Mother's Day
Mother's Day is the second most popular occasion--after birthdays--for dining out in America. Around forty percent of us take our mothers out to dinner on the second Sunday of May.
Every day's a birthday, though--and there's only one Mother's Day. That makes it the busiest day of the year for restaurants. Fortunately, a large array of restaurants waits to serve the mothers and their families. Many restaurants normally closed on Sundays usually open for Mother's Day. It may be the only Sunday they open all year.
So the answer to "Where do I take my mother on Mother's Day" can start not with "Who's open?" but "Where would Mom like to dine?"
Many people don't know the answer to that one. They come up with all sorts of ideas for Mother's Day, and wind up in a place where Mom feels uncomfortable. I did it myself one Mother's Day. I brought my mother to Commander's Palace. She liked the food--especially the turtle soup. But she couldn't deal with Commander's service. After a lifetime of serving other people, she found it irritating to have waiters getting everything for her.
Not long after, I took her to Drago's. She loved the much more casual environment, the simple food, the older waitress who took care of us at a leisurely pace. Yes, Commander's is the more impressive restaurant. But Drago's was incomparably more pleasant for her.
So, when you're trying to figure your Mother's Day plans, consider first what your mother really likes, not what you like. Then know that you have nearly the entire range of New Orleans restaurants to choose from.Now the bad news. If you're still reading this, it probably means you haven't yet scored reservations. But I don't think you're one of those people who call me on the radio the Friday before Mother's Day, saying, "You know, I was kinda thinking that since Mama cooks all the time, maybe it would be nice to take her to a restaurant Sunday." As if this were the first time anyone thought of the idea.
At this point, most of the restaurants you'd most likely think of either are booked up, or have raised their prices so much that you won't want to go there. Many of those who say they have space available don't, really. Restaurants base their reservations on wishful thinking, and will stack people up in the bar. Or, worse, outside in line--it really happens. That will only make your mother unhappy. And when Mom's unhappy, everybody's unhappy.Beyond that, the quality of dining on Mother's Day in most restaurants takes a big dip. That's because many infrequent diners are in the room. They have a way of showing up late, ordering one course at a time, panic that prices aren't what they remember from twenty years ago, ask for separate checks, and do other things that frequent diners know better than to do.
As a result of all this, the only good reason to dine out on Mother's Day is if you absolutely must. And that may well be the case. You cannot refuse your mother. Then you must grit your teeth, be prepared for less than the best food and service, be ready to pay a higher-than-normal price for a limited menu, and make your reservation three weeks ago.
Now. I should't have to say this, but..
Unless the restaurant doesn't accept them. Which should tell you what I think of restaurants that don't take reservations on Mother's Day.
The best idea, I think, is to stay at home and do the cooking and cleaning while Mom takes the day off. Without complaining.
The next-best idea is one proposed by Ella Brennan years ago: that we eliminate Mother's Day and institute Mother's Week. To spread the crush out. (It could happen: Secretary's Day evolved into Administrative Professionals Week.)
But while we're waiting, Mother's Day remains happiest for restaurant owners. (At least the ones who don't overbook.)
Tom's Mother's Day List
Below is a list of the restaurants I think will serve you best on Mother's Day. It's not a complete list of all the places that are open. (That's almost impossible, since it requires calling every restaurant, and often hearing that they haven't decided yet). Nor can I tell you which still have tables available.
This year, I've divided the field into three kinds orf restaurants:
- Top-Flight, Top-Dollar Restaurants
- Bistros And Unfussy Places With Good Food
- Moderate-Price, Family-Style Restaurants
I have included the current ratings for all of the restaurants. Know, however, that more often than not the food served on Mother's Day will not be as fine nor served as well as dinner on a less frantic day.
Here's a key to the ratings:
Among the best locally.
Excellent and ambitious.
Worth crossing town for.
(No lower-rated restaurant made the list. Restaurants with no stars have not yet been reviewed. I include a few of those because they are likely to have good Mother's Day packages, but have changed so much in recent times tht I don't have a current rating.)
This symbol means that there's a full review of the restaurant here on the NOMenu web site. Just click on that icon and it will take you right over to the detailed review.
Top-Flight, Top-Dollar Restaurants
Most of these are highly atmospheric, have heavy service, and elaborate menus--although, on Mother's Day, the tendency is to simplify all of that. Still impressive.
Annadele Plantation. Covington: 71495 Chestnut. 985-809-7669. Contemporary Creole.
Antoine’s. French Quarter: 713 St. Louis. 504-581-4422. Creole French.
Arnaud’s
. French Quarter: 813 Bienville. 504-523-5433. Creole French.
Bayona. French Quarter: 430 Dauphine. 504-525-4455. Eclectic.
Begue’s. French Quarter: 300 Bourbon. 504-553-2278. Contemporary Creole.
Benedict’s. Mandeville: 1144 Lovers' Lane. 985-626-4557. Creole.
Brennan’s. French Quarter: 417 Royal. 504-525-9711. Creole French.
Broussard's. French Quarter: 819 Conti. 504-581-3866. Creole French.
Cafe Adelaide. CBD: 300 Poydras Street. 504-595-3305. Contemporary Creole.
Chateau Du Lac. Old Metairie: 2037 Metairie Rd.. 504-831-3773. French Bistro.
Commander’s Palace. Garden District: 1403 Washington Ave. 504-899-8221. Contemporary Creole.
Coquette. Garden District: 2800 Magazine. 504-265-0421. Creole French.
Court of Two Sisters. French Quarter: 613 Royal. 504-522-7273. Creole French.
Cuvee. CBD: 322 Magazine. 504-587-9001. Contemporary Creole.
Dakota . Covington: 629 N. US 190. 985-892-3712. Contemporary Creole.
Delmonico. Lee Circle Area: 1300 St. Charles Ave. 504-525-4937. Contemporary Creole.
Dickie Brennan’s Steakhouse. French Quarter: 716 Iberville. 504-522-2467. Steak.
Emeril’s. Warehouse District: 800 Tchoupitoulas. 504-528-9393. Contemporary Creole.
Fausto’s. Metairie: 530 Veterans Blvd.. 504-833-7121. Italian.
Galatoire’s. French Quarter: 209 Bourbon. 504-525-2021. Creole French.
GW Fins. French Quarter: 808 Bienville. 504-581-3467. Seafood.
La Provence. Lacombe: 25020 US 190. 985-626-7662. Creole French.
Latil's Landing. River Parishes: In Houmas House Plantation. 225-473-9380. Contemporary Creole.
Le Foret. CBD: 129 Camp. 504-553-6738. French.
Le Meritage. French Quarter: 1001 Toulouse. 504-522-8800. Caribbean.
MiLa. CBD: 817 Common. 504-412-2580. Eclectic.
Morton's The Steakhouse. CBD: 365 Canal (Canal Place Mall). 504-566-0221. Steak.
Pelican Club. French Quarter: 615 Bienville. 504-523-1504. Contemporary Creole.
Ralph's On The Park. City Park Area: 900 City Park Ave. 504-488-1000. Contemporary Creole.
Restaurant August. CBD: 301 Tchoupitoulas. 504-299-9777. Eclectic.
Rib Room. French Quarter: 621 St. Louis. 504-529-7045. American.
Ruth’s Chris Steak House. Metairie: 3633 Veterans Blvd. 504-888-3600. Steak.
Ruth’s Chris Steak House. CBD: 228 Poydras (Harrah's Hotel). 504-587-7099. Steak.
Shula's Steakhouse. CBD: 614 Canal. 504-586-7211. Steak.
Stella!. French Quarter: 1032 Chartres. 504-587-0091. Eclectic.
Windsor Court Grill Room. CBD: 300 Gravier. 504-522-1994. American.
Bistros And Unfussy, Delicious Places
These are more modest restaurants physically, with prices to match. Many have food as good as you'll find in the more auspicious restaurants above.
7 On Fulton. Warehouse District: 700 Fulton. 504-681-1034. Contemporary Creole.
Andrea's. Metairie: 3100 19th Street. 504-834-8583. Italian.
Atchafalaya. Uptown: 901 Louisiana Ave. 504-891-9626. Contemporary Creole.
Bacco. French Quarter: 310 Chartres. 504-522-2426. Italian.
Bistro at Maison de Ville. French Quarter: 733 Toulouse. 504-528-9206. Creole French.
Bombay Club. French Quarter: 830 Conti. 504-586-0972. Contemporary Creole.
Bourbon House. French Quarter: 144 Bourbon. 504-522-0111. Seafood.
Cafe Giovanni. French Quarter: 117 Decatur. 504-529-2154. Italian.
Cafe Lynn. Mandeville: 3051 East Causeway Approach. 985-624-9007. Contemporary Creole.
Cafe Minh. Mid-City: 4139 Canal. 504-482-6266. Vietnamese.
Crystal Room. CBD: Le Pavillon Hotel, 901 Poydras. 504-581-3111. Creole.
Dante's Kitchen. Riverbend: 736 Dante. 504-861-3121. Contemporary Creole.
Domenica. CBD: 123 Baronne (Roosevelt Hotel). 504-648-6020. Italian.
Feelings. Marigny: 2600 Chartres. 504-945-2222. American.
Flaming Torch. Uptown: 737 Octavia. 504-895-0900. French.
Gallagher's Grill. Covington: 509 S Tyler. 985-892-9992. Contemporary Creole.
Impastato's. Metairie: 3400 16th Street. 504-455-1545. Italian.
Iris. French Quarter: 321 North Peters. 504-299-3944. Eclectic.
La Cote Brasserie. Warehouse District: 700 Tchoupitoulas. 504-613-2350. Creole French.
La Crepe Nanou. Uptown: 1410 Robert. 504-899-2670. French.
La Petite Grocery. Uptown: 4238 Magazine. 504-891-3377. French.
Le Parvenu. Kenner: 509 Williams Blvd. 504-471-0534. Contemporary Creole.
Lüke. CBD: 333 St. Charles Ave. 504-378-2840. French.
M Bistro. French Quarter: 921 Canal. 504-524-1331. Contemporary Creole.
Martinique. Uptown: 5908 Magazine. 504-891-8495. French.
Michael's. Slidell: 4820 Pontchartrain Dr. . 985-649-8055 . Creole French.
Mimi’s. River Ridge: 10160 Jefferson Hwy. 504-737-6464. Creole. Italian.
Mr. B’s Bistro. French Quarter: 201 Royal. 504-523-2078. Creole.
Mr. John’s Steakhouse. Garden District: 2111 St. Charles Ave. 504-679-7697. Steak.
Muriel's. French Quarter: 801 Chartres. 504-568-1885. Contemporary Creole.
Nathan's. Slidell: 36440 Old Bayou Liberty Rd. 985-643-0443. Contemporary Creole.
Nola. French Quarter: 534 St. Louis. 504-522-6652. Contemporary Creole.
Nuvolari’s. Mandeville: 246 Girod St. 985-626-5619. Italian.
O'Brien's Grille. Gretna: 2020 Belle Chasse Hwy. 504-391-7229. Steak.
Palace Cafe. French Quarter: 605 Canal. 504-523-1661. Contemporary Creole.
Peppermill. Metairie: 3524 Severn Ave. 504-455-2266. Creole, Italian.
Rambla. CBD: 221 Camp. 504-587-7720. Spanish.
Red Maple. Gretna: 1036 Lafayette. 504-367-0935. Creole.
Ristorante Carmelo. Mandeville: 1901 US Hwy 190. 985-624-4844. Italian.
Sal and Judy’s. Lacombe: 27491 Highway 190. 985-882-9443. Italian.
Steak Knife. Lakeview: 888 Harrison Ave. 504-488-8981. Steak.
Upperline. Uptown: 1413 Upperline. 504-891-9822. Contemporary Creole.
Moderate-Price,
Family-Style Restaurants
These include some neighborhood places, ethnic restaurants, and specialists in home-style cookery.
Acropolis Cuisine. Metairie: 3841 Veterans Blvd. 504-888-9046. Greek.
Cafe Degas. Mid-City: 3127 Esplanade Ave. 504-945-5635. French.
Cafe East. Metairie: 4628 Rye. 504-888-0078. Chinese.
Chad's Bistro. Metairie: 3216 W. Esplanade Ave. 504-838-9935. Seafood.
Equator. Metairie: 2920 Severn Ave. 504-888-4772
. Thai.
Juniper. Mandeville: 301 Lafitte. 985-624-5330. Contemporary Creole.
La Famiglia. Metairie: 541 Oaklawn. 504-833-8877. Contemporary Creole.
La Thai Cuisine. Uptown: 4938 Prytania. 504-899-8886. Thai.
Li'l Dizzy's Cafe. CBD: 610 Poydras. 504-212-5656. Breakfast, Creole.
Mandina’s. Mid-City: 3800 Canal. 504-482-9179. Seafood, Italian.
Maple Street Cafe. Riverbend: 7623 Maple. 504-314-9003. Creole, Italian.
Olivier’s Creole Restaurant. French Quarter: 204 Decatur. 504-525-7734. Creole.
Phoenicia. Metairie: 4201 Veterans Blvd. 504-889-9950. Middle Eastern.
Remoulade. French Quarter: 309 Bourbon. 504-523-0377. Creole.
Restaurant des Familles. Lafitte: 7163 Barataria Blvd. 504-689-7834. Seafood.
Sake Cafe. Garden District: 2830 Magazine. 504-894-0033. Japanese.
Sake Cafe. Metairie: 4201 Veterans Blvd. 504-779-7253. Japanese.
Sesame Inn. Mandeville: 408 N. Causeway Blvd. 985-951-8888. Chinese.
Thai Spice. Covington: 1531 US 190. 985-809-6483. Thai.
Thai Thai. Covington: 1536 US 190. 985-809-8905. Thai.
The Hungry Forager. Mandeville: 902 Coffee. 985-626-8883. Eclectic.
Trey Yuen . Mandeville: 600 Causeway Blvd. 985-626-4476. Chinese.
Vega Tapas Cafe. Old Metairie: 2051 Metairie Rd. 504-836-2007. Mediterranean.
Zea. Harahan: 1655 Hickory Ave. 504-738-0799. ||Kenner: 1325 West Esplanade Ave. 504-468-7733. ||Lee Circle Area: 1525 St. Charles Ave. 504-520-8100. || Metairie: 4450 Veterans Blvd. (Clearview Mall). 504-780-9090. ||Covington: 110 Lake Dr. 985-327-0520. ||Harvey: 1121 Manhattan Blvd. 504-361-8293. American.