Looking forward to any notes Fred, as unfortunately we won’t get there until November. We are not vaccinated yet (not eligible in WA state until later this week), not planning to fly at all this year, and already committed to a long drive to New England in late June or early July, depending on vax. So November 1st it is, accommodations already booked.
We did make a 2 week trip in early November last year that I never wrote up until now. New Orleans had recovered pretty well from it’s horrible summer. In the less touristy parts of the city (we stayed in Uptown again) people took masking and distancing seriously. The quarter, particularly Bourbon St, not so much, but we did not go there. Our local friends had recovered from Covid by late July, and we did have one meal at their home, one of the best of the trip - my friend is a retired chef. The AirBnb/VRBO scene was a disaster, of course and we rented a 2000 sqft, double parlor, 2 bed, 2 bath duplex for the price of a 1 bedroom. With a large kitchen and deck with a gas grill, we cooked in half the nights. Did a bunch of take out (including Saba), and did dine out a few times, all in Uptown.
As you probably know, a number of places from this thread are no more, or doubtful to return. Yes, Carrolton Market is a real loss, I will miss Oysters Goodenough. Maypop has been closed the entire time, may reopen in April, but that remains to be seen. Same with Upperline. DTB, Bar Francis, and Rockrose are all gone. Bordeaux long gone as well, replaced by a place called Misa. We did not eat there, but were staying nearby and it seemed to be doing okay with it’s very large outdoor space. Compere Lapin was closed during our stay, but has since reopened.
Takeout
Saba - with their ample outdoor space they have been open for dine-in most of the time. They recently announced a return to their full menu from the family dining/take out oriented one implemented last summer, so you should be able to have the whole experience when you visit. We had a great harissa roasted 1/2 chicken, along with excellent Lamb kabab, hummus, ‘israeli’ salad. Very organized, seamless pickup.
Piece of Meat - was in the process of opening for outdoor dining. But we just stopped in and stocked up on charcuterie that lasted us well over a week. They also sell interesting cuts of beef, pork, etc. But we had already bought from Whole Foods and Rouse’s (fyi the uptown Rouse’s near Napoleon sells good dry aged beef they custom cut).
Domilese’s/Guy’s/Mahony’s - we were staying about 2 blocks equidistant from Domilese’s and Guy’s. You mentioned the shrimp PoBoy at Domilese’s I thought the oyster was just the best i’ve ever had. Roast beef was very good too. Guy’s had excellent shrimp, and btw they have good gumbo on Fridays. These were both take out only. Mahony’s has a porch and is quite a bit larger, so has tables though we did takeaway only. They have a pretty broad menu for a PoBoy place - if you’ve never been to Domilese’s there is literally nothing other than PoBoys, chips and sometimes fries, and well, beer. And when not take out only, mixed drinks too. Mahony’s Peacemaker was every bit as over the top as described at the end of post 115 above. My wife had non-Poboy stuff…
Dine-in
Clancy’s - this is a large, 2 story restaurant and they did a good job with distancing. They have an extensive wine list which is worth spending some time with, and I believe it is mostly online. I’m not a huge Patrick Jasmin fan, but thought the 2004 Cote Rotie at $85 was a pretty damn good deal and it showed very well. They are known for soft shell crabs which were not in season, but lots of delicious choices. Fried oysters with Brie is pretty over the top, but worth indulging in once anyway.
Bistro Daisy - is a smallish place, and was the only one that gave us a bit of pause and thinking we should have done take out. But our rez was a little on the later side and several parties left by the time we were served appetizers. Same apps as last visit - julienned apple & endive salad, and oysters poached in herbsaint cream. I would not miss the oysters if you dine here - terrific. Last time we had meat (beef and lamb) this time duck 2 ways, and a great saute of gulf fish. They still had the Gimonnet Cuis 1er Cru at $70, this is $45-$50 at discounted retail in Seattle, and $50 in NO. Seemed like similar markup elsewhere on the smallish list. Corkage is now $25.
Apolline - we arrived here about an hour before the start of a Saint’s night game and apart from one table that left hastily, we were the only customers inside. They do have a couple outdoor tables that were occupied. This was very solid neighborhood, New Orleans fare - shrimp and grits, roasted gulf fish. Charbroiled oysters and fried quail for apps. I wouldn’t call it a destination place, but if I lived in this area of Magazine, I could see dining regularly. Big brunch place for the yelp kids, but we rarely do brunch.
Coquette - another 2 story restaurant, we dined at 1 of maybe 5 tables downstairs, all spaced a good 12 feet apart. Excellent tasting menu again, totally seasonal fare, no standards from the last visit. Price is up a bit at $70 with $35 wine pairings, but worth it to us. They also have a 5% surcharge for ‘employee wellness and sick leave’. I’ve never seen this in NO before. A number of places in Seattle tried this when the minimum wage was jacked a few years ago, but I only know of one that still has it (or had it pre-pandemic anyway, Edouardo Jordan’s Salare).
New/Newish places - don’t know if you have been following along, but there are some new things that have happened. Michael Stoltzfus from Coquette closed Thalia in the Warehouse District, but he also took over the restaurant at the Columns Hotel up on St Charles. Have not heard much other than that. Pluck, a new wine bar just opened near Herbsaint, chef is from Mimi’s in the Marigny. Probably not ready when you go, but the new Four Seasons is supposed to open in the old World Trade Center with restaurants from both Alon Shaya and Donald Link.
Enjoy!