Irene's Cuisine

539 St Philip St New Orleans, LA 70116

(504) 529-8811

Overall Ratings (H in orange, C in purple)

Food:  B / B+

Ambiance: A / A

Service:  A- / A-

Drinks: B (Wine selection was good but not excellent)

Overall Experience: B+ / A-

H says, C and I were walking in the Quarter and I thought we should try our Irene’s as it always smells so nice walking by. I really was worried it wasn’t going to be that good, but I was pleasantly surprised.

C says, Whenever we walk by Irene’s, the smell makes us hungry! A little Italian restaurant off of Chartres, it always smells enticing, so the other night we decided to go in. The meal had a few bumps, but was enjoyable overall--there’s just some room for improvement.

Overall thoughts from H:

First off, it doesn’t look like much from the outside but the interior is just what you think of when you mention old fashioned New Orleans interiors. I might be wrong but it just felt like this is where people went out back in the day. Not that it felt dated but it was just a very enjoyable ambiance. We had the mussels appetizer which was ok, nothing special but ok. I think when we go back we will try something else. [C says, The mussels were in a red sauce, which is not our preference. The sauce was very good, though. The problem was that some of the mussels were overcooked--not cool. The bread served with the mussels was especially tasty, though.] 

Mussels Marinara

For the main course I got the filet mignon which was very well cooked, but the potato side that went with it was a little cold, they heated it up for me and it turned out to be a very nice meal. Now, it wasn’t the best-tasting meal but the steak itself was delicious. All it was really missing was more sauce. I enjoy steaks, but it’s really about the sauce and steak together that does it for me. Now my favorite part: the dessert. They have a bread pudding with bananas foster dessert that is amazing. Enough to feed 2 easily, but it is amazing. So overall it was enjoyable, probably one of the better restaurants in the Quarter that isn’t named GW Fins. Definitely planning on trying it again.

Filet and potato gratin

Soft-shelled Crab w/ Pasta

C says, I will agree with H that the ambiance is perfect for a New Orleans Italian restaurant. When you sit down, they bring you a couple of pieces of Italian bread with sliced tomatoes and melted cheese--a nice amuse. Then, later in the meal, they bring a basket with tasty rolls. As you should know by now, H and I love bread, so that was a plus! The mussels were ok, as we said above, but next time I would try a different appetizer. For dinner, I had the soft-shelled crab with crawfish pasta. The crab was cooked perfectly, nice wide pasta with plenty of crawfish, spinach, and a cream sauce--the sauce was over-herbed, though. Someone had a heavy hand with the oregano or something and it threw the dish off. Otherwise, it would have been really delish. As H said, the dessert was bread pudding with bananas foster sauce and vanilla gelato--basically his 3 favorite foods--and it was very good. Now, from what I hear, we really lucked out being able to walk into Irene’s. We went really early and got the last table in the house. So, if you want to check it out, you might make a reservation first. And expect to spot Irene herself puttering around. Not our favorite place, but a fun one to try. They just need to make a few tweaks and it could be excellent.

Mariza

Photo courtesy of the Mariza website

2900 Chartres Street, New Orleans, Louisiana 70117

504-598-5700 http://marizaneworleans.com/

Overall Ratings (H in orange, C in purple)

Food:  C / B

Ambiance: B / A-

Service:  C / A-

Drinks: N/A

Overall Experience: C / B+

H says, I was really looking forward to going to Mariza. It is a spin off of a great restaurant in the French Quarter and it looked great from the outside as they were building it. Once I arrived, though, my hopes were dashed. The food was ok, the decor was ok, but the temperature of the restaurant was so cold as to detract from the experience and the prices were too high for the quality of food that we got.

C says, Mariza is very conveniently located to H’s place, so we thought we’d try it out. The first time we went, it was right after they opened, and some of the food was overseasoned and some was underseasoned. We were rather underwhelmed. After it had been open for several months, though, we decided to give it another try. They had expanded the menu a bit, but I think it is not really our style of food. Nothing on the menu is expensive, but the portions are small, so I wouldn't call it a bargain. The ambiance is nice, but both times, we just felt “meh” about the whole experience.

Overall thoughts from H: Look, Mariza would be a nice restaurant to eat at if it were in the quarter because they would be compared to other restaurants in the area. The problem is they aren’t. They are located in the Bywater, which yes is undergoing gentrification, but honestly it is still home to many small, delicious cafes and restaurants.

Mariza is just trying to be more than it should and with so many other great options in the area, I don’t see the reason to go. I even live above the restaurant and my laziness isn’t even enough incentive to go ever again. I tried it twice and both times I was disappointed. The food was just well...too exotic. They are trying to do a weird spin on Italian food. The thing is, JUST DO ITALIAN, I mean come on. This is not New York, people don’t go to restaurants down here to sample crazy foods, they come for the familiar, the family and good food. [C says, I would disagree with that, and I don’t think the menu is that exotic, but it is not Creole Italian or your standard red sauce and fettuccine Alfredo Italian, which is what I think H prefers. We could both find things on the menu we would like, but not much we would BOTH like, and we like to share things when we go out, so it makes the place less appealing.]

The dishes I had were Tuna carpaccio which was good but over seasoned, a hanger steak which was cooked (I was not offered an option of doneness) to medium rare which was fine but the sauce they added was not enjoyable. There was no bread as you would expect with most restaurants and the service was terrible. [C says, I would not say the service was terrible, but we do both love our bread.  It’s one of the first things we look for at a restaurant. H is just complaining about the service because once he decides he doesn’t like a place, he wants out ass quickly as possible.] I had to eyeball our waiter to finally get the check. Now they are new and they could improve but for now, don’t go. Pass by; go eat at Bacchanal. Trust me, you will be better off.

Burrata Appetizer - Photo courtesy of Mariza website

C says, I had the burrata appetizer, which was overseasoned and, in my opinion, overpriced, but good, and the squid-ink seafood pasta, which was underseasoned, the first time we went. The second time, I had the soft shell crab special, which was quite tasty, but a pretty small serving for an entree. As I said above, the decor is nice, we like the bottles of water on the table (and they have added little dishes of sea salt since the first visit--maybe they were getting complaints about the seasoning?), and overall the ambiance is good. The menu just isn’t to our tastes. You’re much better off at Maurepas Foods or Bacchanal. And if you do go, DON’T PARK IN NOCCA’S LOT. You’ll regret it. 

Adolfo's

611 Frenchmen Street  New Orleans, LA 70116
(504) 948-3800    No website!
(Sorry again for the lack of photos--we'll update the next time we eat here.) 


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

H says, Adolfo’s is my favorite place for a night out when friends are in town. It is not too expensive but the food is great and the decor is cozy, just the way I like it. It is a bit hot in the summer but not too bad as you can wear a t-shirt and shorts and be fine. The best part is it is located on Frenchmen St, which means you can leave dinner and go catch some live music and drinks after without having to drive or take a cab. So if you have friends in town that have never been to New Orleans, go here your first night, just make sure you show up by 6 or there won’t be any tables left. Cash only, but don’t worry, they have an ATM in the restaurant. 


C says, This is another restaurant that I had heard a lot about but never tried til I went with H. It's located above the Apple Barrel on Frenchmen, and it is tiny. No reservations, cash only. The food is good and the prices are reasonable. (Entrees range from $13.25-$25.50, with most under $20.) The food is Creole Italian/Seafood, and I'd recommend the fish. They change what is available depending upon what's fresh, and then you just pick your sauce. Yum! 
Overall thoughts from H: 
First thing's first, make sure you go to Adolfo’s and not the Apple Barrel. The restaurant is above the bar and accessed by the small staircase on the side. Don’t get spooked; just walk up the stairs and through the door. It is a very small place with a tiny kitchen. The floor is crooked and everything looks like it is from the 80’s or 90’s but I just love it. [C says, I'd say the decor's older-looking than that, but it may just be that the building is so old.] Reminds me of the great family restaurants in Boston.

The drinks list is not extensive but their wine is good and they usually have a discount on the red wine at the tables, which is normally a Chianti. The menu is long but the jist of it is this: skip the pasta dishes, all the fish dishes come with a side salad or pasta. Order the fish. First they will tell you which fish they have in stock for the day, then figure out which sauce you want. Make sure you order the mussels appetizer and ASK for the white wine sauce. It is not on the menu but if you ask they will make it and it is amazing. [C says, We love the mussels here, and whenever we eat mussels elsewhere, we see how they measure up. Sorry, Tempt, not even in the ballpark!] They also sometimes have a rack of lamb which is amazing. It depends on what you feel.

Now there if there is one bad thing you can say about Adolfo’s, it is the service. The waiter knows me by face but has still gotten my pasta order wrong every time I order. I am not sure at this point if he is playing with me or what, but at this point it is just something C and I laugh about every time I order. [C says, The pasta that comes with the fish is served on the side and comes with red sauce, but H always requests alfredo instead, and the waiter always brings him the red anyway. We did have a different, younger waiter last time and had no such problem. Otherwise the service is good, and any little quirks just seem fitting with the atmosphere and worth a giggle.]

For my meal, I went with the Grouper with the shrimp and crawfish sauce. It is a large portion. Very delicious but very big. The desserts are not great, but most of the time you won’t have any room anyways. [C says, H thinks any place that puts raisins in bread pudding does not have good desserts, even though that is traditional! Take this warning with a grain of salt.] My suggestion would be to skip dessert and walk down to any of the local bars to grab a drink and listen to some music. It’s a great way to finish a great meal.


C says, H always gets the pasta with his fish, but I always opt for the salad. If you like salad, I'd urge you in that direction--you're going to have more than enough food and their house dressing is a creamy creole-mustard concoction--it's really yummy. I've had drum and grouper here, as well as one of the pasta dishes, and the fish is the way to go in my opinion. I especially like the crabmeat sauce (Fish Cruz), but you can get the fish with ocean sauce: they cover half the fish with the crabmeat sauce and half with the shrimp and crawfish sauce. That way you can try H's fave and my fave at once! I have never had room for dessert here, so I can't even tell you what they serve or if it is any good. If you get the mussels first, followed by the fish, you won't have room for dessert either and may even take some food home.