Jacques-Imo's Cafe - New Orleans, LA - Funky Town

Jacques-Imo's Cafe

New Orleans, LA

Dinner

June 1, 2010

The Set-Up - We had some specific requirements for my birthday dinner out. Given that we had tickets for a baseball game starting at 7:00 p.m. we needed a place that was open early and relatively near Zephyr Field, along with being special enough for a birthday dinner. Having been in the neighborhood, but never actually eating there, we took a chance on Jacques-Imo's Cafe, which got great notices on the Internet for everything but being crowded and noisy. We hoped that showing up at 5:30 p.m. on a Tuesday night would negate both problems.

The Meal - As for appetizers, the girls chose more wisely than I did. They picked mussels in tomato basil sauce, which were served sitting atop a bed of mashed potatoes. They loved every bite and I enjoyed my one sample. I picked garlic snails atop trofie pasta, which was not the best choice for my slightly unsettled stomach. Still, I ate all the snails, while sampling the pasta. Kay and Kallie also shared an entree - stuffed catfish. I soloed on grilled grouper with crabmeat imperial. They raved over the catfish. My fish was perfectly cooked, but my stomach was not quite up to the rich sauce. Entrees came with two side dishes. My mashed sweet potatoes were the highlight of my meal.

We didn't have time for a birthday dessert, but I expect they could have delivered, complete with singing.

Drinks -We didn't challenge the bartender. Kay had a glass of pinot noir while Kallie and I stuck with Coke and iced tea respectively. They did have an extensive wine list and an assortment of specialty mixed drinks.


Ambience - While Jacques-Imo's menu could be described as at least imaginative, their decorating scheme is definitely funky. Highlights are murals of swamp scenes painted on all the walls and clocks made out of old vinyl records, which are for sale. A multi-colored truck and a sign promising "bad food and poor service since 1996" greet prospective diners walking in from streetside parking. Diners sitting in the back room must walk through the kitchen to reach their table - seemingly more of an issue for the wait staff than for the diners.

Service -Service met our needs on all counts. Despite arriving 15 minutes behind our target time of 5:30 and the restaurant already being almost full (it opened at 5 rather than at 5:30 as shown on the website), we were fed and on our way to Zephyr Field by 6:40.

The Check - Sharing appetizers and entrees kept the bill to about $100 with tax and tip. Entrees were mostly in the $23-$30 range.

The Scoreboard (one-to-five scale)

Food - Four with prospects for five

Drinks - Four - no wine specials

Ambience - Four - come ready for an fun assault on the senses

Service - Four - competent but not special. Based on the website, we expected to see the chef in his shorts and sandals.

Price/Value - Four - similar food can be had for less money at less funky restaurants


Overall Assessment

Special Occasion

Favorite

Very Good - Hard to bestow "Favorite" honors based on one visit. Jacques-Imo's has the potential to be upgraded.

Good Enough

If Hungry Enough

Keep Driving and Looking


8324 Oak Street
New Orleans, LA 70118
504-861-0886

Hours:

Lunch - closed

Dinner - 5 to 10, Mon thru Thurs; 5 to 10:30 Fri and Sat

Closed on Sunday

www.jacquesimoscafe.com

Carmine's Italian and Seafood Grille, Metairie, LA - New Favorite?

Carmine's Italian Seafood Grille

Metairie, LA

Dinner

March 28, 2010

The Set-Up - My family picked me up at the New Orleans Airport in suburban Kenner after I returned from a trip to Florida. Too hungry and tired to make it back to Baton Rouge without dinner, I suggested we eat sooner rather than later. We ventured up Veterans Boulevard without a target in mind. To our good fortune, after just a couple of miles we found Carmine's Italian Seafood Grille in Metairie, LA.

The Meal - Kallie was undecided between angel hair pasta with meat sauce or meatballs. I told her to get the former with a side of meatballs. We ended up with four delicious meals - one for Kallie in the restaurant and three helpings of leftovers at home of the best restaurant spaghetti I've ever eaten. I also enjoyed my order - grilled tilapia with a crawfish cream sauce. Kay had lasagna with hamburger, sausage and spinach. The salads were fresh with a very nice Italian dressing. No one left either hungry or disappointed. My only complaint was that the bread came out late and in small crispy pieces. I would have preferred it earlier and softer.

Drinks - The standard assortment of iced tea, Coke and red wine. I may have had to dilute the tea, or that might have been at a different restaurant. Memory fails me now.


Ambience - The decorations at the entrance are a bit off-putting - almost bizarre, but the dining area is more traditional, except perhaps for the paintings of various European scenes on the tabletops. Our table featured the Arc D'Triomph, or an unknown Italian monument that greatly resembles it.

Service - As I remember, the service was quite good, once we understood the menu. Our waitress made the excellent suggestion of getting the fish broiled or grilled rather than pan sauteed. I was just trying to avoid deep fried.

The Check - I'm working from memory again. About $65 with tax and tip for three, including two glasses of wine at $7.50 each. Not bad, especially given the high quality of the food and the excellent leftovers.

The Scoreboard (one-to-five scale)

Food - 4.5 - marked down just slightly for the bread

Drinks - 3.5 - the wine seemed a little pricey

Ambience - 3.5 - maybe a little too distracting

Service - 4 - competent but not memorable

Price/Value - 4.5 - worth an intentional trip someday


Overall Assessment

Special Occasion

Favorite

Very Good - with the possibility of becoming a favorite; at least when we're in the neighborhood.

Good Enough

If Hungry Enough

Keep Driving and Looking


Other Info

4101 Veterans Memorial Blvd, Metairie, LA 70002
(504) 455-7904

Hours:

Closed Monday
Tues - Thurs 11 to 9
Fri - Sat - 11 to 10
Sun 11 to 8

http://www.carminesonline.com/

Pappasito's Cantina - Best of Tex-Mex

Pappasito's Cantina

Houston, TX

Lunch

March 19, 2010

The Set-Up - Heading back to Baton Rouge from a medical appointment in Houston, we stopped at one of our favorite Tex-Mex places, knowing they'd have tasty food and TVs on which we could watch the some March Madness action. We sat in the bar for the latter.

The Meal - We made a great menu choice - the mixed grill. For $16.95 we got a skewer of beef, chicken, shrimp and vegetables along with side orders of rice and pineapple pico de gallo. Fabulous! We probably could have eaten two orders, but we stopped at one. Fresh chips and salsa and drinks - a margarita for Kay and iced tea for me made for an outstanding lunch. The food looked even better hanging on its skewer, but I was too hungry to remember to take a picture. Maybe next time.

Drinks - Pappasito's margaritas have been delicious for all 25 years I've been drinking them, but on this day I had to drink iced tea and get back on the road.

Ambience - With one large room, Pappasito's is busy and noisy, but in a good-spirited way.

Service - Efficient, friendly and accurate.

The Check - With tax and tip, just $33.


The Scoreboard (one-to-five scale)

Food - Five - today's food was typical. Nobody grills it better than Pappasito's

Drinks - Four - margaritas are good, but a little pricey


Ambience - Four - Probably better for a larger group, but being able to sit at tables in the bar to watch basketball was a big plus.

Service - Five - Excellent. For such a large restaurant, Pappasito's always manages to provide personal service.

Price/Value - Five for this meal. Four to five for most of our meals there.


Overall Assessment

Special Occasion

Favorite - We've eaten at least ten lunches and dinners at one or another Pappasito's (there are 13 locations in the Houston area) over the years. I don't think we've ever been disappointed.

Very Good

Good Enough

If Hungry Enough

Keep Driving and Looking


Other Info -

11831 I-10 East
Houston, TX 77029
(713) 455-8378

Hours:

Sun.- Thurs. 11:00 am-10:00 pm
Fri. & Sat. 11:00 am-11:00 pm


Pappasito's Cantina

Cafe Americain - Baton Rouge, LA - Soup du Jour

Cafe Americain

Baton Rouge, LA

Lunch

March 10, 2010

The Set-Up - With just a few minutes to spare in between a church meeting and a doctor's appointment we slipped into nearby Cafe Americain for a quick lunch. I've probably eaten at least one meal in this restaurant in every one of the 23 years I've lived in Baton Rouge.


The Meal - Cafe Americain makes some of the best soups in Baton Rouge. Among my favorites is their crab and broccoli. I ordered a bowl ($9) though I probably could have gotten by with a cup ($5). I finished the bowl. Kay ordered the soup (crab and corn) and salad. The picture looks a little gruelish, but trust me, it's delicious.

The crab and broccoli is a cream-based soup. Crab and corn, at least here today, starts with a roux. Both were delicious. Kay loves her salads, and Cafe Americain didn't disappoint.

The rest of Cafe Americain's menu features American cuisine with a Louisiana flair.

Cafe Americain also makes great desserts. We were tempted sorely by the Bailey's Irish Creme bread pudding, but our time shortage caused us to postpone it for another day, which might come soon.

Drinks - Kay had a nice glass of white wine. I had my usual iced tea. Both were just fine.

Ambience - Cafe Americain has expanded piecemeal over the years, so dining is now spread across three rooms. The atmosphere is casual without being barlike; friendly without being overly noisy. Overall, perfect for a casual lunch.

Service - No problems. Lunch was efficiently and pleasantly served, eaten and paid for well within our timetable.

The Check -Even with a glass of wine our bill with tax and tip came to just $36.00.

The Scoreboard (one-to-five scale)

Food - Five for what we ate. Cafe Americain's overall menu would be closer to four.

Drinks - Four. Wine for less than $7.50 a glass would help.

Ambience - Four

Service - Five for meeting our timetable without being asked.

Price/Value - A solid four


Overall Assessment

Special Occasion

Favorite - Cafe Americain isn't enough of a favorite of ours that we make special trips, but its handy locations (one near church; one near home (though a trip for Bailey's Bread Pudding may be in the offing), tasty food (especially soups), and reasonable prices cause us to eat their fairly often.

Very Good

Good Enough

If Hungry Enough

Keep Driving and Looking


Other Info -

7521 Jefferson Highway, Baton Rouge, LA
924-9841, 927-1626 (fax)

Also at 15255 George O'Neal Road

Hours:


Monday thru Thursday - 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.

Friday and Saturday - 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.

Sunday - 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (brunch menu and drink specials)


Cafe Americain

Coyote Blues - Baton Rouge, LA - Spice of Life

Coyote Blues

Baton Rouge, LA

Lunch

March 5, 2010


The Set-Up - This restaurant opened recently on the site of the former Lone Star Steakhouse. The peanut-strewn home of tough steak won't be missed as diners enjoy a new source of Tex-Mex food with a Louisiana flair. The original Coyote Blues restaurant is in Lafayette, LA.

We'd thought about trying the new restaurant for awhile, then learned that a son of our friends worked there as a waiter, which heightened our interest.

On a recent Friday we met friends for lunch, taking care to stay ahead of the noon rush, which arrived both early and noisily.


The Meal - Coyote Blues offers a lunch menu, but we ordered a couple of their specialty items off the dinner menu. I picked the Grilled Tilapia Tacos ($12.79), which I hoped would resemble my grilled fish taco favorites from Cafe Adobe in Houston. Kay got the Nuevo Crab Enchiladas ($16.29), which the waiter recommended, and which had the promising of matching our favorite crab enchiladas from Mestizo's.

With a little readjusting, my dish was spectacular. It came with far too many jalapenos, but was spectacular when I swept all but one or two aside. Kay didn't think the Nuevo Crab quite measured up to Mestizo's, though I was very impressed with the leftovers I ate for lunch today. The poblano rice that came with the tacos proved a special treat - the call it verde (green) rice at Serrano's, which I can eat by the shovelful.

Our friends got beef fajitas and cheese enchiladas respectively. The enchiladas came with cheese corn grits, which were creamy and delicious. On my next trip I'll probably go with poblano rice and cheese grits as side orders.

Drinks - It was a non-drinking day for me, but Kay enjoyed a margarita. No problems with my iced tea.

Ambience - Decor at Coyote Blues is understated. Noise levels are not. As the big restaurant filled with customers, so did the air with assembled chatter and clatter.

Service - The Coyote Blues staff seemed to have the kinks worked out. Our meal came off without a hitch.

The Check - Two plates and two margaritas with tax and tip came to about $55. A little pricey for lunch, but reasonable for dinner.

The Scoreboard (one-to-five scale)

Food - Four with prospects to go to five

Drinks - Four, since Kay didn't rave about the margaritas, and they weren't happy hour price

Ambience - Four, spacious, attractive and comfortable, but a little noisy.

Service - Four, could have been five if Kay had liked the crab better.

Price/Value - 3-1/2, lunch portions of the crab and fish dishes would be welcome; definitely four for dinner.


Overall Assessment

Special Occasion

Favorite
Very Good - One visit can't qualify for Favorite status, but a promotion is very likely.

Good Enough

If Hungry Enough

Keep Driving and Looking


Address - 2450 South Acadian Thruway, Baton Rouge
Phone - 225-361-0676

Also at 5741 Johnston Street, Lafayette, LA
Phone - 337-988-3668


Hours of Operation

Sunday and Monday - 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.

Tuesday thru Thursday - 11 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.

Friday and Saturday - 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Lunch Menu available - 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.


Website - coyotebluesrest.com

Cafe Adobe - Houston, TX - Great Tex-Mex With Ex-tras

Cafe Adobe

Location - Houston, TX

Meal - Dinner

Date - February 15, 2010

The Set-Up - We found Cafe Adobe early on our trips to Houston and return often for a quick, tasty and inexpensive Tex-Mex meal. Upon arriving in Houston on February 15, we had just enough time for dinner before heading to the nearby McGonigel's Mucky Duck for a 9:30 show.

The Meal - Kay went with the reliable Tacos al Carbon. I'm glad I ventured from my usual order pattern as the Fish Tacos were wonderful. The broiled tilapia pieces were marinated in chipotle cilantro and garlic butter sauce. The tacos were the soft kind and filled with red cabbage, so I had to deconstruct the dish to eat it, but no problem. They offer a plate of the same fish, Tilapia Cozumel, which I'll definitely consider next time.


Drinks - It was margarita time. We inquired about happy hour and to our happiness, the half-priced drink special was still on. More later on this part of the meal, but drinks were delicious.

Ambience - We like the area nearest the door for a number of reasons. Less walking in a big restaurant, near the rest rooms, and the area seems a little more open and brighter than the back of the restaurant.

Service - Always cheerful and efficient. The staff was especially helpful when our bill came with the margaritas at full price. We pointed this out and instead of correcting the price, which would have saved us $6.25, they gave me my fish tacos for free ($8.99 value), saying that it was too difficult in their system to correct the drink price.

The Check - With the credit, we got out of Cafe Adobe full of food and drink for an amazing $30, including tax and a nice tip.

The Scoreboard (one-to-five scale)

Food - Five - I think I found a new favorite dish.

Drinks - Five - Hard to beat frozen margaritas in a good Tex-Mex place.

Ambience - Four - Our preferred seating area also includes the stairs to the club on the second floor.

Service - Five - Three cheers for their makeup on the mispriced drinks.

Price/Value - A big Five on this occasion - pretty close every time out.


Overall Assessment

Special Occasion

Favorite - Definitely merits Favorite status with its combination of tasty food and drinks, reasonable prices and extended happy hour. We'll be back!

Very Good

Good Enough

If Hungry Enough

Keep Driving and Looking


Other Info -

2111 Westheimer, Houston, Texas 77098 ... Phone: 713.528.1468 ... Fax: 713.528.5127

There are three other Cafe Adobe locations in the Houston area (Sugar Land, Spring Branch and The Woodlands) and one opening soon in Clear Lake.

Hours:

Call for hours. I know they're open Monday through Saturday for both lunch and dinner. They're probably open Sunday as well.

Cafe Adobe

Gary's Cafe - Orange, TX - If Only Man Could Live on Chocolate Pie Alone

Gary's Cafe and Family Restaurant

Location - Orange, TX

Meal - Lunch

Date - February 15, 2010

The Set-Up - On our most recent trip to Houston, we stopped at Steamboat Bill's in Lake Charles, hoping (at least me) to eat some boiled crawfish. At about 3 p.m. we saw their sign, "Boiled Crawfish at 5 p.m, and got back in the car. Next stop was Orange, TX, where we'd heard about Gary's Cafe.

The Meal - Kay got her fill of vegetables, which she enjoyed. I went for the fried catfish plate with Gary's signature batter. I've eaten better, both fish and batterwise in many catfish restaurants in Louisiana and elsewhere. We agreed that the chocolate meringue pie (just $2.25) was by far the highlight of the meal.

Drinks - Iced tea and Diet Coke. I had to get a side glass of water to dilute the tea, but that may just be my taste.


Ambience - Diner-style, reminiscent of House of Pies in Houston, or Catfish Campus (as yet unreviewed) in Columbia, TN based on the advertisements embossed on the table.

Service -My memory is sketchy. I don't remember it being either special or inadequate.

The Check - A bargain at about $25, including tax and tip.

The Scoreboard (one-to-five scale)

Food - Three, with the pie bringing it up to acceptable overall

Drinks - Three, as the iced tea was just adequate

Ambience - Two. I'm really not into advertising on the tables.

Service - Four.

Price/Value - Three. Even though Gary's was cheap, I can't go higher for a restaurant whose best food is chocolate pie.


Overall Assessment

Special Occasion

Favorite

Very Good

Good Enough

If Hungry Enough

Keep Driving and Looking


2650 Interstate 10 West, Orange, TX 77632.
(409) 886 - 5850

There are other Gary's locations in both Orange and nearby Vidor, TX.

Hours:

Call for hours. I couldn't find a website.