Antoine's Restaurant New Orleans

During our tour the first day we were in New Orleans, we stopped at Antoine's Restaurant.  The restaurant has a rich history and is definitely worth reading about here.  The primary reason we decided to return for dinner is because they invented Oysters Rockefeller!!  It also helped that they're fancy - and you know how much I love fancy.  We sat in one of the many dining rooms and had two servers!  This time I think it's because they didn't want to forget us and it was a pretty busy night.

I reviewed the menu and knew I would be happy with whatever landed on our table.  I ordered the Escargots a la bourguignonne.  Surprisingly, one of our servers tried to convince me that I might not like it because it was "really traditional."  umm duh! Why do you think I ordered it?

The snails arrived as they should, covered in bourguignonne sauce. The mix of greens with butter and garlic was exactly what I hoped for!  Ms. O started with the Salad Antoine.

Five different greens and tomato. I think Muriel's looked better but Antoine is on to something with the five greens business.  Next up my Ecrevisses Cardinal arrived.

Crawfish tails in a white wine sauce with a hint of tomato. Yes, please!!  The crawfish tails were meaty and the sauce was perfect for dipping the delicious bread.  Ms. O's Gombo Creole was also quite good.

I was already feeling full so she had to convince me to take a spoonful of her gumbo, which was filled with blue crabs, oysters and gulf shrimp. One taste was all it took for me to go back for another and that time I got some rice too. Yum!  Even though at this point my stomach had expanded to close to maximum capacity, there was no way we were leaving without sampling the Oysters Rockefeller.

Five greens! You can guess what they are, but if you're right the waiter won't tell you.  Although there are a half dozen on the plate, some of these oysters were doubled up!  The greens were delicious and eating cooked oysters never tasted so good. After all that you would think we were finished. But a quick peek at the desert menu and we of course decided to indulge.

The Chocolate Mousse was just the right portion for sharing.  The rich chocolate was perfectly balanced with the whipped cream. I loved it!

Our experience at Antoine's was fantastic. We explored the restaurants numerous dining rooms after our meal. It's a beautiful space with lots of great history and definitely worth visiting. Eat at Antoine's! Your visit won't be complete without it!

Hungry yet?

Red Fish Grill - New Orleans

When we arrived in New Orleans, we had no definite plans for dinner the second night. We had heard of Red Fish Grill but were not sure if we should go. Once we arrived, we saw ads all over the place and knew we had to go.  We had a pretty packed day and had already eaten a lot but oysters had not yet made it onto any of the many plates we had emptied.  Before Red Fish Grill, we stopped at Felix's for some excellent oysters. A great appetizer.

When we arrived at Red Fish we had a short wait which allowed us to explore and see the numerous articles on the wall as well as all the images of fish. The restaurant was a big open space with high ceilings and lots of tables packed in there. It definitely did not have the same classy feel as Muriel's, but hey what can you expect from a restaurant on Bourbon street. Thankfully the food was better than the decor. Ms. O skipped the salad and ordered the Tomato and Crab soup.

Oh what I wouldn't do to have another spoonful of that soup.  Spicy and sweet with chunks of crab.  The tomatoes were fresh and unlike some tomato soups I've had in the past, this didn't taste like marinara.  Ms. O also ordered the green onion shrimp toast with sweet soy sauce and chili garlic aioli.

Maybe it's because we were already satiated from eating the oysters, but the toast just didn't do it for me.  Thankfully my pan seared snapper arrived.

I was definitely loving the presentation.  The fish was surrounded by incredible spicy tomato sauce and duck fat new potatoes, topped with a dollop of lemon garlic aioli and sprinkled with crispy spinach.

Each bite was fantastic. The best part was definitely the spicy tomato sauce. It had a sweetness and spice that enhanced the flavor of the fish.

I was generally pleased with Red Fish Grill. The red snapper was the right choice. If I could just figure out a way to get an unlimited supply of the tomato and crab soup then all would be well.

Red Fish is worth your time, but I recommend going with an emptier stomach so you can fully enjoy the many items they have to offer.

Hungry yet?

Muriel's Jackson Square

After spending several months looking forward to my escape from NY, I was psyched when Ms. O and I finally made it to New Orleans. It is definitely one of my favorite cities in the US. As Tennessee Williams said, "There are three great cities in the US, New York, San Francisco and New Orleans...everywhere else is just Cleveland."

We started with a tour that helped us get acquainted with some of the sites we would return to later during our trip. For dinner our first night, we decided to dine at Muriel's Jackson Square. We were greeted by the hostess and immediately escorted to our table. We had two servers. One person for drinks and another for our food. They take their drinks very seriously in NoLa!

We immediately encountered a problem because the menu had too many great choices!! We decided to order as much as we thought was reasonable. Our first dish was the Creole Tomato and Crab.

The display was enough to make me melt a little bit. We were there during the height of the Creole Tomato festival. These were some special tomatoes. It was like heirloom infused with an extra level of sweetness and freshness. The jumbo crabmeat was mixed with avocado and tossed in a tarragon tartar sauce. The tartar sauce initially threw me off because it was creamy and reminded me of mayonnaise.  The dish was well balanced but definitely a little rich, which isn't surprising when you mix crab with avocado.  Of course Ms. O ordered a salad.

The romaine lettuce tossed with a roasted garlic and Parmesan dressing with shaved red onions and herb croutons was inoffensive. It looked good but I refuse to acknowledge salad as a part of my meal, especially when Escargot is an option.

The Escargots Orleans was phenomenal.  The tender escargot with fennel, leeks, and oyster mushrooms simmered in a roasted garlic butter were served in a flaky vol-au-vent shell. Definitely melt in your mouth goodness. The contrast of the buttery snail and the flaky crust made every bite perfect.  As though the appetizers were not rich enough, we went for the gold with our entrées.  Ms. O ordered the pan seared maple leaf duck breast. 

Any one who has read my duck related entries knows how weak my knees get when duck lands on the table. This dish was a double dose because it was served with duck confit dirty rice, leeks and baby carrots with a blackberry gastrique. Holy Moley!! 

The duck confit dirty rice was the most spectacular rice I have ever eaten. I fully intend on recreating this masterpiece.  I had a little bit of food envy but that was quickly dismissed when my Blackened Redfish arrived. 

The large filet of fish was a bit intimidating.  It was perfectly seasoned but I especially loved the peppery Louisiana Crab stuffing. The stuffing was moist but not watery. The best bite was the combination of the fish and stuffing swirled in the accompanying Blue Crab butter sauce.

Muriel's you wowed me in a way that I will never forget. I genuinely enjoyed every bite on every plate. My only regret was my inability to finish my entrée.  I will definitely be back next time I'm in New Orleans!!

Hungry yet?

Remlik's Grille & Oyster Bar

Graduation season has come and gone, but back in May I was fortunate to celebrate as Y-squared graduated from college. The two-day ceremony was worth the trip and totally brightened my weekend. We celebrated by having a post ceremony meal at one of the area's newest restaurants, Remlik's. They had a special graduation menu so unfortunately some of the delicious treats I spotted on the full menu (Seafood Fra Diavolo and Jumbo Diver Scallops, I'm talking to you) were unavailable. We made do though and still had a great time. We started with a couple of appetizers for the table. The Calamari was quite impressive.

Crispy goodness, this was actually the first time I ate the tentacles! The aioli was also quite tasty which might have been why I dared eat the tentacles.  The breadbasket arrived with warm corn bread and delicious rolls. 

The Crab Cake was even better.

No filler in this bad boy, just big huge chunks of jumbo lump crab meat. Oh man it was so good and also had a tangy coleslaw on the side. Y-squared ordered it as his entree so that meant more for me as appetizer! 

After a longer wait than I anticipated, our entrees started arriving. It was a slow process and I think there was some miscommunication in the kitchen because of the amount of time that passed between the arrival of our dishes.  I ordered the Fish & Chips.

It wasn't exactly what I expected and I had to remind myself that the Fish & Chips I ate in London will not be properly recreated at a random restaurant here. The breading was off it just didn't taste very good. No seasoning! The fish was surprisingly fresh though so I just peeled the breading and enjoyed myself. The ¼ chicken with asparagus and baked potato was also a great dish.

Considering the way white meat often disappoints, I was glad this was juicy.  The asparagus was also quite good, but of course the baked potato was boring.  The Cheese Steak was popular at our table and must have been great because there were several empty plates.

The Classic Reuben was also a hit. It’s served with either Roasted Turkey or Lean Corned Beef on Marbled Rye bread. 

My aunt tore it up and barely came up for air. The Burger was apparently similarly appetizing because there was another empty plate. 

I was a big fan of the French fries and the Sweet potato fries too. Although I don't foresee any more trips to Binghamton, locals should go check this place out. Definitely a big step up from most of the other restaurants in the area!

 Hungry yet?

Limon Restaurant - San Francisco

I had a great time my first time in San Francisco last year. This year I decided to visit my PIC and GMTT.  I was a little nervous about having my worlds collide, but food is a universal unifier so I figured it would be a great time.  GMTT gave me a few options and ultimately we decided on Limon.  It was quite the festive restaurant. Very bright and a little loud, but overall a great scene.  The menu is expansive and we had more options than we needed, but that didn’t stop us from over indulging.  The Truffle mac-n-cheese came out first.

Whoa. They were too rich for me. I took one bite and my eyes immediately rolled in the back of my head.  PIC and GMTT made sure to take care of the rest. The Sweet Potato Fries were more my speed.

They were the perfect combination of sweet and salty. I loved it! Since Limon is a Peruvian restaurant, it’s only right that we ordered Ceviche.

This Red Snapper Ceviche was delightful! It was slightly tart with a tangy finish.  GMTT and PIC also ordered the Lomo Saltado.

They really enjoyed the stir-fry of sirloin strips.  I ate a couple of the fries – couldn’t help myself. We also ordered the Chicharron de Pollo.

At this point, I was stuffed beyond belief but still managed a few bites of these crispy pieces of chicken.  The best part was as crispy as the chicken was the inside was moist and well seasoned.  My favorite dish was the Pescado Limon.

It was beautifully presented, but also tasted incredible. The crispy fried snapper was layered over crispy potatoes and spinach.  The sauce was excellent. I couldn’t quite finish the dish, but thankfully the next morning I was able to reheat it and enjoy it a lot! As stuffed as I was, I certainly couldn’t turn down dessert.  PIC and GMTT went with the Profiteroles.

Those sugar-dusted cream puffs were a big hit. I wasn’t interested though. I was a big fan of the Bandido.

The Warm Chocolate Cake was amaaaaazing. The caramelized apples and dulce de leche ice cream went perfectly with the warm chocolate cake.  I couldn’t help myself I finished every last bite. The worlds collide dinner was fantastic! I really enjoyed Limon and of course any opportunity to hang with GMTT and PIC. 

Hungry yet?

Nage

My trip to DC wouldn't be complete without seeing Mr. K. He met Ms. O and me for brunch at Nage. I chose Nage because of the opportunity to use my Scoutmob discount. It is located in a hotel so I was a little skeptical but figured it would be worth it. Our waitress forgot our order and brought us the wrong things and also took extremely long before she came to ask for our order. Eventually all was well and food arrived. Mr. K and I ordered the Smoked Salmon Frittata.

The eggs were cooked with red onion, tomato and dill. The dish was served with soffrito potatoes and a choice of toast. I went with English Muffin. The eggs tasted great. The balance of flavors was excellent. It did not taste too fishy which sometimes happens with smoked salmon. The potatoes were pretty good but I was slightly disappointed because when I saw soffrito I thought they'd be stewed or at least more flavorful.  Ms. O ordered Buttermilk Pancakes and a side of eggs. 

Her pancakes arrived with cinnamon-bourbon butter, which was apparently very flavorful. I've been thinking about trying more butter flavors so I might make that one sometime soon.

The food at Nage is good. I wasn't even that upset when I realized I forgot to use my Scoutmob. The service was somewhere between bad and awful but thankfully that didn't affect the quality of the food. I recommend trying Nage. Especially if you remember to use Scoutmob!

Hungry yet?

Busboys and Poets

I don't know how I've gone to DC so many times but never visited Busboys and Poets. Thankfully Ms. S made sure that this trip would include a visit. I arrived at the U Street location on 14th street a little early and spent quite some time admiring the space. There are multiple seating options including traditional tables, couches and a few things in between. I also explored the bookstore, which had some inspiring books, and I had to resist buying everything in there. When Ms. S arrived we were sitting in the room with the stage. The menu reminded me of a diner menu because it had so many options. I ordered the French Toast, eggs, and turkey sausage.

The French Toast looked really dry when it arrived and I wasn't sure I would enjoy it. Looks definitely deceive because it tasted incredible! The turkey sausage and eggs were pretty standard fare. Though I must admit that any restaurant with turkey sausage gets extra points from me! Ms. S was far more adventurous. She ordered the Peanut Butter Panini.

Yup! She sure did. It was filled with banana slices and honey. She really enjoyed it but did state it was too bready. I will say the sweet potato fries were delicious!!

My first trip to Busboys and Poets will certainly not be my last. I look forward to dining there for other meals and also attending an open mic night or two.

Hungry yet?

Lupe Cantina

After good times at the spot next door we were famished! The manager or owner of Lupe Cantina stopped us outside and asked our group to come in. We negotiated a pretty good deal and decided to enter. The menu had a lot of options but our table ended up with a lot of repeats.

The Soft Tacos were my dish of choice.

I requested the flour tortillas stuffed with chicken. It included lettuce, cilantro, onions and pico de gallo. I wasn't expecting much but the chicken was surprisingly well seasoned. It was served with rice and beans which only made it better.  Ms. S and her Mr. K ordered the Chicken taquitos.

Three corn tortillas rolled with marinated chicken and deep fried.  They definitely enjoyed it. A little crunch goes a long way. Enchiladas were also a favorite at our table. 

Corn tortillas green or red lupe sauce. It was served with rice and refried beans.  Mr. S ordered the Fajitas.

The sizzling platter of sweet peppers, onions and cilantro was served with three tortillas, rice and refried beans. Ms. G and Mr. S ordered the Chicken nachos.

I must admit I had a little food envy when their Molcajete plate arrived.  The homemade tortillas chips were topped with refried beans, melted mozzarella, lettuce, guacamole, salsa, jalapeños, queso fresco and sour cream. Presentation wise, this was definitely one if the better looking dishes that we ordered.

Overall Lupe Cantina was uninspiring. The food was fine but I've eaten a better version of each dish elsewhere. The atmosphere is lively and if you bring the right group of people with you, you could end up staying there for a while. That's exactly what we did.

Hungry yet?