Cosmo Tapas

Cosmo Tapas was built on the ashes of Albuquerque's Martini Grille, a long running establishment which wanted to be a good "bar" that just happened to serve some tasty food. Cosmo, on the other hand, is shooting for the other approach: they are striving to be a good "restaurant" that just happens to serve some tasty drinks! They are succeeding!

First a note about tapas: Originating in Spain, tapas are small plates of food meant to be served with wine (or other alcohol). The word "tapa" means "lid" or "cover" and there are numerous explanations about how the word became associated with this style of eating. In the past ten years, tapas have slowly invaded Europe and the Americas and seem to be riding the same wave which has brought back the martini from near-extinction! Since landing on American shores, however, tapas are no longer limited to Spanish influences. American chef's have taken the idea of tapas (small, individual plates) and borrowed from a wealth of world-wide influences to create very diverse and exciting tapas menus! So nowadays, anyone who thinks that tapas are only about Spanish food, hasn't gotten out enough!

The chef at Cosmo Tapas (Cecilia Kido) has familial roots in South America, so much of the flavors and food concepts come from there. But don't be surprised to find some other choices from around the world on the menu as well. This place defines eclectic!

All of the tapas servings run from $4 to $12 per plate,really an exceptional bargain, especially considering the quality of the dishes. At a recent gathering,our party of five had two rounds of tapas as well as two rounds of drinks and the bill was only $150 for the entire table! (30 bucks a person for this quality level!!!) Everyone left satiated and VERY satisfied. A comparable meal at another establishment could have easily been double that expense!

The drinks at Cosmo were daringly different and each one was exceptional in its own right. From their "Around the World in 7 Drinks" menu, I recommend the Samba, the Cosmorita and the Huaso. But don't limit yourself to those choices. Cosmo also has a very diverse list of quality, mid-range beers and wines, as well as a fully stocked bar of the more traditional liquors. Their mixologist also just happens to make one of the best martinis in town!

The wine list in particular will be a fun little jaunt for any "vinophile"(oenophile)! The wine list is small, but like the menu itself, it is extremely eclectic and loaded with some excellent mid-range vintages, most at VERY reasonable prices. These are not the usual, run-of-the-mill over-produced wines, and many of them may be unfamiliar to some Americans, but there are some great choices here! They have selections from Portugal, California, Australia, France, Italy, New Zealand, Chile, Argentina, and Oregon. Of course, a traditionalist might want to stick with a Spanish wine and at Cosmo about 25% of the wine list is from Spain. From the whites, I recommend the 2006 "Aura Verdejo", a pleasant mid-range Spanish white wine with flavors of ripe peaches and tropical fruit. From the reds, the best buy is the 2007 "El Arte de Vivir" from Ribera del Duero. This 100% tempranillo wine is oak aged and has great flavors of dark cherry balanced with the slight oakiness and the distinctive bright,ruby, tempranillo color. Jay Miller of Wine Advocate awarded this wine a stunning 91 points for its "fleshy fruit, excellent concentration, and 1-2 years of aging potential"! At $32 a bottle...this one is a steal!

So, now you've settled down, ordered your drinks...what about the food? First of all...take your time! The tapas menu is extensive and diverse, so check out everything!

From the "Meat Tapas" menu selections I recommend:
1. Lollipop Lamb Chops- A clear winner, these delicious little chops
are served with an olive and goat cheese
tapenade and they will transport your
spirit to a white-washed, little Greek cafe
somewhere in the Aegean.
2. Chicken Satay- Flavorful little chicken skewers served with a
complex and perfectly spicy, peanut curry sauce.
3. Queso Fundido- Chorizo sausage and nopales (cactus)dominate this
delicious cheese dip. It had just enough heat to
keep it interesting without overpowering the other
flavors.

From the "Cold Tapas" menu:
1. Stuffed Dates- Goat cheese stuffed Moroccan dates, wrapped in
bacon! Too good to be true!
2. Crab Stuffed Peppers- A traditional Spanish pepper stuffed with crab
meat and served with a delicious romesco sauce.


"Seafood Tapas":
1. Gambas al Pil Pil- Shrimp sauteed with pepper and garlic and sherry.
2. Coconut Shrimp- Deliciously crispy and slightly sweet fried shrimp
served with a pineapple/coconut sauce.
3. Scallops al Pil Pil-Sea scallops with pepper and garlic and sherry.


"Vegetable Tapas":
1. Hearts Salad- Another clear standout dish! Hearts of palm,
asparagus and mixed greens in a delicious
coconut-lime dressing! This is a must have "cool"
accompaniment to the rest of the menu items!
2. Veggie Curry- This veggie dish is the most outrageously complex,
spicy and delicious curry that I have ever had!

I have deliberately left out any mention of the empanadas. At Cosmo, you have a choice from a wide selection of empanadas. But they all have one thing in common...they are all excellent! Eating at Cosmo Tapas without having at least one type of empanada would be a crime! You have a choice of: Shrimp Empanadas, Spinach and Tofu Empanadas, Baked Beef Empanadas, or Fried Beef or Cheese Empanadas! All of them are delicious! In fact, Cosmo Tapas excels at just about everything!

But what about desserts? Well...Cosmo has the perfect ending to your meal. My favorite is the "Flan Estela". This flan is unlike any other I have ever had. It is a recipe handed down to the owner (Guillermo Loubriel) from his mother and it has characteristics of both a flan and a cheesecake. If you come with a preconceived notion of what a flan should be, then stay away from this dessert! Because this dessert...this "flan"...has more complexity...and depth...and richness than any normal flan! It is...quite simply...wonderful! Kudos to mom's recipe!

As far as the rest of the desserts, well, you really can't go wrong with anything, but the Lucuma Pavlova is another stand-out dish! Made from the Andean lucuma fruit, this dessert is another non-traditional rebel to challenge your preconceived notions of what a pavlova looks like or tastes like!

All in all, Cosmo Tapas is probably one of the most exciting additions to the Albuquerque restaurant scene in quite a while. The servers are very good and have always been professional, courteous and friendly. It also appears that they try to maintain a healthy degree of knowledge about the food that they are serving! What a change of pace compared to most establishments nowadays!!

One note about tapas: they are MEANT to be enjoyed slowly, with lots of good conversation and drink! If you are expecting typical American service where everything is dumped on the table all at once...well then...don't go to Cosmo Tapas! Everything about this place is meant to be savored and enjoyed!

On a final note, the owner of Cosmo Tapas frequently makes his presence known and tries to ensure that everything is up to standard. His hands-on approach to management, as well as his pleasant and affable demeanor made a huge impression on our party. This is one owner who knows what customer service is all about!
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As a side note, I have to make a point about "ignorance". Recently, this restaurant (Cosmo Tapas) was reviewed on Urbanspoon by someone who had NEVER EVEN BEEN THERE! He simply posted a review written by someone else on another web site and marked down that he "didn't like" the restaurant. To me, this is the height of ignorance! No...it goes beyond ignorance in its audacity. It would be like somebody writing a disparaging review about an ARTIST or PHOTOGRAPHER without ever having seen their work! How obnoxious!

Quite frankly, in regard to the re-posted review on Urbanspoon, the situation was ignorance on top of ignorance. You see, the "original" writer OBVIOUSLY knew very little about food (or wine) and their comments throughout the piece reaffirmed that they knew very little about tapas as well. Then to have someone else "RE-POST" that ignorant schlock while stating, "I haven't written my own review because I refuse to waste my money there" is startling in its outright absurdity and ARROGANCE!

I respect differences of opinion. For example, I often disagree with one of our local restaurant critics (sorry Gil Garduno) but I still respect his opinion because I recognize his integrity as well as his well-researched and well-informed takes on various establishments. But then again...HE would NEVER post a review without having visited a place! In fact, he usually likes to visit a place at least TWICE before posting a review.

In life, as well as in restaurant reviews, there is only one thing worse than ignorance, and that...is being egocentric,outspoken and arrogantly ignorant!!! Hey! After all...if you don't know something, that's fine...admit it and move on. But please refrain from criticizing another person's life work until you know what you are talking about. Loudly spewing forth an uninformed opinion may be "trendy" of late...but all that it signifies is a lack of manners.

Oh...it is also interesting that this same "reviewer's" wife just happens to work at one of the other bar/restaurants in the area! Now, I am not saying there is an ulterior motive...but...

Julia

Okay...so this entry is NOT a restaurant review. In fact, it is not even a movie review, although it relates to a movie. This entry is about a feeling...an emotion. That emotion...is love.

Over the Labor Day weekend, it was my great pleasure to see the film "Julie and Julia"! Now as movies go, it was pretty darn good. It was written, directed and produced by Nora Ephron, which gives it a strong enough pedigree right there. After all, Ms. Ephron has treated us to some other exceptional films throughout the years, including: "Silkwood", "When Harry Met Sally", "Sleepless in Seattle", and "You've Got Mail". She also directed one of my favorite films, not nearly as successful as the aforementioned ones, called "Hanging Up". So, as I stated before, with that kind of talent behind the production of "Julie and Julia", you would expect (and you would not be disappointed)to find the movie to be thoroughly enjoyable.

But Nora Ephron was not alone in this endeavor. Hardly! She was assisted by the talents of an exceptional cast: the always delightful and vulnerable Amy Adams as "Julie Powell", the charismatic always outstanding acting of Stanley Tucci as "Paul Child", the up and coming, attractive star power of Chris Messina as "Eric Powell" and the truly impeccable acting talents of Meryl Streep as "Julia Child" herself.

Yes...Meryl Streep outdid herself on this performance. She not only reproduces Julia's oft-imitated, fluting voice... she actually imitates her hunched shoulder posture and somewhat awkward looking and lumbering walk. It is truly one of the most amazing transformations I have witnessed on screen! That performance, along with some miraculous camera work, turns the diminutive Ms. Streep (5'6") into the towering greatness that was Julia Child (6'2")!

But my point in writing this particular blog, really has nothing to do with the quality of the movie itself, nor is it simply to throw well-deserved praise at the actors in the performance. Rather, it is about the subject matter within the movie.

Julia Child was my idol! She was the first American chef that I knew and easily the first one who I came to love.

Her approach to cooking was one of constant wonder and joy. Her greatest strengths were the ability to show her lack of knowledge and, more importantly, the joy of discovery! She never stopped craving the "education" of cooking. To a large extent, more than anything else, it was this exuberance which captured American interests.

Julia was truly a sight to behold on her cooking show! Her towering frame was stooped over a counter as she worked her culinary magic. Each performance seemed a journey of self discovery, for both the audience AND for Julia herself! Her charming affability seemed right at home with the American psyche. But Julia was also no cream puff!

Julia Child attended the Cordon Bleu cooking school at a time when women were simply not accepted in the professional kitchen...especially in Europe! Although the movie makes light of Julia's determination to overcome the prejudices in her way, I am sure that this phase of her life was very difficult. Yet she persevered. No. She triumphed!

Julia Child brought decent food to America. She is single-handedly responsible for the growth of fine cuisine in this country. Her indomitable will, her joy of discovery, and her good-natured charm, all combined to present the perfect vehicle for leading America out of its culinary darkness! There is not one American gourmet who does not owe at least part of their skill to Julia, and there is not one American gourmand who does not owe her a debt of gratitude!

In August of 2004, Julia Child passed away. She left us while still wearing the crown of the Queen of the Kitchen. She will always be remembered for her contributions to cooking...as well as for her unique personality.

You know, sometimes it feels almost personal when an idol dies. When a person has affected you and your life so strongly...when your identity is tied to theirs across the void of an electronic television signal...and when your very essence seems somehow linked to theirs, the loss of a figure like Julia is simply heartbreaking. I will miss her terribly.

Thank you, Julia...for...well...for everything!


Bon Appetit!

Charlies Does Ribs Right!

Akron, Ohio:The first question that comes to mind when you pull up to Charlies Ribs in Akron is, "Why in the heck does a rib joint have a giant rabbit for a sign post?" I mean, how out of place is that? What does a giant white rabbit have to do with barbecue ribs?



Locals "in the know" however can tell you that the building originally was home to a fried chicken place called "The Bunny". During the seventies and eighties, The Bunny served up pretty good fried chicken and wonderful jojo's! Okay, I know that that doesn't really explain anything either. I mean what exactly does the giant, white rabbit have to do with fried chicken? Who knows?

What I do know, and what many of the locals also know, is that Charlies Ribs serves up the best plate of barbecue ribs in the state, if not the country! Now, I know that for some people those are fighting words! After all, from one end of the country to the next you can find "The Best Barbecue Ribs" in almost every state and in thousands of towns!

But when it comes to Charlies...well...I have to agree with the locals! The ribs here are the best that I have ever had, and I have traveled and/or lived in a number of different places. But nowhere have I found any place that consistently serves up ribs as good as Charlies!



Charlies slow cooks their ribs to perfection! The meat has just slight resistance as it pulls easily away from the bone. It is not overcooked to the point where it is falling off the bone, but it is also not under cooked and chewy. It is just simply...and ALWAYS..."perfect"!

But let's be honest, when it comes to barbecue, cooking the meat appropriately is fairly important,but NOTHING is more important than the sauce! At Charlies...well... like the line from the movie "Fried Green Tomatoes" says, "The secret's in the sauce!"


Charlies barbecue sauce is truly a thing of beauty. It is sweet AND tangy with just enough spice to let you know that it is not to be taken lightly. On the palate, the initial impression starts off sweet and flavors of molasses and brown sugar dominate. Then, just when you have resigned yourself to a boring, and unoriginal southern style sauce, the tangy flavors kick in! The tartness tingles the tongue and then swirls into sparks of spice, with a finish that slides into just a hint of sexy smokiness. MMMMM! This is one truly, knock-your-socks-off, kinda barbecue sauce!

All that I can say is, IF you ever find yourself in Akron looking for a place to eat, and IF you bypass Charlies Ribs, then you will have short-changed yourself on one of life's most wonderful gastronomic experiences..."the perfect barbecue rib" in the "perfect barbecue sauce"!!!

Albuquerque's Best Brew!

The Chama River Brewing Company is a fantastic restaurant on the Albuquerque scene and one that I would heartily recommend to any visitors to New Mexico. It has to be noted that this IS a brewery and that the menu really plays second fiddle to the remarkable beers and ales. But don't let that stop you from also enjoying the exceptional food.

Like wine a couple decades ago, Americans are just beginning to recognize that beer has more character than just being a "red, white and blue" bottled beverage for Sunday football games. As a people, we are becoming educated on the subtle differences between one brand of beer/ale and the next. What perfect timing for the Chama River Brewery!



Chama River produces a number of delicious brews, from the palest ale to the darkest stout, each with its own character. On a recent visit, I decided to try the "Broken Spoke Honey Wheat Ale".

Now, I have to admit that when it comes to beer, my taste buds remain fairly plebeian. I tend to like the simpler, lighter, fresher ales as opposed to the heavier porters and stouts. But hey, unlike many Americans, I have graduated to the point where I can at least appreciate the advantages of a good ale versus a typical American lager! Right? Either way, what I do know is that Head Brewer, Jeff Erway, has succeeded in crafting a superb honey wheat ale.

"Broken Spoke Ale" has well balanced flavors of wheat,hops and honey. It has a refreshingly light flavor while still retaining enough complexity to be interesting. All in all, this is one of the best "honey-wheats" that I have had in New Mexico!

This is one brewery though, where you really need to not fill up on beer because the menu items are so delicious! For an appetizer,I can recommend the Imperial Crab Cake or the Truffled Bleu Cheese Fries! The Crab Cake is made with brie and parmesan, seared to a light golden brown, and served with a smoked chile remoulade. It is quite good and has more subtlety than most crab cakes. The chef could remove the "throw away" spray of mixed baby greens, however, since they had no dressing and really added nothing to the plate. Personally, I think that a roasted pepper vinaigrette on these mixed greens would make this dish perfect and would compliment the flavors of the remoulade and the crab cake.

As for the Truffled Bleu Cheese Fries? Well...just the thought of them has me salivating as I write this! They are WONDERFUL! First let me say that I am not a truffle oil snob. I recognize that "truffle oil" is an artificially created product. Unlike some chefs, however, I think that it has its place in the kitchen along with "real" truffles! As with every culinary ingredient, the key is ALWAYS in how the product is utilized! In the case of truffle oil, keep it out of my Country Pate with Truffles, but feel free to serve it as a flavoring ingredient for French Fries! At Chama River, their perfectly cooked french fries are sprinkled with truffle oil, as well as bleu cheese crumbles, applewood smoked bacon bits and chopped scallions. The flavor combination is perfection! The portion is big enough for at least two people though, so be aware when ordering!

As far as entrees, the menu is a bit more straight forward with flavorful hints of New Mexico. This was obviously a menu designed around and for a New Mexico based brewery! It is heavy on the beef dishes and includes Kobe Sirloin, a Build Your Own Burger, a New York Strip and an 8oz or 12 oz Prime Rib. The Prime Rib is wonderful here and ranks high enough on my list to be one of the top five Prime Rib dinners in New Mexico. The meat is perfectly seasoned AND perfectly cooked. The menu pairs it with Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes on the side, but I recommend splurging for the Lobster-Basil Mashed Potatoes. After all, what's a little cholesterol among friends? Seriously though, the Lobster-Basil Mashed Potatoes are as sinfully delicious as they sound. I would suggest to the chef to back off from the pepper just a bit, but otherwise these mashed potatoes would be great with any of the meat entrees on the menu.

One of the most interesting dishes on the menu is the Cesarecce With Asparagus. The only pasta dish on the menu, Cesarecce is twisted pasta tubes. The shape is said to have originated in Sicily and the pasta is far better known there than here in the United States.

At the Chama River Brewery, Chef Stephen Shook has crafted an exceptional dish utilizing this little known pasta! Stephen has his roots in Denver, but you would think that he was fresh from Sicily after trying his pasta dish!


The cesarecce pasta is cooked to a perfect al dente and then tossed with asparagus, shallots, mushrooms, spinach, and a sun dried tomato pesto. It is served garnished with curls of parmesan cheese, fresh basil and pine nuts. Frankly, this is one of the best pasta dishes, if not THE best pasta dish that I have had in New Mexico! The flavors are bold yet well balanced. This is a pasta that could easily stand up to any of the brews on the menu! You can also ask that shrimp or chicken be added to this dish. I recommend skipping the shrimp. They are the bland, inexpensive, oriental, white shrimp that seem to be making their way (insidiously) into every restaurant in America! Therefore, if you feel the need to add protein to the dish, stick with the chicken!

Finally, we need to talk about desserts. On a recent trip to Chama River, I had the Cinnamon Bread Pudding and my dinner companion had the Espresso Creme Brulee. The Creme Brulee was delicious and the flavor combination of Espresso with cream and carmelized sugar was superb! The carmelized sugar crust was delicate and not too thick. The custard was a little bit on the thin side but the exceptional flavor more than made up for that one fault.

As for the bread pudding? It was the best I have ever had! It was served at the perfect temperature,that zone that hovers between "warm" and "hot", with a dollop of vanilla bean ice cream on top. The flavors of cinnamon and custard and vanilla and sugar were so perfectly balanced that I was speechless for the first three bites. I actually caught myself moaning out loud (not something you want to do in any American restaurant since the movie "Harry Met Sally")!! But really, I could hardly help myself. This is the bread pudding that all other bread pudding pretended that they were! It was the bread pudding that will define bread puddings for the rest of my life! Exceptional! Imagine how disappointing it is then to find it garnished with "spray can" whipped cream. That is just wrong and needs to be corrected immediately! This dessert deserves far better!

Finally, the staff at Chama River are wonderful. The manager, Robert Griego, actually makes a point of walking around the establishment and inviting comments from the patrons! I know that that sounds like a simple act of customer service, but when was the last time that you were at a restaurant and it happened to you? Usually, managers nowadays don't feel the need to engage their customers unless a problem occurs. I, for one, appreciate the fact that Mr. Griego tries to circumvent issues BEFORE they become problematic! Kudos Mr. Griego!



If you haven't tried it, please stop by the Chama River Brewing Company. It is a standout restaurant on the Albuquerque scene!

La Crepe Michel- French Family Fare

Occupying a little, tucked-away niche in Albuquerque's Old Town, La Crepe Michel is an unexpected and somewhat "out of place" delight! I mean, who would expect to find a cozy little French restaurant in the middle of Old Town? Nonetheless, this restaurant is a shining beacon on the Albuquerque restaurant scene.

Although advertised as a "Cafe", La Crepe Michel is more akin to an upscale, petite, family-run restaurant that you might find in Paris or Marseilles. The decor walks a fine line between French Provincial and Southwest. For dinner, the white table cloth covered tables with tiny individual candles beckon the customer to sit and enjoy what is to come, but don't be fooled by the elegance into thinking that this will be a snobby affair! The food and service here is friendly, but not overtly so, and comes across more as familial than anything else.

Start your meal with the wonderful Pate de Campagne (Country Style Pate)! This delicious appetizer was served with a bed of fresh greens, in vinaigrette, spicy French mustard and cornichons. The portion was definitely large enough for a light lunch and you may want to share this appetizer with a friend.


Another stand-out appetizer is the Baked Brie En Croute. A large wedge of a deliciously creamy and truly exceptional brie is wrapped in puff pastry and served with tossed baby greens and a dollop of raspberry puree on the side. This one left me feeling like I had died and gone to heaven! But there was more to come!

For entrees, La Crepe Michel has an exceptional list of their namesake dish- crepes filled with any type of meat and sauce to satisfy your fancy. The standout among these is their seafood crepe. But don't limit yourself to the crepes! Daily, the chef prepares a list of alternate "specials" to tempt even the most discriminating palate.


The menu and wine list were obviously created to compliment each other. This helps to make a wine choice simple for even the most novice wine drinkers. If not, ask your waiter! On a recent trip to La Crepe Michel, I hesitated between a Chenin Blanc and a Sauvignon Blanc to go with my meal. The waiter suggested that the Chenin Blanc might be a better accompaniment for my seafood dish and he was absolutely correct! The garlic intensity of my meal actually demanded the crispness of the Chenin Blanc and the Sauvignon Blanc would've most likely been lost with that level of intensity. How unique to find a waiter with such an extensive knowledge about wine!

La Crepe Michel serves traditional French food in a not so traditional environment. They have managed to delicately walk the line between a friendly, homestyle approach to the food while still retaining a level of excellence expected from a fine dining establishment. This is definitely one of the "not to miss" restaurants in Albuquerque.

St. James Tea Room- Albuquerque

The St. James Tea Room is a unique experience in the city of Albuquerque. It is a wonderful, little restaurant devoted to tea and specifically what has become known in America as "High Tea", although this is a misnomer.

First of all, it is important to note the distinctions between the different types of tea service. Tea service (in England) which occurs between 3:00 PM and 5:00 PM is a semi-formal or formal affair known as "Afternoon Tea". It is actually this service on which St. James is modeled.



High tea, on the other hand, occurs later in the evening, say between 5:00 to 6:00 PM, and is designed to combine tea service with an early and somewhat lighter evening meal. These meals would normally consist of egg dishes, fish and seafood and sandwiches and would be much more informal affairs. In recent years, Americans, much to the dismay of the British, have come to mistakenly call the formal styling of "Afternoon Tea" as "High Tea"! Most Americans would be surprised to know that 'High Tea' is actually more common among working class families and often times serves as their complete evening meal.

At the St. James Tea Room, tea is served in "courses", each meant to be enjoyed in sequence with the delicious little treats served on a three-tiered tray. These treats range from savory little bites such as miniature quiche and canapes to sweet little cookies and scones. It is hard to believe that these individual treats can make a meal, yet I have never left St. James without feeling completely satiated.



The Tearoom's decor is designed to be like individual Victorian "parlors", and depending on the size of your group, may be in a separate room, or may just be divided from other areas by the strategic placement of screens. The whole ambiance is upscale, from a bygone era and encourages the restaurant patrons to 'play' along! In fact, one can find turn of the century style hats and gloves to wear while dining. This turns the whole affair into a fun event for both children AND adults!



Of all of the rooms available, I prefer the rooms with tables, but then I haven't learned the art of balancing a plate and sipping from a cup of tea! In fact, for me, I won't go to this restaurant unless I am with a large enough group to reserve a "table" room.

The whole experience might seem somewhat feminine, and in fact does attract a large number of women, but I have yet to see any man NOT enjoy himself as well! The atmosphere is conducive to good conversation and you really can't help but feel a bit more "civilized" after your experience!



The menu is changed seasonally and the chef designs each delicious, little bite with an eye to style as well as unique and often surprising taste combinations. The best menu item is their sweet and creamy little scones! These orgasmic little morsels melt in your mouth. Try them with their freshly made lemon curd and creme fraiche. Wonderful!

When you want something a little different, this just might be the place. Just remember to come with friends and with a sense of playfulness. You may just find yourself becoming a Victorian gentleman or lady...at least for the evening!

Brennan's- New Orleans

I know that I am probably going to pit myself against the establishment with this review, but I really have no choice. The food at Brennan's is just not very good.

Brennan's is a very schizophrenic restaurant! It simply does not know what it wants to "be" when it grows up, and considering that it has been around since 1946, that is TRULY a sad statement.

The restaurant is built around a typical New Orleans courtyard and has all of the beauty and quaintness and warmth associated with NOLA's historic French Quarter district.


Built in 1795, shortly after the great fire of 1794 had devastated Royal Street as well as most of the French Quarter, the building went through a number of owners until it was eventually acquired by Tulane University. In 1954, Owen Edward Brennan rented the space from Tulane and began work on renovating the space in order to move his already established restaurant there. Sadly, after years of hard work, Owen died shortly before the grand opening of the new Brennan's in 1956. In a testament to Irish family fortitude, the entire family pitched in and continued on with the grand opening, thereby creating the landmark institution we know today. The Brennan family continued to lease the space up until 1984. At that time, Owen's sons (Pip, Jimmy and Ted) would finally be able to buy the building and complete their father's dream.



So, after such a glorious history as well as a beautiful location to build on, what could possibly go wrong? Here's my list:

On the one hand, the prices are outrageously high, the decor is opulent New Orleans and the staff are formally attired. On the other hand, they utilize cheap, plastic, over sized, "diner style" menus, hideous dinnerware (I refuse to call this stuff 'china') and a "too friendly" approach to service! But the worst faux pas? The food!!!

The onion soup tastes like Lipton's Onion Gravy Mix...no, seriously...it is a DEAD ringer for it! The oyster "stew" is not a stew at all, but an over-seasoned pureed mess. On the Table d' Hote menu, they offer a salad of "Mixed Greens" which turns out to be nothing more than Iceberg Lettuce! (C'mon!!) The Shrimp Samantha has good flavor combinations (garlic, andouille, mushroom, onion, wine) but is served 'schlocked' over a bed of rice in typical diner fashion! The shrimp is NOT fresh gulf shrimp but appears to be frozen oriental imports! In New Orleans?! At these prices?! Really?!

The Chicken Lazone is two hideously manhandled breasts of chicken in a generic cream sauce, served over spaghetti (How about some freshly made pasta?)! (Didn't this type of presentation die sometime back in the 60's?) In fact, the problem with Brennan's is that it has an over-inflated ego about its own self-importance in the New Orleans restaurant scene! It is not only "resting" on its laurels, it is COMATOSE there!

The food at this landmark establishment is stuck in the 50's and 60's while the prices are pure 21st century...and then some! On a recent visit to Brennan's, the bill for a party of five (with one drink each) came to $85.00 per person!!! Sorry, but for the quality of service, food and presentation, I would rank the meal as being worth about...oh... $20.00 per person! (And that includes the tip!!!)



Brennan's needs to wake up and move into the new century. Until they do, considering all of the truly deserving places in New Orleans, I heartily recommend avoiding this restaurant! It is excessively over-priced and the quality of the food is mediocre at best. As for all of the positive reviews for this place, all that I can say is this is a case of, "The Emperor Has No Clothes"!