I had the wonderful opportunity to eat out in my city three nights in a row!
Thursday-
Boucherie
8115 Jeannette St. Off Carrollton
We took my mom to dinner- three people, 1 appetizer,1 salad, 3 entrees, 1 dessert and 2 cocktails. Everyone was satisfied with their portions, but we were more satisfied with the bill- $70 with tax and tip. I'd say this restaurant is quite a value. The service was prompt and they squeezed us in at 6:45 without a reservation. By the time we left, there was a line down the block. We were pretty lucky to get in!
We enjoyed our meal; here are some highlights:
Grilled Heart of Romaine Salad- GREAT
Smoked Beef Brisket with Parmesan fries- THE FRIES WERE AWESOME!!!!! The brisket was good.
Boudin Balls- I'd say these were the least interesting thing on the menu. They needed a little spice and a little salt.
Shrimp and Grits- YUM YUM YUM
Pulled Pork over potato cake with red cabbage slaw- Excellent
Krispy Kreme Bread Pudding- FABULOUS!
For the price, the place is a good bang for your buck, home style cooking and excellent fries. I'd highly recommend it.
Friday Night-
Emeril's
Warehouse District
We had quite a large group and everyone was comfortable sharing...so we got to taste everything at the table! The restaurant ran out of bisque and substituted the roasted garlic soup. If that was their second line soup, I can only imagine how good the bisque would have been. I wish I had the recipe the soup was so good. Other notables were the smoked exotic mushrooms and Emeril's BBQ shrimp. I think I scared the busboy because the service was a little too prompt. Once we ate all of the shrimp, he took my plate. I nearly attacked him to let him know we REALLY wanted the sauce, he quickly returned the plate, only to pick it up again before we were all able to dip our bread in the sauce. Someone really needs to explain to the staff that you aren't done until all the sauce is gone too, that is the best part!
I was impressed with the creativity in the menu, yet everything was "normal" enough for someone who isn't very adventurous with their dining.
The small plates and not so small plates were extremely tempting! Crawfish Pierogi, English Pea Risotto, Seared Scallops and Crawfish Meatballs. It was difficult to choose an entree with so many choices! The amuse bouche for the evening was a tuna meatball and house cured salmon- FABULOUS.
I enjoyed the Panned Veal and Crisp Sweetbreads. It was very tasty, but probably terrible for me! Don't tell the cardiologist! Others enjoyed the Andouille Crusted Redfish, the Pan Seared Filet, Ribeye with Romano potatoes and Gorgonzola (the best), Grilled Jerk Blue Fin Tuna, and the Hangar Steak Au Poivre.
For dessert, I ordered a blue cheese and honeycomb, I couldn't have been happier!!!!! Others had the banana creme pie, the chocolate torte and the praline cheesecake. They were all fabulous. Hooray for the Emeril's pastry chef!
It was a wonderful dinner!
Saturday-
Cafe Giovanni
117 Decatur, French Quarter
What a great meal! The place was packed!!! I didn't plan for all the graduations, weddings and other events going on in the quarter and was glad we had a reservation. I don't think we would have been able to get a table without one.
The opera singers, as always, were entertaining and helped to create a fun and festive atmosphere while we dined in the back courtyard themed room. It was quite charming.
Our table debated getting the "feed me" but in the end decided there were too many things on the menu that looked good. We didn't want to miss anything!
We started with the Oysters Giovanni, which will always please. Again, it was a group willing to share so we all enjoyed the Cannelloni (which was by far the best part of the dining experience) It was so good I wish I would have ordered it as my entree too! We also had the Veal Ravioli, Wedge Salad with blue cheese and onions, and Tuscan Asparagus. All were excellent. The blend of balsamic vinegar on the creamy blue cheese salad dressing was a perfect balance and the Tuscan asparagus was perfectly cooked and then wrapped in prosciutto and deep fried! Who could want more?
Our entrees were tough choices, so many things looked great. The hit at the table was the sauteed breaded veal, baked with 4 cheeses and a light red sauce. AWESOME!!!!!! The two people who ordered it were forced to share with everyone.
Two of our dining companions had issues with the the temperature of their meals, one steak was over cooked and one cannelloni was a little on the cold side. Our waiter handled it right away, the situation was resolved quickly, the restaurant gave us a credit on our bill (we didn't complain at all or ask for anything...they just offered...what great customer service) and then the chef sent us a round of his house made limoncello.
If the meal hadn't been perfect enough, Chef Duke sent us over the top with customer service. We were so pleased, we decided to order another bottle of wine and get desserts to share.
There was a digital photo frame in the bar running a series of Chef Duke's creations. My husband had his heart set on one of the desserts in the photo...unfortunately it wasn't available. The waiter suggested the chocolate strawberry dessert martini instead. Needless to say, it was perfect. Chocolate Sauce, Balsamic Strawberries and Chocolate Cake with whipped cream and other goodies!!! Check out the picture.
Again, I couldn't have been more pleased with the meal, the service and the staff...oh and the company too :)
