Cafe Adelaide is located inside the Loews Hotel which means complimentary valet. So if you have a limited lunch break, time won't be wasted looking for parking. As a part of the Brennan restaurant chain and a fan of Sobou and Mr. B's Bistro, I was excited to have lunch here.
Cafe Adelaide fits the mold of a hotel restaurant. There wasn't anything standout about the space.
Our waiter was also pretty forgetful too. At some points he was quick to refill our waters yet at other times we had to ask and remind him to refill our water or bring drinks we had ordered. He would do the standard how are you doing but was quick to rush off before even receiving an answer.
The excitement about lunch at some of the Brennan restaurants are the 25 cent martinis. I think about 99 percent of the people, dining in the restaurant as the time, ordered the Commander's Martini (vodka with blue curacao) but that was my least favorite. Besides the Commander's, you also have the option of the Classic (vodka or gin), Appletini or Cosmopolitan martini. Try one or try them all but for 25 cents these drinks pack a powerful punch (hence the 3 drink limit).
My boyfriend started off his lunch with the Shrimp & Okra Gumbo. The presentation was dazzling! They present you with the bowl of rice and a cup of the gumbo on the side and poor in front of you. The gumbo has a pleasant flavor and a little bit of a bite.
I started with the Shrimp & Tasso Corndogs. Out of the entire meal, this was the dish that stuck in my mind. I was intrigued by the sweet yet spicy flavor of the 5 pepper jelly and the cheesy taste of the Crystal hot sauce butter. It was an unique, good-tasting dish but could have improved with less sauce since it overpowered.
For his main, my boyfriend order the Absinthe BBQ Cheeseburger and requested that it be cooked medium. At far as the meat goes, it was cooked per his request but as far as taste goes, he said he felt like it was missing something. For a BBQ burger, he said he really didn't taste the sauce.
I had the Smashed Blue Crab and Brie Po'boy. The sandwich was satisfying, but had too strong of a lemony flavor. The bread was buttery and crisp, more like a Panini than a po'boy. The pickled corn, tomato and zucchini salad was over pickled and half way through, I felt like I was drinking a jar of vinegar.
For dessert, we had to try the award winning White Chocolate Biscuit Pudding. I fancied the ice cream, was fond of the pudding but eating dessert should be this sinful experience and it wasn't.
After my meal, I left feeling like everything was adequate but not memorable. I think the saving grace was the 25 cent martinis but Brennans' offers that at some of their other/better restaurants.
Café Adelaide
300 Poydras St New Orleans, LA 70130
