Tipped off by one of my favorite posters on Hungry Onion, we tried it last week and were delighted.
The decor is tasteful and modern, and service was very good, but the food really stole the show. Portions are generous (we took home half of the main courses for a lunch the next day).
We began with tiger prawns in a spicy sauce, a good size portion for sharing. For mains we had goat biryani and duck chettinad, both of which were superb, and cauliflower fritters as an accompaniment. I’ve always found biryanis to be somewhat one-dimensional, but this one was complex and full of flavor.
A bottle of Riesling went well with these spicy dishes.
In the afternoon we boarded an Amtrak train at Penn Station for the 30 hour trip to New Orleans. We took a bedroom, which at $2,000 was quite an expense, but not having to deal with airports and having a relaxing journey with all meals included (reasonably good food, far superior to airline food) made it worth doing. The bedroom was tight but better than the roomette we took to Savannah last fall. We remembered our 1982 trip to California, on which the bedroom was larger, so this was disappointing.
Wednesday, April 2
Arriving in New Orleans at 8:30 PM, we took an Uber to the hotel, The Pelham, where we spent 5 days.
The photos don’t really do it justice. The room was very large and had 12 foot ceilings. The bathroom was very large as well, and there was a long entrance hall with a coffee bar and a double closet.
The history of the hotel is quite interesting. The land it was built on was originally a plantation owned by the founder of New Orleans, Jean-Baptiste LeMoyne de Bienville. The current building, dating to the mid 19th century, was the home of James Caldwell, who founded the first English-speaking theater in New Orleans as well as the New Orleans Gas Lighting Company. He named the house Pelham Manor, after the most prominent actor in his theater. The building probably housed others related to the theater, and likely many social events were held there. It does not bear any resemblance to typical single-family houses of the period.
Wednesday, 4/2
We started out in the morning by visiting the New Orleans Museum of Art. It’s a rather austere building.
The art and furniture on display, though from prominent artists and craftsmen, is not of the quality found in major museums. The only thing I thought worth photographing were displays of “Fairytale Lusterware” pottery made by Wedgwood.
After the museum we had lunch at Turkey and the Wolf, in the Garden District.
It took a long time to get there, but it was fortuitous that, arriving after 1:30, most of the customers were leaving so we had no problem getting a table. We shared a fried baloney sandwich and a cabbage salad, probably their 2 most lauded dishes. and they were delicious.
Following lunch we took a short walking tour of the Garden District, which is filled with gorgeous historic houses. Then back to the hotel.
Dinner was at Cochon.
Food and service were excellent. Standout dishes were wood-fired oysters and rabbit stew with dumplings.
Friday, 4/4
Morning: Longue Vue house and gardens, in the lake district on the eastern edge of the city.
Though designed to look like a 19th century house, it was actually build in the 1930s, and furnished with antiques.
It was surprising the flower gardens were not yet in bloom considering that temperatures were in the 80s.
We then went to Emeril’s for lunch.
Food, service and comfort level were outstanding. The lunch prix-fixe is $125 for 4 courses plus an amuse-bouche, pre-dessert sorbet and cookies after. The first menu is Stanley’s and the second is mine, the only difference being the choice of main course.
After lunch we toured the Hermann-Grima house in the French quarter. I didn’t get any good photos. It was interesting but not spectacular.
After a rest at the hotel, we had cocktails at the Carousel Bar in the Hotel Monteleone.
The photo is blurred because the bar is a carousel that moves. It’s a ridiculous scene, with everyone hovering to try to grab a seat at the bar so they can tell their friends they did. We found a comfortable chair and sofa just 10 feet away, where a waitress quickly served us. It was much more civilized.
Dinner followed at GW Fins on Bienville St.
We were seated quickly, in a comfortable booth with a view of the entire room. Service was prompt, and though the food was very good, it didn’t quite compare with what we had at Cochon the previous night.
Saturday, 4/5
Plantation tour:
We were picked up around the corner from the hotel for the one-hour bus ride to Laura Plantation.
The guide here was exceptionally knowledgeable and gave us a wonderful tour with a huge amount of information. The house is simpler than most plantations houses but has a fascinating history.
After the tour, we were picked up for the 5-minute ride to the second plantation, Oak Alley.
This is the sort of grand house one normally associates with plantations. Photography is not permitted in the house. The guide was very good but it seems that there just wasn’t a tremendous amount of written information about the property, so much remains a mystery.
We arrived back at the hotel at 4:30.
Dinner that night was at R’evolution on Bienville St., which is highly regarded and I was excited to try.
It’s elegant and the service is impeccable. The food was out of this world. The dishes we had were:
Roasted oysters, death by gumbo (a stuffed quail in a gumbo sauce), stewed rabbit, rack of elk, cherry shell with ice cream and cherries inside.
A bottle of Kokomo zinfandel was $60, a very good price as it retails for $32.
I would rate R’evolution right up there with Emeril’s, and without the pretentiousness.
Sunday, 4/6
The day started off with light rain as we headed to the steamboat tour on the Natchez.
Unfortunately the rain was heavy on and off, but it was an enjoyable trip nonetheless. The history of the port and the river are explained in detail. I had inadvertently purchased the buffet brunch. Since our plan was to eat afterward at Brennan’s, we just had a few bites. The food is acceptable, but I can’t say I would recommend it.
Brennan’s, on Royal St. is one of the classic New Orleans restaurants.
The food was good but not exceptional. I enjoyed my turtle soup very much, and the crab and avocado toast was very tasty as well. Stanley liked the Scotch egg. My gulf fish amandine was well-prepared with a nice sauce, but wasn’t exactly rousing. Overall a pleasant lunch.
For dinner we went to Compere Lapin on Tchoupitoulas St., just a few blocks from the hotel.
Rustic chic atmosphere, delicious food and excellent service. Loved the tuna ceviche, papaya salad, conch, fried chicken, goat stew and chocolate cake. Again a well-priced wine from the Langhe, less than twice retail. Seems to be customary here.
Monday, 4/7
Gallier House
Lunch: Peche Seafood Grill, Magazine St.
This is a very popular spot. We decided to keep it light and ordered 2 small plates each. Stanley started with a gumbo and I had fried catfish with pickled greens in an Asian style broth. Then we both had fried oysters with a salad. We shared a salted caramel cake for dessert. It was a very enjoyable meal.
Ogden Museum of Southern Art, Camp St.
A fairly small museum, with most of the works having been donated by Roger Ogden. Many artists are represented, most of them not well known outside the region.
Dinner: Atchafalaya, Louisiana Ave.
Charming restaurant, lovely service, great food. Crab raviolo was outstanding, crawfish bisque excellent. Pork chop and shrimp and grits both excellent. Chocolate semifreddo great as well. Wine, an Ermitage for $60 was once again a bargain.
Tuesday, 4/8
Boarded the train for the trip home. When the conductor came by to check the ticket he notice it was for the 9th, not the 8th. I have no idea how I made that mistake, and there was nothing else available in the sleeper cars. So we were changed to coach, which turned out to be a better choice than the bedroom. Not only did we get a refund of $1,300, the seating on this train was very comfortable, with plenty of legroom and seats that recline more than what we are used to. This made sleeping much more comfortable than with the bedroom. Unfortunately, not being in a sleeper meant no use of the dining car, but the cafe was decent enough. Having done this, we would be unlikely to use the sleeper if we take another trip in the future. We arrived home the next evening, a bit ahead of schedule.
Having had great meals at Casa Susana and Gracie’s Luncheonette, we were curious to see if there were any other worthwhile options in Leeds, so I did some research and found that Piccolo Trattoria gets mostly rave reviews, so of course we had to try it.
The space is very comfortable, service is attentive, and the food was excellent.
We started with lobster ravioli to share. Though the ravioli themselves could have had a thinner dough, they were very tasty and what really made it special was the sauce. I would very much recommend it. I then had veal parmigiana and Stanley had veal saltimbocca, both served with spaghetti. They were delicious and the parmigiana was a massive portion, so half of it went home with us for lunch.
Gracie’s has been in business since 2016, but we were unaware of it until we were heading to Casa Susanna and saw a sign for Gracie’s at the exit from Route 23 to Main St. in Leeds. We took a ride past and saw that it was obviously popular, and now we have been there twice.
This is luncheonette food raised to a higher level. I loved the fish sandwich and the brisket melt. The onion rings are heavenly and come with a delicious dipping sauce. Burgers are very good but our gripe is they cook them to medium (we prefer medium-rare). The milkshakes, with your choice of ice creams, and with or without bourbon, are fun. A nice touch is that with iced tea they don’t just give you the usual packets of sugar that never melts, but instead you get a small pitcher of simple syrup. This is what we do at home and it makes so much sense. They also make their own sodas. It’s like an old-fashioned ice cream parlor and soda fountain.
It’s a cheerful place, tables are well-spaced and the servers are wonderful.
This is another nice new dining choice in Hudson. Most of the produce comes from the owners’ small farm, and they do creative things with it. The space is attractive and the service is impeccable. We had a short wait for our table so they gave us glasses of sparkling wine, a very nice touch.
Four of us had the following dishes: Smoked beet salad, fromage de tete (tasty but could have been more moist and tender), stuffed roasted leeks, duck confit, sausage with pureed potatoes and veal jus, porchetta, duck breast, and apple sesame cake. A bottle of 2023 Mas des Brousses, was very good if slightly overpriced at $65.
With tax and tip, the total was $487, high but not unusual for Hudson these days. Definitely worth a try.
Santi is everything we hoped for and more. Food and service are impeccable. It’s expensive but as everything is a la carte you can control how much you spend.
We wanted to try a number of dishes so ordered more than necessary. We started with 2 appetizers, razor clams with mussels and orange, and squab (roasted breast and leg, liver toast and fig). Next we shared the orecchietti with crab and sea urchin. For mains Stanley had zuppa di peche and I had guinea hen. Both were large enough to take the remainder home for a lunch. For dessert we shared the gelato, which was outstanding. We were given 2 more complimentary desserts, lemon cake (very pretty presentation but not exciting flavor) and a tartlet with pistachio, ricotta, and pear (delicious).
Amuse bouche, mignardises, and wonderful focaccia complete the meal.
With a bottle of an excellent rose ($80), tax and tip, the total was $386.
What a wonderful addition to the upper Hudson valley dining scene! Casa Susanna serves creative Mexican food in a setting of rustic elegance, just outside of Catskill in Leeds. The name is an homage to a resort (not in this location) that catered to cross-dressers in the 1950’s and 60’s. In addition to the restaurant, there are motel rooms and cabins that have been renovated in the same rustic elegant style.
We have recently had a dinner and a brunch here, and the food was really impressive, as was the service and ambience. We tried a number of dishes, and all were excellent, with the best being the blood sausage tamal, tongue and mackerel.
The original Oiji was a small restaurant in the East Village that served small plates, and was known for excellent Korean food. It was not cheap, but reasonable for the quality. A couple of years ago it moved to large and beautiful new quarters in the Flatiron district, serving an ambitious 5-course menu. We hadn’t heard about it, but one evening we were walking along 19th St. and spotted it (very unprepossessing from outside) and stopped to take a look at the menu. We were intriqued, but they didn’t have any tables available, so we filed it away for future reference and I did some research on it. Every review I read was a total rave so we reserved for dinner last night.
At $150 per person it is certainly up there in price, but compared to many of the top-tier restaurants it is a relative bargain. The first course is 3 small dishes, while the remaining 4 courses offer a choice of 3 dishes.
Everything we had was flawless, with interesting flavors and tremendous creativity. After the first course, we had the bossam, which was absolutely spectular. Next came lobster ramyun and octopus. Then sea bass and duck. For dessert we had bingsu and cheesecake.
Not only was the food wonderful, the service was the best we’ve had in years, the decor is gorgeous, and the wine selection tremendous, and though the wine list was full of expense-account level choices, there were a good number of fine ones in the $60 to $80 range, and the markup is lower than typical. We had a bottle of Domaine des Ardoisières, Mondeuse, Silice Rouge, Vin des Allobroges 2020 from the Savoie, at $75. It paired beautifully with all the courses.
I just can’t say enough good things about this restaurant. It is absolutely not to be missed.
This is the menu:
5 course Prix-Fixe Menu – $150 per person in the Main Dining Room
A la carte in the Bar & Lounge.
– 1st Course –
SPOTTED PRAWN · 도화새우 gochugaru vinaigrette, green apple pearl, yuja
This was formerly Ca Mea, which was very good, but Via Cassia is on a different level. Unfortunately the menu is quite limited, but the food is superb.
Dishes we had:
Porchetta tonnato (a variation on vitello tonnato, but so much better)
We absolutely loved Julia’s, a small place with simple decor, in an out-of-the-way location (25-minute drive from Hudson) and is only open Wednesday through Saturday. The food is French-American with Scandinavian influences. Dishes are very creative, and the menu is extensive enough that you could eat there often without repeating choices. All vegetables come from their own garden, and most meat and fish is locally sourced.
Dishes we had:
Rainbow trout tartare
Cured venison
Grilled mocha-marinated rainbow trout
Short-rib Bourgignon
We also got 2 quarts of soup to take home, split pea with smoked ham and trout chowder with trout dumplings.
Service is included in the prices. With wine and tax our total was $207.
A 10-minute drive from the center of Hudson, this is a distillery where they grow everything they use to make brandies. They recently opened a high-end restaurant, where the decor, view and food are spectacular. I took a few photos but unfortunately they disappeared.
As with too many restaurants these days, the menu is very limited. I hope they will expand and change it more often, as the food was delicious. We were three for dinner, and these are the dishes we tried:
Oeuf mayonnaise
Chicken liver mousse
Duck breast
Pork chop au poivre
Crispy potatoes
Plum tart
Chocolate semifreddo
Almond cake
A bottle of Rioja Reserva was a good deal at $70, only about twice retail.
A 20% “operating charge” is added to the bill. Total for the three of us was $400.
Robert Rems' Open House 