REVIEW: Emeril's Delmonico

1300 Saint Charles Ave.
New Orleans, LA

View the website

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Overall:
Service:
Atmosphere:
Food:
Price:

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.

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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.