Irene's Cuisine
Anecdotes & Analysis
Irene's seem to prove that the way to get a high profile is to keep a low profile. Irene's doesn't advertise much, doesn't have a website, rarely shows up at festivals, doesn't do wine dinners, has no summer or early-evening specials. Yet it remains so popular that somehow every traveler to New Orleans who cares even a little about eating well seems to find their way to the corner of Chartres and St. Philip, and put up with inconveniences that would make one leave in search of another dining option if it were anywhere else. I like it, too. But if I could figure out why this place pushes the button while a bunch of other restaurants with equally good food, prices, and environments don't, I'd write a book about it and sell thousands of them to restaurateurs around the world. It's magic, as near as I can tell.
Backstory
Irene DiPietro's family has run Italian restaurants around town for decades. She's related to the owner of Fausto's, for example. She and former partner Tommy Andrade--who departed to start up Tommy's in the CBD in the early 2000s--opened Irene's in the early 1990s. It was a hit from the first day, even in the face of a somewhat spartan space and an insufficiency of tables. But food conquered all.
Dining Room
It's in an old paper warehouse with many odd spaces. The kitchen, entrance, and bar are not where you'd think to find them. The dark main dining room isn't big enough to accommodate everybody who'd like to eat there, and some tables outside it are not very comfortable. The service is thoroughly friendly but usually a little scarcer than optimal.
Why It's Essential
In a part of the French Quarter where most people on the streets are from out of town, Irene's stays full all the time with an enthusiastic mix of local diners and the most avid visitors. They are there for the best of reasons. The food here is lusty, aromatic, ample, simple, just offbeat enough to set it apart from other Italian restaurants, consistent... and something of a bargain. This formula has so much appeal that a major theme in any discussion of Irene's is "How long did you have to wait for a table?"
Why It's Good
The menu shows a bit more influence from Northern Italy than most New Orleans Italian restaurants do. Pasta and red sauce is good here, but a footnote to the menu rather than a main theme. Roasting, sizzling in olive oil, rife sprinkling of fresh herbs and garlic, and fresh seafood are the main themes. The menu is abbreviated but covers a great deal of ground, with a dish or two from every common food category. And a bit more than that in the seafood department.
Most Interesting Dishes
»Parma prosciutto with marinated artichokes<br /> »Oysters Irene (pancetta and Romano). <br /> Mussels marinara<br /> Escargots in mushroom caps with garlic butter<br /> »Paneed oysters and grilled shrimp<br /> Crabmeat gratin<br /> Ricotta and spinach ravioli<br /> House salad (greens and tomatoes)<br /> Caesar salad<br /> »Sauteed fish with shrimp, roasted peppers and corn macquechoux<br /> »Pompano amandine<br /> Cioppino (Italian fish stew with pasta)<br /> Shrimp or mussels with linguine<br /> Soft-shell crab with pasta and crawfish sauce<br /> »Veal cannelloni<br /> »Chicken rosemarino (roasted half, with garlic and rosemary)<br /> »Duck St. Philip (raspberry and pancetta demi-glace)<br /> Veal marsala<br /> »Lamb Provencal<br /> Bistecca alla fiorentina (ribeye)<br /> »Tiramisu
Deficiencies
There is no good place to wait for a table here. The reservation system is sketchy and can't be counted upon. It was nice when they were open for lunch for a while after the hurricane, but that meal is gone now.
For Best Results
Show up right when the place opens if you don't like waiting.
Bonus Ratings
1
Attitude
2
Hipness
2
Local Color
1
Service
2
Value
1
Wine
Holiday Ratings
0
Thanksgiving
2
New Year's Eve