Tony's Mexican Restaurant

2118 Paris Road, Chalmette, LA

Rating 80

ATMOSPHERE
The atmosphere of Tony's Mexican Restaurant is sparse. Some ponchos and sombreros adorn the walls and there are several televisions throughout the roomy restaurant, usually tuned to soccer or Mexican music videos. The place gets crowded, mostly by Latino workers in the area. That in and of itself is a good recommendation.

SERVICE
I've been to Tony's on two occasions. Both times, I found the waitstaff to be very friendly and helpful. While there is an occasional small language barrier to hurdle, it is really no problem whatsover and it easily worked around. The menu is printed in both Spanish and English, with clear English descriptions of each item. If you have a problem with pronunciation, simply point to what you want.

FOOD
While I have not had the time to work my way through the entire menu, I was quite pleased with what I did have. The meal starts with chips, salsa and queso (hot melted cheese). These were fine except that the chips were the bag supermarket variety. I went on to have a taco. I ordered the fajita beef taco. It reminded me of tacos al carbon both in Mexico and Los Angeles. Served traditionally with grilled beef, tomatoes, onions and cilantro. Offered with red and green salsa and lime. No cheese or sour cream like taco bell. Authentic, light and tasty. For my meal, I had the beef enchiladas con salsa verde (with green salsa). These were also to my liking. I thought the sauce as well as the green salsa was delicious and not overbearing. These were piping hot and fresh. The refried beans side dish was fine and the rice was a bit too dry for my tastes. I also managed to taste the quesadillas, which I found to be pretty good too. They have all types of soft drinks, including a few of the fruit flavored ones common in Mexico. Also a nice selection of Mexican beer.

VALUE
This place is an excellent value. There is nothing even remotely expensive on this menu, including the seafood items which certainly appear to be using fresh local ingredients. This place will not break the bank and is a refreshing change from the Tex-Mex that we generally find in this region. Swapping a few Taco Bells for this place is definitely St. Bernard's gain.

Antoine's

713 Rue St. Louis, New Orleans, LA 70130

Rating 91

ATMOSPHERE
What can you really say about this wonderful and important New Orleans landmark. The atmosphere is classic. We dined in the Large Annex Room, which is really one of my favorite rooms to dine. It gives a great feeling and is perfect for people watching.

SERVICE
The service at Antoine's is outstanding. I try to use the same waiter when I dine, but I don't really notice a fall off in service if he is not available. The wait staff is attentive and helpful and are never in a rush. Truly a great part of the Antoine's experience.

FOOD
Classic. Keeping with tradition, we began the meal with a cocktail and the potatoes souffle with Hollandaise sauce. I moved on to the Oysters Rockefeller, which was invented in this very restaurant. Although it was a tad too salty, it was still outstanding. My dining companion had the shrimp cocktail, which was good too. After the oysters, I had a cup of the seafood gumbo, which is another Antoine's tradition for me. It's the best seafood gumbo in the city, which pretty much makes it the best in the world. We both ordered fried seafood for our entrees. I had the soft shell crab almondine and my companion had the trout almondine. Both were fresh, fried perfectly and simply delicious. We passed on dessert as there was simply no more room for food. A wonderful meal accompanied by a great selection from Antoine's outstanding wine list.

VALUE
While Antoine's Restaurant is not cheap, it is in my opinion, truly one of the great values in New Orleans. Dinner for two including cocktails and a bottle of wine for about $180, which included a 25% gratuity. That is a real find these days for a restaurant of this quality.

I get the hint St. Bernard; I'm coming!

Above and beyond the usual email that I get regarding this site and food in general, I've very recently begun to receive a flood of mail asking me when I am going to get to St. Bernard and review some restaurants. Well...I'm coming. On my website pre-Katrina, I had quite a few St. Bernard restaurant reviews, but I think most of these places are gone. St. Bernard is coming back, which is the way I view my website. It is fitting that I make a trip (or three) to the Parish and sample the cuisine. I'll post shortly.

I have gotten several glowing comments about Tony's Mexican Restaurant recently. I think that will be my first stop.

Royal Street Stroll tonight

I hope to see many of you tonight at the New Orleans Wine and Food Experience Royal Street Stroll tonight. I look forward to this event every year. I plan on savoring wine and art for 3 hours tonight then capping it off with a trip to the one that started it all; Antoine's. I'll post a review of the restaurant and my comments about the stroll in the next few days. Cheers!

The Besh Steakhouse at Harrah's Casino

8 Canal Street, New Orleans, LA 70130 (504)533-6000

Rating 90

ATMOSPHERE
There's clearly a hurdle for the Besh Steakhouse to clear when it comes to atmosphere. It is in the middle of a really noisy casino. That being said, the decor is first rate, the restaurant is very comfortable and the bar is great. It can get really crowded, both in the seating area and the bar, which is something that one expects in the casino setting.

SERVICE
I found the service both at the bar and in the restaurant to be first-rate. The staff was friendly and helpful but not overbearing. The bartenders were outstanding both in their service and their craft and the same can be said for the waiters.

FOOD
I've made several trips to the Besh Steakhouse before writing this review. I've had the opportunity to sample most of the steaks, as well as several of the seafood entrees. I've also had a chance to work my way through the appetizers, which is where I'll start. Not many weak spots here. Very generous, almost entree sized portions. As a matter of fact, I've stayed on the appetizer side of the menu on occasion and never left hungry. My recommendations are the barbecue shrimp, the oysters Bordelaise, and the crabmeat stuffed shells. All feature the highest quality ingredients and first rate preparation. From the soup portion of the menu, I recommend the duck and andouille gumbo. Its delicious, although the portion could be a tad larger. Salad choices are few, but one cannot go wrong with the bleu cheese and bibb lettuce salad. It's big enough for two and is covered with delicious, high quality chunk blue cheese.

Enough about the appetizers. One comes to a steakhouse of this quality (and price point) for the steaks. This is one of the few rooms in town that features dry aged beef. This is first rate beef and it shows. You really cannot go wrong selecting between the prime rib, filet mignon, New York strip, or for a lesser appetite, the tournedoes of filet. The huge double cut pork chop is also outstanding. I would avoid the humongous cowboy steak and the Kobe beef offering as they simply don't stack up with the first mentioned steaks. I've not tried the venison yet and I doubt i'll ever try the Besh cheeseburger (too many better choices and $25 bucks is ridiculous for a burger). Each steak dish is paired with a particular side. I am most fond of the crabmeat orzo risotto and the Bearnaise sauce with crabmeat and tarragon. I have found that the staff is very flexible in this regard, allowing you to swap and choose any sidedish. There are a few seafood dishes on the menu as well. I've enjoyed the Gulf shrimp with andouille grits. I've not had either fish dish. But if you go to Besh, get a steak. Finally, the liquor and wine selection are what you would expect from a restaurant of this quality and price.

VALUE
Make no mistake about it. The Besh Steakhouse is very expensive. An appetizer, salad and entree, coupled with a few beverages will easily approach one hundred dollars per person. One should have gotten the hint when I mentioned the $25 hamburger earlier. If there is any value on the menu, its the prime rib, which comes in right under $30. I really enjoy this restaurant, as I imagine you can tell, and its only the noisy casino and the really high prices that keep the rating from being even higher in the 90's. Highly recommended.

Mojo Lounge

I am sorry to report that Mojo Lounge, which I have not yet reviewed, is mourning the passing of one of its owners, Arly Questad. Arly was a driving force behind the lounge as well as the original and eclectic bar menu, which is far more imaginative than normal New Orleans area late night bar fare. I raise my glass to thee. Safe travels, Arly.