Muriel's

Muriel’s
801 Chartres Street New Orleans, LA 70116 (on the corner of Jackson Square)
(504) 568-1885 http://www.muriels.com/

Overall Ratings (H in orange, C in purple)
Food: B+ / A
Ambiance: A / A
Service: B+ / A-
Drinks: B+
Overall Experience: B+ / A

H says, I really enjoyed Muriel’s. It has a classic New-Orleans-type feel. The location is perfect as well, situated on Jackson Square. I would recommend an early reservation as it is a popular establishment and I think the wait time on the food may be longer the later into the evening you get. If you are in New Orleans for more than a few days, you need to try this place out. Very New Orleans, and very delicious.

C says, I was eager to try Muriel’s, since I had had their food at festivals but never in the restaurant itself. I thought the atmosphere was really lovely and the staff was attentive (we had an early reservation, which helped, because it is less crowded). We went last month, when the COOLinary specials were still going on (http://www.coolinaryneworleans.com/), and it was a great deal. I would definitely go back.

Overall thoughts from H:
We arrived a bit late due to the first Saints preseason game being the same night...don’t try getting a taxi on a game day. Just doesn’t happen. But after a long walk and a bit of bitching on my end about how freaking hot it is here in the summer, we arrived. [C says, At least it didn’t start raining on us! It did start raining right after we arrived.] Upon entering my mood improved dramatically; the lighting is dim but nice and the A/C was heavenly. We were seated by a window surrounded by older pictures. [C says, Our table was tucked in a corner and I thought it was very cozy. We could also look out at the people milling around Jackson Square.] We had 2 waiters: 1 for food and 1 for drinks. I had a glass of the house Cabernet Sauvignon and when I say house wine I mean they have their own version bottled for them with their own label by a winery. It is fantastic. 

Goat Cheese Crepes

For my appetizer, I had the pan-seared redfish cake; it was fantastic. Although C had her crepes, I was more than happy to keep my redfish cake for myself...though I did give her a bite. [C says, When you go to Muriel’s, you have to get the goat cheese crepes as an appetizer. They are served with a crawfish or shrimp sauce depending on the season, and Muriel’s is known for them. H’s app was very tasty, but he is forgetting how good my crepes were--he was coveting them a bit and I had to give him several bites!] 

Double-cut Pork Chop

The main course was a pork chop that was HUGE. I was not a big fan of the sauce and sides as I thought it was too much apple and didn’t let the smokiness or flavor of the meat come through. [C says, the chop was a monster. The glaze and sides (sweet potatoes and greens) had a very autumnal feel. I lhought H’s sides were quite good, but you have to like sweet potatoes and southern greens (not sure if they were collards or a combination). H got a couple of meals out of the chop even though he didn’t love the sides.] It was perfectly done, though, and I can’t blame them for my disliking it too much. Now onto the dessert: in one word--Fantastic. Bread pudding, of course! Although they didn’t serve it with vanilla ice cream (my favorite), it did in fact have caramelized nuts on top. There was a lot of it and a great taste, but if I had to choose I would still take GW Fin’s over it, but just barely. [C says, it was really tasty. The top tasted bruleed, and the candied pecans and rum sauce were awesome. It was a very generous portion, too. I also give GW the edge on their bread pudding, but only because I love chocolate!]

Bread Pudding

I also decided to get a glass of the bananas foster drink that was on the dessert menu. I thought it would be well just a well-type drink or shot or something...what I ended up with was a whitish martini...not what I really wanted, but it was pretty good. I think next time I will stick with a nice glass of Amaretto, though.

Butterscotch Pudding

C says, As mentioned above, I had the crepes first--phenomenal. For my entree, I had Pan Crusted Puppy Drum, served with oven-roasted pecan and jumbo lump crabmeat relish, with a lemon butter sauce. It was incredibly delicious. For dessert, I had the Black Bottom Butterscotch Pudding. It’s served in a little teacup--butterscotch pudding on top, and as you dig down, you get the chocolate syrup at the bottom. On top is a tiny homemade oreo with praline filling. It was so delicious, and a good size--not too large, thankfully, as I was stuffed from the meal (and a few bites of H’s bread pudding!). H also made me get a drink because he thinks it is boring that I always order water, so they made me a virgin mojito, which was quite tasty. Overall, I thought it was a great experience. They also have wrapped butter mints as you leave--in Saints wrappers. Excellent touch. :)