Last night I went to dinner at La Crepe Nanou. It was a last minute decision, we were actually planning to go to La Thai for dinner, but it was closed. Actually every Thai restaurant we tried to stop at uptown was closed on Mondays. I have heard good things about La Crepe Nanou and its right next to La Thai so we went there. It’s cute and quaint in a bohemian/Parisian sort of way. I imagine I would have been very happy sitting in the front room (where the bar is located) the seating seemed much more comfortable. The other two rooms were pleasant and still romantic seeming, but had metal cafe chairs that I would have expected out-of-doors. 

We started with Les Moules Marinières the mussels steamed in garlic, cream and white wine. They were quite delicious. My date soaked almost all of the loaf of bread we got in the cream sauce (as you can see below).  I am; however, still a favorite to the Mussels Josephine at Bonefish grill.

(I apologize for the terrible quality. It was pretty dark in the restaurant and I was using my phone.)

I had a champagne cocktail which was quite bitter, but I enjoyed it. I had the Crêpe Provençale (without Mushrooms) it was a ratatouille filled crepe and it was… perfection. I’m typically a carnivore but I was completely satisfied with this vegetarian dish. It came with a side of potatoes and french green beans. Everything was delicious, my date was even a little jealous. 

My date had the smoke salmon crepe which was filled with capers and cream cheese and topped with asparagus. We stared off saying it was okay, but finished his whole plate! I’m not very partial to salmon OR capers and I found it pleasant, rich and creamy. Unfortunately there was no room for dessert.

(Image thanks to nomsdotcom.com)

Update: 8/17/2011

I went back to La Crepe Nanou for dessert with some of my girlfriends. We got Crepe Nanou, Crepe Lucie (chocolate syrup, strawberries and vanilla ice cream), and the Crepe Belle Helene (vanilla ice cream, pears, and chocolate sauce). They were all delicious, the Belle Helene had cinnamon flavored pears which added something nice.

The Rib Room

I went to the Rib Room this year for father’s day. We originally attempted to go to the Gospel Brunch at the House of Blues, but we didn’t have tickets and we would have had to wait 2 hours for the restaurant to open. So, we walked a few blocks over and visited the Rib Room. I think that when my parents lived here, the rib room was in its “hey day”. 

On Father’s Day, this place was entirely unimpressive. We started with a crab cake appetizer and I got the turtle soup. The soup was, alright, though not much better than Mandina’s (which I can’t rave about either). The crab cake consisted of ZERO breading. It was crab meat lumped together, lightly LIGHTLY breaded on the outside then fried. Also, for a 12.00(ish) appetizer, I expected more than one crab cake. The Remoulade sauce was tasteless and required salt to even taste similar to Remoulade. I can only ASSUME that they chose to make this crab cake in this manner for tourists. I’ve almost never seen a crab cake this way and it was tasteless.

I ordered the Eggs Benedict and my parents both got the prime rib. Granted this was a HUGE cut of meat, but its was completely bland! The meat tasted as though it had been boiled in flavorless aus jus sauce. I only had a few bites but felt the need to smother it in horseradish to eat it. My parents were not terribly impressed either. My dad said that it wasn’t bad, but he considered it a waste of meat… I agreed.

Unfortunately my Eggs Benedict were no better. My eggs were cooked straight through and the ham was almost too tough to cut through. The only GOOD thing I had while I was here, was from the bar. I’ve heard that Chef Bajeaux has taken over, hopefully her can turn this place around to its former glory.

One thing you should all know about me, is that I LOVE fried green tomatoes with shrimp and remoulade sauce. I scour New Orleans on the regular looking for new places to have this delicious treat. I can thank CHOWHOUND for this recommendation as well as my father. 

I convinced one of my friends to meet me here for lunch one day, because I was having a particular fried green tomato craving. I ordered this as my meal and also had a Bushwacker which is a smooth coffee/coconut flavored frappuccino-esque drink. It was delicious! The fried green tomatoes were also outstanding. I’d probably revisit Liuzza’s just for my fried green tomato fix over Mahony’s anyway. 

This place is a bit of a dive, seat yourself, neighborhood restaurant that I highly recommend for some casual dining!

Cafe Atchafalaya

I can NEVER say enough about this place. I was fortunate enough to be invited to dine here, which (though I offered to pay for my meal) saved my pocket book a bundle. This place certainly isn’t cheap, but I definitely didn’t feel like I didn’t get my money’s worth (if I had been paying). 

When we arrived, our party was waiting a the bar. I am not sure if this was by choice or because they had no made a reservation. I was not complaining either way and I enjoyed a delightfully crafted French 75.  Their cocktail menu had a medium variety of great cocktails and “local” drinks, such as the Sazerac and the Milk Punch. 

At our table, we started with the charcuterie plate which came with a variety of salumi, pate, prosciutto, hogs head cheese, crackers, and olives. All which were fantastic (except I didn’t try the cheese or olives, not my cup of tea). The Sommlier came by and suggested a wine. I typically do not enjoy red wine, but this was fantastic. Two of us ordered the special, a lamb loin covered in a mint  and parsley vinaigrette with vegetables, sun dried tomato and cheese grits. It was divine! I couldn’t finish the whole plate and it made for great left overs heated up in the oven. 

The rest of the party opted for Boudin-stuffed Quail and Tea Smoked Duck, both which were delicious but I only had a taste. Overall my entire experience there was fantastic. The staff was kind and welcoming and never seemed bothered to chat. The owner was extremely friendly and spoke with us as we left. The ambiance was romantic and inviting and I never felt too close to the table next to me or stranded in the middle of floor. I’d definitely return, for a special occasion.