We arrived at the restaurant and were seated in the second floor dining room. I liked it a lot better than the first floor since it was a little more open and offered better lightening. The feeling of the restaurant was the typical New Orleans vibe. It was a lovely setting!
Service at the restaurant is very professional and well organized. Not much of a a personal rapport was established, but we were given attentive service. I never felt rushed and I welcome that fact the a little bit of time was lapsed between courses allowing me to digest a little bit. Be aware that if you are a COOLinary diner, you will have to request the menu.
Dinner doesn't start without a cocktail (at least that's what I say), so I ordered a Pomegranate Martini. This was a fabulous martini with the right balance of alcohol and sweet. It was very refreshing on a hot summer night!
My appetizer selection was the Fried Green Tomatoes battered in seasoned cornmeal and layered with sauteed fresh shrimp in a chipotle remoulade sauce. The tomatoes itself were a little lackluster and I definitely wasn't into the thick batter however the shrimp was titillating on my tongue.
My friend had the Gumbo. It was satisfying if you never had Gumbo before but to compare it to others at different restaurants, it was only fair.
After that little tease, I was ready to eat. I had no hesitation to order the Shrimp and Andouille Creole. It was a tasty dish comprised of fresh ingredients and great flavor. The tomato sort of overpowered the delicate flavors of the shrimp and rice but the Andouille shined through. The veggies were so unimpressive they distracted from the dish.
The entree of choice for my friend was the Pan-Fried Flounder with Herbal Brie Cream. The fish was fresh and well prepared. The batter again was a little thick but the sauce was wonderful and made the dish.
After dinner I was stuffed so although dessert was already ordered, I was not not really looking forward to it. Don't know how I did it but I found some room in my stomach for a slice of Sweet Potato Pecan Pie (some of it). It was heavenly! The Pecans definitely add a necessary element missing from from plain Sweet Potato Pies. I liked that it was sweet but not deathly sweet and the chantilly cream was ooh-wee!!
To take advantage of trying another option we also ordered the Bread Pudding. It had more of a pudding consistency that a lot of other bread puddings. It was good but again in a city where almost everyone serves this dessert it was all right in the scheme of things.
The atmosphere was relaxed, the service was on point and the food was splendid however had I not been dining during COOLinary I would have found the prices to be unreasonable. At their regular prices, I would rather dine someplace else.
K-Paul's Louisiana Kitchen
416 Chartres St New Orleans, LA 70130
