Antoine’s
713 Saint Louis Street
New Orleans French Quarter
504-581-4422
Dinner:Monday-Saturday 5:30-9:30 p.m
Lunch: Monday-Saturday 11:30-2 p.m.
Jazz Brunch: Sunday 11 a.m.-2 p.m.
http://www.antoines.com
By Jane Feehan
Ahhh…dinner at Antoine’s. A walk into the main dining room is a step into a time long past. With shimmering chandeliers in a dining room decked out in white, a sophisticated wait staff anxious to please, and serving food best described as elegant, this New Orleans French Creole jewel did not disappoint.
Antoine’s, the oldest family-owned, continuously run restaurant in the United States, has created some of the dishes all of New Orleans is famous for such as Oysters Rockefeller (a dish so rich it deserved to be named for the wealthy John D. Rockefeller) and Filet de truite amandine (trout almandine).
An appetizer of Crevettes Remoulade was perhaps, the best I’ve ever eaten. The shrimp were cooked perfectly and the remoulade, made with tomato sauce and horseradish, was outstanding – and not for the faint of heart. It was very hot (as in horseradish spicy), the way I like it. Grilled Pompano was topped with a generous handful of crab meat and served the way Pompano should be – without a sauce to hide its delicate flavor. The Poulet aux Champignons, chicken simmered in wine and mushrooms, was bursting in flavor as was the spinach in cream sauce. And the puffed fried potatoes … think fries with a tasty golden shell but without the heavy potato filling. The waiter will tell you how they are made, and it’s quite a process.
What they won’t share is the recipe for Oysters Rockefeller. I’ll be back soon to savor that dish. The dessert we chose was custard but I wish I had had the appetite for something else Antoine’s is famous for: Baked Alaska.
With many dining rooms, there is one for different occasions and moods. A pleasant bar area, perhaps to attract a younger crowd than the dining rooms do, features a happy hour most days.
Service: Excellent (waiters will give tours of the premises). ©2010 Jane Feehan. All rights reserved.
Tags: New Orleans restaurants, New Orleans restaurant reviews, fine dining New Orleans
