Cafe Amelie
Backstory
Cafe Amelie had the mixed luck to open in 2005. The months before Katrina were successful enough for the restaurant to reopen not long after the storm and to receive a great welcome from locals. It occupies what is known to architecture buffs as the Princess of Monaco Courtyard--named for a New Orleans girl who grew up here, moved to Europe, and found her actual price in the 1800s. The carriage house portion of the restaurant dates to the prosperous 1830s. Chef Jerry Mixon--who worked with Paul Prudhomme and Kevin Vizard, among other chefs--has run the restaurant with manager Danny Akers since the beginning.
Dining Room
The courtyard is the focus, shady and breezy, with lush plantings all about. Broad umbrellas defeat falling leaves and even light drizzle. Summer days find the courtyard still full, with customers dressed very lightly. Heaters during the winter keep the space usable until it gets really cold. The carriagehouse dining rooms are decorated in an antique style that seems more Southern than Creole, but that works. The rooms are small, with low ceilings, which may strike some as claustrophobic, bit windows onto the courtyard help.
Why It's Essential
Courtyards for dining are not nearly as common in the French Quarter as most people believe. Café Amelie's large, well-planted space is not only among the most attractive, but casual and affordable enough that it gets a lot of walk-in business from strollers on Royal Street. During spring and fall it is especially busy, and builds long waiting lists during the festival season in April and May.
Why It's Good
The kitchen's style is traditional Creole, but much of its food comes from local farmers' markets. That lends a freshness and variety, to the point of revising the menu wholesale every day. This effect shows up particularly in the seafood dishes and in the unusually broad inventory of vegetables. This reliance on the market makes for broad swings in goodness from day to day, but it's hard to get upset about that. This is a much better restaurant now than it was in its first few years.
Most Interesting Dishes
<em><strong>Starters</strong></em><br /> »Chicken and andouille gumbo <br /> »Curried pumpkin soup <br /> Amelie salad (greens, apples, grapes, pecans, danish blue cheese, lemon tarragon dressing)<br /> »Roasted fresh beet salad, goat cheese, toasted walnuts, balsamic glaze<br /> Heirloom tomato, burrata, arugula, basil, olive oil and balsamic salad<br /> Marinated country olives <br /> Shrimp & grits, corn and andouille macque choux<br /> »Mozzarella fireballs, baby tomatoes, spiced oil <br /> »Satsuma pepper glazed shrimp <br /> Jumbo lump crab cake, baby greens and citrus drizzle <br /> Fig jam, nut bread, local goat cheese <br /> Brussels sprouts a la plancha, dates and bacon <br /> <em><strong>Dinner Entrees</strong></em><br /> Lamb t-bones, toasted couscous, green beans <br /> Hollygrove Farm vegetables, baby spinach, cherry tomato, old mill grits<br /> »Roast half organic chicken, citrus drizzle, butternut squash risotto, asparagus <br /> »Slow cooked lamb shank, lamb jus, pappardelle <br /> Wild-caught Atlantic salmon, asparagus, fingerling potatoes, horseradish cream <br /> »Niman Ranch pork chop, black eyed pea cassoulet, wilted greens <br /> Shrimp, corn & andouille macque choux, penne pasta<br /> »Crispy skin duck breast, kumquat glaze, roasted sweet potato<br /> <em><strong>Some Lunch-Brunch Entrees</strong></em><br /> Muffuletta <br /> »Cochon de lait sandwich on ciabatta<br /> Fried catfish sandwich, baby greens, tomato, on ciabatta<br /> Lamb shank, lamb jus, pappardelle pasta<br /> Roast turkey breast, organic greens, cranberry mayonnaise<br /> <em><strong>Desserts</strong></em><br /> »Chocolate melting cake, vanilla ice cream<br /> Mixed berry crumble, chicory ice cream<br /> »Lemon meringue tart, whipped cream<br /> Lemon blueberry doberge cake<br /> Nine-layer cake, dessert pudding<br /> »Key lime pie, fresh whipped cream
Deficiencies
The menu seems strangely light on seafood. I'm willing to believe that the catch just wasn't great the days I've been there, but I've never found oysters here for some reason.
For Best Results
Reservations are a must to avoid waiting, but during the springtime festivals they go to more or less a first-com-first-served system.
Bonus Ratings
1
Attitude
1
Environment
3
Local Color
1
Service
1
Value
1
Wine