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1768 Front St
Slidell, LA
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Pros: A great place to bring - and impress - a date.
Cons: The restaurant seemed a little too empty.
Bottom Line: Was a great experience with classic French cuisine that left us hungry for more.
The dining area is shaped in a deep rectangle and is cozy and authentic. The decor is classic and elegant - white tablecloths on the tables and a large, beautiful painting of people dancing on the wall (if you go, check out the guy who looks like he's doing the Thriller dance). We went in for dinner at 7:00 PM, and there were only 3 other tables occupied. Of these, only one of the tables - a couple - was under the age of, oh, say 80, and no more younger people came in while we were there. Apparently, this place does best with the early dinner crowd and is not well known with the younger population.
To start the meal we ordered an appetizer and a half liter of wine. Oh how we love restaurants that serve half liters - it's the perfect size for us when we're dining on our own to each get two generous glasses. The wine was great and came at an extremely reasonable price ($15) for such a nice restaurant. Jasmine definitely gets bonus points for that! For an appetizer, we had crabmeat au gratin. It was creamy, cheesy, and delicious. Our only critique was that we didn't taste much of the flavors of the white wine that it was cooked in. But it still tasted great. Each entree came with a Caesar salad, topped with anchovies (salads without anchovies are also available for the unadventurous). Good stuff here, too.
For entrees, we asked the waiter for recommendations. He pleasantly obliged, and offered recommendations and descriptions (which weren't on the menu) of his preferred entrees in each category (pasta, beef, game meats, seafood, etc). We decided to go with two of his recommendations - the Beef Wellington and rack of lamb with rosemary. Beef Wellington is a classic French dish. It's a beef tenderloin on top of pate and all wrapped up and cooked in puff pastry. The Beef Wellington was a beautiful piece of meat - cooked perfectly and oh-so-tender. The rack of lamb was also cooked very well and had great flavor. It was served with a mint jelly that nicely complemented the dish - and this is coming from a hippo that doesn't like mint much. Each dish came with sides of green beans and potatoes. The green beans were your average steamed, butter-coated green beans. The potatoes were comfort food at its best. However, it was the perfectly cooked, well-seasoned cuts of meat that were the stars of the plates.
We really enjoyed our dinner at Jasmine. We've heard that new owners are taking over the restaurant soon. We hope they will maintain the integrity of the cuisine while making an effort to draw a younger crowd. As it is now, Jasmine is a great place for a romantic dinner for those in the Slidell area who don't want to cross the lake. The service was excellent, attentive, and postively contributed to the dining experience. We really enjoyed our meal and look forward to returning to increase our knowledge of French cuisine.
1300 Saint Charles Ave.
New Orleans, LA
View the website
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Pros: Awesome food and impeccable service.
Cons: As with other fine restaurants, can get pricey.
Bottom Line: You get what you pay for - a great dining experience perfect for special occasions.
Emeril's Delmonico, located in the Lower Garden District, is an upscale restaurant with a history that dates back to 1895. Emeril Lagasse took over the restaurant in the 1990s and has done a great job of keeping up the prestige of its name. Known for their steaks, Delmonico is a perfect place for a special event. Housed in a building that resembles an old house, the atmosphere is cozy and elegant. We were seated by a window overlooking St. Charles - not a bad view! And while we ate, we were entertained by a gentleman singing while playing a grand piano. It was a perfect setting for a romantic date or for celebrating an important occasion.
The service at Delmonico, as with all of Emeril's restaurants, was exquisite. The staff does a great job of making sure your every need is covered. You are usually attended to by a trio of waiters, and your plates are presented to the table by multiple waitstaff in one elegant move. There was a decent bit of downtime in between courses, but when you're spending the evening in a fine dining restaurant, you usually are not in a hurry and would rather savor the time. So, we welcomed the slower pace over feeling rushed through the meal. The service here perfectly complements the cozy but upscale atmosphere, making you feel like a special guest throughout your meal.
The menu of Delmonico includes some classic upscale dishes (confit duck leg and spring pea risotto with pancetta, for instance) as well as New Orleans-inspired dishes (from gumbo and barbecued shrimp to Louisiana crawfish stuffed bell pepper). The steaks and seafood on the menu are known for being stand-outs. Though the prices of these dishes can get pretty expensive, Delmonico offers small, medium, and large plates, allowing some flexibility for those watching their budget. For our dinner, we used another "passport", which purchased us a three course dinner featuring cuisine from Brazil. (Unfortunately, this special ended with the end of September.)
For our appetizers, we ordered Bolinho de Bacalhau (salt cod croquettes with lime aoli) and Bolinho de Bacalhau (spicy Brazilian pork sausage with sauteed onions, collard greens, and yucca). The croquettes were delicious, had a slight crunchiness to the outside, and felt rather light. The sausage was nice - slightly sweet and spicy - but it's hard for Brazilian sausage to beat good, old Louisiana sausage.
For our main dishes, we chose Moqueca de Camarao (Gulf shrimp, tomato, coconut milk, sweet pepper, and rice) and Churrasco de Fraldinha (grilled skirt steak, black beans, rice, and molho vinaigrette). The shrimp dish looked similar to a shrimp creole but certainly didn't taste the same. While the flavors of the tomato-based sauce were good, the shrimp were undoubtedly the star of this plate. They were large, plump, and cooked to perfection - tender with just the right texture. We enjoyed the dish overall, but it didn't necessarily have a huge "wow" factor to it. The other entree, the steak plate, was great. The flavors of this dish were delicious. Though the steak itself was a bit tough, the flavors were spot on. It had a nice sear on the outside, was a perfect shade of pink in the middle, and tasted wonderful. Unfortunately, skirt steak just isn't the best cut of meat. But how much more can you expect for a $35 three-course meal??
Dessert was up next. We had Pudim de Leite (a Brazilian style flan with grilled pineapple) and Deep Fried Churros with Chipotle-Chocolate and Caramel Dipping Sauces. These desserts were a perfect ending to the evening. They showcased the flavors of Brazil nicely and were satisfying without being overly heavy. The flan was creamy and smooth, and the pineapple was a refreshing contrast. The churros were cooked perfectly - crispy on the outside and light and airy on the inside. They were rolled in cinnamon and sugar and tasted great on their own. The two sauces that accompanied them were very different - one was a warm caramel that we loved so much we were tempted to lick the bowl, and the other was a cold chipotle-chocolate that we didn't particularly care for. But overall, dessert was an outstanding course.
We both loved the evening we spent at Delmonico. From a great atmosphere to service that treats you like royalty and food that was heavenly, it was a wonderful experience. Delmonico probably isn't a place you'll frequent on a regular basis (unless you have a lot of dough), but it is definitely worth it when you want a delicious, dining experience to remember. We'd say that it was one of the Hippos' favorite meals of late.
800 Tchoupitoulas St.
New Orleans, LA
View the website
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Pros: Refreshing flavors and perfectly-cooked meats.
Cons: Felt overcrowded sitting next to a large dinner party.
Bottom Line: Worthy of its reputation.
Emeril's is located in downtown New Orleans in a desirable location. The beautiful brick exterior continues on the inside, where the exposed brick gives the space a hip, yet cozy feel. Though the average entrée here nears $30, the restaurant remains a casual, down-to-earth place where jeans are acceptable. The service staff here were very attentive and friendly and on par with a fine-dining establishment; however, the atmosphere was slightly dampened by the proximity of the tables. This created a feel of overcrowding, especially since we were placed extremely close to a large, 10-person table.
For appetizers we ordered the Catalonian Flatbread with Yellowfin Tuna, Iberian ham, boquerones, and fresh tomato; and the Vine Ripe Tomato Gazpacho with redfish escabeche and aged sherry vinegar. The flatbread had solid flavors but fell a little short of what we expected from a restaurant as well-known as Emeril's. The smokiness of the ham was pleasing, but parts were a bit gristly and the flatbread was too tough, making the dish difficult to eat. However, the gazpacho was near perfection. It tasted light and fresh - a great way to start a meal. The soup was herby and not too acidic, as tomato bases can often be. There was enough texture to the soup with nuts and redfish incorporated. The redfish was the highlight of the soup - it was tender and flavorful and stood up well within the soup.
For the main course, we ordered Solomillo a la Plancha - seared hangar steak, patas bravas, Gulf shrimp romesco, and lemon verbena allioli - and Grilled Mediterranean Sea Bass with Spanish bean-jumbo lump crab salad and mojo verde. Both dishes were plated very well, with a drizzle of each dish's sauce surrounding the food. The steak was topped with a beautiful, large Gulf shrimp. Both the steak and shrimp were well-cooked - tender and not overdone. The dish was built upon a bed of potatoes that were covered in a smoky sauce. While the sauce was tasty, it had a very strong flavor that permeated throughout the plate. Overall, the steak course was good, but each bite was dominated by the smokiness of the sauce, masking the rest of the fresh flavors in the dish.
The Grilled Mediterranean Sea Bass was our favorite of the two main courses. The dish included a generous portion of sea bass, which was seared nicely on the skin side. This provided a crunch to the outside of this tender, moist, flavorful fish. Once again, the plate's herby flavors, reminiscent of a chimichurri, brought the dish together in a perfectly light and fresh manner. The only downside was that there was not much lump crabmeat, and what little was there tended to get lost among the other flavors. However, this was a delicious, filling course without being heavy in the least.
Dessert included Carajillo Semifredo with crisp churros and a Cava Sorbet with fresh berries. Both dishes were very impressive, with the former providing a comforting, heavier finish to the meal and and the latter a light, refreshing endnote. The semifredo had a licorice flavor to it, which was not our favorite at first. However, paired with the crisp, cinnamon churros, the licorice flavor grew on us, as the two elements complemented each other well.
The sorbet was a very different dish than the semifredo, with its simple, vibrant flavors and overall lightness. The sorbet had a hint of melon flavor, was refreshing, and paired well with the seasonal berries. The flavors also balanced nicely here, as the sorbet was not too sweet and the berries not too tart. This dish was surprisingly satisfying, even for a sweet tooth.
The trip to Spain at Emeril's was a mostly pleasing experience. The special courses offered both comfort-style plates and light, refreshing dishes. The restaurant did a great job of utilizing fresh herbs to bring together and accentuate the flavors on most of the plates. The few misses were compensated by the perfectly-cooked meats and exceptional service. This meal set the bar pretty high for the remaining two countries to visit on our Emeril's passport!
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