Restaurant Report: Cafe Dolce'

After completing a "shoot" (just throwing around some TV lingo....even though I am not sure if it is correct)David Williams, cameraman extraordinaire and all around good guy directed us to a new restaurant venue known as Cafe Dolce'. I am adding the accent mark just to make it read a little better or more swanky.

Lunch was the time of day and on Dave the Rave's suggestion we split a muffaletta and each had a bowl of chicken and andouille gumbo. Dave was raving about the gumbo (dark roux and great taste) and I would have to concur. The standard muffaletta on a toasted seeded bun was the sandwich item. It was good, there is of course the purists who would shun a toasted bun and probably flip out at the use of the seeds. Post Katrina it has been hard to find true "italian" bread in these areas to use on one's muffaletta. Nevertheless, I found no major complaint with this dish.

I will rate it at Not Too Bad on my first visit. It has the potential to move up into the Pretty Damn Good category, but, more visits will be needed to confirm that label.

Peace Out.

Restaurant Report: Frankie and Johnny's

I guess you could say this has been a Johnny restaurant weekend. First Johnny and Joyce's on Friday and now Frankie and Johnny's on Saturday.

While in New Orleans for a reunion at my old grade school/church (where I went to fifth grade and later served as an altar boy during my high school years........SHUT UP) St. Francis of Assissi........as the party wound down we took a suggestion for a place to eat and went back to one of my old stomping grounds. Frankie and Johnny's is in fact literally around the corner from where I use to live (Annunciation Street) at a much younger part of my life.

Being in the school cafeteria, seeing old friends, driving around the neighborhood, and eating at F & J's brought back a lot of good memories. It is amazing how many of your childhood friends appear to look the same as they did years ago......I know I need an eye checkup.......but nonetheless it was good time.

So on to my report:
Appetizer - Onion Rings - hot and excellent.
Entree - the wife and I split a Hot Roast Beef Po-Boy - very good.
2 Ice Teas
$25 tax, title, and tip
Rating:****Pretty Damn Good

This restaurant is one of your quintessential New Orleans neighborhood restaurants. At one time the menu was vast with many choices. It was almost like you could eat there everynight for two or three months without having the same thing twice. Post Katrina it has a severely limited menu.

An interesting point to bring up here is that this is a place that has taken on a noteriety of being a very good neighborhood restaurant and that fact has been spread not only in print but all over the internet. Hence it has become a "tourist" must go to place. Some tourists, much like myself, like to eat in the small out of the way joints that have good comfort food. While I always search out that information when I take a trip, enough out of towners have found this place when coming to NOLA. Reports of some dip in the quality of food due to this "tourist" business had circulated for a few years. I believe the pared down menu has brought it standards back up (if in fact that demise was true) to the old days!

Restaurant Report: Johnny & Joyce's

Got a call from one of my buds querying a restaurant.....something he and his wife hadn't tried......after floating several names I suggested this place and they asked us to join them and another couple. We were in. We totaled out at six.

Lets start with the drinks....Beer $2 and Ice Tea $1.99 (of course with numerous refills).

This is what the group had:
Onion Rings - good, lots.
Stuffed Artichoke Heart - didn't last long
Fried Crawfish Po-Boy - Randall couldn't finish it all
Fried Fish, Shrimp, Oysters - very good and lots of them

Cindy and I went with our usual - the combo (13.98) shrimp and oysters with garlic potatoes - certainly enough for two people (sometimes with leftovers) - love the oysters in cornmeal and the shrimp are not bad in it, too. I just prefer shrimp in seasoned flour. Potatoes were chucks with butter, garlic, and parsley - good stuff.

This is the definitive neighborhood restaurant stuck in a strip mall. These people relocated from Chalmette to Mandeville after the storm. They brought with them some damn good cooking techniques.

Rating: Pretty Damn Good.

Restaurant Report: MiMamachita's

OK, this place is a rundown house.....get over that and get to the eating.

We started with cheese dip (this can be anything from runny to thick) today it had a tad too much water added, but, the taste is very good.
Chips were thin, fresh, and warm corn chips!

I went with the cheese enchilada plate with the green sauce. Very good. Came out on a hot plate, tasted very good.

My lovely wife had the chicken burrito appetizer with cueso sauce. It met her approval. Total cost $28 tax, title, and tip.
Rating: Not too bad.

Restaurant Report: Fazzio's

While contemplating dinner (a new Chinese place nearby had drawn our interest) my lovely wife pulled the name Fazzio's out of the air. Thoughts of fried eggplant and veal ran through our heads. This would prove to be another great call by my mate:

Here is the scoop:
Appetizer: Fried Eggplant that came out hot with a side of marinara sauce.

Salad: Fresh crisp lettuce, onion, cucumbers, croutons, and house dressing.....Creamy Italian (thin and light).

Main Entree: Paneed veal and fettuccine alfredo. It also came out hot with the alfredo sauce being light and tasty. The bread/butter served along with the salad deserves mention as it came out hot and the butter had garlic (lots) and herbs. A great compliment to the meal. We split the entire meal including entree and were quite full when it was over. Total cost: $32 tax, title, and tip.

BTW, it seems that restaurant reviewers have rating systems ranging from stars to beans, etc. While I haven't defined the entire scale as of yet, I will begin this evening by rating this meal: Freaking Excellent - my highest rating.

Restaurant Report: Italian Pie

Dinner last night: Cindy and I split a Lasagna Dinner. It came with a small Italian (could have chosen a small Caesar) salad, the Lasagna (nice portion, could of used more red sauce {sweet} inside, my best guess would be that it is pre-made and then cooked in their oven), and an order of garlic bread that resembled a cheese pizza (breadsticks was the alternative). All this for $9.95 and both of us were quite full. While this is not four-star dining,......all in all for the price it was a good meal.

Taco Loco Truck

Yes, a real Mexican Taco Truck near the corner of Canal Blvd. and Robert E. Lee in the Lakeview area of NOLA.

Having heeded the words of people on the local food board on www.nola.com I saved room after breakfast Saturday morning to stop by and order some grub.

Being very unsure what to order and not wanting to seem like a neophyte I got in line and ordered two tacos. One steak and one shredded beef. This is the authentic stuff people. Wrapped in small soft tortillas these tacos came with the onion, cilantro, and a hot sauce. The taste was "wonderful"! It was like putting your toe in the water to check the temperature. The temperature or should I say the taste was just right! Time to venture in for a swim the next time I am able to find the Taco Loco Truck.

BTW, enjoyed the steak better than the beef, cost $1.50 each.

One of my boys said "When it comes to Taco Truck food: It's not the entry thats bad.......its the exit."

Restaurant Report: Peppermill

Tried the Peppermill on Sunday morning for Breakfast and came away quite impressed and happy.

I had two eggs scrambled with sausage, hash browns (seemed to be homemade in a home fry kind of way), and a biscuit. Cindy went with the Blueberry pancakes. As usual we split the two meals to get a wider range of tastes.

Everything was good and warm. Service was excellent. Blueberries for the pancakes were actually a warm sauce as the pancakes were straight up buttermilk. Combining the sauce with the warm syrup they provided produced a nice taste. All in all a strong recommendation for breakfast at the Peppermill!

Restaurant Report: Mandina's

Friday night's dinner was at the lengendary Mandina's. Cindy and I were expecting big things and came away a wee bit disappointed.

We started with the Onion Rings that were big and unfortunately, luke warm. They tasted good, but, not being hot or near hot was a let down.
Follow that up with the trout menuiere (which was good) and french fries that were just warm. I wondered how long they had sat under the heating lamp. You could tell the flavor was there, just not the warmth.

Restaurant Report: Drago's at the Riverside

Ersters, Ersters, and more Oysters!

Dined at the "pre" Opening Party of Drago's in the Hilton Hotel at the River on Poydras Street!

Venue: very sleek, very hotel sleek!

Everything at the Pre-Opening Party was Buffet style (service at tables will be the normal pattern once the restaurant officially opens) with a few hundred in attendance. Seating space was limited, however, we were lucky enough to be allowed to sit with two very nice couples enjoying their repast.

Nice long Oyster Bar where you could pick up Char-grilled or Raw Oysters. This is probably the only place you really need be, anyway! Char-grilled were awesome, as usual. That garlic butter concoction is outstanding. The raw ones were huge. This family obviously has the "in" with Oyster fishermen as they always get the biggest and best around.

We did venture out to get some lobster (always good), some fried shrimp (good) and some friend shrimp with a sauce (buffalo type - spicy) on them that were (very good). Add to that a sort of rice dish (spinach? with it) that was excellent, too.

All in all this is a don't miss spot.
Our evening was especially nice having met the two couples that shared their table with us. A night to remember!

Restaurant Report: The Steak Knife

Restaurant Report:
Tonight we dined at the Steak Knife located in the old Voodoo BBQ space located in West End.

Don't know how long they have been open at this location? Make over of the Voodoo BBQ space was nice, definitely upgraded the space, but, still not as classy as former Harrison Ave. location.

Meal:
Crabmeat Au Gratin - nice amount of crabmeat and cheese, thick consistency, not much taste.

Prime Ribeye - ordered medium, was very chewy, on closer inspection too much pink.

Potatoes Au Gratin - again nice amount of potatoes and cheese, thick consistency, not much taste.

FYI
Crown & Coke: $7
House Merlot: $6