Crazy for Crepe Nanou!

Here is yet another French restaurant, so I hope you folks aren't getting tired of reading my reviews on French restaurants, still more French, STILL MORE FRENCH! The place I'm going to tell you about is a really delicious bistro called Crepe Nanou. Located on Robert St., and just off Prytania, this bistro may look tame outside, but inside is where the magic happens. I went in with Madame La  Bouffe, and we were seated in the back room at a table. We got our drinks, menus, and bread and butter, and sat back, ready to enjoy a good French meal. First, the baguette was great. Chewy, crusty, and full of flavor, it was perfect when spread with good salted butter. The soup and salad course was next, and I sampled a variety of good stuff. The French onion soup was quite delicious, with it's rich onion-y broth, soft baguette, and gooey cheese. It wasn't superior to Cafe Degas, but still good. Madame La Bouffe got a goat cheese, prosciutto, arugula, and grape tomato salad, which she said was "not very good", and the dressing tasted like "battery acid". She must have been feeling very negative that evening because when her leek and potato soup came, she described it as "glutinous and gluey, with only passable flavor."

Then we had our entrees. I had a dish called "Les Crevettes du Jour", which was sautéed shrimp with parsley and garlic, served with spaghetti and sautéed vegetables. The shrimp were cooked perfectly and had a nice herb-y flavor, and the pasta was very tasty as well. The veggies were rather limp and lifeless, but still tasted good. We also got a "crepe au crab", which I really fell in love with. The crepe was soft, spotty golden, and sweet, and the creamed crab was really amazing. The dish also came with creamed spinach on top, which I really took a tremendous fancy to. I personally had a very good meal. But we weren't done yet. We got our dessert menus, and ordered right off the bat. 

I chose the "crepe Lucie", a really amazing dessert. Madame La Bouffe got the "mousse au chocolat", which she thought was OK if a bit "chalky." My crepe was perfect. The plain crepe was its usual stunning self, and it was stuffed with strawberries and chocolate syrup. It had a large scoop of vanilla ice cream on top, which I devoured in three big big bites so it wouldn't melt. Whipped cream topped the whole thing off, and I was really in heaven. 

The service was okay. Madame La Bouffe's soup came out stone cold, and she asked for a hot version. They brought it out again, and it was unevenly heated and just as gloppy. Thankfully, they only made that one blunder, and if I gloss over that, I'd say the service is fine. 

My verdict? Crepe Nanou is great for classic French dishes and crepes, but it stumbles on newfangled food. It still has a wonderful atmosphere, and it's a great place to spend your evening. Stay tuned, tout le monde.

La Boulangerie

As if I haven't reviewed enough French restaurants, here is yet another delightful spot. This is more cafe, patisserie, and coffee stop than sit-down eatery, but it has certain qualities that make up for that. It's called La Boulangerie (meaning "the bakery" in French), located on Magazine St. ("magazine" is actually the French word for "store", so it sort of makes sense, since all those shops are seemingly endless! This has nothing to do with the restaurant; it's just an interesting bit of info). I've often popped into the Boulangerie to get pastries, and, in my opinion, they have the best croissants in the city, but I've never thought of going for lunch or dinner. So as I was biking down Magazine one brisk autumn day at lunchtime, hungry and tired, I noticed I was near the Boulangerie and decided to go in for a quick lunch. I had never eaten lunch there, so I decided to give it a try.

I locked up my bike and went inside, and was immediately engulfed in the warm, buttery, croissant-scented air. I chose my food, which was a Mediterranean panini with mozzarella, pesto, and sliced tomato, and a cream puff for dessert. I chose my drink and sat down at a table. I had a fun time looking around the shop, at all the people bustling around and the pretty displays of breads and pastries. My sandwich came, and I dove right in. The bread was crisp, crusty, and pleasantly chewy, and had the beautiful brown grill marks in it you see when the panini is made in a good panini press. The pesto was nicely acidic and really delicious. It was spread thickly on each slice of bread, creating a super flavorful burst in each bite. The cheese was gooey and molten, and the tomato was juicy and toothsome. All in all, a really delicious sandwich.

My dessert was amazing, too. The pastry shell was flaky, and had a nice custardy webbing inside as well. The outside was deliciously crusty and golden, and was topped with a generous dusting of powdered sugar. The whipped cream was my favorite part, and was wonderfully fluffy, sweet, and creamy. So come to the Boulangerie if you're feeling peckish, and I'm sure you'll be downright happy. The pastries and croissants are divine as well, so come over for breakfast, too, and have your morning croissant and coffee. Stay tuned for my next post, tout le monde, and au revoir!

Louvre that Mona Lisa!

Italian has always been one of my "Top 3" cuisines (French, Italian, and Thai), and I've loved it ever since I was a very little kid. I was frequently pestering my parents to make me "pasta with red sauce" for dinner, and it still is one of my favorite foods. But now that I've grown older and wiser, I've started to branch out from that basic, tomato-y luxury and begun to eat all kinds of Italian specialties. We have lots of yummy pizzerias and Italian bistros here in New Orleans, and I've eaten at, think, most of them. So as I was strolling through the French Quarter around twelve-thirty today, hungry and tired, I stumbled upon a little spot called Mona Lisa. It was Italian, I thought, so how bad could this be?

I went inside and was led to a clean table by a member of the staff. The tablecloth had a nice rustic red and white checked pattern that added nice charm. The walls were literally covered with pictures of the Mona Lisa (all of them added a comical twist). A nice, quiet waitress came over and gave me a glass of ice water, and I placed my order. I had a good time looking at all the funny Mona Lisas while I waited for my food. One of them had a leopard head, and another had a pig snout nose. Then my food came, and I immediately dove right in. I got the "pasta authentico," a very fresh and tasty meal. It was simply tomatoes, olives, spinach and roasted garlic sautéed in olive oil and served over penne pasta. It was garnished with nicely crunchy bread crumbs. I ate with relish. It was very refreshing, just not spectacular. 

For dessert, I had a slice of lemoncello cake, a delicious layered dessert of lemon sponge cake and some kind of lemony pudding in between. There was a nice thin layer of lemon icing, and white chocolate curls on top. I felt it was the perfect way to end the meal. It wasn't very pricey, and it was the perfect place to go for my lunch.

So Mona Lisa is a fine place for dinner or lunch, and I think you'll be happy once you eat up your meal. Stay tuned. Au revoir. 

I Dream of Degas....

As I might have said in the past, I am a firm believer in everything French, from the proper way to drink your morning cup of joe to the best place to shop (The Bon Marche is always my place to drop into when in Paris), but I am always so intoxicated by, of course, the food. I've eaten at many a French bistro and savored countless Parisian decadence while overlooking the Eiffel Tower, but I always am sad to accept the fact that I only get to enjoy such luxuries when I travel across the seemingly endless Atlantic. But I'm overjoyed to say that I've found the most delicious, the most wonderful spot that's just a fifteen minute drive away from my lodgings! Let me fill you in.....

I'm going to tell you about a delightful little slice of heaven called Cafe Degas, located on Esplanade Avenue, and across the street from a lovely little park. I went there this evening for dinner and I was really just completely speechless by the end of it. I was served some ice water in a pretty tulip glass, and a basket of crusty baguette and salty-sweet butter. I appreciated the nice chew and sweetness of the baguette, and I ate a thick slice of it in a blink. Then I got a really heavenly bowl of French onion soup, complete with the golden, gooey top of crusty melted Gruyere, and the broth and soft onions were really to die for! The soft croutons of baguette were amazing as well. The next course was the "quiche Degas." This was the course I really was left speechless by. The crust was deliciously flaky, buttery, and pleasantly short, and the filling was real AMBROSIA! The eggs were so amazingly light and fluffy; it felt like eating clouds. 

It also had perfectly cooked Swiss cheese packed in there, along with some soft broccoli and caramelized onions. Finally I had a really yummy creme brûlée. It was vastly different from, say, Cote Sud, but still super addicting. The custard here was dense and fluffy, not at all creamy, but the sugar top made up for that. Bittersweet, crunchy, and black, I spent a couple minutes after eating up my custard scraping up the crispy bits still clinging to the cup. 

The staff is great, too. My waiter was French, and he seemed really nice and caring. He always made sure I had exactly what I needed, and I felt so pampered! The atmosphere is really nice, too. You can just sink back and relax and gobble up your food and enjoy it to the fullest. Lunch and brunch are also served, and my sources tell me it's really tasty. So pull up to Degas if you're feeling peckish, and I can tell you that you'll be really happy! Till next time, tout le monde! 

Le Cote Sud est Exquis!

Ever since my enlightening trip to France, I have adored French cuisine. The wonderful pastries, crepes, seafood, cheese.....Oh my gosh... it's just stunning. I'm always thrilled when I find a great new French restaurant, especially if it is close to my lodgings. I found just the place! Let me tell you what I've discovered.....

Madame La Bouffe and I biked to Maple St., where we've often passed by a lovely little French restaurant called Cote Sud (meaning "south coast" in French, for all you Yanks who don't speak the language). We decided to try it out. We both had healthy appetites from our biking, and were anticipating a great meal. We walked up the steps at five o'clock, but were rather disappointed because we had come half an hour before they opened. Much was our surprise when the smiling waiter told us to come right in! We were seated at a nice little table by the window, and were served ice water and wine. 

Since we were the only ones in the restaurant, we were treated like queens! The sweet waitress gave us a private wine tasting, and we were served hot, crusty, sweet baguette and butter to take the edge off our appetites. We had a while to wait, because the kitchen didn't open until five thirty, but the waitress placed our orders, so we could have them as soon as the kitchen was in business. They played the most soothing French music, and this spot had the most relaxing and peaceful environment imaginable. There were pictures of wine and grapes everywhere, and everything was just so charmingly rustic and wonderfully authentic that I actually thought I was in a French bistro!

For the main course, I had a delicious shrimp and zucchini linguini. The shrimp and zucchini were sautéed in the finest extra virgin olive oil, and the linguini was super flavorful and tasted nicely peppery. Everything was perfectly cooked. Madame La Bouffe got the steamed mussels literally bathing in a mariniere sauce, which was like eating ambrosia, let me tell you. We got pommes frites to go with it, and, while just a tad greasy, were amazing when dunked in the sauce. 

Then we had the cheese, wine, and fruit course, a classic French custom. They eat the cheese and wine right after dinner and just before dessert. The plate was a little tame compared to the spectacular aged cheeses I'd eaten in France, but still very tasty. We had Swiss cheese, triple cream Brie, goat cheese, and blue cheese. They were served with green grapes, which added a nice burst of color. We both really liked the goat cheese, which was shaped into two cute little balls. The Brie was creamy and rich, the blue flavorful and yummy, and the Swiss was...well...Swiss. The red wine was spectacular, according to Madame La Bouffe. 

Finally, while Madame La Bouffe lingered over the remains of the loved goat cheese, I polished off a mouthwatering creme brûlée. The sweet, creamy, cold custard and crunchy bittersweet sugar top were really to die for! So Cote Sud is a fabulous place to eat your dinner, and I bet you'll be as happy as I (which is saying something)! Happy eating to all you folks! 

Chillin' at the Chill Out

Bonjour, tout le monde! Mademoiselle Nouvelle Orleans here, giving you the most descriptive and reliable reviews of New Orleans restaurants. Now, I happen to love Thai and Asian cuisine, and am always happy to find a great new restaurant. There's a certain spot on Maple St. that really caught my fancy.  It's called the Chill Out Cafe. I always pop in there anytime I can, and everything about it is just genial (that's French for great, in case you Yanks don't know).

It has a very tasty American breakfast menu, a Thai lunch menu, and a Thai dinner menu. The desserts, including Cheesecake Tempura, battered and fried cheesecake served with ice cream, fruit, and maple syrup; and Sticky Rice with Mango are also Thai with a nice American twist (hence the cheesecake). 

I came upon this spot while walking down Maple St. I was very hungry, and it was about three o'clock in the afternoon. I had been busy all morning, and had had no time to stop and eat at lunchtime. I thought, "How bad could this be?" and walked inside. I was welcomed by a sweet, quiet Thai lady and sat myself at a small table. I was served a delicious Thai iced tea, a super sweet, creamy, cold beverage that I had a wonderful time guzzling down. I requested an order of fresh spring rolls, and they came out of the kitchen beautifully plated; stacked artistically on top of one another and dappled with a yummy sauce studded with crunchy peanuts. The rolls were stuffed with delicious fresh, crunchy vegetables including carrots and spinach, and were mixed with other great fresh, beneficial stuff and glass noodles. The rolls were so healthily delicious, fresh, and flavorful, and were the perfect pick-me-up if you just drank too much or ate something super rich and heavy. 

The breakfast is also delectable. The pancakes are out-of-this-world-good; unbelievably puffy and fluffy, flavorful, and soft. The waffles, too, are great; crispy and tall and downright irresistible. Everything else is yummy, and The Chill Out has a great atmosphere, too. The waitress is so kind, quiet, and a great server. The cooks are skilled as well, and you'll be happy, I promise. So for all four meals, The Chill Out is a wonderful place to go. So that's all for today. See you next time, folks! Happy dining!