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Restaurant Ratings

The ratings are based mostly on the degree to which the food excites us, and a little on environment, service, and other considerations. I rate restaurants relative to all other restaurants in the New Orleans area. Here's what the stars mean to me:

starstarstarstarstar
Among the best locally.

starstarstarstar
Excellent and ambitious.

starstarstar
Worth crossing town for.

starstar
Recommended.

*
Acceptable.

No star
Unacceptable.

Cost Ratings
Each dollar sign indicates a ten-dollar range, including a normal meal for the restaurant (dinner, if they serve other meals), not including drinks, or tips. So, for example. . .

1$--$5-15
2$--$15-25
3$--$25-35

. . . and so on, with no upper limit. While this scheme may suggest mathematical precision, know that perception of price varies from diner to diner as much as the star ratings do. So consider this an estimate.

All reviews are based entirely on meals I have personally taken at the restaurant and paid for from my own pocket. I don't take free review meals, nor am I reimbursed by anybody for my restaurant expenditures.

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Court of Two Sisters

Classic Creole.
French Quarter: 613 Royal. 504-522-7273. Map.
Brunch, lunch and dinner seven days.
Casual.
AE DC DS MC V
Website

WHY IT'S NOTEWORTHY
Although depictions of the French Quarter seem to allude otherwise, few restaurants offer courtyard dining in New Orleans. Of them, by far the most famous is the the Court of Two Sisters. Except when the weather is truly unbearable, they serve in their lushly-planted, expansive, brick-surrounded courtyard year round. The distinctly French Quarter environment and Creole food provide a unique taste of the city, and the service staff is welcoming and entertaining.

WHY IT'S GOOD
The Court of Two Sisters has never served the best food in town, but it's much better than is widely rumored among locals. The menu advanced two or three decades forward after the hurricane, and now is more like that of a Creole bistro than the grand Creole-French cuisine it used to purvey. The move made all the food better--at least at dinner. The jazz brunch buffet--offered seven days a week--is not bad, but nowhere near as good as the dinner offerings.

BACKSTORY
The building is as historic as it claims to be, dating back to the early 1830s. The story of the Two Sisters (there's a brochure) is charming. But the restaurant as we know it only dates back to the 1960s, when Joe Fein put it together. His sons and grandchildren operate it now.

DINING ROOM
Unless the weather is intolerable, service takes place in a large, brick-floored, wisteria-covered courtyard surrounded by four buildings dating back to the early 1800s. It is a lovely place, day or night. The interior rooms are less appealing but pleasant enough. Most have large windows opening into the courtyard.

ESSENTIAL DISHES
Two Sisters Three (chilled crawfish, shrimp, and crabmeat assortment)
Turtle soup
Seafood gumbo
Seafood en brochette (shrimp and oysters)
Barbecue shrimp
Escargots in mushrooms bordelaise
Duck and napa cabbage spring rolls
Tableside Caesar salad
Fried catfish with crabmeat and cayenne tartar sauce
Shrimp and grits
Trout meuniere or amandine
Gulf fish of the day (varies, but always interesting)
Crabmeat au gratin
Chicken or veal Oscar (with crabmeat, tasso hollandaise, and asparagus)
Penne pasta with crabmeat, shrimp, and crawfish, green onion parmesan cream sauce
Duck a l'orange
Pork tenderloin marchand de vin, with bacon and sweet pea risotto
Beef tenderloin bearnaise or marchand de vin
Eggplant napoleon with mozzarella and spinach
Bread pudding
Creme brulee
Bananas Foster
Cherries jubilee

FOR BEST RESULTS
The daily brunch buffet beckons, and so does the $40 three-course dinner, but better food comes from the a la carte menu at dinner. Feel free to dress down on warm days. Have a Sazerac at the bar before going to the table; it's the city's best.

OPPORTUNITIES FOR IMPROVEMENT
The quality of the raw materials--especially among the seafood dishes--could be better. An air-conditioned dining room would be a nice option on hot days.

FACTORS OTHER THAN FOOD
Up to three points, positive or negative, for these characteristics. Absence of points denotes average performance in the matter.

SPECIAL ATTRIBUTES

ANECDOTES AND ANALYSIS
Local diners who consign this finest of all patio dining restaurants to tourists are making a mistake. It is touristy and full of cliches, both in the dining room and the kitchen. Still, the Court at dinner is much better than it's reputed to be. If you dine in that lovely courtyard when the weather is right and you're in the mood for some Tennessee Williams-style New Orleans atmosphere, the evening will be unforgettable, and the chances of off-notes are slim. The service staff is accommodating, but make sure they know you’re a local both when you make the reservation and meet the waiter.

This review was updated with new information on 6/25/2010.

A list of over 350 full, current reviews is here.