Emeril's Delmonico
1300 St Charles Ave, New Orleans, LA 70130, USA
Uptown 1: Garden District & Environs
Delmonico is the best restaurant directly on a Mardi Gras parade route--even though it's closed on Fat Tuesday and Monday. The rest of the year, it's my kind of restaurant. Its menu is dominated by classic French-Creole dishes updated with current ingredients and kitchen techniques. They play the same game with the dining rooms, enclosed in a century-old building that nevertheless has a decidedly contemporary feel.
Anecdotes & Analysis
Delmonico is the best restaurant directly on a Mardi Gras parade route--even though it's closed on Fat Tuesday and Monday. The rest of the year, it's my kind of restaurant. Its menu is dominated by classic French-Creole dishes updated with current ingredients and kitchen techniques. They play the same game with the dining rooms, enclosed in a century-old building that nevertheless has a decidedly contemporary feel. If you happen to find yourself at Delmonico in the week before Mardi Gras, you will enjoy a half a great dinner, go outside to watch the parade, then come back in for dessert and after-dinner libations. Great fun.
Backstory
Delmonico turned 100 the year before Emeril Lagasse bought it in 1998. Founder Anthony Commander--whose brother founded the restaurant of the same name--came to New Orleans after working in Delmonico in New York City. There never was a connection between that restaurant and this, but the name was synonymous with grand dining in the 1800s, and Commander borrowed it. For most of its pre-Emeril history, Delmonico was managed by the La Franca family. Their restaurant was in the same category with Galatoire's and Arnaud's, but because it was well away from the French Quarter, it was less formal and expensive. People who remember dining in the old Delmonico knew it as an old-fashioned, excellent Creole restaurant run by the hospitable Angie Brown and Rose Dietrich, whose father made the restaurant what it was. When Emeril bought it, he performed a deep and expensive renovation, much of which had to be done all over again after Katrina, for as much money.
Dining Room
The front dining room's lofty ceilings create rich spaces, and its windows allow diners to keep track of the streetcars. On the other side of a large open door are more tables, the bar, and a piano--sometimes with a pianist. The Cornstalk Room is the most atmospheric room in the house, one section of it skylit. (You pass through the kitchen to get to it.) The service staff is a bit less formal and skillful than before the storm, but that's true all over these days. On this other hand, Delmonico remains literally a white-tablecloth restaurant. Ron Jones plays a very fine piano and sings in a bluesy way in the bar on weekends.
Why It's Essential
If your taste runs to the more traditional side of Chef Emeril Lagasse's culinary provinces, you may prefer Delmonico to Emeril's flagship restaurant. While the menus are different, the general style is the same. So are the customers: When full, Emeril's directs its overflow to Delmonico. The food at Del's (the house nickname for the place) has a non-ironic retro quality that fits right into the restaurant. Delmonico's has had its highs and lows, and always seems to be in a state of flux. More than a few locals call it their favorite of Emeril's three New Orleans establishments.
Why It's Good
After an unsuccessful some years ago with a menu of mostly small plates, Del's has returned to a more traditional, mostly Creole offering, orchestrated by Chef de Cuisine Tony Scanio. Although Emeril was one of the first chefs here to put heavy emphasis on the origins of its ingredients--you are told where everything came from, for instance--the kitchen does know how to cook, and isn't afraid to revive a great old dish. For a time, Delmonico leaned heavily in the steakhouse direction. It still buys prime beef and dry-ages a lot of it in house, this has become less of a specialty in recent years. The wine list keeps up with the one at Emeril's flagship restaurant in its distinction.
Most Interesting Dishes
<em><strong>Starters</strong></em> The menu undergoes sweeping changes with the seasons, but the style remains steady. The checkmarks ✔ indicate recommended dishes <em><strong>Starters</strong></em> ✔ House made charcuterie Artisanal cheese board ✔ Mussels and fries Chaurice sausage, ancho chile broth, lemon aioli Stuffed mirliton with shrimp and crabmeat, Chisesi ham, and roasted red pepper butter ✔ Fried oysters bordelaise, fettuccine, sun dried tomatoes, parmesan, garlic butter ✔ ✔ Emeril's barbecue shrimp, baked grits cake ✔ ✔ Crispy pork cheek, dirty rice, scallions Stuffed boudin balls, Louisiana cane pepper jelly ✔ Jumbo lump crabmeat Remick, bacon, parmesan, toasted French bread Sweet basil gnocchi, Italian sausage, artichoke, pecorino, lemon, oregano breadcrumbs ✔ Baked oysters Rockefeller and Bbienville Conch beignet, avocado remoulade, red onion, cilantro, habenero gastrique Gumbo ✔ Turtle soup with sherry Mixed lettuce salad, tomato, cucumber, fresh herb vinaigrette Romaine-heart Caesar salad, boiled egg, anchovy, parmesan ✔ Iceberg lettuce wedge, bacon, grape tomato, croutons, buttermilk dressing ✔ New Orleans "Guappo" salad, salami, olive salad, aged provolone, young arugula, romaine, extra virgin olive oil Roasted beet salad, arugula, satsuma, spiced dates, pistachio crème fraîche <em><strong>Entrées</strong></em> ✔ Glazed Duroc pork chop, red beana and rice congri, lime mojo Louisiana Drumfish meuniere, artichoke, fingerling potatoes, local blue crabmeat, arugula, grape tomatoes Crisp duck leg confit, sweet potato and pecan waffle, braised collard greens, Steen's cane jus Gulf shrimp Creole, okra and rice, plantain fritters Panneèd swordfish, pancetta, asparagus and shiitake mushroom risotto, fennel, roasted tomato vinaigrette Creole braised lamb shank, roasted poblano grits, mirliton Pan roasted salmon, andouille, mustard greens, black eyed peas, green tomato chow chow ✔ Chicken breast Clemenceau (ham, portobello mushrooms, sugar snap peas, brabant potatoes, béarnaise sauce) ✔ Gulf fish of the day, shrimp, grilled vegetables, mirliton pickle, bouillabaisse broth ✔ Steaks with herb butter, Emeril’s worcestershire, béarnaise and chimichurri sauces: ✔ Shoulder filet Filet tenderloin ✔ New York strip, dry-aged 14 days Bone-in ribeye, dry-aged 21 days <strong><em>Sides </em></strong> Slow cooked collard greens, pickled pork, Steen’s cane vinegar ✔ Rum-glazed yams Candied pecans ✔ Caramelized brussels sprouts, guanciale Whipped Yukon Gold potatoes Black-eye peas and mustard greens Baked macaroni and cheese ✔ Mushrooms bordelaise Garlic butter, lemon ✔ French fries Lemon aioli Green beans amandine Poblano and cheddar grits <strong><em>Dessert</em></strong> Salted caramel doberge cake Apple-cranberry compote, brown butter crumble From the oven chocolate chip cookies, ice cold vanilla milk Warm sweet potato and bacon handpies Vanilla ice cream, brown butter icing, sweet potato - bourbon sauce Daily ice cream selection Daily sorbet selection Turtle sundae ✔ Dulce de leche ice cream, pecan chocolate brownie crumble, chocolate sauce ✔ Hummingbird bread pudding, cream cheese sauce, banana ice cream, toasted pecans King cake doughnuts, strawberry compote, toasted walnuts Coconut-chocolate cream pie ✔ Traditional Bananas Foster, vanilla bean ice cream, salted pecans, prepared tableside Assortment of cheeses Starters ✔ House made charcuterie Artisanal cheese board ✔ Mussels and fries Chaurice sausage, ancho chile broth, lemon aioli Stuffed mirliton with shrimp and crabmeat, Chisesi ham, and roasted red pepper butter ✔ Fried oysters bordelaise, fettuccine, sun dried tomatoes, parmesan, garlic butter ✔ ✔ Emeril's barbecue shrimp, baked grits cake ✔ ✔ Crispy pork cheek, dirty rice, scallions Stuffed boudin balls, Louisiana cane pepper jelly ✔ Jumbo lump crabmeat Remick, bacon, parmesan, toasted French bread Sweet basil gnocchi, Italian sausage, artichoke, pecorino, lemon, oregano breadcrumbs ✔ Baked oysters Rockefeller and Bbienville Conch beignet, avocado remoulade, red onion, cilantro, habenero gastrique Gumbo ✔ Turtle soup with sherry Mixed lettuce salad, tomato, cucumber, fresh herb vinaigrette Romaine-heart Caesar salad, boiled egg, anchovy, parmesan ✔ Iceberg lettuce wedge, bacon, grape tomato, croutons, buttermilk dressing ✔ New Orleans "Guappo" salad, salami, olive salad, aged provolone, young arugula, romaine, extra virgin olive oil Roasted beet salad, arugula, satsuma, spiced dates, pistachio crème fraîche <em><strong>Entrées</strong></em> ✔ Glazed Duroc pork chop, red beana and rice congri, lime mojo Louisiana Drumfish meuniere, artichoke, fingerling potatoes, local blue crabmeat, arugula, grape tomatoes Crisp duck leg confit, sweet potato and pecan waffle, braised collard greens, Steen's cane jus Gulf shrimp Creole, okra and rice, plantain fritters Panneèd swordfish, pancetta, asparagus and shiitake mushroom risotto, fennel, roasted tomato vinaigrette Creole braised lamb shank, roasted poblano grits, mirliton Pan roasted salmon, andouille, mustard greens, black eyed peas, green tomato chow chow ✔ Chicken breast Clemenceau (ham, portobello mushrooms, sugar snap peas, brabant potatoes, béarnaise sauce) ✔ Gulf fish of the day, shrimp, grilled vegetables, mirliton pickle, bouillabaisse broth ✔ Steaks with herb butter, Emeril’s worcestershire, béarnaise and chimichurri sauces: ✔ Shoulder filet Filet tenderloin ✔ New York strip, dry-aged 14 days Bone-in ribeye, dry-aged 21 days <strong><em>Sides </em></strong> Slow cooked collard greens, pickled pork, Steen’s cane vinegar ✔ Rum-glazed yams Candied pecans ✔ Caramelized brussels sprouts, guanciale Whipped Yukon Gold potatoes Black-eye peas and mustard greens Baked macaroni and cheese ✔ Mushrooms bordelaise Garlic butter, lemon ✔ French fries Lemon aioli Green beans amandine Poblano and cheddar grits <strong><em>Dessert</em></strong> Salted caramel doberge cake Apple-cranberry compote, brown butter crumble From the oven chocolate chip cookies, ice cold vanilla milk Warm sweet potato and bacon handpies Vanilla ice cream, brown butter icing, sweet potato - bourbon sauce Daily ice cream selection Daily sorbet selection Turtle sundae ✔ Dulce de leche ice cream, pecan chocolate brownie crumble, chocolate sauce ✔ Hummingbird bread pudding, cream cheese sauce, banana ice cream, toasted pecans King cake doughnuts, strawberry compote, toasted walnuts Coconut-chocolate cream pie ✔ Traditional Bananas Foster, vanilla bean ice cream, salted pecans, prepared tableside Assortment of cheeses
Deficiencies
They seem to be incapable of serving a really great cup of coffee here. That's especially true of the espresso deprtments.
For Best Results
Avoid busy times in the city (holidays, big conventions, etc.). Emeril's sends its overflow here, and that sometimes overwhelms the place. Arrive early to have a great cocktail in the very appealing bar. A very solid menu plan is to build your own tasting menu out of the large appetizer department.
Bonus Ratings
3
Attitude
3
Environment
1
Hipness
2
Local Color
2
Service
3
Wine
Holiday Ratings
0
Thanksgiving
3
New Year's Eve