Dining Out in Style
LOVE CREOLE CUISINE?
#1 COMMANDER’S PALACE is the grande dame of classic Creole cuisine. It’s located at 1403 Washington Avenue in the Garden District. Chef Tory McPhail has a “dirt to plate within 100 miles” policy that means he strives for 90% of the restaurant’s ingredients to come from 100 miles of its back door. The chef and his team know the history of Commander’s Palace but live by the credo that “all of our best meals are still ahead of us.”
Chef Chris Lynch in the restaurant’s lush green courtyard
The white-linen dining rooms, decadent dishes and Southern hospitality offer a unique experience and menu that runs from crispy oysters to shrimp and grits. The lunch special is the 25-cent martini. Reservations are required and there is a dress code.
Dining at the Chef’s Table in Commander’s Palace kitchen
Orange Peel and Spiced Sugarcane Painted Quail – all Commander’s Palace photos are courtesy of Southern Living, April 2020
CLICK HERE to read one of our earlier blogs about Commander’s Palace.
#2 DOOKY CHASE’S RESTAURANT is where Creole cooking is a beloved heritage. Leah Chase, the longtime owner, died at the ripe old age of 96 on June 1, 2019. Since I wrote about this place in 2018 (see link below) I prefer to write about spirited, hard-working Leah herself and her long, long life. She was born in Madisonville, Louisiana and was the second oldest of 13 children. She lived in New Orleans with her aunt, graduated from a Catholic high school and married a trumpet player and bandleader named Edgar “Dooky” Chase whose parents operated a sandwich restaurant that the couple took over.
In 2005, Chase’s restaurant and home flooded during Hurricane Katrina. The chef and her husband lived in a FEMA trailer as they worked to repair the family business. They reopened 18 months after the storm and on the two-year anniversary of Katrina she hosted president George W. Bush at her restaurant. CLICK HERE for our blog on Dooky Chase’s in 2018.
#3 GAUTREAU’S is a lovely establishment you’ll find at 1728 Soniat Street. Be aware: you’ll find 1728 discreetly marking a house that’s nestled in a lush garden spot in an Uptown New Orleans neighborhood. The restaurant’s menu is both inventive and down to earth. Entrees range from sautéed cobia (fish) to roasted duck breast. Call several days in advance for reservations.
#4 CLANCY’S has been described as “a neighborhood splurge” and is located at 6100 Annunciation Street. This white tablecloth restaurant embraces Creole cuisine with joie de vivre and top-notch service. You’ll enjoy their veal with crabmeat or lobster and mushroom risotto. If you decide to “go where the locals go” dress up a bit. Reservations recommended.
#5 RESTAURANT AUGUST offers an elegant setting and presentation – it's in a converted 19th-century tobacco warehouse at 301 Tchoupitoulas Street. You’ll dine with flickering candles in what has been described as “the most aristocratic dining room in New Orleans.” The five-course, two-hour tasting menu makes local foodies weep.
Many of these restaurants are walking distance from Rathbone Mansions. We look forward to hosting you during your stay in one of our uniquely special accommodations so you can explore all the wonderful eats New Orleans has to offer!
ENJOY VEGETARIAN FARE?
#6 SNEAKY PICKLE is a no-frills yet delicious vegan diner at 4017 St. Claude Street that can hold its own against the city’s famously meat-heavy cuisine. It dishes out beet flatbreads and lots of unexpected tasty specials.
#7 SEED caters to vegetarians and vegans who can now nosh with abandon in New Orleans. This is a restaurant at 1330 Prytania Street in the Lower Garden District that offers a plant-based dining experience for breakfast, lunch and dinner. It also serves a variety of artfully crafted cocktails and mocktails.
#8 CARMO is a no-fuss café for creative salads, sandwiches, raw fish creations and vegetarian + vegan dishes – most with a tropical spin. Numerous fruit juices are available, too. Order at the counter. You’ll find it at 527 Julia Street.
#9 GREEN GODDESS offers decadent portions and a playful approach. Who serves South Indian pancakes and tamarind shrimp? The Goddess is at 307 Exchange Place. It has a wonderful selection of vegetarian + vegan, organic, grass fed and just delicious food. It’s down a quaint alleyway and has outdoor seating.
#10 HANSEN’S SNO-BLIZ at 4801 Tchoupitoulas Street has been in business since 1939 and does the best snowball (shaved ice with flavored syrup) in town, e.g., Lemonade Passion Fruit. Check before you go to make sure its open.
Vegetarian vs. Vegan
Vegetarian diets exclude meat, poultry, game, fish and shellfish. Certain types of vegetarians also exclude eggs, dairy or other animal products.
A Vegan diet can be viewed as the strictest form of vegetarianism. They differ in their beliefs regarding the use of animals by humans -- some vegetarians may consume animal-derived products, vegans do not.
Shaun Nelson-Henrick