The restaurant is located in the Central Business District, next to the Hilton and in the former Masonic Temple Building, so there is that historic vibe to the restaurant. The front room is a lot more grand than the back room (where we were seated), but that is offset by views of the open kitchen.
Apparently they only want to seat people with reservations, so since we did not have one, we were refused seating until 9:15pm (it was 6:45pm) but with a little back and forth, we ended up waiting only 15 minutes before we were seated. However, as we walked through the restaurant to the back room, way too many tables were empty that it made no sense that they acted that way. A lot of tables still remained empty throughout the meal.
I decided to start out my meal with a cocktail. I originally wanted the Mint Julep but they were out so I had the Riverbend (vodka, lemon juice, basil syrup, blueberries & ginger ale) at the recommendation of the server. It was a relatively sweet cocktail, with the ginger ale being the most powering flavor, but you could still taste the alcohol.
My friend choose a regular starter and ordered a cup of the Crawfish Bisque. She ate all of it so I am assuming she liked it, but she did complain of a sour aftertaste.
My boyfriend skipped the appetizers and went straight for the entree. He always seems to find the most basic item on the menu and order it. He had the Luke Burger (bacon, caramelized onions, tomatoes, Swiss cheese) and was raving about it. One thing I can tell you, it was a very good size.
My friend had the Jumbo Louisiana Shrimp "En Cocotte" with lump crab meat, roasted jalapeño cheese grits, andouille & green onion sausages. She loved it.
I have an obsession with mussels so I had the classic Moules et Frites. Although only having two simply ingredients (garlic & thyme) in the broth, the flavors stood out and the taste was a lot bolder than others I have had with a lot more ingredients. The house-made fries were scrumptious. These are the best kind.
Even with all that food, we still made room for dessert. We first had the Bread Pudding which was delicious but quite sweet. I am also not a fan of over sauced foods.
One wasn't enough so we also ordered the Bourbon Vanilla Bean Creme Brulee. It was superb and not too sweet which is a plus for me. The little cookies on top added nothing to the dessert and if anything could have been left off.
All that good food, I still have to give props to our server. He was amazing and engaging. The front desk soured the mood a little bit a first but he more than made up for it. I couldn't have asked for anyone better.
Luke Restaurant
| 333 St Charles Ave New Orleans, LA 70130 www.lukeneworleans.com |
