Randazzo’s Family Restaurant - Metairie, LA



Randazzo’s Family Restaurant is a restaurant that serves reasonable-priced food (American, Italian and Seafood) in a casual atmosphere. They have TVs, games and seating for any size group to help you feel at home in this family restaurant.


I ordered the Combination Platter with Fried Shrimp and Oysters. The seafood tasted fresh, wasn’t salty and was not heavy in batter so it was satisfying.


For my sides, I had a Green Salad and Potato Salad. The Green Salad is pretty self explanatory, but the Potato Salad was not to my liking. It was too mushy (I like large potato chunks) and had too much tart.


My boyfriend ordered the Fried Chicken Plate. It was good fried chicken but was nothing spectacular. It was right out of the fryer, which will almost ensure it tastes good. He ordered it with French Fries and Cole Slaw. The Cole Slaw was different than most that I have seen. It wasn’t overly sauced so it wasn’t bad but again was just pretty standard.


The food wasn’t amazing but good for what you would expect from a restaurant of this kind. The problem of the restaurant didn’t lie with the food though but the service. At the time we were dining, there were 2 other tables, one large group and two people working the table. The person I assume to be the owner was taking care of us and another table but once the large group came in, he completely forgot about both us. The other girl was taking care of the one table next to us and kept walking past without ever offering assistance and clearly seeing we were done and waiting. It’s one thing to not see us like how the other table was completely ignored because they were on the other side of the restaurant but you walked right next to our table several times and tried not to look at us instead of helping.

Poor service killed this place. There is no reason you have a virtually empty restaurant and not want to assist the few customers you do have, they will not want to come back.



Randazzo’s Family Restaurant
4462 Wabash St Metairie, LA 70001
(504)456-9069
eatatrandazzos.com


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Make Way For Gay St. Part I

There may be some overlap between this post and a series I did several years ago called "Reopening the Great Northeast" but at the same time I have re tweaked some of the nuts and bolts as I continue to educate myself and my ideas evolve. No series on East Baltimore can be complete without discussing the traffic patterns in and around Oldtown Mall. Right now it isn't great. Gay St. ends at Orleans St. and doesn't start again until just above Broadway. Hillen St. and Ensor St. are both very wide considering they're both one way streets. Above Aisquith St. Harford Avenue (which is what Hillen and Ensor turn into) becomes one way going Northbound until it meets North Avenue. Like its Hillen St. and Ensor St. counterparts to the south, Harford Avenue is also very wide. I personally believe all of these streets and the traffic patterns associated with them make for a confusing and inefficient grid of streets that contributes to the lack of progress around East Baltimore. I would like to address these issues by declaring five words; Make Way for Gay St.
As the name of this post suggests, I would like to reopen Gay St. This matter has been discussed quite often from shareholders invested in the dying Oldtown Mall. They believe that closing off Gay St. and making it a pedestrian mall was a big mistake. I defy you to find anybody that disagrees with that logic. A portion of Howard St. was closed off and that killed the Westside of Downtown as did the closing off Lexington St. just west of Charles Center. Howard St. has long since reopened and Lexington St. will reopen shortly if it hasn't done so already. The Oldtown Master Plan does call for Gay St. to reopen but only a tiny portion of it. The plan only shows Gay St. being reopened between Forest St. and Aisquith St. Personally, I don't see how this revitalize Oldtown Mall and the rest of the Neighborhood as a chain reaction. That is why we must make way for Gay St.
Gay St. begins at the Inner Harbor at Pratt St. It goes north for a few blocks as a one way street and then turns northeast intersecting the JFX. You can exit Gay St. and go northbound on the JFX if that's your destination. Continuing along Gay St. you will see the Baltimore City Fire Museum straight ahead which is the beginning of Oldtown Mall. Oldtown Mall begins at Orleans St. and this is where Gay St. currently ends. All traffic bares a slight left to go onto Ensor St. rather than driving through Oldtown Mall. Ensor St. will eventually dump its traffic onto Harford Avenue. Now I'm going to get rid of Ensor St. all together. Traffic on Gay St. will continue along Gay St. straight through Oldtown Mall. Given that this is a narrow stretch of road there won't be any shoulders or on street parking for Oldtown Mall along Gay St. Oldtown Mall (reopened Gay St.) lets at Aisquith St. at Monument St. In the Oldtown Master Plan, this is where Gay St. would end. This isn't the Oldtown Master Plan this is my plan and I'm going to continue Gay St.
In order for Gay St. to continue past Monument St. a few things would have to happen. First, Aisquith St. will have to end at Gay St. Second, the Monument honoring Henry G. McComas will have to be moved to the Dunbar Athletic Field, and finally a traffic light will have to be installed at Gay St. and Monument St. Gay St. will then cut through the eastern edge of the Dunbar Athletic Fields where a new roundabout at Gay St, Madison St, and Central Avenue will be constructed. Past the roundabout, Gay St. will intersect Eden St, Ashland Avenue, and Caroline St. before hitting Church Square Shopping Center. 
I would have loved to have redeveloped Church Square so that the new Save A Lot Grocery Store could be larger than the 22,000 Square Feet it currently is. Given how landlocked Church Square is I don't see that happening without major disruption to the surrounding area. However, between Eden St. and Ashland Avenue, the parking lot for the high rise will have to be torn down. and relocated just east of its current location to make way for the two lane one way street. The loading dock for the Save A Lot will also have to be reconfigured to make way for Gay St.
Just northeast of Church Square, is Bond St. and the titular Bond St. Apartments. Up until now there hasn't been much disruption by extending Gay St. sure move a parking lot here, move a statue there but as far as moving actual buildings goes everything has been spared, until now. The courtyard that's in the pathway of Gay St. simply isn't wide enough for two lanes of northbound traffic nor is it safe to leave the Apartment Buildings where they are even if the front doors were moved. As a result, those two buildings will have to be demolished and rebuilt in a way that Gay St. can co exist peacefully with them. Bond St. Apartments are just southwest of Broadway and Broadway is where Gay St. continues! We've made it! Gay St. is now one continuous road from Pratt St. all the way to Broadway. From Broadway Gay St. runs to North Avenue and then becomes Belair Road. On the existing part of Gay St. I would turn it into two way traffic and plant a landscaped median in the middle as well as designated bike lanes. Hopefully, this newly designed Gay St. will promote redevelopment more traffic going through the Broadway East Neighborhood which suffers from severe population loss and abandoned homes. I would love this to be a catalyst for redevelopment in Broadway East as a fringe benefit. 
The Oldtown Master Plan calls for Gay St. to reopened from Forest St. to Aisquith St. Although I'm for that I'm also for connecting Gay St. from Orleans St. to Broadway as a continuous one way northbound street. In short, Make Way for Gay St! Stay tuned for Part II The Harford/Hillen/Esnor redesign.

Mojitos Rum Bar & Grill - French Quarter New Orleans, LA



Although only a short distance from the French Quarter, Frenchman Street is like stepping into a different realm. It's only two-blocks long but full of life and non-stop entertainment and on any given day of the week, you can hear the live sounds of reggae to Latin to blues.

Frenchman Street Art Market

To kick off a night on Frenchman Street, it's best to do so on a full stomach so stopped into Mojitos Rum Bar and Grill on the edge of Frenchman Street for dinner and a warm up to a night out on the town.

Just like a lot of the other places in the area, Mojitos has their own live entertainment and if u stay late enough on Saturdays a Latin music party. All of this takes place on their beautiful patio but you also do have the option of indoor dining but I highly recommend that you do not do that. Even consider sitting at their large outdoor bar before doing that.


Going to a place called Mojitos means you have to get a Mojito. Due to their namesake, they have plenty of options from specialty drinks to the typical fruit flavor kind. I started off with The Frenchman which was amazing and thank fully strong.


Later on, I decided to get another drink and selected the Ultimate Mojito. I know it said mint syrup and I don't know what I was thinking but it was the ultimate fail. It tasted just like syrup, medicine syrup. If you 'bout that sizzrup, this may be the drink for you.


We order the Jerk Chicken Skewer as a starter and it was so unbelievable delicious! Do you know how hard it is to go to a place that doesn't specialize in Jamaican food and for them to actually get it right? The flavors were on point and the spice level was beyond expectations. To offset the spicy factor, the blackberry brandy sauce added just the right touch.


There are only four choices for main dishes, but they all sounded so good, I still had a hard time deciding. I ended up ordering the Aruba Scallop. It came with grits and I am actually NOT a fan of grits but these were well flavored and a great compliment to the delicate and well cooked and prepared scallops. A dish like this has potential to lack flavor, but it was really good and had a nice kick to it.


My boyfriend ordered the Lechon Asado or as the menu states, citrus marinated roasted Kurobota pork belly. The meal was served with rice and beans. He thought it was really good taste wise, but was disappointed in the portion size which I guess was a little small but I was full after eating my meal.


I was very satisfied with the food, service, atmosphere and entertainment. It is a great place to hang out, to drink or eat food. It's a great place period. I will be back.



Mojitos Rum Bar & Grill
437 Esplanade Ave New Orleans, LA 70116
(504) 252-4800
www.mojitosnola.com
Mojitos Rum Bar & Grill on Urbanspoon

Don Fortunato's Pizzeria - Metairie, LA


Lately I am always on the go so almost everything I have eaten recently has been out of a box or bag. Despite this, I hadn't had pizza in a while and a quick search led me to Don Fortunato's Pizzeria.

When I arrived at the restaurant it was raining hard, so I ended up calling to place the order over the phone in the parking lot. The man on the phone was very nice and told me about the specials they were having. I ended up getting two large pies for a great price and they were ready quite quickly I might add. 



When I went inside to pick up my order, I was greet by the owner (he was also the one who took the order over the phone). He was so nice and welcoming! He generosity was really what made me want to come back regardless of how the food even tasted (sort of). Luckily though, the pizza was delicioso! 



Despite the time it took to drive home, the pies were still super hot when I got home! The pizza was so good and the crispiness of the crust killed it. I am so glad I found this place!


Don Fortunato's Pizzeria
3517 20th St Metairie, LA 70002
(504) 302-2674
www.donfortunatospizzeria.com

China Rose - Metairie, LA


What do you do when it is one of those lazy days, the weather sucks, it is raining hard and you are hungry? I don't know what you do, but I order Chinese takeout for delivery. I did a little searching and came up with China Rose.

I couldn't seem to find a menu, so I called to see if they had one online. The person on the phone kindly gave me their website address which for some odd reason didn't pop up in the search. In any case, I scanned the menu and saw that the first three pages of the menu were pretty typical but the fourth page was listed as the Authentic Chinese Menu. I figured it would probably be best to order off this menu, so I ended up choosing and selecting the China Rose Special Duck. The duck was really good; the meat was tender and the flavor was nice (although I would have liked a little more spice). The only thing I didn't like was that the skin was still attached and I am not a fan of the fatty thick skin of duck (especially when it's not crispy and fried).



The American in me wanted to try something off of their regular menu, so I ordered the Combination Fried Rice to go with my meal. It was pretty good for takeout standards and I would have no problem ordering it again.



I was not only satisfied with the food but also satisfied with service. Ordering on the phone was easy, the food came pretty fast and the gentleman that brought the food was a surprisingly cherry fellow. China Rose was a saving grace on an otherwise lackluster day.


China Rose
3501 N Arnoult Rd Metairie, LA 70002
(504) 887-3295
www.chinaroseno.com
China Rose on Urbanspoon

Historic Jonestown:Far Beyond Albemarle Square

Blending East Baltimore into Downtown is the whole purpose of this series. I think that with such powerhouses as the Inner Harbor and Johns Hopkins Hospital, everything in between it should be considered  real estate gold. One way to achieve that goal is to increase walk-ability and mass transit access wherever possible. That being said, I find myself focused on Historic Jonestown. No not Albemarle Square, the new development that now takes up the majority of the Neighborhood but the actual structures that have survived for centuries and in my opinion, are ready to shine once again far beyond Albemarle Square.
 When looking at how Downtown and East Baltimore have come together in recent years, it appears that Little Italy has always had a great connection to Downtown. When the Harbor gentrified merchants of Little Italy were worried that all that focus on the Harbor would hurt their Businesses. Luckily their worries were all for nothing because the Harbor actually drew to Little Italy and business has never been better. Playing off that success came Inner Harbor East (pictured above), a high density upscale glitzy shopping, residential, and hotel district with breathtaking views of the Harbor, Fells Point, Federal Hill, and Locust Point. Now next on the list is Historic Jonestown. Jonestown had once been an area to avoid with the infamous Flag House Courts high rises dominating the landscape. Today however, there's little if anything to be afraid of now that Flag House has been torn down and replaced with the much cleaner and safer mixed income alternative of Albemarle Square.
Now Little Italy (pictured above) and Inner Harbor East are tourist attractions but can Jonestown also hold that title? Well lets see, within this Neighborhood's small boundaries we have; Lloyd St. Synagogue (among the oldest in the Country), Charles Carroll of Carollton House, the Flag House, the Shot Tower, McKim Free School, The Jewish Museum of Maryland, Reginald F. Lewis African American History Museum, and Corned Beef Row. Touristy enough for you? I thought so.
The Heritage Walk Trail is a good way to tie these attractions together but I would like to see more people living in Historic Jonestown. Now the question comes up on how to attract a critical mass of people to Jonestown? I can think of a great way and it's already built into the infrastructure; the Shot Tower/Marketplace Metro Station! Now the name of the Metro Station in question doesn't do much in the way of promoting the actual Neighborhood. That's why I'm proposing that the Metro Station be renamed to "Historic Jonestown" that would literally put the Neighborhood "on the map." 
Now I ask you another question; how do you know if your Metro Station is successful? The answer of course being of there's a critical mass of Residences, Retail, Office and Hotel Space within a very few blocks of said Station. Said critical mass is located west of the Station on the other side of President St. marking the eastern edge of Downtown. My goal is to extend the density of Downtown into Jonestown not unlike what has already been done in Little Italy and Harbor East. Jonestown will be a hybrid of the two; Historic Housing Stock like Little Italy and redevelopment when needed like Harbor East. 
Now what gets the wrecking ball? Obviously none of the Historical Attractions will. When repopulating Jonestown, I'm attracted to East Baltimore St. I would like to make that the Neighborhood's Main Street. And why shouldn't East Baltimore St. serve that purpose? After all that's where the escalators to the Metro Station are and the Metro Station is what I'm using as a catalyst for growth. If I'm using the Metro Station as a catalyst for growth, then I'm sure you know where this is going; TOD! I think Historic Jonestown could stand for high density TOD to complement Albemarle Square, the Metro Stop, and the slew of Historic Sites and attractions that this fine Neighborhood has to offer. So I bet you're wondering what I have in mind for this new TOD, well lets get to work!
First we have a block of old buildings on Front and Albemarle Streets just below Baltimore St. between the Metro Station and the Charles Caroll of Carrollton House. Please keep in mind that I have no intention of demolishing any historic buildings but these buildings in between would benefit from redevelopment with underground parking and a mid rise (8-10 stories) that has an underground connection to the Metro Station.
Now lets take a trip down East Baltimore St. which like I said before will be Historic Jonestown's Main Street. In the 900 block there's a one story building that belongs to the "Chess Communications Gorup." Actually this building has Fayette St. Frontage but that's neither here nor there. Density this low is not appropriate this close to Downtown. therefore this buildings should be redeveloped with a parking garage in the middle of the block and a mixed use building all around said garage. As part of this project the two lone row houses in this block should be rehabbed and rented or sold. Across the Street from the Chess Communications Group building is a row of vacant Row Homes that need to be rehabbed as well. The Chess Communications Group will be given Office Space in one of the new buildings.
In the 1000 block of East Baltimore St. there's a building that's used by the City Health Department. Just like the building in the 900 block this building is very low density for the type of Neighborhood I'm envisioning for Jonestown. One thing they did get right was the parking garage that's already there. As for redevelopment, the building would go and would be rebuild over top of the existing parking garage with Fayette and East St frontage. With the density increased for the City Health Department building, there's now room on Baltimore and Exeter Streets for a new "L" shaped building that wraps around the intersection of Baltimore and Exter. Again this will be a mixed use building roughly 8-10 stories in height.
The 1100 and 1200 blocks of East Baltimore St. are perfect for rehabs. There's a vacant building just west of the McKim Free School that would be perfect for Loft Apartments. As part of the rehab of the building in the 1100 block of East Baltimore St., the developer must rehab the McKim Free School and put it to use as either a Community Center or another non profit use. 
The 1200 block building that appears to be vacant is also a great candidate for restoration. The stucco facade doesn't go well with the Neighborhood but adding masonry and converting the building to Loft Apartments would make this building fit right in and complement Historic Jonestown perfectly. There's even room to add on to this building which rid the 1200 block of East Baltimore St. of any vacant lots. 
With several new and rehabbed blocks in Historic Jonestown within steps of the Metro Station, when one thinks of Historic Jonestown in the future, they will look far beyond Albemarle Square.

Shogun Japanese Restaurant and Steak House - Metairie, LA



Shogun is a big restaurant separated by two dining area: Hibachi and Sushi. I was in a sushi kind of mood so with their direction, we seated ourselves near the sushi bar.

The inside of the restaurant matched the outside of the building. It was a bit dated and a little run down. It was clean but dark with poor lighting and visually not the nicest of places.



The staff was very attentive which is normally nice but it became annoying when several different people constantly stopped by the table and when they were not at the table they were stationed nearby staring at you waiting for you to need something. Bad service is one thing but being stared at while eating isn't a good feeling either.

We ordered three Maki rolls: Crawfish, Crunchy and Spicy rolls. The roll were fairly small and taste wise were just average. Nothing stood out so there is not much to say, but I did enjoyed the Crunchy Roll the most.



We also ordered the Rainbow Roll. Despite the larger price tag, it too was nothing special. However, I will say that the fish tasted fresh.


Although the sushi wasn't spectacular, it was good. It was good enough that I would be willing to come back and try the Hibachi. My only complaint would be that they just need to work on the presentation of the restaurant.


Shogun Japanese Restaurant and Steak House
2325 Veterans Memorial Blvd Metairie, LA 70002
(504) 833-7477
www.shogunneworleans.com
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