant is made up of ten FEMA trailers joined together to make a single, continuous space. The trailers are still mobile, however, so the entire restaurant can be dismantled and re-located to another part of town on any given night.

So, for a great time in an undisclosed location, try FEMA Fiesta Cafe when it's near you!

-30-

Posted by YatPundit at 1:25 PM | Comments (0)

March 20, 2007

Mandina's is back!

The Mid-City neighborhood in New Orleans is struggling to get back on its feet after three to six feet of water from the 17th Street Canal flooded the area. It's a tough road, but there are a lot of folks determined to get back to normal. Now that Mandina's Restaurant is back, Canal Street outside of the Central Business District has yet another reason to be proud.

Like many neighborhood restaurants in New Orleans, Mandina's started out as a grocery store. Sebastian Mandina converted the store on Canal and Cortez Streets into a restaurant, and the rest isn't history, it's tradition. And a tasty one at that.

One of my earliest memories of Mandina's is tied to, of course, a funeral. Just across the street from the restaurant is Jacob Schoen and Sons Funeral Home. Having a big wake is a long-time New Orleans tradition, and when the evening starts to drag along, the men of the family would occasionally sneak out across the street to Mandina's. My dad did that one evening when I was a small boy, as we waited for the streetcar to pass by us, then we dashed across so he could get a beer. As an adult, Mandina's was one of the places my fraternity brothers and I would venture to for lunch when we wanted to get away from UNO's lakefront campus. Grace Episcopal Church was always one of my favorite places to see Carnival parades that passed by on Canal Street, and that always meant we'd run into Mandina's and grab a couple of po-boys while waiting for the floats.

Those green streetcars (the Perley A. Thomas 900-series) are temporarily back on Canal Street while their more modern red cousins are being re-built, sending the 3700 and 3800 blocks of Canal into a mid-50s time warp. The Mandinas I walked into on Saturday wasn't the same smoky place I remembered; between storm renovations and the state's no-smoking-in-restaurants law, Mandina's looks like new in side.

The menu is far from new, though, and that's a wonderful thing. The four of us (myself, the wife, and the two boys) waited about 20 minutes at the bar for a table, where I had an Abita Amber, Helen had a glass of the house Chardonnay, and the boys had soft drinks. When we were seated, the boys devoured the crackers and butter on the table. We started with an order of Onion Rings. Onion rings at Mandina's are excellent, and totally different from those served at their neighborhood rivals, Liuzza's (over on Bienville Street). Mandina's onion rings are thick-cut, deep-fried in a tasty batter. When we walked from the bar to the table, I noticed that they have an Abita "seasonal" tap, so I switched to Abita Red Ale.

Usually I get something Italian at Mandina's, but I was in the mood for a roast beef po-boy, so that's what I ordered. Justin (my teen, who is a freshman at Georgia Tech) has been jonesing for fried shrimp since his return home on spring break, so he got the shrimp plate. Kevin, the 12-year old who eats more than his 19-year old brother, ordered a burger on a bun. Helen got half a shrimp loaf with just butter on the french bread.

In spite of the fact that the place was packed, the timing of the food coming to the table was pretty good. The boys didn't have a lot of time to continue on the crackers before the onion rings arrived, and the sandwiches weren't that far behind.

My roast beef po-boy was just perfect. Good, crunchy french bread, lots of meat, and enough gravy to make the whole thing sloppy without being gross. The shrimp were a hit--one of the best things about a busy day at a neighborhood restaurant like Mandina's is that fried seafood doesn't have a lot of time to sit around. The shrimp were hot and tasty. Kev's burger got a thumbs-up as well. There were enough fries on Justin's dinner plate for the boys to share, so we didn't get an extra order for Kevin.

Service was as good as it can be on a day when a restaurant is packed. Our server didn't miss a beat, even though she was running back and forth between the kitchen and a number of tables. The place settled down a bit after a party of twelve or so left, and we got more of the "Are y'all doing OK?" questions at that point. What was important was that she got the food to us--after that, New Orleanians don't need to be fussed over.

We skipped dessert because Helen and I were stuffed. (We bought the boys off of the notion with the promise that we'd go to Ben & Jerry's later.) The tab was $12 at the bar (one beer, one house wine, two soft drinks), and I tipped to make it $15. The check for the meal was $58, and I left $70. That's $70 as in three twenties and a ten--Mandina's doesn't take credit cards or checks. Let me repeat that for those of you who have forgotten what real cash looks like in this age of debit cards: Mandina's doesn't take credit cards or checks!

One of the reasons that Mid-City residents and businesses put up with the construction of the new Canal streetcar line was the hope that the "Red Ladies" would bring visitors down from the Quarter/CBD. Until they're back on the line, experience the "time warp" of riding the 1929-vintage streetcars up Canal to Mandina's on your next trip to town. Locals, you now have no excuse not to check it out, since they've build a 20+ car parking lot next door!

Mandina's
3800 Canal St
New Orleans, LA 70119
Mon-Thu 11:00am-10:30pm
Fri-Sat 11:00am-11:00pm
Sun 12:00pm- 9:00pm
Tel: (504) 482-9179
Fax: (504) 486-8283
****

Posted by YatPundit at 11:47 AM | Comments (0)

March 7, 2007

They still can't beat the T. L. Starke's "Sumo Burger"

...which is 16oz!

McDonald's tests a big burger, report says

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Fast-food chain McDonald's is testing a bigger high-end Angus burger that costs a little bit more for the extra weight, according to a published report Wednesday.

The Chicago Tribune said the new Third Pounder is currently available only in about 600 restaurant locations in Southern California. At one-third of a pound, the burger is the biggest on the McDonald's (Charts) menu at outlets where it is being tested.

It is also the most expensive sandwich, priced at $3.99, the paper said.

I wonder if it'll draw anyone away from In-and-Out Burger? :-)

Posted by YatPundit at 7:12 PM | Comments (0)

February 7, 2007

Schiro's Restaurant, Royal Street, Bywater...

One of my favorite all-time po-boys is the classic hot sausage sandwich. Take a couple patties of Patton's hot sausage, grill them up, then serve them dressed with a little mayo on good french bread.

Schiro's in da Bywater gets it right:

Look at that thick slice of tomato...delish!

Posted by YatPundit at 6:59 PM | Comments (0)

February 3, 2007

Sake Cafe in Elmwood

a "New Orleans Roll," from the Sake Cafe in Elmwood, which was my dinner tonight. The inside is crawfish, tempura batter, and avacado, topped with "half-spicy" salmon, snow crab, and some kind of green roe. Yummy! The salmon was definitely spicy, but not as hot as you'd expect in a "spicy" roll, so it lived up to its name. Helen had Chicken Teriyaki. Sake does good teriyaki dishes as well as good sushi. I washed mine down with a large Saporro, Helen had a glass of wine. The bill came to $53 plus tip.

Posted by YatPundit at 11:51 PM | Comments (0)

January 31, 2007

Pizza Florence

Pizza Florence, on Veterans Blvd. at N. Woodlawn Ave. (across the street from Clearview Mall).

These guys make good pizza. 'nuff said on that. Rather than a classic calzone or stromboli, they do a "Lavash Wrap" sandwich, which is delicious, particularly the eggplant-and-garlic one.

Posted by YatPundit at 9:32 AM | Comments (0)

October 24, 2006

Restaurant Trials and Tribulations...

So, I'm sitting in our lovely newly-opened T. L. Starke's location in Kenner, and we're dead as a doornail. The reason is very simple. We have no liquor license.

The story goes like this: We started the application process for our alcoholic beverage permits over a month ago. In Louisiana, it's a two-stage process. We have to have a permit from the local jurisdiction (in this case the city of Kenner) to sell alcohol at retail. We also need a permit to purchase liquor at wholesale, and that comes from the state. All our paperwork is in order. All the public notices have been filed and the time has run on those notices. What we're waiting on now is one final step, a personal interview with the owners (us) and the Louisiana State Police.

There is a division of the state police that handles the wholesale liquor permits. When all the papers are filed, a Trooper comes out and meets with the owners. He's got a wireless laptop where he pulls up everyone's record and does a series of brief interviews. Thing is, we're going on a month now with no call from the State Police. We've been open a week, unable to sell beer, and payroll is doing us in.

I'm sure there's a perfectly good reason why it's taking this division of the State Police so long to set up a meeting with us. Perhaps they're understaffed. Maybe there are just that many new restaurants and bars in the metro New Orleans area that they're just swamped. Yeah, that's it, post-storm New Orleans is opening all those new places.

So, we're in the classic dilemma. If we complain too loudly about the procedures of a bureaucrat, we risk the wrath of the bureaucrat, which might delay us more. Still, we're having to pump extra capital into the business to cover losses that don't have to be there.

Frustration!

Posted by YatPundit at 2:10 PM | Comments (0)

October 1, 2006

Bay Area dining last week...

I got out for a couple of good meals last week while teaching in Santa Clara. I was at a hotel in Sunnyvale that was around the corner from a brewpub, Faultline Brewery. Faultline styles itself as a bit more upscale than most brewpubs, and the prices on the menu reflect that. Still, the beers were only $4/pint, so what the heck. It was Hump Day, and I was thirsty. :-)

I started with a bowl of their Cream of Mushroom soup. It's always interesting to get a dish like this, where your first thought might be a can of Campbell's rather than a "good" soup. Let's face it, Cream of Mushroom is the filler item for many a casserole recipe. A restaurant that serves such an item usually does a good job with it just to prove that there's life after the can. Faultline came through; it was a good broth with lots of sliced portobello mushrooms swimming in it. I had their "Koelsch" lager with the soup, a nice light beer. It was listed as a lager, but it was more of a pilsner. My entree was the NY Steak, which was a 12oz strip. They cooked it right, but if I had to do it over again, I would have skipped the sauce, which was a stock/wine reduction with horseradish. It wasn't bad, but it was really more like just OK. The baked potato was done right, and the steamed veggies on the side were a good complement to the steak, mostly green beans and onions, a combination that I enjoy. I switched to the stout for the steak. It was billed as an "Irish Stout," but it really wasn't all that heavy. They poured it fast, which means it should have come back very un-settled. When the waiter set it down, however, it was already drinkable. Not that it was a bad beer, mind you, but it was on the light side for a stout. It was definitely more along the lines of a full-bodied porter. Since I was walking back to the hotel, I decided to "drink" dessert, which was a couple more pints of the sout. Obviously it wasn't all that bad, in spite of my criticism. :-)

After class was done on Friday, I invited greeklady to join me for a beer or three--she was having a rough week. She picked me up at the hotel when she was done for the day and we went back to Faultline. Rather than order dinner, we decided to pick on appetizers. We got three. We ordered their Dungeness Crab Cakes, and their Salmon-Stuffed Hush Puppies. Being a consummate Cali chick, greeklady didn't know what a hush puppy was, so this was interesting. The Crab cakes were a bit stringy--I don't know if Dungeness crab has a particular season or such, but they were just so-so. The mango salsa served over the cakes was very yummy, though, and balanced out the deficiencies in the crab itself. The hush puppies looked just like the classic ones you'd find served at a Southern catfish restaurant, but they were indeed stuffed with sushi-grade salmon and served with a spicy cream sauce as well as a medley of sliced mango and tangerine. The sauce and the fruit were almost better than the hush puppies, which were pretty good on their own!

For beers, I had their medium-bodied lager as well as their brown ale. The lager was good, but the brown ale was the best of all the beers I tasted on either evening I was there.

We were still hungry after those appetizers, so we got the Seared Ahi Tuna Roll. It was very good. They take a classic sushi tuna roll, then dip it in tempura batter and deep fry it just long enough to crisp up the batter. The fish is still essentially raw, since the heat doesn't get that far into the roll. They then cut the roll in quarters, serving it with tempura sauce for dipping, along with wasabi and pickled ginger a la a classic sushi presentation. I'll definitely be ordering this next trip.

On the in-between night, I drove up to Alameda to have dinner with khanadasc. She picked the Ocean East restaurant on Webster St., one of her favorites. I was running late, so she already started in on the pot-stickers. Being the sweetie that she is, she left me a couple. :-) For an entree, I went with the Sichuan Shrimp. They were good-sized, 15-count shrimp, butterflied, then stir-fried and served with a moderatly-spicy sauce. It's interesting to order Sichuan stuff outside the New Orleans area, because the level of spiciness tends to vary a lot more. I think Chinese restaurants in New Orleans know they're catering to a market that likes hot food (just look at how much Popeye's chicken we consume), so they rachet up the heat a notch or two. Maybe what they serve at Ocean East was more authentic, it's hard to tell. Either way, the shrimp was yummy. They were served with stir-fried celery. I'm not a huge fan of really-crunchy celery, but it went well with the spicy sauce. We picked pork-fried rice for the side dish, since Jenn's not a big seafood person. The traditional fortune cookie was dessert (before we headed over to Starbucks, that is).

Happy hour with greeklady on Friday was the warm-up for going up to Castro Valley to meet some more LJ-friends at the Palomares Cafe. I didn't eat, but the burgers that my friends were finishing up when I arrived looked pretty good. I'll have to come up a bit earlier next trip and try them out. They also have this scary-hot blonde chick who DJs karaoke on Friday nights. I totally recommend the place for a fun way to kick off the weekend!

Posted by YatPundit at 6:42 PM | Comments (0)

September 21, 2006

Atlanta Dining...

[note: I'm combining dining observations with a general update of the week so far. I can't post to or read LiveJournal from inside this location (one of those business decision things, to keep people "productive"), so this will hit my LJ from here.]

This week has been so busy that there hasn't been a lot of time for culinary delights. I flew in Sunday, and asked the desk clerk for a menu for a local pizza place that delivers. They gave me "Pizza K," which wasn't too bad. On Monday, I took the teen to California Pizza Kitchen at the little mall on 17th Street near 75/85. CPK was OK--it might not be the greatest thing in the world, but it's consistent.

Yesterday, I took him out again, to Rocky Mountain Pizza, on 10th Street near GA Tech. We went to this place last time I was here in Atlanta. We ordered the "strizatta," an appetizer that is a thin pizza crust with a white sauce and some spices, then rolled into small rolls and sliced into bite-size pieces. Not bad at all. They do specialty pizzas, and this time I had their "Cajun" pizza. (Yeah, I know, that's breaking my rule about "cajun," but what the heck). It was a chicken-andouille pizza and wasn't half bad. The Guinness was cold and poured properly, so it was just fine. What's more important is that the teen enjoyed it as well!

Posted by YatPundit at 3:18 PM | Comments (0)

September 10, 2006

non-smoking pubs...

Not that most of you need any convincing that this is a good idea, but it's nice to see others agree:

Pubs 'healthier' after smoke ban

The vast majority of bar staff in Scotland believe their workplaces are healthier since the introduction of the smoking ban, according to a new survey.

The Cancer Research UK poll of 545 workers revealed that three quarters thought the legislation would improve their health in the long term.

And I found that I'm more willing to go to a couple of places up in suburban Boston when I'm up that way now that their bar sections are mandatory no-smoking. It looks like I'm not alone:

Pub trade 'not hit' by smoke ban

A quarter of Scots are likely to visit pubs more often now public places are smoke-free, according to a survey.

The Cancer Research UK poll also found that 10% of the 1,000 over-18s surveyed were less likely to visit a pub since the ban came in three months ago.

The charity said the net result indicated the smoking ban would not lead to losses for the pub trade.

Since our T.L. Starke's restaurants will be opening non-smoking, this is good-news data.

Posted by YatPundit at 10:49 PM | Comments (0)

August 5, 2006

San Diego Dining...

I've spent this past week in San Diego and ate at a few interesting places:

Sammy's Woodfired Pizza: we started wtih steak skewers, then a five-cheese pizza and angel-hair pasta with sundried tomatoes. The pizza was the best of the three, excellent sauce.

McGregor's Pub: Just bar food (nachos) and Guinness, but both were tasty.

Roppongi: An asian-fusion place in La Jolla. Had Seafood Bento Box:

That's a tempura shrimp, marinated ahi on the left, a couple of pieces of California Roll, Tuna Sashimi, Yellowtail Teriyaki over steamed rice, pickled cucumber, and seaweed salad. I washed it down with a sake sampler:

Sadaf: This is a Persian place on Fifth Ave. in the Gaslamp Quarter. I started with Kashk-E-Bademjan, which is Sauteed Eggplant, Onion and Garlic, blended into a paste. Topped with Kashk (Whey) and fried Mint:

Followed this starter with a Cornish Hen Kabob with Cherry Rice. Dessert was Bamieh, which are small fried pastries with honey in them, and hot tea.

While eating at Sadaf, I noticed a wine bar across the street called The Grape. I walked over there after the meal and had a flight of Ports, 10-, 20-, and 30-year vintages. That was just what I needed to fall asleep on the redeye home!

Posted by YatPundit at 6:42 AM | Comments (0)

July 21, 2006

R&O's in Bucktown

R&O's Pizza Place
(216 Hammond Hwy., Metairie
504-831-1248

I got back from Santa Clara yesterday evening and was in serious need of local food, so we went out to R&O's. I've been a fan of this place since the late 80s, back when they were a hole-in-the-wall around the corner from the present location. Fitzmorris would talk them up on the radio, and they had to move to a bigger place on Hammond Hwy. Then they got too big for that and bought the building they're in now.

R&O's is not just about pizza, they do pretty good po-boys as well. Their seafood is so-so, but hey, two out of three ain't bad. We usually get pizza when we go there, but everyone was in a sandwich mood last night. I had the "R&O Special," which is roast beef, ham, and swiss cheese, dressed, pickles on the side. Wife and teen both had shrimp po-boys, plain, with butter. Teen usually drowns his in ketchup, it was nice to see him not do this last night. Hopefully that means his tastes are refining a bit.

My sandwich was excellent. The bread was toasted and fresh, the roast beef hot and sloppy. The ham wasn't as good as the roast beef, though. R&O's is using seeded french bread, and they're the first place I've seen it at since the storm.

The shrimp on the other two sandwiches were huge. I can never remember when one shrimp season ends and the other begins, but we must be near the end of the season. They were nice looking, big, battered well--not too much, but a good coating.

Like many places, R&O's is still on limited post-storm hours, only open for lunch Thu-Sun, and dinner Wed-Sun.

Posted by YatPundit at 8:07 PM | Comments (1)

July 12, 2006

Patton's Hot Sausage/Giovanni's Po-Boys

Giovanni's
1325 Veterans Memorial Blvd., Metairie
504.835.4558

One of my favorite po-boys to order is a hot sausage, dressed. The reason is simple: most po-boy places use Patton's Hot Sausage patties. While many places can be very inconsistent in their roast beef sandwiches, it's very, very difficult to screw up a hot sausage po-boy. All you do is grill up a couple of patties, put them on good french bread, and dress it up.

I was in a po-boy mood last week and mentioned it on LiveJournal, and a friend reminded me of Giovanni's on Veterans. I hadn't been over there since the storm, so I stopped by. Last time I was there, the entire kitchen crew was asian, today it was three white guys. It's hard to tell these days who owns a place and who just works there, since help is so scarce that many owners are actually in their own kitchens. No worries, though, because hot sausage is difficult to screw up.

I ordered a half a po-boy, and it came with two patties on it. That's between 1/3 and 1/2 pound of meat (it's probably half a pound pre-cooked, but sausage has a good bit of shrinkage). Patton's hot sausage fries up well, with a good crunchy crust. I didn't see where Giovanni's gets their bread from, but it was crunchy and fresh. Their lettuce and tomato were also fresh and well-chilled.

Top all this off with a Diet Barq's, and I had an excellent lunch!

Posted by YatPundit at 10:39 AM | Comments (3)

July 10, 2006

Liuzza's on Bienville

According to a post on the Mid-City mailing list, Liuzza's on Bienville is back, Tuesday - Saturday, 11am-9pm.

I'll have a Frenchuletta and a Draft, please... :-)

Posted by YatPundit at 2:38 PM | Comments (0)

January 25, 2006

On-Line conversation with Amanda Tusa of Central Grocery

Yesterday, I posted this photo of Decatur Street on Virtually New Orleans. I regularly cross-post stuff from VNO to LiveJournal. In LiveJournal's New Orleans Community, I encountered Amanda Tusa from Central Grocery. Her comments, and my responses:

Amanda: FYI: Progress Grocery was, and had always been, a mere carbon-copy of our business nextdoor. Central Grocery was established in 1906, which was years before Progress existed, and now it has been bought out by some other Italian guy, who re-named it "Luigi's". They also claim to have "invented the muffuletta". pffffft

ok, fact: My great grandfather came here off the boat from Sicily, built Central Grocery in 1906, and invented the Muff. Now my Dad owns Central, and I work there off and on.
No confusion on this. I'm right. ;)

Me: Hmm, the spelling is as varied as the places that make the sandwich. shame your olive salad has so much cottonseed oil in it these days, though...

Amanda: A.) there is no cottonseed oil in our olive salad. we use virgin olive oil. where the fuck are you getting all this nonsense from?

B.) i don't care how many businesses botch the spelling. Muffuletta is the correct way. It gets it's name because the bread it is made with is called "muffuletta bread". So, if other ppl are spelling it any other way, they are just retarded.

Me: the cottonseed issue came up in 01 or 02 or so. We were re-doing the "top ten muff" list for my website, so we did a head-to-head with half a progress muff and half a central muff. The central muff was so greasy the oil ran through the paper--nasty sandwich. It tasted funny, and we confirmed, both on the jars of olive salad Central sells in stores and by the big pile of cottonseed oil cans outside the place, that the olive salad wasn't 100% olive oil. If y'all have changed that and gone back to making an edible olive salad, we'll have to come back and review the sandwich again. I haven't bothered with y'all since then because I hate eating nasty food.

Amanda: You obviously don't know what you're talking about. I could give a shit less if you never come back to our store again. We have more business than we can handle already.

Well, far be it from me to eat somewhere I'm not welcome...

Posted by YatPundit at 10:29 AM | Comments (3)

December 28, 2005

Lunch today...

was a roast beef po-boy from New Orleans Hamburger and Seafood Company:

They're laying the tile in the den and kitchen, so i got the boys out of the house for a while, and NOH&S has wi-fi internet access.

They also have boring po-boys, but the boys can dress their burgers any way they like there, so it was OK...

Posted by YatPundit at 8:47 PM | Comments (0)

December 27, 2005

dinner tonight...

pepperoni and green olive calzone from Italian Pie (Vets and Green Acres):

Posted by YatPundit at 8:52 PM | Comments (0)

December 26, 2005

dinner tonight...

Oki Nago on N. Arnoult.

Posted by YatPundit at 10:04 PM | Comments (0)

December 13, 2005

Lunch Today...

...was Sake Cafe. I was at a client's and met two friends at the Sake on Veterans in Metairie. One of my friends and I had the two-roll combo. I had a crunchy roll and a spicy tuna roll. My friend Al had a crunchy roll and a crawfish roll. I got the spicy tuna roll because I've never had one at Sake, but Al had the right idea--the crawfish roll was better. My friend Steve had a tempura bento box. It only took three weeks in Tokyo to spoil me forever in terms of tempura, but it didn't look bad. Still, the rolls were the better choice.

Overall, it was a good Metairie lunch.

Posted by YatPundit at 9:06 PM | Comments (0)

December 12, 2005

Speaking of Bud's Broiler...

Here's a couple of shots of the one on City Park Avenue:

Looking in the windows, it didn't look so bad. Hopefully it'll be back soon...

Posted by YatPundit at 7:37 PM | Comments (0)

December 11, 2005

Dunkin-y goodness

It's a Dunkin Donuts morning here.

Here's our dozen:

Kev wanted a cinnamon bun rather than donuts:

and I didn't want either, so I got a sausage-egg-cheese croissant:

The Dunkin Donuts (actually, it's a DunkinRobbins, because it's one of those combos of the donut shop and ice cream parlor) on Veterans is clean, staffed by nice, friendly folks, and doesn't smell like burger grease at 7am. This is one time where the chain wins out over the local place.

Oh, and no video poker noise or cigarette smoke, either...

Posted by YatPundit at 10:06 AM | Comments (2)

December 10, 2005

Post-Katrina restaurant success...

On his food forum, Mr. Lake asked the question:

What's it take to run a successful restaurant post-Katrina?

The answer is patience.

Let's assume for the sake of this discussion that we're talking about restaurants where the owners have the capital to repair any damage and they're in a position to ride out a rough six months. They're going to have to be patient in terms of not being too ambitious with their menus. Shortages on some items will continue, numbers will be down, and we'll see "limited menus" for a while longer as a result.

They're going to have to be patient with residents. Homeowners are putting their time and money into rebuilding. A lot of younger folks who are single or married-without-kids haven't returned to the area yet. Those are target markets for smaller restaurants, the frequent-diners. When homes are back in order and FEMA trailers are pulled away, the locals will go back to their eat-out-a-lot habits.

They're going to have to be patient with the non-local diners. Notice I don't call them "tourists." All the contractors, FEMA workers, military personnel, and others who are here to help the area post-storm have different tastes than locals. Unlike tourists, they didn't choose to eat all their meals in New Orleans. The successful restaurants will be the ones who are patient with these folks, explaining them the way we cook things, and accomodating them. Also, more hispanic folks moving into the area doesn't mean we need more taquerias, but places that make latin folks feel welcome will thrive. This will be particularly important in the 'burbs.

They're going to have to be patient with their workers. The first restaurants to re-open after the storm were the family-owned places. Places like Gio's Pizza on W. Napoleon in Metairie, Oki Nago, or Cafe East, where the staff is all family or friends. Next were the suburban Metairie places that stood to make a lot of money in the short run. They recruited wait and kitchen staff with higher salaries and bonuses, but a lot of their new employees were new to the business. Most of these new folks aren't dummies and they'll catch on quick, but the old hands in the kitchen and on the floor are going to have to pass on their experience.

If a restaurant owner can be patient, there's a lot of potential here. The tourists will be back

Posted by YatPundit at 9:12 AM | Comments (2)

December 8, 2005

Still at Puccino's...

...and their "club wrap" sandwich isnlt bad at all. Now, if this guy at the other end of this big table would stop shaking it so much...

Posted by YatPundit at 12:00 PM | Comments (0)

December 3, 2005

Book Signing and Tasting Tomorrow...

I won't be able to make this one, but I'm buying the cookbook...unless someone wants to send it to me for Christmas :-P

Posted by YatPundit at 6:59 PM | Comments (0)

November 30, 2005

Maple Cafe

I belong to a business networking organization called Business Networking International, BNI for short. BNI is organized into sub-groups called "chapters," which meet once a week. My chapter, "NOLA-Networkers," meets once a week for lunch, where we exchange business referrals and network with other members and guests.

Our chapter meets at The Maple Cafe, on Oaklawn near Veterans in Metairie. i've written about Maple Cafe before, back before the storm, but since TJ has done such a great job about getting the place back in shape after the storm, I thought I'd share some photos:

The main dining room:

Another view of the dining room:

Both Randy and I ordered the blackened catfish. He ordered the side salad:

I ordered the soup du jour, which was cream of garlic:

The blackened catfish was excellent:

Steve and Ken both ordered the chicken-mozzerella-tomato salad as an entree:

Maple Cafe is open for both lunch and dinner, and we recommend them. Tell TJ you heard about the resturant on YatCuisine!

Posted by YatPundit at 3:25 PM | Comments (0)

November 29, 2005

Boycott Ruth's Chris

(xposted to YatPundit)

The sign says:

Remember:

When the bodies from
Katrina were still being
collected.
When we needed
FAITH & HEROISM..
Ruth's Chris FLED
to Orlando:
Forgive them, Ms. Fertel. WE WON'T.

From World Class New Orleans.

Not to mention that they've never had the best steak in town, anyway. Still, those of you in cities where there are Ruth's Chris restaurant, give some thought to going somewhere else. I know someone who lost her job because she chose to rebuild her home to re-locating to Orlando. Don't give these people money.

Posted by YatPundit at 6:19 PM | Comments (1)

July 22, 2005

Coffee Talk - Cafe Angelina in Metairie

I've mentioned this place in passing before, but it's worth repeating. Cafe Angelina, at W. Esplanade and Transcontinental in Metairie, is a true gem. It's nowhere near as crowded as the CC's on Veterans as a rule, and definitely more friendly and less noisy than Caffee Caffee on Clearview and W. Esplanade.

Cafe Angelina has an Italian theme, and the background music is a neat mix of traditional Italian songs, Louis Prima, Dean Martin, etc. It's clean and well-lit. It's very suburban (it's in a strip mall, after all, near the Robert's grocery), so it's lacking in "unique" character to that extent.

The coffee is pretty good. They don't have coffee w/chicory, but their dark roast will do fine. They've also got a full kitchen, doing breakfast, lunch and dinner. They've got anything from coffee cake and muffins for breakfast to a full plate of eggs, sausage, and grits.

To sum it up, I like this place because:

1. the coffee is good
2. it's got wireless internet
3. they're not opposed to me doing my work here -- at Caffe Caffe, they've got these "no studying" signs all over the place.
4. no blenders! one of the things that makes CC's or Starbucks so noisy is the number of blended drinks they make. Even at Starbucks, where they have acoustic covers for the blenders, it's nasty.

Cafe Angelina, give it a try when you're out in Metairie.

Posted by YatPundit at 9:28 AM | Comments (0)

May 9, 2005

Red Beans and Rice Monday: Review of Copeland's Cheesecake Bistro

The "short-format" podcast today is a quick review of Copeland's Cheesecake Bistro, both locations.

Posted by YatPundit at 11:37 PM | Comments (0)

May 4, 2005

Lunch Review - Maple Cafe'

In our quest to find a new meeting place for the BNI chapter I'm forming, we had lunch yesterday at Maple Cafe', which is located on Oaklawn, just off of Veterans in Metairie. The restaurant used to be Petra, then the owner, T.J. Qutob, sold the place to the folks who own Caddyshack, a bar-and-grille on Ridgelake. T.J. then worked with his brother at his place, Maple Street Cafe', uptown. I don't know the details of the story at this point, but the Caddyshack folks sold the Metairie location back to T.J., and he's re-named the place Maple Cafe'.

I haven't been to Maple Street Cafe', so my impressions are based strictly on this trip and visits to Petra. The restaurant is not very large, fifteen or so tables. The private booths that lined the wall are gone; the Caddyshack people pulled them out and installed a bar that runs the length of the wall. The room off to the side that used to be the bar in Petra is now a small (8-12) person private room. The bigger private room is still in place, and checking that out was our primary mission.

There were three of us for this outing, Steve, Al, and myself. The lunch menu at Maple Cafe' is a wide range of choices. The diner can get a full meal, appetizer to dessert, or just a sandwich or burger. The entrees were in the $8.95-$12.95 range and included soup or salad. We went with these options since that's the sort of set-up we're looking for on a weekly basis. Steve ordered shrimp and mushroom pasta, Al had the roasted chicken one of the daily specials, and I had the other daily special, Cajun Ravioli. Steve had the soup, a crabmeat bisque, Al and I had caesar salads. The salads were crisp and fresh, and Steve reported that the soup was good.

Steve's shrimp pasta was solid. This is a classic New Orleans dish--peeled raw shrimp sauteed in a little butter or olive oil, with green onions and sliced mushrooms. This is served over pasta (usually angel hair), with a bit of olive oil or melted butter drizzled over it. T.J.'s version used olive oil rather than butter, obviously a bit healthier.

Al's lunch was half of a roasted chicken, boned. It was cooked through without being dry, with an excellent crust. The chicken was served with a vegetable medley, making for a good low-carb lunch.

I had the high-carb lunch, Cajun Ravioli. This was a cheese ravioli with a tomato sauce that included very good Andouille sausage, sauteed onions, red, yellow, and green bell pepper slices. It was very good. It was a refreshing change to have ravioli served with a lighter tomato sauce.

Our waitress was attentive and kept a good stream of cap bread on the table, as well as herbed butter.

We skipped dessert, but Al did have a cup of coffee that came out hot and fresh.

We double-checked the back room, and it'll do just fine for a group of 20-30 people. T.J. said he'd work up a two-three entree menu for $15 a person inclusive, so we've got a weekly meeting place.

Posted by YatPundit at 9:15 AM | Comments (0)

Lunch Review: Andrea's Restaurant

After the debacle we experienced last Wednesday at Carmine's, Steve and I went over to Andrea's for lunch. We knew that Chef has a number of banquet rooms there, and neither of us had been there in a couple of months. What we didn't realize was that last Wednesday was "Administrative Professionals Day" (formerly known as "Secretarys Day"). Since neither of us have a secretary, this minor detail went right over our heads. The main dining room was packed, as were the two banquet rooms in the attached building. There are two smaller private rooms off to the right of the main entrance. We were seated in one of these.

The menu had all the usual dishes that Chef Andrea is known for, but he's also added an "express lunch" option. Steve ordered the catch of the day, which was grilled red snappe, and I ordered the Eggplant Parmesean.

I'm a lover of eggplant, and I rarely meet an eggplant dish I don't like, unless it's poorly cooked. Eggplant Parm is a very logical choice for an "express lunch" choice, since you can cook up a big pan of the stuff and serve it up quickly. As promised, our food came out quickly, in spite of a full dining room and two private meetings in the back. I was impressed.

My eggplant was just right--not too firm, not soggy. The cheese on top was melted but not overdone. When I put my fork to the eggplant to cut it, a whole clove of garlic was squeezed out.

Now, I can't figure out if the whole garlic was intentional. It makes sense, to toss in some whole cloves to impart flavor without overdoing the dish. If someone isn't a huge garlic fan, they can simply push the clove aside if they come across one. The garlic lover, like me, immediately sighs, praises their good fortune, and digs in.

Steve's report on the fish was favorable. Simple dishes served up in a timely manner--the hallmark of a business lunch.

The service was solid. The staff kept our iced tea glasses filled and a steady supply of crunchy Italian bread was on the table.

Overall, a good experience, even on a busy day.

Andrea's -- 19th Street and Ridgelake in Metairie.

Posted by YatPundit at 8:37 AM | Comments (0)

April 18, 2005

Restaurant Review: Port of Call

Today's YatPundit Podcast is a review of Port of Call, home of the best hamburger in New Orleans.

Posted by YatPundit at 9:47 PM | Comments (0)

April 1, 2005

Restaurant Review: The Voting Booth

1-APRIL-2005
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: YatPundit, comments@yatpundit.com
food.yatpundit.com or www.yatpundit.com

New restaurant offers classic New Orleans atmosphere with contemporary cuisine.

I had the pleasure of attending a preview event for the city's latest restaurant last week. Clerk of Court Kimberly Williamson Butler is broadening her horizons by opening The Voting Booth today.

New Orleanians are often conflicted when it comes to restaurant style. While we will go on and on about how we don't want a lot of atmosphere, preferring that an establishment focus more on the food than the appearance, we still have a soft spot in our hearts for romantic settings. The Voting Booth strives to give the diner both.

The main design theme of the The Voting Booth is secrecy. Our nation prides itself in the sanctity of the secret ballot, and the restaurant has carried that theme to the dinner table. A number of standard voting machines have been converted into individual enclosed tables-for-two. The curtain that guarantees your privacy when casting your vote has been converted into one of the most romantic dining experiences in the city. When you arrive for dinner, the maitre d' will politely wait until nobody is looking to escort you to your private table. This attention to discretion is important to patrons who like to keep secrets.

But The Voting Booth is not just about privacy. The restaurant expects to fill up not just the romantic curtained booths but the thirty-five additional tables of the main dining room. There is little doubt that they can accomplish this feat, because the food is excellent. Creole-fusion is the main theme of the menu, a blend of classic New Orleans cooking with modern influences. Start off your mail with Right Thing Remoulade, an interesting variation on the traditional appetizer. Follow that up withBallot Box Bisque, the restaurant's signature soup. It's a subtle corn-and-crab bisque, brought to your table or booth in a locked ballot box. The filet mignon is a great choice, topped with the Seven Seal Sauce, an updated version of Marchand de Vin. The Courthouse Crawfish Pasta, is a great alternative to the steak, prepared tableside by armed sous chefs. Side items include the Patron's Potato, a baked potato that's stuffed according to the needs of Butler's campaign contributors. There's also Revival Rice, a creole pilaf dish served while a quartet from the choir of Butler's church serenades the diners.

Dessert is a real treat at the Voting Booth. In addition to classics such as bread pudding, the restaurant has two signature desserts. Cop Car Cake is parked on your table when you give your dinner order to your waiter. It looks like a car from the Criminal Sheriff's office. While the cakes look big enough for two, it's an illusion, because there's really nothing in the car. The caked looked yummy, but I opted for Connick Crème Brulee, an delicious chocolate twist on the classic dessert, where the hard coating has a subtle citrus taste. It comes with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top. If you're not in the mood for ice cream, you can order Creme Jordan. It's essentially the same dessert, but your waiter will scoop off the vanilla when it's brought to the table.

If all this has you reaching for the phone to make reservations, pay close attention. One of the lovely quirks of The Voting Booth is its location. The restaurant has no fixed abode, moving around to various school cafeterias in the city. Aware of therisks that this arrangement poses to quality, the kitchen is in a self-contained moving van. The booths and tables are contained in a second van. The interior of the restaurant can be easily set up in a new location and broken down at the end of the evening. It's such a simple process that even elected officials who arrive early for dinner can lend a hand.

Reservations are essential for dinner at The Voting Booth, and we recommend that you make them for early in the evening. While we had no problems being seated last week at the cafeteria at Gentilly Terrace School on Mirabeau Avenue, we did hear stories of problems with the delivery of the booths the night before at McDonough #35. Several diners told us they arrived for their 7:30pm reservations and the moving vans had not yet arrived at the school. They were told to come back "in a couple of hours" when the booths would be delivered.

In spite of this rocky start, we strongly believe that The Voting Booth has the potential to be as much of a New Orleans classic as Clinton's Combat Cafe or Bonnie's at the spillway.

Rating: 9 Stars * * * * * * * * *

XXX

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March 10, 2005

Top Ten Thursday - Onion Rings

Top Ten Thursday this week is actually a Top Five, the five places in town with the best onion rings. Here's the list, if you want the reasoning, listen to the podcast. :-)

5. Popeye's
4. Lee's Hamburgers
3. Charlie's Steakhouse (4510 Dryades near Napoleon)
2. Mandina's (3800 Canal Street)
1. Liuzza's (Bienville and Telemachus)

Posted by YatPundit at 10:47 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

March 9, 2005

Random Lunch Notes...

Just some thoughts on Lunch around town of late...

Bud's Broiler on City Park Avenue is still one of my favorite places to stop for a bite. #4, fries, diet coke. I got an e-mail from a local who said they felt that Bud's had cut back on the cheese on their burger. I haven't found that to be the case personally.

Pizza Florence - Vets and N. Woodlawn in Metairie - formerly "Johnny and Josie's Po-Boys," the location is now a pizza place, run by some Turkish folks. Good crust, good sauce, excellent green olives.

Corner Cafe - Green Acres and Yale in Metairie - excellent hot sausage po-boy, good fried shrimp po-boy. The gumbo at the next table looked thick and smelled tasty. Good plate lunch/sandwich place in the burbs.

Caretta's - Vets and Metairie Heights, across from Shogun in Metairie - good Mexican food, enchiladas/burritos/flautas/etc. Had a tasty chile relleno, the salsa was spicy and the chips were crispy and fresh.

Posted by YatPundit at 3:59 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

February 14, 2005

Top Five Romantic Restaurants

YatPundit Podcast for February 14, 2005

Top Five Romantic Restaurants

That's The Corrs, doing "What Can I Do?", a very appropriate tune for Valentines Day. It's Red Beans and Rice Monday here at YatPundit, and since it's also the feast day of St. Valentine, let's talk romance while we talk about food.

One of the things that people love about New Orleans' restaurants is that they pay for good food, not pretentious atmosphere. While that's an appealing thing most days of the year, there are times when this is can be a liability rather than an asset. Let's face it, some of the best restaurants in town are just not very romantic. With that in mind, today we'll give you the top five romantic restaurants in town.

Before we do the list, however, I want to talk about some of the restaurants that aren't on the list:

Antoine's and Galatoire's: These are two classic examples of fantastic traditional Creole cooking in a business-like atmosphere. Both restaurants have lovely old dining rooms that are busy and a bit noisy. You'll find large parties almost every evening that generate ambient noise even if they're not rowdy.

Emeril's: It's an old warehouse with an open, exposed ceiling. The acoustics are just nasty. If your sweetie is a food nut, you won't care, but if romance and atmosphere is what you're after, take a pass.

Neighborhood places like Liuzza's or Mandina's, or po-boy places like Mother's or Parasol's are crowded, noisy, and have decor that re-defines "no-frills."

The bottom line here is simple: If you want a fantastic New Orleans dinner experience, any of these places are winners. If you're looking for candlelight, soft music, quiet atmosphere, forget it. Pick one of the restaurants on the list, then come back to these when circumstances change.

OK, here's the list:

Number 5: The Dock at West End. If you time this one right, this is a great setting. Sunset on the Lakefront, waves lapping against the pilings, sailboats going by. The main downside is that it's hard to plan ahead for The Dock because of the factors of wind and weather. If it works for you, though, whatever you do, don't eat boiled seafood. You'll smell like it for the rest of the evening.

Number 4: The Rib Room at the Omni Royal Orleans. The lush decor, scenic view out onto Rue Royale, simple but tasty menu, all come together to make for a very intimate dinner experience. Not to mention that you're in a hotel, making it easy to escalate the tension if that's part of the evening's plans.

Number 3: Siam Cafe on Esplanade. Ethnic food and romantic dates don't always go together, so you better make sure your date likes Thai before even considering this one. Still, a table for two here is a very intimate dining experience.

Number 2: Tujague's on Decatur Street in the French Quarter. It's traditional and old-line, like Galatoire's or Antoine's, but the smaller dining room at Tujague's makes it more intimate. The front room is usually set for a single row of tables up against the side walls, and the back dining room is the ultimate in intimacy. Tujague's food is excellent, and the limited menu makes things simple--no hard choices to spoil the mood.

And the Number 1 Romantic Restaurant is Crescent City Steak House on Broad Street. Two words: Private Booths. Crescent City harkens back to a more civilized age, of private cars on trains, discreet encounters, and good food. The steaks here are just fantastic, and you can rest assured they'll cook it the way your sweetheart wants it.

So, pick one of these places for that all-important "mood" date, then move on to the more typical New Orleans restaurant when the atmosphere isn't such a high priority.

As always, we welcome your feedback and comments on our opinions, especially when we start talking about restaurants and hotels. Everyone has different experiences with places, and we need your input to factor into our top-five and top-ten lists. You can get in touch with us either by commenting on the blog, www.yatpundit.com or emailing us at comments at yatpundit dot com.

Posted by YatPundit at 10:45 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Red Beans and Rice Monday

YatPundit Podcast for February 14, 2005

Top Five Romantic Restaurants

Posted by YatPundit at 10:07 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack