Last Updated on Thursday, 08 March 2012 12:17
Restaurants - Creole-Italian Restaurants
  |
               |
Impastato's
Metairie: 3400 16th St. 504-455-1545. Map.
Nice Casual
AE DC DS MC V
Website
WHY IT'S NOTEWORTHY
Impastato's is the definitive restaurant for New Orleans-Sicilian cooking. A strong base of enthusiastic regular customers comes for the homemade pasta prepared tableside, the buttery seafood dishes, and the standard red-sauce range. Dining here is an exceptional value, particularly when it involves the five-course dinners available all night every night.
WHAT'S GOOD
Certain dishes here are matched in goodness only by the same items at Sal and Judy's (see below). The paper-thin, made-in-house fettuccine is so perfect and light that, for all its simplicity, it's the dish that lingers in the memory. Variations on a sauce of lemon, butter, sherry, crabmeat, shrimp, artichokes, and mushrooms appear throughout the menu; all of these are delicious, particularly the fish and soft-shell crabs. Portions are generous. The bar makes exceptionally good drinks.
BACKSTORY
Joe Impastato is one of two Sicilian-born brothers (the other operates Sal & Judy's on the North Shore) who got a feel for the New Orleans palate from Jimmy Moran at the old La Louisiane. The brothers opened their own restaurants in 1978. Impastato's took over an existing restaurant called Joe Soab's, at a time when a major commercial boom was underway in the area. Joe let it be known that Saints players were always welcome as his guests, and they started hanging out there.
DINING ROOM
Two rooms: a busy, convivial main room with walls and ceilings covered with stained glass. And a smaller room off the bar, with a staggering collection of first-class sports memorabilia (i.e., a helmet from every NFL team, signed by its biggest stars). The bar also features the Sinatra-style singing of Roy Picou every night. The service staff has been here a long time and does its job well, especially if you're a regular.
ESSENTIAL DISHES
Starters
»Seafood-stuffed mushrooms with crabmeat
»Crabmeat Florence (au gratin)
Crabmeat cannelloni
»Sauteed crab fingers
»Shrimp scampi
Crawfish Nonna (cream sauce, Cajun seasoning)
Fried calamari
»Baked oysters Heebe (bread crumbs, garlic, oregano, olive oil)
Oysters Norman (sauteed in butter with shallots)
Seafood gumbo
»Artichoke soup
Oyster soup
Pasta
»Fettuccine Alfredo
»Pasta ascuitta (light, spicy tomato sauce)
Penne all'arrabbiata (spicy red sauce and cream sauce)
Baked lasagna
Ricotta ravioli
»Cappellini (tomato sauce, meatballs or Italian sausage)
Salads
»Diana Ditka seafood salad for two (lobster, crabmeat, shrimp, crawfish, olive oil, lemon juice)
House salad (artichokes, salami, cheeses, black olives, anchovies, tomatoes)
Bum Phillips' combination salad (asparagus, artichokes, hearts of palm)
»Tom & Gayle Benson's crabmeat salad
Tossed green salad
»Romaine salad
Caesar salad for two
Entrees
»Soft-shell crab Marcello (fried, with lemon, butter, crabmeat and shrimp)
Fried shrimp
»Fish Payton (sautéed; lemon butter, sherry, mushrooms, artichoke, crabmeat, shrimp)
»Fish Marianna (sautéed; lemon butter, white wine, shallots, mushrooms, artichoke, garlic)
»Fish Marcello (sautéed; lemon butter, sherry, crabmeat, shrimp)
Fish amandine
Fish Romano (sautéed; rosemary, garlic, Cajun seasoning, vermouth)
Steamed Maine lobster
Braciolone (sliced beef, rolled around sausage, ham, boiled egg, Parmesan cheese)
»Spedini (roast pork or veal, Italian stuffing, fried on a skewer)
»Veal Payton (sautéed; lemon butter, sherry, mushrooms, artichoke, crabmeat, shrimp)
»Veal Marianna (sautéed; lemon butter, white wine, shallots, mushrooms, artichoke, garlic)
»Veal Marcello (sautéed; lemon butter, sherry, crabmeat, shrimp)
Veal Parmigiana
»Veal piccata
Veal roast d'Angelo
»Osso buco
»Veal chop broiled with mushrooms
Veal pannee
»Sirloin strip steak
Pecan-smoked filet mignon
Roast leg of lamb
»Rack of lamb for two
Desserts
»Blueberry-banana pie
Cannoli
»Torroncino
Cassata
»Spumoni
Vanilla ice cream
Assorted parfaits
Cheesecake
Bananas Foster
»Tiramisu
FOR BEST RESULTS
Ask the waiter what kind of fish is available; there's usually more than what you're initially told. If the only fish they have is tilapia, get the soft-shell crab or veal version of the same dish. Make reservations even for weeknights. Although a five-course dinner seems excessive, get it anyway. Nothing is held back in terms of quality or portion size.
OPPORTUNITIES FOR IMPROVEMENT
The goodness of the food varies across the menu. Steaks, for example, are just okay. Desserts are also not a strong course. Regulars get seating preference, sometimes delaying those waiting. Show up early to avoid this.
FACTORS OTHER THAN FOOD
Up to three points, positive or negative, for these characteristics. Absence of points denotes average performance in the matter.
- Dining Environment +1
- Consistency +1
- Service +2
- Value +2
- Attitude
- Wine and Bar +1
- Hipness
- Local Color +1
SPECIAL ATTRIBUTES
- Live music every night
- Romantic
- Good for business meetings
- Small private room
- Unusually large servings
- Good for children
- Easy, nearby parking
- Reservations accepted
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|
