Inside The Upperline

Upperline Restaurant
1413 Upperline St, New Orleans, LA
(504) 891-9822

Web Site: http://www.upperline.com/

Related Podcast: The Upperline

Related Post: The Very Fine Upperline

Related Video: Kenneth Smith and Jason Perlow make Gumbo

Every time Rachel and I return to New Orleans, its obligatory to visit The Upperline, which is our favorite restaurant in the entire city. It’s hard to say if its the hospitality of its staff, the incredible food prepared by Chef Kenneth Smith, or the diverse collection of native New Orleans artwork collected by the restaurant’s generous owner, Jo-Ann Clevenger, that makes it one of the best dining experiences in the Crescent City.

We’ve covered The Upperline a great deal in the past, including a podcast with Chef Ken and Jo-Ann. This time, I wanted to show all of you how a real New Orleans kitchen runs, and I couldn’t think of a better one to show you than The Upperline’s. Upperline is not a “showcase” kitchen like some of the other notable restaurants, such as Commander’s Palace (which you will see shortly). It’s got a beat-up Garland stove and it looks like its been through the wars, and is a very tight and awkward space to be in especially if you are big guy like Ken Smith or myself. But the quality of food that is produced out of it easily matches the big and recognized names in New Orleans.

The Upperline Restaurant, on the corner of Upperline and Prytania Street.

Want to see how a real New Orleans restaurant kitchen is run? Click on the “Read the rest of this entry” link below for more.

New Orleans Dining: Cochon

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Cochon
930 Tchoupitoulas St, New Orleans, LA
(504) 588-2123

Web Site: http://www.cochonrestaurant.com/

One of the restaurants in New Orleans I most wanted to dine at was COCHON, a new, Post-Katrina casual fine dining restaurant that was opened by Donald Link, of Herbsaint fame and 2007 James Beard Award Winner for Best Chef, South (click for previous OTB podcast) who I interviewed during my previous New Orleans trip back in April of 2006. At the time, the finishing touches of COCHON had just been done, and the restaurant was preparing to open only days after I returned home. Now, over a year later, COCHON has become one of New Orleans’ top restaurants, and was nominated as “Best New Restaurant” in the 2007 James Beard Awards.

Best described as “Modern Cajun” COCHON incorporates many elements of traditional Cajun cuisine combined with twists from Europe and Asia. Although the food and the restaurant would easily find itself in New York’s hip SoHo and Greenwich Village or among the top fine dining establishments in Midtown Manhattan, it is most definitely a New Orleans restaurant and one of the city’s finest examples at that.

Exterior, Tchoupitoulas Street in New Orleans

Entrance View

Dining Room

Table Closeup

Is COCHON Hillbilly or Haute? I think it’s a bit of both. Click on the “Read the rest of this entry” link below for more.

New Orleans Dining: Drago’s (Hilton)

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Drago’s at Hilton New Orleans Riverside
2 Poydras Street, New Orleans LA

Every time I visit New Orleans, Drago’s restaurant in nearby Metairie is always on the top of my to-go list. Their charbroiled oysters are my absolute favorite and you can make a meal of them just by themselves. We had tried to eat there on our first night back, but had discovered the restaurant was closed on Sunday.

Later on in the week we discovered that Drago’s owner Tommy Cvitanovich had opened a brand new location in the downtown Hilton hotel, near the Riverwalk shopping center. As we were across the street at Grand Isle checking out their happy hour, I absolutely had to try the new place and see if it lived up to the original.

The new Drago’s location at the downtown Hilton Riverside.

If it looks like Drago’s, if it smells like Drago’s, It is Drago’s. Click on the “Read the rest of this entry” link below for more.