MiLa - New Orleans, Louisiana

MiLa
817 Common Street
New Orleans, LA 70112
504-412-2580

Lunch: Monday-Friday 11:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Dinner: Monday-Saturday 5:30 -10 p.m.

www.milaneworleans.com


By Jane Feehan

The cuisines of Mississippi and Louisiana, as interpreted by married chefs Slade Rushing and Allsion Vines Rushing, are presented at their New Orleans restaurant, MiLa, across the street from the Roosevelt Hotel.

With an accent on fresh ingredients – direct from a nearby farm – the chefs successfully blend their home states’ cookery with a French touch. There’s something for any palate - rack of lamb, pan roasted grouper, New Orleans barbequed lobster, crispy skinned red snapper, sweet potato pappardelle and more. I chose cream of parsnip soup as a starter. While I was enjoying that, the server brought, complimentary from the chefs, the “Muse Trio,” of the evening. This night it was three pieces of shrimp, one wrapped in a basil leaf, another dipped in a light tempura and the third in a mild sauce. The salad, with roasted sunflower seeds, was delicately flavored with a hint of lemon, perfect for most any entrée. My choice for a main course was Roasted Young French Chicken, with pickled chantrelles (a wild mushroom), fingerling potato, cabbage, and Foie Gras emulsion. I don’t remember ever eating food this good in Mississippi … nor anywhere in the Louisiana countryside.

Take two parts creativity, mix with three parts fresh ingredients and you get MiLa, a deliciously sophisticated dining experience. Service: excellent. Good selection of wines and single malt scotches.

The Roosevelt Hotel - New Orleans, Louisiana

www.therooseveltneworleans.com

The Roosevelt Hotel
123 Baronne Street (drive-up entrance on the other side, at University Place, which changes from O’Keefe at Canal)
New Orleans, LA 70112
504-648-1200

By Jane Feehan

Walk into the newly renovated Roosevelt Hotel and you’ll think you’ve entered the Gilded Age of late 19th-century America. Shimmering chandeliers, golden columns and dramatically tiled floors frame this entrance into its opulent past.

Opened in the 1890s as the Grunewald Hotel, the name was changed to the Roosevelt thirty years later in honor of President Theodore Roosevelt who stayed there an evening or two. The hotel’s storied past comes to us primarily in the context of Louisiana Governor Huey P. Long’s escapades. The Roosevelt served as his home away from home and unofficial headquarters while he visited New Orleans in the 1930s. This is, as history has it, where Long reigned over his court, doling out and receiving political favors.

The hotel operated as the Fairmont when Hurricane Katrina hit in 2005. Hilton Corporation bought the property a few years after the storm; it is now part of the Waldorf Astoria Collection.

The rooms, beautifully appointed in furnishings with colors that may remind one of its past, are comfortable and quiet. The bathrooms are not large but completely updated and modernized. Roosevelt's décor does not stray far from its history –a welcome ambience in this world of stainless steel and glass.

Filled with visitors and local business types at cocktail hour, the Sazerac Bar is a warm, lively place to visit before dining at any number of places within walking distance. John Besh’s Domenica, inside the Roosevelt, offers a memorable lunch or dinner experience.

Excellent service is provided by an efficient, accessible staff. A billing issue was settled within an hour of my query by an employee who gave me her email address to resolve it – something rarely seen at other hotels. The French Quarter is a walk away. Visit the Roosevelt Hotel and experience New Orleans history. Hilton Rewards Points. Parking - $38 per day. © 2009 All rights reserved.

Deanie's Seafood - New Orleans, Louisiana

www.deanies.com

Deanie’s Seafood
841 Iberville Street
New Orleans, LA 70112
504-581-1316
Sunday-Thursday: 11 a.m.-10 p.m.
Friday-Saturday: 11 a.m. – 11 p.m.

By Jane Feehan

Come with a big appetite to Deanie’s. The portions are huge. This busy restaurant serves up New Orleans favorites, including a great seafood gumbo, soft shell crabs, oysters and crawfish etoufee.

Just a block away from Bourbon Street, Deanie’s also does a great job with barbequed shrimp. If you’re not from the area, New Orleans barbequed shrimp are made with butter, lemon, paprika and black pepper. I ordered seafood gumbo and barbequed shrimp and wasn’t disappointed.

The waiter suggested ordering a cup rather than a bowl of the gumbo and an appetizer size of the shrimp. The advice was well taken. The “small” order of shrimp, replete with shell and head, were enormous; I couldn’t finish the dish, which was only $10.95. They also serve a terrific Bloody Mary.

Chicken and hamburgers are also on the menu. Garage parking available within two blocks. Also located in Metairie. Service: good. © 2009 All rights reserved.

Domenica - New Orleans, Louisiana

www.domenicarestaurant.com

Domenica
123 Baronne Street (Roosevelt Hotel)
New Orleans, LA 504-648-6020
Open 11 a.m. – 11 p.m. Daily
504-648-6020

By Jane Feehan

John Besh’s Domenica is not your 20th-century neighborhood spaghetti house with checkered tablecloths, dim lights and the aroma of garlic wafting throughout. Instead, the décor is modern Italian minimalist, the atmosphere oozes trendy and the menu offers a wider array of dishes and flavors than we usually expect of an Italian restaurant. It's also ... well - fantastic.

There's an interesting collection of cured meats and cheeses on view, an antipasti list featuring wood grilled shrimp, fried squash blossoms, baby lettuces with beets and then, the "secondi," the main menu, that really gets the juices flowing.

The main course offerings are a collection of items that includes anolini, small ravioli with wild mushrooms; fettuccine with oysters, saffron and cream; spinach and ricotta gnocchi; rigatoni with crab; stracci - torn pasta with oxtail ragu; and fresh fish, veal, goat, pork and hen creations. Pizza is also served.

I sampled Burrata Mozzarella with tomatoes and grilled bread as a starter and was so impressed I ordered another antipasto, fried squash blossoms. Both dishes were memorable – as was the quarter-sized delicately flavored anolini, the secondi. I’m not big on desserts but was eager to experience as many of Domenica’s Italian delights as I could. The fig and ricotta fritters served with moscato zabaione – frothy egg yolks whipped with wine and sugar – was a stunning end to a meal I won’t soon forget.

Many of the antipasti and main course dishes are served in two sizes, two different prices. Domenica is not expensive. Reservations are recommended. Service: good. © 2009 All rights reserved. See review on Jane's Bits of another John Besh restaurant, American Sector.

Trapani's Eatery - Bay St. Louis, Mississippi

833 Highway 90, Suite 3
Bay St. Louis, MS 39520
228-467-8570
Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday: –11:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Friday and Saturday: 11:00 a.m. – 9:30 p.m.

By Jane Feehan

Ask a Bay St. Louisian where their favorite place in town is to dine, and they’ll tell you Trapani’s. Just a few miles from the Louisiana state line, Trapani’s is heavily influenced by the New Orleans food culture – and that’s a good thing for foodies.

This place has it all – po’ boys, muffalattas, pasta, steaks, eggplant dishes for vegetarians and a good selection of seafood. When available,trout is served. On a recent visit, I ordered stuffed soft shell crabs in a light cream sauce with fresh mushrooms and a side of angel hair pasta. Perfectly seasoned, this dish was tastebud bliss.

A lot is revealed about a restaurant by the salad that's served and Trapani’s makes a good one. It was chilled, made with crispy fresh greens and topped with a tasty blue cheese dressing. Memorable dining is all about first impressions, and for me, a salad is an important one.

Hurricane Katrina knocked Trapani’s original beach side place down but they didn’t waste much time after the storm to open on Highway 90. They plan to move back to the beach soon - probably by early 2012. It will be a two-story building with a view of Bay St. Louis. Service: Excellent. Child's menu available.

Satisfaction Buffet at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino - Biloxi, Mississippi

Satisfaction Buffet
Hard Rock Hotel and Casino – Biloxi, MS
777 Beach Blvd.
Biloxi, MS 39530
228-374-ROCK (7625)
Lunch 11 a.m.-3.p.m. Seven days
Dinner 4 -10 Monday – Thursday
Dinner 4-11 p.m. – Friday and Saturday

By Jane Feehan

The best deal for lunch in Biloxi has to be at the Satisfaction Buffet in the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, next door to the Beau Rivage. For $11.99, 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. you can dine on much of the same spread that’s offered at night. And what a spread it is.

There’s something for any taste and appetite: Asian with stir fry, egg rolls and dumplings; BBQ with several meats including turkey and brisket; a soup and salads section with plenty of fresh shrimp; a grill area featuring fried catfish and other items; an Italian counter with pasta and pizza. There are tacos for the taco lover and a great bakery area – if one is still hungry – with shelves of sweet offerings including brownies, pies, cakes and a generous assortment of cookies. And, most of the food is good.

The Satisfaction Buffet dinner ($16.99) offers prime rib and more seafood selections than at lunch. Wednesdays are touted as their seafood nights ($21.99). Both are bargains.

This place is not big on atmosphere; it’s in the casino, noisy but pleasant. The accent is on fun. Service: good. © 2009 All rights reserved.

Desportes & Sons Seafood - Biloxi, Mississippi

Desportes and Sons Seafood
1075 Division Street
Biloxi, MS 39530
Monday – Friday 7 a.m. - 5 p.m. (Call to verify - some days closed earlier)
Saturday 7 a.m.– 2 p.m.
228-432-1018

By Jane Feehan

If you’re looking for a great shrimp po’boy, a seafood platter or a seafood special of the day, check out Desportes. This is a fish market with a food concession. The restaurant is very casual; rustic is a better description. There’s not a lot of seating and it’s an order/pickup- at-the-counter system. If there’s wait for a table, it’s worth it. Outdoor seating is available.

While you’re waiting to pick up your order, check out their seafood counter. The fish is brought in thumping fresh each day. They also sell a wonderful seafood dip that doesn’t last long at parties. This family takes pride in their business and it shows. They also supply many of the area restaurants with their fish and shrimp.

Tags: Best po-boy in Biloxi, Biloxi shrimp, Biloxi seafood market

Small Craft Harbor for fresh shrimp - Biloxi, Mississippi

Biloxi shrimp
Small craft harbor docks
Behind the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino
On the water behind near 777 Beach Blvd.

By Jane Feehan

Long before the city became known for its casinos, Biloxi was known for its shrimping industry; it’s still important to many of its residents. Stop at the docks behind the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino to pick up a pound or two. Fishermen were recently asking for $2.80 a pound. That price is a steal – and a sad commentary about the plight of Coast shrimpers.

During the last few years the industry has been beleaguered by the high cost of fuel and by imports from Asia and South America. It costs more than $400 for fuel for a 14-hour shrimping trip. Imports have driven shrimp prices downward about 50 percent

Then came Hurricane Katrina; the storm destroyed many boats and shrimp habitats.

Since the record breaking hurricane in 2005, about $37 million has been approved by Congress to be distributed to Mississippi over the next few years as part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Marine Fisheries Service Disaster Recovery Program.

Today there are plenty of shrimp; there are not enough buyers.

You can’t stop in Biloxi without trying Gulf shrimp. “Mississippi shrimp are the Cadillac of shrimp,” said Irvin Jackson, director of seafood marketing for the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources.© 2009 All rights reserved.