So again I am a little late with my posts. Still trying to catch up from my friend's wedding. Speaking of the wedding, my girlfriend had her bridesmaid luncheon at a restaurant in New Orleans called Ralph's in the Park near City Park. Ralph's is a great restaurant -- fantastic food, wonderful service and a great location. That description can also be used for all of the restaurants in the Brennan family of restaurants.
Now if you have ever been to New Orleans, you have probably heard of "breakfast at Brennan's" -- a New Orleans tradition loved by both tourists and locals alike. But what you probably didn't realize is that many of the most loved New Orleans restaurants are owned by the Brennan family...10 in total with 7 of them residing in the French Quarter.
The granddaddy of all of these is, of course, Brennan's, which has been around since the 1940s. It is famous for its breakfast, which is really a decadent, boozy brunch. The restaurant started out serving French classics, but since then has created many New Orleans classics. The most famous dish created at Brennan's is of course bananas foster. If you have never had bananas foster, you are missing out! It starts with bananas sauteed in brown sugar and butter until the bananas are hot and soft and the brown sugar and bananas has created a sticky, bubbly sauce. Then, the bananas and sauce are poured on top of vanilla ice cream...to die for!!
The other Brennan's restaurant that you have surely heard of is Commander's Palace. Commander's is a classic -- it is located in the Garden District and it just screams old New Orleans, as it should since it has been around since the 1880s. It is a power lunch spot in New Orleans, mostly due to the 25 cent martinis! The food there is phenomenal from the turtle soup through to the Bread Pudding Souffle. You really can't go wrong with anything on the menu. Commander's is a traditional New Orleans spot for special occasions -- you will often see graduates, birthdays and anniversaries celebrated there.
Another favorite is Mr. B's Bistro in the French Quarter. Mr. B's is more casual than Brennan's but it has similar food. It is famous for its gumbo yaya and its traditional New Orleans style BBQ shrimp. Also located in the Quarter is Palace Cafe which is also mid-range in terms of formality. It is housed in a famous building that used to house Werlein's Music -- many famous New Orleans musicians have entered this building. Palace Cafe is well known for its Sunday jazz brunch and for its view of the Mardi Gras parades. It is well-known in my family for its sensational white chocolate bread pudding.
Also in the French Quarter is the most casual Brennan's restaurant -- Red Fish Grill. It is a seafood restaurant located at the end of Bourbon Street. A main feature of Red Fish Grill is its oyster raw bar where it serves its signature BBQ oysters.
There are a few Brennan's restaurants I have not yet been to. Dickie Brennan's Steakhouse is, obviously, a steakhouse and it is located in the Quarter. It is a higher-end restaurant than some of the other Quarter spots. Dickie Brennan's Bourbon House is known for its seafood, specifically its raw oyster bar. This restaurant is more of a bistro in line with some of the other Brennan's restaurants in the Quarter. Due to its location on Bourbon Street, it also sometimes offers a walk-up window serving crepes, gelato and, of course alcohol. In Downtown New Orleans, known as the Central Business District, is Cafe Adelaide, which is a fine dining restaurant. Finally, as discussed above, is Ralph's in the Park, which is adjacent to City Park. There are huge windows throughout to take advantage of the views of the park. This is also a fine dining restaurant serving creative Creole food.
TIP: Many of these restaurants have specials like the 24 cent martinis at Commander's. Check the website before you go to see if there is a better time or restaurant to go to depending on the specials.
In my opinion, you cannot go wrong with any Brennan's restaurant, so take your pick and eat to your heart's delight!
Brennan's
TIP: Many of these restaurants have specials like the 24 cent martinis at Commander's. Check the website before you go to see if there is a better time or restaurant to go to depending on the specials.
In my opinion, you cannot go wrong with any Brennan's restaurant, so take your pick and eat to your heart's delight!
Brennan's
417 Royal Street
New Orleans, LA 70130
(504) 525-9711
Commander's Palace
1403 Washington Avenue
New Orleans, LA 70130
(504) 899-8221
