atchafalaya restaurant

0 by marc smith on 22 may, 2015 where to eat/drink share this post if you are looking for an escape from the party atmosphere of the french quarter for your saturday or sunday morning brunch, may i recommend atchafalayarestauranton louisiana ave. here you will find a tranquil home-like setting serving contemporary creole cuisine and a self-serve bloody mary bar . that got your attention didn’t it. ask any of the locals and they will tell you that atchafalaya is one of the best places to go for brunch in new orleans. it’s casual, friendly, and they even have live music playing while you eat. this is quintessential new orleans, and i can’t wait to taste some good old comforting creole food. atchafalayarestaurantnew orleans first i think you need a lesson is how to say atchafalaya. i got it wrong the first few times until a waiter corrected me. when you say it, the R

neighborhoodrestaurantwith very decent food. they are not so friendly to neighbors and food is nothing to write home about. better options in this neighborhood .
they have all the usual suspects on their menu.

great food in arestaurantthat's out of the madness of the french quarter. we had the steak and eggs special and the crawfish etoufee omelette. both were awesome. probably the best part of the meal was the bananas foster french toast, however. it is sinful! the only negative about the experience was the fact that they never said how much the special was. it turned out to be $30 which i thought was a bit pricey for a brunch dish. other than that the service was amazing.

praised by many for dinner, but moreso by locals for brunch, atchafalaya recently extended the weekend-morning meal to include both thursday, friday as well as monday morning service, the always-packedrestaurantat 901 louisiana avenue already generating a small line at 10am with the dining room and bar both three-quarters filled on thursday by noon.

no longer the “hidden neighborhood gem” it once was, a creative menu of creole inspiration from chef chris lynch enticing diners in a room of reclaimed woods and artifacts post-katrina, those with the foresight to book a table at atchafalaya will find warm greetings at the hostess stand overlooking a diy bloody mary bar beneath articles touting accolades, the full-bar opposite ready to supply those in search of alternative beer, wine or spirits.

seated comfortably at a mid-size four top, sleep-eyed service a bit tight at first but improving as the meal went on, it was from a well-culled menu of brunch plates that decisions were made, a small plate of warm cornbread muffins served with whipped butter ready to whet appetites alongside rounds of spicy alligator sausage plus a cup of creamy yellow soup that offered almost as much fresh-picked crab as it did the pureed corn it was mixed in.

deciding to choose atchafalaya’s classics as entrees, though a few recent specials were also quite tempting, the challenge was one of deciding which was best as all three plates offered something different and delicious, the fried chicken surely the most straight forward and perfectly crisp with good gravy while the pain perdu was a custard soaked masterpiece that ate deceivingly light, the hash spinning tradition on its head by adding fruit to crispy duck with rich hollandaise balanced by the salty and bright vinaigrette.

i had wrecked my brains for where to go for breakfast in the garden district, breakfast is damn important and it was my duty to choose the ultimate spot. i decided on a tongue twister of arestaurantwith glowing reviews: atchafalaya. we found atchafalaya nestled in between historic houses on a quiet street corner just blocks away from the main shopping on famous magazine st. we sat at the very table pictured under the umbrella and waited for our waitress to come and greet us.it was a perfect sunny day and we all welcomed the sunshine after several dreary, foggy days in the quarter. it was interesting…each part of nola painted its own picture on the canvas with the weather: french quarter moody, cloudy and a tad distant; garden district: bright, sunny and welcoming.

the food ordering took entirely too long on our part. everything looked incredible and everything needed to be devoured. so we decided to each order one or 2 things and split it.

i ordered the a simple french toast that was fancied up by a bananas foster loaded on top. lilly ordered the duck hash with poached eggs, duck confit, garnished with blackberries, mangos and bacon dressing. it may sound odd but it was legendary. the combination of sweet and salty and creamy was just out of this world. we all devoured this dish with zero regret. kate ordered the eggs atchafalaya served with lump crabcakes, fried green tomatoes, poached eggs and their signature hollandaise sauce. i for one was thankful that i did not eat seafood because i was thoroughly enjoying my french toast experience. we got up from the table and were thankful we had a walk ahead of us through the garden district. i felt pleasantly full and unnecessarily warm.

amazing service and amazing food. we were a party of 11 and it was the best experience i have ever had with such a large group. i worked directly with both owners and both were incredibly accommodating. they sat us in beautiful private room (therestaurantis in an old house and it is a really cool place). rachael, one of the owners, helped me create a pre fixe menu for the party and it was an impressive menu. tony helped us out once we got there to ensure everything went smoothly and really went above and beyond, i simply can not say enough good things about them and their restaurant. everything that we had was absolutely delicious. the free form crab ravioli appetizer really stands out but the star of my dish (pork belly and tuna) was the pork belly, it is the best i have ever had and i really enjoy pork belly so i have it frequently. i highly recommend this place to anyone and everyone. i am planning a return visit to n.o. with my wife and we will definitely be going back to atchafalaya (even if i can't pronounce it properly) maybe to try the brunch this time because one look at that menu and wow!

start and end with dessert!. a cozy, shabby chic traditional new orleans shotgun as the dining area, atchafalaya definitely offers a great ambiance for conversation, however it did carry the volume that was distracting at times.

appetizers--
steamed prince edward island mussels--these we're definitely described as being a concoction of interesting flavors including blueberry and tarragon however we had to dip the mussels in the seemingly ordinary broth to get any flavor.

free-form crab ravioli--better in comparison to the mussel dish, however being free-form it more so resembled a large pasta like crepe rather than ravioli. included shiitake mushrooms, spinach, mascarpone and citrus burre blanc.

entrees--
sautéed drum--easily the most disappointing dish of the night. there was nothing that stood out to us about the dish, it could be replicated at any seafoodrestaurantin new orleans!

two run farms lamb meatballs--delicious mediterranean inspired dish with israeli cous cous, seasonal chutney and cucumber raita (yogurt based accompaniment) was delicious and satieting!

dessert--
blueberry cobbler al a mode--mmm, so good! served in a round dish, think flan diameter and thickness. while the crust was delicate and layered, it had the perfect proportion of sea salt that rounded out the sweetness. breaking into the center a thin layer of blueberry jam like consistency greets your taste buds!

almond and chochlate semifreddo-- a delicious, rich and fancy version of a good 'ole campfire s'more! it starts out with a chilled mousse like chocolatiey marshmallow center and as our conversation continued it came to room temperature and became decadently smooth!

many staff members touted their pastry chef and they are right!! amazing doesn't begin to describe the delicious experience pastry chef karl created for us!

bottom line: good, but for the price we could have found better.

what a fantastic place. brunch it is swamped and delicious but we love the quieter nights. try the gnocchi! my favoriterestaurantin town and that is saying something.

first visit to new orleans. we read the reviews before we decided to try this restaurant. the food was great, the owner engaging and welcoming, my only complaint was our waitress. there is nothing i dislike more about arestaurantthan wait staff that acts pained. our waitress was anything but welcoming and engaging.

love this place!. everything from our appetizers to dessert was fantastic. the owner was so thoughtful and engaging.
not to mention quite the comedian! we had a wonderful time with the food expertly prepared and served.
love the warm cozy vibe when you walk in . honestly, the owner made us feel right at home.
this is a beautiful littlerestaurantwith a fabulous kitchen that serves up freshly prepared and beautifuuly
presented dishes. we will be back!

great food, but dark atmosphere. my girlfriend and i loved this restaurant. the food is all expertly prepared. the charcuterie plate is exquisite. the red velvet cake is the best i have ever tasted. their cocktails are perfect.
my biggest complaint is therestaurantis too dark during the evening. i appreciate "mood lighting", but i could barely see my meal.

good food, cozy atmosphere, but a bit dark. my girlfriend and i had a lovely dinner at cafe atchafalaya. we both enjoyed the selections for the cheese plate. our drinks were well-prepared, and i liked their wine and cocktail menu. the pasta atchafalaya was very nice with a great flavor, but the sauce was a bit thin. their red velvet cake was fantastic, and might be some of the best in the city. the chocolate pot with blueberries was delightful as well.
the only downside is that therestaurantwas so dimly lit, it was hard to read the menu or even see what all i was eating. our waitress was not bad, but she did seem to take her time.

4thaluvuvfood. my dinner here was impeccable.not one complaint.the seafood ravioli in squid ink was a standout,was tempted to pick up the plate and lick up the rest of the sauce.tony,you have my respect-thank you for your lovelyrestaurant;)

yum. atchafalaya is a small, cozyrestaurantand bar. they have live music sometimes in the bar. dinner was great - the quail stuffed with spicy boudin was delicious, served over mashed potatoes and buttery mustard greens. mustard greens are not my favorite veg, i find them often to be bitter and tough but these were sweet, buttery and melt in your mouth.

perfect atmosphere, perfect food. one of the best meals that i've had in new orleans. this small, neighborhoodrestaurantlooks unassuming from the outside, but boasts modern finishes and intimate, comfortable seating on the inside. my husband, sister and i went last night- brought our own wine (corkage fee $25). there was live music! had the trout special which was absolutely delicious. the fish was cooked perfectly and the pecan rice pilaf was addicting. our server, sean, was so nice, attentive and funny. i will go back often- my experience was perfect and the food was truly the star of the experience.