Irish House* (#172, 8/23/2011)
It took me about three weeks after this place opened to get in and check it out. A cool place, definitely has the feel of an Irish pub (or what I imagine one to be like). Had some sort of meatloaf appetizer which was ok, then a triple filet of some sort which was quite good. And of course, a Smithwick’s. Atmosphere trumps food, but food was decent, worth checking out.
Company Burger (#171, 8/22/2011)
The latest (at the time) in a line of burger joints, I have to say, this is probably the best of the bunch. Good, juicy burger with outstanding bread (the key to any good burger). The sweet potato fries were also excellent. Single burger, fries and drink were about $12, so $3 more than Tru Burger; I’ll still be back. Maybe right now.
Jamila’s (#170, 8/20/2011)
The only Tunisian restaurant in New Orleans (supposedly, I believe most anything I read). I’m not really a big fan of Mediterranean food (or lamb), so wasn’t bowled over by this place, but my friends all liked everything a lot. Highlight was undoubtedly the professional belly dancer performing throughout dinner. The owner is very friendly and entertaining as well, but be warned, when he offers mustard, it’s actually mussels.
Zoe Bistro* (#169, 8/18/2011)
As I’ve said, always a struggle when I just have breakfast at a “real” restaurant, but I’ve decided to count them anyway. This is the restaurant at the W on Poydras Street. I had an omelet which was solid, but nothing overly spectacular. Decent place for a breakfast meeting, modern-style, some funky decoration and artwork. Not too bad.
Milk Bar (#168, 8/17/2011)
At a meeting, I was told about the “best sandwiches in NOLA” so I made my way up Prytania Street. I had been hearing about this place and obviously foolish for not going sooner. Outstanding high-end sandwiches for reasonable prices. I had the psychotic chicken and it was one of the best sandwiches I’ve had in ages. Definitely go there (and I didn’t even try their specialty – milk shakes). One extra story, which says a lot about the place; on a follow-up trip, there was a mix-up on my order. some idiot took an order for “John” without asking what it was. he took mine. So there was a delay on mine. The owner came out and handed me my money back with the replacement sandwich. I really didn’t want it back, not a big deal, and not his fault, but he insisted. Good people. Support them.
Tomasito’s* (#167, 8/16/2011)
Tomasito’s on Tchoupitoulas in the Warehouse District was…ok. The queso was bland, but my enchilada was decent. Shrimp tacos were also okay, quite spicy. Best thing was $2 white sangria – and the Pancho Villa posters in the bathroom. Overall, about typical for Mexican in NOLA, which isn’t good. Apparently, I wasn’t alone in my assessment, as it didn’t stay open long. It was adjusted into Tomas Bistro, which has been getting solid ratings, but I haven’t checked it out yet.
Mat & Naddie’s* (#166, 8/11/2011)
An outstanding stop that has climbed into my top 10. I highly recommend it. Pretty stupid of me not to have been to a place that’s about 1/4 mile from my house. The spicy tempura fried gulf shrimp tonkatsu was one of the beat dishes I have had in ages. An outstanding chenin blanc as well. Good service in a cool little building with solid character. Definite New Orleans style.
Velvet Cactus (#165, 8/4/2011)
The Velvet Cactus is probably my favorite Mexican place in town – that’s not saying much. Don’t come to NOLA looking for good Mexican. This is more up-scale than most of the Mexican restaurants here. The food was very good, fairly reasonably priced. Margaritas seemed watered down. We sat outside, despite the heat (they don’t take reservations), but plenty of fans kept it comfortable.
High Hat (#164, 8/4/2011)
I didn’t realize this was an Adolfo Garcia (Rio Mar, A Mano, La Boca) place. It was…ok. If you have a true lunch hour, it’s a risk as it took a long time to get our food. I went with a shrimp po-boy from the small menu and it was pretty good ($10), but nothing special and very small. The word on the street is that you need to have the fried catfish here, so if in the mood for catfish, check it out. Otherwise, there are much better places to go on a regular basis.
Dat Dog (#163, 7/26/2011)
An outstanding hot dog – great bread, good dog, good toppings. Had the cheese fries also – it’s a massive order of fries. Warning, no air conditioning and it’s cash only (since I visited this place, it has moved across the street to a much larger location, so it may be different).