It's no secret that reservations at Emeril's are tough to come by. A few years ago, they smartly…read moreopened a wine bar next door to give diners like us a more casual, approachable (and less expensive) way to experience the brand. The space leans relaxed and social, with a tapas-style menu that's intentionally limited. While the dishes aren't coming out of the flagship kitchen, you can absolutely taste the influence. This is not typical bar food. Our table ordered a range of dishes: tuna tartare with nori sheets, French onion dip with Zapp's chips, duck fried rice, barbecue shrimp, and a dry-aged strip loin, finishing with a decadent strawberry cake. A highlight of the evening was learning more about the barbecue shrimp. EJ (Emeril's son) shared that it's prepared in a pan with a base of Worcestershire and jalapeños, then finished with cream, butter, and chives. The result is rich, layered, and--according to him--very close to the version served at Emeril's back in 1990. It shows. Standouts for us were the tuna tartare and the shrimp; the sauce on the shrimp in particular really delivers. The strip loin was much larger than expected (and priced accordingly), and while well-executed, it begged for a side like fries, which surprisingly aren't on the menu. The duck fried rice was solid but felt a bit out of place compared to the rest of the lineup. The onion dip, unfortunately, was a miss for us. Service was a bit uneven. The wine bar staff felt slightly too casual at times, lacking some of the polish you'd expect from the brand. Midway through the meal, a server from the main restaurant stepped in, and the difference in attentiveness and professionalism was immediately noticeable. On the cocktail front, my Sazerac didn't hit the mark; overly strong and lacking the balance and clarity you'd expect, especially compared to the excellent version I had later at the Sazerac Bar. One thing worth noting: even if wine isn't your primary interest (it isn't ours), guests here reportedly have access to selections from Emeril's impressive 30,000-bottle cellar. That's a major draw for wine enthusiasts. Overall, this is a great alternative if you can't land a reservation at the main restaurant. Come for the atmosphere and a few standout dishes, manage expectations on service and cocktails, and you'll have a very enjoyable experience.

The meal was fine with good service. However, I was disappointed with the portion sizes and that I…read morewasn't "wowed" by the experience. The foie gras torchon was fine. The celebrated gumbo was just a cup for $18 with few pieces of shrimp and rice, and roux that I thought was too strong. The barbecue shrimp was ok in flavor but was only five regular-sized shrimp for $24! Just was a bit pricey for an ok/fine small meal.

Finally got a chance to try Picnic Provisions & Whiskey. It's located in Uptown right on Magazine…read moreSt. It's very cutely decorated and according to theme. I swung in for their Happy Hour which runs from 3 to 6pm. They have a $10 Chicken and Champagne Special which is a pretty good deal! The champagne comes out first- a little bottle a glass. The chicken comes out later- nice and fresh! There is a dipping sauce a dry rub mix. Both were pretty good with the fried chicken. They have a lovely outdoor space which is under a big tree for shade.

Our dinner at Picnic was very disappointing. Immediately, we were greeted by a nasty smell,…read moredisgusting floors and tables covered in food and sticky matter, no cold drinks in the cooler, and shift papers strewn across the floor/bar. The Sampler we got did not come with the items listed on the menu and we were not told it would be different, and the biscuit may have been the hardest, crumbliest one I've ever had. The burger was just okay- the spiked lemonade also just okay.

We had a great time here! The atmosphere is comforting with sunlight coming in…read more Everything we had was great! We got the famous Eggplant Napolean Pasta and a side of mac n' cheese. We loved the mac n' cheese as it had more flavor than ever. I believe they added some cajun seasoning! I highly recommend this place and the prices are more affordable too than some other spots.

Joey K's is authentic Gulf Coast Southern cooking in friendly neighborhood atmosphere. Repeating…read moremenus. When we lived off Tchoupitoulas, we had supper here weekly. No drama, just good meals & drinks. Parking can be difficult, get "ParkMobile" app FIRST. Exceptional VALUE for N.O. Try the blackberry cobbler. At times, I'd skip the meal & just go straight for the cobbler ! Main dining area is more comfortable than rear or sidewalk tables. If waitperson gives advice, follow it ! Rick

https://blainerestaurantreport.wordpress.com/2026/09/05/pizza-domenica-new-orleans-la-report-1070/read more

Very disappointing experience at Pizza Domenica. Our party of three ordered pizza, chicken wings,…read moreand pasta, and the meal had far more misses than hits. For starters, they were out of pepperoni - a pizza restaurant out of pepperoni?? The wings were tasteless and covered in a strange dry rub with a texture that reminded me of wet chalk. They didn't taste fire-roasted at all; they seemed more like they had been baked or microwaved. Service was also frustrating. We ordered a beer, wine, and water, but the water never arrived despite reminding our waiter three times. I eventually had to get it myself. The pasta arrived so late that two of us were already halfway through our meals. Unfortunately, it wasn't worth the wait, it was terrible and couldn't finish it. The bill came to $130, including a 3% administrative fee, which felt particularly insulting after spending $39 on three glasses of overpriced wine. Several staff members, were high and the guys in the kitchen, appeared extremely impaired. The positives: The Calabrese pizza was genuinely good, and our waiter was friendly and pleasant despite the service issues. Unfortunately , one good pizza and a friendly waiter weren't enough to overcome the poor quality food, slow/inconsistent service, and extra fees.

Ordered take off from this restaurant. We were on a weekend trip and wanted to make sure we tried…read moredifferent foods from Louisiana and we ordered the frog legs, shrimp and seafood gumbo. The frog legs and shrimp was nicely breaded and crunchy but a bit on the saltier side. Gumbo had a good base but lacked flavor and could have used bigger pieces of each ingredient. Overall for a takeout order I would say 4 stars. Items were pricer for Louisiana and the quantity. Only pictured are the frog legs. No experience on the ambience a because we ordered takeout.

First time eating a seafood boil in the South. I must say, the portion of food was not what I…read moreexpected. Let's just say that we ordered enough food that day, that we didn't even need to buy dinner. This location is about 15 minutes away from the touristy areas. It's surrounded by a ginormous beauty shop, a mochi donut shop (surprised to see it in Louisiana) and another Asian restaurant. When we first walked inside, I noticed that there was no host at the counter. So we waited and waited until someone acknowledged us. Let's just say that there was a lot of waiting during our visit. The prices were about the same as other seafood boil places in California. I ordered the combo 1 lb of shrimp head-on and 3lbs of crawfish, which automatically came with corn, sausage, and potatoes. I also ordered a half dozen of charbroiled oysters. As far as the charbroiled oysters go, it was ok. The night before we ate at Acme and the charbroiled oysters at Fiery Crab were nothing compared to Acme. My boyfriend ordered a chicken tender basket and calamari rings. One thing that I do want to mention is the sauce that came with the calamari and chicken tenders wasn't like any other sauce I've tasted. I don't know what they put in it, but it was good. I'm guessing it was ketchup and tartar sauce with a kick to it. I couldn't figure it out. My only complaints: Is the long waits and our server was nowhere to be found. Aside from that, our server was very friendly and provided us with what we needed when he did come around.

A local steakhouse in a residential area of New Orleans. Some parking near the building (small…read morelot). Food came out fairly quickly. Service was okay.

We went to Charlie's for their Coolinary offering; we were not disappointed. The service was…read morewonderful from everyone. Our server was delightful. We started with the onion rings which were phenomenal as always. I had a wedge salad with bleu cheese and it was so cold and fresh and tasty. I then had a ribeye and we each ordered a different side: asparagus, mushrooms, spinach and au gratin potatoes. Every one was so good. The mushrooms were my favorite. For dessert, i had tiramisu which was a hit. We can not wait to go back.

On point in all aspects. Very laid back, but this is the New Orleans food you're searching for.read more

I have lived in the New Orleans area for 40 years of my life and yet it took me until now to make…read moremy way to Frankie and Johnny's. I can tell you that I doubt it takes me more than 40 days to make my 2nd trip. I love this place! Frankie and Johnny's has a typical Nola neighborhood restaurant feel with a little dive bar quality sprinkled in. I got a Jucifer Hazy IPA to start, and they probably have 8 or so beers on tap with even more in bottles and cans. They also have a full bar. I ordered a Ferdi (half ham, half roast beef) and a cup of gumbo. The chicken and sausage gumbo was delicious! The roux was dark, the seasoning was perfect and the temperature was piping hot. The Ferdi was equally delish. The bread came out crisp as it was put in the oven for the cheese to melt. Perfect. The meal was so simple but amazing. I will definitely be back to explore more of the menu, but it will be hard not to get the Ferdi and gumbo again.

My foodie friend and I look forward to the A Tavola pairing dinners, particularly the Summer Sunset…read moreSpritz dinner scheduled Thursday night. I was in charge of reservations and apparently had not clicked the final confirmation online. As a result, there was, of course, no reservation. We were very disappointed, and I felt horrible; however, we decided to stay and order our own dinner. What happened next was unbelievable! The manager, Randy, and his assistant manager treated us like royalty. We were served each of the different spritzes and even had a taste of each course served at the pairing dinner we had been so looking forward to. The food was incredible. The service was on par with a Brennan-family restaurant. And what started as a disappointing evening turned into a very fun night! Thank you, Randy!! We'll be back for the August dinner, if not before!!

Such good food and drinks! Great for an intimate dinner, a group of friends or if you just find…read moreyourself hungry while on the parade route like we've done a time or two! haha The staff is always in the best mood and having fun. I love to see that in a restaurant! We love this place.