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.

Adolfo's

611 Frenchman St., New Orleans, LA 70116 (504) 948-3800

Rating 62

ATMOSPHERE
There comes a time when hip, eclectic and funky translates to bad and dirty. This is definitely the case of Adolfo's in the Faubourg Marigny. The restaurant is more accurately described as a converted studio apartment. The cooking is done in an apartment kitchen, with a mish mash of home appliances and hot plates. There is no air conditioning, leaving the place hot from both the outside temperature and the heat generated from the kitchen. Even if these issues are put aside, the place is dirty. Really dirty. Old vinyl tablecloths, not cleaned well, leave a sticky, moist eating surface. The glassware and flatware were not much better. And the paper napkin quickly disintegrates on the perpetually wet tables.

SERVICE
Adolfo's has always had service issues. It's so small that I'm not sure that there is room for more than two servers. On my most recent visit, my server was sub-par at best. It took me about 15 minutes to place a drink order or get a menu. Another long delay before ordering followed. My appetizer was wrong and when I mentioned it, I was told that correcting it would take quite a while. The salads were forgotten. Overall, very disappointing.

FOOD
There is nothing at all special about the cuisine at Adolfo's. The appetizer that I had, albeit not what I ordered, was okay. Cannelloni stuffed with fried eggplant. I was served bread at this point, which was another disappointment. Grocery store type soft French bread, served at room temperature, brushed with garlic butter. I had the veal parmesan. The veal was cooked well enough, although it was pounded too thin. The breading was very unimaginative. The sauce was the best part and it was only fair. I also sampled the Veal Ocean, which is veal covered with seafood. It was okay, although the seafood portions were small and rather bland. It is quite clear that a good consistent product is almost impossible with one cook and a tiny home kitchen. The meals take too long and clearly show a lack of attention to detail. In no uncertain terms, I cannot and do not recommend Adolfo's.

VALUE
If there is any bright spot to Adolfo's, it is price. The appetizers are in the 5 dollar range and entrees are 10-12 bucks. Adolfo's is not taking credit cards. Cash only. I have no idea why since every other merchant in the area accepts credit cards. While I am not making any accusations, it is my general belief that businesses who only want cash are playing loose and fast with taxes. Value aside, there are much better meals to be had in New Orleans in this price range.

The Beef Connection

501 Gretna Blvd., Gretna, LA 70053 (504) 366-3275

Rating 83

ATMOSPHERE
Walk into The Beef Connection and transport yourself into the late 1970's. Nothing special, although clean.

SERVICE
The service, while not classic was prompt and friendly. I was checked on frequently, but not pestered.

FOOD
This is a steakhouse, plain and simple. I had the barbeque shrimp appetizer, which was overly spicy and otherwise unspectacular. I continued with a dinner salad, which was simply iceberg, two small tomato slices, and blue cheese of the supermarket bottle variety. I continued on to the large filet mignon. This is where The Beef Connection shines. I was served a huge, well cut, slab of beef. It was cooked just to my liking with the perfect amount of sizzling butter. Delicious. As good as I've had in quite some time. It is worth the trip to the westbank for steak of this variety. As far as the sides go, I had spinich au gratin, which was watery, and the potatoes au gratin, which was pretty good. If everything else that I consider when establishing my rating was as good as the steak, this restaurant would have hit the 90's. That being said, if you are in the mood for steak, I highly recommend a trip across the river.

VALUE
The Beef Connection is a good value. The steaks are in line with most steakhouses in the area that serve beef of this quality and the other menu items and beverages are very reasonable.

Zydeque

808 Iberville St., New Orleans, LA 70112 (504) 565-5520

Rating 82

ATMOSPHERE
Busy, loud, very casual. Just what you would expect from a barbeque joint, especially one located in the French Quarter. This place is geared toward nothing more than bellying up to the table, rolling up your sleeves and digging into some serious barbeque.

SERVICE
I was greeted as I walked through the door and promptly seated. My server was attentive and pleasant.

FOOD
I began the meal with the Zydeque debris gumbo. A nice thick chicken andouille gumbo filled with debris of smoked pork. It is served with a scoop of potato salad. Although it could have been served warmer, it was really good. I like thick gumbo and the debris was a really nice touch. I am really prejudiced toward seafood gumbo, but this stuff is good. For my main course, I had the two meat combination plate. I combined the pulled pork and the beef brisket. Both were served dry, with a nice thick sweet sauce on the side. Both meats were delicious. With and without the sauce. My side was the potato salad, which was nothing special. The portions were very generous, which precluded my having dessert.

VALUE
This place is a steal. I am amazed that they can pay the staff, the note on a big room at Bourbon and Iberville, and the bills on what they charge. My meal and two drinks were about twenty bucks, including tip.

May 10, 2006

Vincent's Italian Cuisine

4411 Chastant St., Metairie, LA 70006 (504) 885-2984

Rating: 70

I would like to preface this review by briefly discussing price point as it relates to restaurants. Things that I do not take note of or bother to discuss at a neighborhood type restaurant ($20-25 total per person) can become much more significant at a higher end restaurant ($40+ per person). That having been said, I will begin my review of Vincent’s Italian Cuisine.

ATMOSPHERE
I am not impressed with the atmosphere or general surroundings at Vincent’s as of late. I feel that there is a lack of cleanliness at the table, as well as with the flatware and glassware. I also find it troubling that Vincent’s keeps breadsticks on the table through successive seatings, leaving a diner unaware if he/she is eating a breadstick that a former customer nibbled earlier. Furthermore, the cheap office-style vinyl and metal chairs are not what one should expect at a restaurant in this price range.

SERVICE
The service on my two most recent visits to Vincent’s was sub-par. I would normally not mention this post Hurricane Katrina due to well-known staffing issues. However on both of my visits, the crowds were sparse and the staff was more than sufficient. I had to request water, drink refills, and bread. I am beginning to sound like a broken record, but I do not expect that at this price point.

FOOD
I want to explain a situation that negatively affected my thoughts about Vincent’s. I recently heard Vincent on the radio discussing that Metairie had no restaurant serving Oysters Bienville and Oysters Rockefeller. Vincent went on to say that his restaurant would begin serving them immediately. I am a big fan of both of these and they were the primary reason for my most recent visit. I specifically waited two weeks after the announcement to ensure that they would be on the menu. I am sorry to report as of this writing, Metairie still has no one serving either of these dishes. I asked the server about this and she told me she had no idea what I was talking about. She checked with the kitchen who had the same answer. This being said, I ordered the seafood stuffed mushrooms. These were quite good. Certainly the highlight of the meal. The sauce was not overbearing, but complemented the mushrooms and the stuffing rather well. Following the mushrooms, I was served the dinner salad. I am not one to complain too much about salads that are included in the price of the entree. This salad was quite small, but the ingredients were fresh and the dressing was good. For the main course, I had the stuffed shrimp. Not served in the usual manner, I would describe this dish as shrimp in a seafood stuffing served in a philo dough pastry covered with a cream sauce. The meal was served with the usual sides of broccoli and fettucini alfredo. I was not impressed with the dish. While it was certainly edible, the shrimp were the tiny “imported” variety. They offered little in the way of taste. Smothering anything in a heavy cream sauce will mask bland taste, but once again, one should expect more at this price level. I chose to skip dessert and end my meal. I’ve had many good meals at Vincent’s, but I clearly see a decline in quality that I hope is not permanent.

VALUE
I don't want to beat a dead horse here. I think I cover value throughout the review.

March 1, 2006