Irene's Cuisine (NOLA) Tonight (Updated With Review)

the cioppino is legit

Irene's is excellent. The duck and the lamb chops are excellent. The oysters app is very good as well.

Went about 6 weeks ago. GF had the duck and loved it. I had a fish special (amberjack with a crabmeat topping) - also was phenomenal. Great place. Good drinks, good wine list. Enjoy.

Irene's restaurant review:

First Impression: Fiance and I walked in, and we immediately greeted by a host of servers- very friendly and welcoming. There is a rectangular eating space in the front room - adjacent from the kitchen/expedite window. Our table was waiting after we told them we had a 7pm reservation, although I think they were going to sit us even if we didn't have a rez. At first I thought there were only 10 tables in the entire place (ala the Italian Barrel), but I later discovered there were cocktail rooms and other dining rooms deeper into the building.

Decor/Ambiance: In typical Italian fashion, there were family and guest photos displayed throughout the room (sat right underneath 1990s Mary Landrieu photo). There was foliage on the windowsills, etc. Your typical Italian muzak hits were playing at a nice volume ("It had to be you", "Unforgettable"). Nice room, classy. The other diners were generally well-to-do, mostly business casual dress. Some jeans and such.

Drink: They offer any category of wine by the glass. You can pick between Merlot, Cabernet, Chianti, etc and they have a single brand for that flavor. So we went for the Cab ($10 glass). Very nice Cab, from a fresh bottle. Don't remember the name, but it was nice. They also have bottles ranging from $40-$800.

Appetizer: The server brought 2 plates of complimentary bruschetta after our drink order. Very nice bruschetta - tomatoes and bread were fresh to say the least. Free bruschetta = win.

We ordered Meatballs Marinara ($10) for the app. It was presented as two giant meatballs on a bed of red sauce, coated with mozzarella cheese slices. Delicious and perfectly cooked. The sauce was very red in color, signifying freshness. After the meatballs were inhaled, the server brought bread to kill off the excess marinara (anyone who likes marinara would consider this to be a fantastic move).

Main course:

We asked the server for a recommendation. The menu is rather small, but it's a non-issue. He recommended the Duck St. Phillip, Lamb, and the Cioppino (like someone in the thread). Soft shell crab was out-of-season. I had my mind made up that I wanted a pasta dish beforehand, so I ended up going with the Veal and Pork Cannelloni ($17). The fiance order Osso Bucco ($27, a special) with a saffron risotto. She is obsessed with risotto and raved how good it as, although the amount of risotto likely could've been increased relative to the amount meat on the dish. The cannelloni was well prepped with eggplant, 2 meats, and a nice formaggi on top. The Osso Bucco was so tender it could've been eaten with a spoon. The other special was a puppy drum dish that seemed to be popular amongst other tables. Looking around I saw a lot of filets as well.

Portions: Generous, but not overly huge. You definitely won't leave hungry, but likely not uncomfortable stuffed.

Desert: My fiance told the server it was birthday, so he said "happy birthday" and took our order of creme brulee ($8). Great creme brulee, perfectly torched with blueberries on the side. The best part is when he took the finished plate he said that the desert was on the house bc it was my bday

Final Thoughts: Get a reservation (phone only) because the place was full. Great staff, great food, and very nice ambiance. You'll likely spend around $100 before tip if you go all three courses for 2 people (including drinks), but you can easily go cheaper and still be satisfied. Definitely not a tourist place so that's always a win. Easily up there with Maximo's and Italian Barrel as my favorite Italian places in the Quarter.

will do

How did the osso bucco compare to Maximos? (Maximos is my favorite)

As already posted, the duck, lamb, and ciopino are the best items on an excellent menu. Hit a few aps as well, particularly the mussels and escargots.

Never had the Osso @ Maximo's, have been meaning to try it.

A lot of people ordered it last night tho. The braising liquid/broth was thick but not overly rich. The meat was the most tender I've tasted.

The risotto paired with it was good, although I typically prefer truffle oil instead of saffron. Also, I like a bigger bed of risotto.

Great dish tho.

quote:

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The risotto paired with it was good, although I typically prefer truffle oil instead of saffron. Also, I like a bigger bed of risotto.

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Saffron risotto is the traditional pairing.

Sounds like a good meal.

good read. very nice..