waveprof
Georgia Tech Fan
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- 33
- Location
- Irish Channel, New Orleans
Hey, I'm a Tulane season ticket holder. A couple of years ago a visiting Syracuse fan came to our board and asked some questions about visiting New Orleans, I responded by posting an email I had sent to a friend who was also visiting that weekend. Apparently, the email ended up proving very useful for a large number of Syracuse fans on their fanboard, so I thought I'd post it here in case it is helpful to any of you who may not be familiar with New Orleans.
Also, if any of you are considering tailgating and have questions, let me know. I run one of the largest tailgates at TU and have insight. But be forewarned, with this being the first time we’ve done it on campus (in over forty years) even we have a lot of “we’ll see how it feels/gos”
Hope to see a lot of you at Yulman in September, hope this posted email is helpful to someone, and hope you enjoy your trip to New Orleans more than you enjoy us beating you into the ground
Seriously, good luck this season (except our game).
Part One:
Things you asked about:
You asked about Willa Mae's Scotch House, which Food Network (not that I trust them) rates the country's best chicken. I've been there 7-8 times and all but once it rated as my favorite fried chicken ever. I had one so-so experience, other than that its been stellar. They don't have a website, but here is the yelp link --> http://www.yelp.com/biz/willie-maes-sco... ew-orleans The times on yelp are (unless something has changed VERY recently) incorrect. It is ONLY open for lunch (closing around 2 or 3, but often cutting the line off sooner), and it is closed on Sundays. Meanwhile, the lines can get VERY long, especially on weekends. It is up to you, but if you are serious about going, I would suggest that we go on Friday (while Brittany is teaching) and that we should get there 1130-noonish. An order of fried chicken (3 pieces of fried chicken plus one very large side dish) is 10 dollars.
You also asked about the Creole Creamery. It is VERY near our old house, and is not super distant from our new house (though much too far to walk). It is fast becoming a New Orleans institution. Crazy flavors, that are (mostly) crazy good (some are bad.....but they are big on taste tests). Sundays and Milkshakes are also good. Ice Cream is reasonable, but sundaes and shakes are a bit expensive.....but the portions for those are big and come the old fashioned way in glass service. Website --> http://www.creolecreamery.com/
Fine dining:
You said you wanted to get a nice meal out and mentioned Commander's and Galatoire's as examples. I'll share what I know:
~ Commander's is a 5 minute walk from our house (tops). It has a cool atmosphere that merges mom and pop with a elegant room. The service is exceptional, and the food is pretty good. We've been once for dinner, and thought it was good but were slightly underwhelmed (although the Turtle Soup was sublime). We went again for lunch and liked it much better. At dinner mains are in the 20s, appetizers in the low 10s. At lunch, they have (weekdays at least, I think maybe Saturdays too) a deal where you get a 3 course set lunch (with options) for about 20 bucks a head, and martinis are a quarter a piece (classic martini, commanders martini, watermelon martini, and cosmopolitans). I'm not joking. A quarter a piece. They are probably most famous for their Sunday Brunch. We've never been there for brunch, but did go to brunch at their #2 restaurant (Palace Cafe) which has a similar brunch meal, and it was quite good. Reservations are recommended if you want to eat at Commander's. In general, their menu is old-school creole cooking (or at least how it was re-imagined in the 1950s) and is quite good, if sometimes a bit unimaginative/unoriginal. For that type of food I certainly rank it over Antoine's (which can range from amazing to disgusting depending on the night) or Arnaud's (which is good, but I think I slightly prefer Commander's) Website --> http://www.commanderspalace.com/
~ Galatoire's is probably my personal favorite of the "old-school" fine dining eateries in NOLA, but it isn't for everyone. First off, the atmosphere in the lower dining room (the traditional dining room) is raucaus, loud, and breaks into happy birthdays. The service is great, but its unorthodoxed. It looks like a Paris cafe in the 1910s. Its a LOT of fun, and it IS old/real New Orleans, but it certainly isn't what most people picture when they think of fine dining. The upstairs dining room is more regal/subdued, although a whole host of New Orleanians are still boycotting the restaurant for adding the upstairs dining room because they don't consider it the "real" Galatoires. Second, the food is amazingly good, but surprisingly simple for fine dining. They offer some of the best quality meats/fishes ranging from Crawfish, to softshell crabs, to five different types of fish, to duck, etc (and your waiter will be shockingly honest about what is the freshest) and they cook them in a very traditional, but straightforward way that showcases the product/freshness. Its usually REALLY good but, again, not what the average New Yorker "pictures" as fine dining. The downstairs dining room does not take reservations (though if you go 8 or later you rarely have to wait), the upstairs dining room requires it. Main courses range in the 20s, appetizers in the low 10s. Their wine list is among the most extensive in the world. Website --> http://www.galatoires.com/
A couple of other options (just so you know your options)
~ Cochon is the new place that is getting thrown into the New Orleans foodie circuit. The Chef is Donald Link, who competes with John Besh (who I think sucks) and Susan Spicer (whose food I've never had) for best known local chef. He cooks pig every way you can possibly imagine it. Its a love affair with pork. Both times I have been there his appetizers (8-13 dollars) are the best apps I've had in my life. Both times his entrees (18-23 dollar range) have been better than so-so, but not as good as the appetizers. Although his rabbit and dumplings (chicken and dumplings with rabbit) and pulled pork cheeks were pretty darn good. The atmosphere is definately nice, and more subdued than Galatoire's, but it tries to give off a bit of a casual, deep-south vibe to it. And he has things on the menu like cocktails that use RC cola, and pickled okra. etc. Reservations are probably a good idea, but not compulsory. We have his cookbook, and it is far and away the best Cajun cookbook I've ever used. Website --> http://www.cochonrestaurant.com/
~ Boucherie is really popular cause its really good, original, high end food for really low prices (the chef is outspokenly dedicated to low prices). The dining room is TINY (its the inside of an old house) and reservations are required, and even then expect them to run 20 minutes late, but once inside the service and food are very good. Apps are 8-11, entrees 13-19. Tons of hard corps meat cooked old french style. Particularly famous for their Krispy Kreme Bread Pudding and their Bacon Chocolate Brownie (5 bucks each). The chef just got shot last week in a mugging, and didn't have health insurance, so I don't know what will happen to the menu/prices. He also keeps a good selection of Basque wines, which is why Brittany likes it haha The website is --> http://www.boucherie-nola.com/
~ I mentioned Antoine's and Arnaud's, and those are the other two big "classic" ones besides Galatoire's/Commander's. Antoine's is slightly cheaper than some of the others, so we have been there twice. It is an amazing place that is like a museum of food, showcasing how it was truly cooked in 1880 (rather than how it was reimagined in 1950). The problem is that they have almost 300 tables, tons of tourists, and the food is uneven/unpredictable at best. Our first experience was great....the second one produced food that was bordering on disgusting (including a congealed dish that made me sick to look at......and it was the SAME dish I had loved the first time......point being, inconsistent). Talking to other people has provided me evidence that our experiences are pretty indicative......that they are super inconsistent. That said, their soups are particularly famous/good.....and the service is as good as it gets. The first time they gave us a free cookbook just because they liked us, and the second time, when they saw us debate which soup to order, they brought us out a full bowl of options #2 and 3 on the house as a gift so we could try all three. I want to like Antoine's so bad because, in theory, its the real thing. But I worry about recommending it because of inconsistency. As for Arnaud's, its kind of if Galatoire's and Commander's got married. We've been there once, and it was good, but, to me, I'd suggest going to one or the other, not the hybrid (Arnaud's).
~Herbsaint. Co-run by Donald Link (of Cochon) and Susan Spicer, this is Food and Wine Mag's favorite restaurant in the city. And the two times we've been there it was pretty d*** good. A heavy New Orleans influence, but it is less "pure" New Orleans than the other options in this category. The menu is highly inventive however, and seems to always taste even better than it sounds. Mains 18-25, apps 9-13. Reservations recomended. Website --> http://www.herbsaint.com/
~Bayona. Susan Spicer’s restaurant is in the French quarter (surprisingly quiet considering it is one block off Bourbon). Exquisite food. New Orleans meets Spain meets Asia. If you want international style fine dining that never lets you forget that you are in New Orleans, this is (by far) the best place to go in the city.
~Pesche. Donald Link’s woodfire seafood restaurant, Acadian/Cajun ingredients but inspired by his trips to the Basque Country and Uruguay. Yum. Just won the James Beard for best new restaurant in US. So make reservations. Not super expensive though.
If we were ranking our top five fine dining in the city right now, I’d probably go 1) Bayona 2) Cochon 3) Herbsaint 4) Pesche 5) Galatoire’s (with a special nod out to Boucherie for being super close in spite of being a really cheap price)
Also, if any of you are considering tailgating and have questions, let me know. I run one of the largest tailgates at TU and have insight. But be forewarned, with this being the first time we’ve done it on campus (in over forty years) even we have a lot of “we’ll see how it feels/gos”
Hope to see a lot of you at Yulman in September, hope this posted email is helpful to someone, and hope you enjoy your trip to New Orleans more than you enjoy us beating you into the ground
Seriously, good luck this season (except our game).
Part One:
Things you asked about:
You asked about Willa Mae's Scotch House, which Food Network (not that I trust them) rates the country's best chicken. I've been there 7-8 times and all but once it rated as my favorite fried chicken ever. I had one so-so experience, other than that its been stellar. They don't have a website, but here is the yelp link --> http://www.yelp.com/biz/willie-maes-sco... ew-orleans The times on yelp are (unless something has changed VERY recently) incorrect. It is ONLY open for lunch (closing around 2 or 3, but often cutting the line off sooner), and it is closed on Sundays. Meanwhile, the lines can get VERY long, especially on weekends. It is up to you, but if you are serious about going, I would suggest that we go on Friday (while Brittany is teaching) and that we should get there 1130-noonish. An order of fried chicken (3 pieces of fried chicken plus one very large side dish) is 10 dollars.
You also asked about the Creole Creamery. It is VERY near our old house, and is not super distant from our new house (though much too far to walk). It is fast becoming a New Orleans institution. Crazy flavors, that are (mostly) crazy good (some are bad.....but they are big on taste tests). Sundays and Milkshakes are also good. Ice Cream is reasonable, but sundaes and shakes are a bit expensive.....but the portions for those are big and come the old fashioned way in glass service. Website --> http://www.creolecreamery.com/
Fine dining:
You said you wanted to get a nice meal out and mentioned Commander's and Galatoire's as examples. I'll share what I know:
~ Commander's is a 5 minute walk from our house (tops). It has a cool atmosphere that merges mom and pop with a elegant room. The service is exceptional, and the food is pretty good. We've been once for dinner, and thought it was good but were slightly underwhelmed (although the Turtle Soup was sublime). We went again for lunch and liked it much better. At dinner mains are in the 20s, appetizers in the low 10s. At lunch, they have (weekdays at least, I think maybe Saturdays too) a deal where you get a 3 course set lunch (with options) for about 20 bucks a head, and martinis are a quarter a piece (classic martini, commanders martini, watermelon martini, and cosmopolitans). I'm not joking. A quarter a piece. They are probably most famous for their Sunday Brunch. We've never been there for brunch, but did go to brunch at their #2 restaurant (Palace Cafe) which has a similar brunch meal, and it was quite good. Reservations are recommended if you want to eat at Commander's. In general, their menu is old-school creole cooking (or at least how it was re-imagined in the 1950s) and is quite good, if sometimes a bit unimaginative/unoriginal. For that type of food I certainly rank it over Antoine's (which can range from amazing to disgusting depending on the night) or Arnaud's (which is good, but I think I slightly prefer Commander's) Website --> http://www.commanderspalace.com/
~ Galatoire's is probably my personal favorite of the "old-school" fine dining eateries in NOLA, but it isn't for everyone. First off, the atmosphere in the lower dining room (the traditional dining room) is raucaus, loud, and breaks into happy birthdays. The service is great, but its unorthodoxed. It looks like a Paris cafe in the 1910s. Its a LOT of fun, and it IS old/real New Orleans, but it certainly isn't what most people picture when they think of fine dining. The upstairs dining room is more regal/subdued, although a whole host of New Orleanians are still boycotting the restaurant for adding the upstairs dining room because they don't consider it the "real" Galatoires. Second, the food is amazingly good, but surprisingly simple for fine dining. They offer some of the best quality meats/fishes ranging from Crawfish, to softshell crabs, to five different types of fish, to duck, etc (and your waiter will be shockingly honest about what is the freshest) and they cook them in a very traditional, but straightforward way that showcases the product/freshness. Its usually REALLY good but, again, not what the average New Yorker "pictures" as fine dining. The downstairs dining room does not take reservations (though if you go 8 or later you rarely have to wait), the upstairs dining room requires it. Main courses range in the 20s, appetizers in the low 10s. Their wine list is among the most extensive in the world. Website --> http://www.galatoires.com/
A couple of other options (just so you know your options)
~ Cochon is the new place that is getting thrown into the New Orleans foodie circuit. The Chef is Donald Link, who competes with John Besh (who I think sucks) and Susan Spicer (whose food I've never had) for best known local chef. He cooks pig every way you can possibly imagine it. Its a love affair with pork. Both times I have been there his appetizers (8-13 dollars) are the best apps I've had in my life. Both times his entrees (18-23 dollar range) have been better than so-so, but not as good as the appetizers. Although his rabbit and dumplings (chicken and dumplings with rabbit) and pulled pork cheeks were pretty darn good. The atmosphere is definately nice, and more subdued than Galatoire's, but it tries to give off a bit of a casual, deep-south vibe to it. And he has things on the menu like cocktails that use RC cola, and pickled okra. etc. Reservations are probably a good idea, but not compulsory. We have his cookbook, and it is far and away the best Cajun cookbook I've ever used. Website --> http://www.cochonrestaurant.com/
~ Boucherie is really popular cause its really good, original, high end food for really low prices (the chef is outspokenly dedicated to low prices). The dining room is TINY (its the inside of an old house) and reservations are required, and even then expect them to run 20 minutes late, but once inside the service and food are very good. Apps are 8-11, entrees 13-19. Tons of hard corps meat cooked old french style. Particularly famous for their Krispy Kreme Bread Pudding and their Bacon Chocolate Brownie (5 bucks each). The chef just got shot last week in a mugging, and didn't have health insurance, so I don't know what will happen to the menu/prices. He also keeps a good selection of Basque wines, which is why Brittany likes it haha The website is --> http://www.boucherie-nola.com/
~ I mentioned Antoine's and Arnaud's, and those are the other two big "classic" ones besides Galatoire's/Commander's. Antoine's is slightly cheaper than some of the others, so we have been there twice. It is an amazing place that is like a museum of food, showcasing how it was truly cooked in 1880 (rather than how it was reimagined in 1950). The problem is that they have almost 300 tables, tons of tourists, and the food is uneven/unpredictable at best. Our first experience was great....the second one produced food that was bordering on disgusting (including a congealed dish that made me sick to look at......and it was the SAME dish I had loved the first time......point being, inconsistent). Talking to other people has provided me evidence that our experiences are pretty indicative......that they are super inconsistent. That said, their soups are particularly famous/good.....and the service is as good as it gets. The first time they gave us a free cookbook just because they liked us, and the second time, when they saw us debate which soup to order, they brought us out a full bowl of options #2 and 3 on the house as a gift so we could try all three. I want to like Antoine's so bad because, in theory, its the real thing. But I worry about recommending it because of inconsistency. As for Arnaud's, its kind of if Galatoire's and Commander's got married. We've been there once, and it was good, but, to me, I'd suggest going to one or the other, not the hybrid (Arnaud's).
~Herbsaint. Co-run by Donald Link (of Cochon) and Susan Spicer, this is Food and Wine Mag's favorite restaurant in the city. And the two times we've been there it was pretty d*** good. A heavy New Orleans influence, but it is less "pure" New Orleans than the other options in this category. The menu is highly inventive however, and seems to always taste even better than it sounds. Mains 18-25, apps 9-13. Reservations recomended. Website --> http://www.herbsaint.com/
~Bayona. Susan Spicer’s restaurant is in the French quarter (surprisingly quiet considering it is one block off Bourbon). Exquisite food. New Orleans meets Spain meets Asia. If you want international style fine dining that never lets you forget that you are in New Orleans, this is (by far) the best place to go in the city.
~Pesche. Donald Link’s woodfire seafood restaurant, Acadian/Cajun ingredients but inspired by his trips to the Basque Country and Uruguay. Yum. Just won the James Beard for best new restaurant in US. So make reservations. Not super expensive though.
If we were ranking our top five fine dining in the city right now, I’d probably go 1) Bayona 2) Cochon 3) Herbsaint 4) Pesche 5) Galatoire’s (with a special nod out to Boucherie for being super close in spite of being a really cheap price)
