re: My NOLA eats for Saturday-Tuesday

Update:

We got reservations at:

Peche-Saturday early dinner
Nola-Sunday dinner
Atchafalaya-Monday Brunch
GW Fins-Monday dinner
La Petite Grocery-Tuesday lunch

Thank you for all the suggestions and help.

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How were the meals?

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Well, let me tell you!

Peche
Raw oysters, Grilled Skirt Steak with salsa fresco, gumbo, fried brussels sprouts, roasted beets (special side). Oysters were fantastic. The salsa fresco was great. The steak was ok. Fairly flavorless. Potatoes that came with them were terrible. Just something to throw on the plate. Loved the sides. Gumbo was extraordinarily disappointing. Roux was good, but the shrimp were those little salad shrimps. One oyster. Nothing else. Service was fine, but compared to the rest of our trip, the least enjoyable. Loved the decor. Bar looked nice. One turnoff was the staff all sitting in booths away from the main crowd eating their break food. I know it sounds picky. It is picky, but this is a top rated restaurant, and it did not feel like one. I know people love this place, but it was the one place I'd skip if I went back, unless I went back to prove myself wrong. And it was good. Just not as good as the rest of our experience.

Felix's
After the race we went there and got a dozen raw and a dozen chargrilled. Both were on point. Loved the atmosphere. Watching the hostess manage the line was great.

Pat O's

If you can't enjoy a gorgeous afternoon on the patio having a drink, then something is wrong with you.

Nola
Really loved it. Sat on the second level. Our waiter was very good. Professional but fun as well.
Frog legs as an app were great. Fun for my daughter to try. She had the bbq shrimp and loved the dish. I had the garlic crusted gulf drum. The sauce was fantastic. We split the bread pudding for dessert. Wow.

Atchafalaya
Our favorite of the trip. Waiter was great. Gave great descriptions and was fun to talk with. Brunch was superb. We enjoyed the bloody mary bar. Daughter got the duck confit hash. I got the special which was a stacked enchilada thing. The meat was a coffee rubbed short rib. I want another right now. Boudin patties were only ok.

GW Fins
We had red snapper ceviche and sizzling oysters for apps. Both very good, especially the oysters. I want more of those right now too. Both of us had woodfired fish. I had Cobia, daughter had Mahi. Loved our waiter. Older long time native. Service was so slick in a good way. Empty plates, glasses, etc. disappeared without me noticing. Somehow I limited myself to one biscuit.

Carousel Bar
We miraculously snagged seats right as we walked in. Made a few turns around. Very enjoyable.

La Petite Grocery
Daughter got yet another duck confit dish. I guess she is now a fan. We tried the signature crab stuffed beignets. Wonderful of course. It was lunchtime and the server admonished us not to overlook the burger as "just a burger." I took the challenge and I'd say it is one of the best I've ever had.

Creole Creamery
Not sure why every place does not do a sampler! We each got the 6 scoop sampler, and with only one overlap got to try 11 flavors. Not the best ice cream I've ever had, but it was very good.

Final comments

No surprise to people here, but NOLA is a food city. The service is simply better than other places. Not more friendly, more attentive, or more anything. Just better. Timing is ingrained. Not too fast. Not too slow. There was not a single place where we sat down and withing 1 minute they were asking us what we wanted to drink. They gave us time to look. That's just one example.

We had an amazing time. In addition to running 13 miles on Sunday, we walked an additional 21 miles over the 4 days we were there!

Very long review I know.

Thank you all so very much for all of the insights and advice.

Sounds like a great trip with the food overall. I'm sorry you had a disappointing experience at Peche. I've never ordered a steak there since it's a seafood restaurant. I can't wait to go there again at the end of the month.

I was anxious to hear about GW Fins because I had to switch some things around and drop Clancy's and add Fins due to reservation timing issues.

Thanks for the reviews.

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I imagine you would have been extremely pleased with Peche if you would have ordered some type of fish.

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I thought about that, and I think you are right to a point. My counter thoughts would be:

1. It's a James Beard winning restaurant. Don't put it on the menu if you can't execute up to such standards. And if the potatoes had been even worth eating, that would have made a difference too.

2. The gumbo was not good. Or at least not $9 good.

3. The staff was not on the same level as other places we went.

Not disappointed we went. It was good. Just not as good as the other places. For us. For that one time maybe.

The steak at Peche is normally pretty good. Sucks it was off that night. Not the "go to" steak in the city, but I don't fault you for ordering it. Gumbo is whatever, it's never as good as your grandma makes.

Creole Creamery is the experience and nostalgia, good ice cream, but it is still just ice cream.

Good choice on the LPG Burger.

Atchafalaya Monday Brunch is the best time. I find myself there too often on Mondays. Never really packed and top notch food.

Glad y'all walked a lot. Best way to see the city since it isn't too far to get from one place to the other.

Next time the board will point you in the direction of off the beaten path restaurants

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I was anxious to hear about GW Fins because I had to switch some things around and drop Clancy's and add Fins due to reservation timing issues.

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I just did GWF for my 50th on 2/25 .. table of 4 we ordered:

Apps: BBQ shrimp, crispy pork belly (melted in your mouth), lobster dumplings (amazing), tuna tartare, smoked sizzling oysters (unbelievable) ... shared by all

salads: triple wedge (each had it's own flavor and taste) , shrimp remoulade

entrees: Chilean sea bass, scalibut (served over lobster risotto and was to die for), parm crusted sheepshead (wife is NOT a fish eater, and she practically licked the plate clean), blackened swordfish

sides: roasted cauliflower (yum yum yum)

dessert: chocolate mousse, white choc caramel bread pudding, salty malty ice cream pie, spice crum cake ... all were sinful

and the biscuits .... I could have eaten 2 dozen, they were sweet and flaky

ate at K-Paul's on 2/23 as the food and service were top notch. Full of bold spicy flavor and very filling. Everything cooked perfectly. Even got to take pics in the kitchen with the chefs. My cousin from Chicago thought his stuffed porkchop was a filet it was so tender.