domenica

the food was excellent, but..... the food we had atdomenicawas outstanding, truly very good. the squid ink pasta (tagliolini) was very good and the corn and shrimp risotto was outstanding. the only thing i did not care for was the noise level. the location is beautiful but there is so much glass and stone that every little noise just bounces everywhere. it's one of the noisiest places i've eaten in. but, hats off to chef/owner john besh, it was truly great food.

i trieddomenicafor happy hour which meant half priced pizzas and select cocktails. i split the pizza with a friend (white clam for me and smoked pork for him). both were delicious. the crust is thin enough that the pizza doesn't feel heavy. i also ordered a bellini which was good. for entrees we split the maltagliati (braised beef) and squid ink tagliolini. both had great flavors. the maltagliati was hearty and rich. the squid ink was a bit lighter with a great mint twist that truly made the dish. the atmosphere is great and we had good service.

thanks for a memorable mother's day. we dined atdomenicafor mother's day - four generations sharing a wonderful family meal. as always the antipasti was fabulous as was the rabbit ragout, pizza, panini's - well everything really! thanks chef! we'll see you soon!

awesome pizza. we ate atdomenicaon our last day in new orleans - we had been eyeing it every time we left the hotel and finally decided to eat there before we left on sunday. it was amazing! it seemed pretty crowded at night but there wasn't a wait on sunday. the pizza was so delicious. it was also very refreshing to eat in a nice, clean restaurant with great service! the prices were also extremely fair for a restaurant in the roosevelt. definitely will go back on our next trip!

went todomenicawith a friend while traveling for work last week. it was the first time i'd been in probably 5 or 6 years. it was every bit as good as i remember. we had the roasted cauliflower and arancini appetizer then a pizza for our entree. it was all so good and i'll certainly be back the next time in nola!

impressed by alon shaya’s eponymous restaurant, enough to move the john besh protégée’s beard award winning italian concept from “maybe” to “must” during a trip to new orleans, it was obvious from the moment i walked in the doors that something was awry atdomenicain the roosevelt hotel – the hostess seeming completely lost when a table was requested instead of a bar seat…odd considering the fact that the space was less than 10% filled.

greeted soon by a twenty-something server who seemed pleasant enough, water filled and recommendations made including some happy hour specials, the decision was made to begin with a platter of housemade charcuterie, warm bread soon to arrive with a bottle of unnecessarily spicy olive oil.

with perhaps a dozen total patrons present at ten past four, one table clearly having a good time though not so much as to distract others overall enjoyment, it was with minutes creeping by that i sat wondering just how long it could take to slice three meats, the answer just short of half an hour which was clearly deemed inappropriate, apologies and “a bottle of water” suggested as an apology, neither of them necessary and truly an odd offer.

eventually getting to taste the goods, all three meats defiantly funky with the chunky blood sausage truly memorable alongside airy poofs of fried dough, it was out of the restaurant and down a long hallway that i was directed to the lavatory, returning only to find the table completely cleared despite leaving behind my camera and a souvenir from the saints game on the empty seat opposing – the server claiming he had “gone looking for me,” though seeming to imply that dining and dashing is what he had feared.

stating disappointment that the three remaining torta frita had beem removed, that generous bottle of the mountain valley spring water now arriving along with the manager who suggested that she would ‘take care of’ the charcuterie, dining progressed with a half-priced happy hour margherita that was decent, albeit undersauced while ribbons of tagliatelle were far more memorable amidst tender rabbit and mushroom ragu.

never offered more fried bread, at this point a non-issue as a dessert menu offered several intriguing choices, the decision between banana zuppa inglese and gianduja budino proved far too difficult, the banana cake-in-a-jar served like trifle amidst cream cheese mousse topped in peanut brittle while the thick pudding was similarly presented beneath a layer of whip, hazelnuts and toffee.

only the foolish could walk by this casual and informal restaurant and assume it’s just another pizza joint. while his name doesn’t appear on the menu,domenicain the roosevelt hotel is a part of john besh‘s restaurant empire (in partnership with alon shaya who is also executive chef). our shared besh dining experiences at august and la provence and paul’s visit to lüke raised expectations. we saw tasty pizzas delivered to tables around us, but paul and i were drawn to other offerings on the menu. see http://placeatthetable.net/2016/03/12/domenica

i must confess something...i'm a bit of a novice when it comes to fine dining. my family is middle-class and therefore i've never really been exposed to restaurant menus devoid of prices, multi-page wine lists, etc. so when i made reservations fordomenicathis past sunday, i didn't know what to expect. and for those of you who don't consider this true "fine dining", then excuse me while you resume polishing your monocle and adjusting your top hat.

domenica is located next door to the roosevelt hotel, just around the corner from the hustle and bustle of canal street. as soon as you walk through the glass doors you know you're in for a treat. the high ceilings and wide-open space is conducive for individuals who don't particularly prefer to be crammed together like sardines while dining out. the lengthy bar on the left-hand side of the restaurant is quite impressive and remained busy throughout our meal.

i made sure to capitalize on the 2-5 happy hour deal whichdomenicaoffers (half-off on all pizzas and half-off on all alcoholic beverages) so we arrived shortly after 4 o'clock. we were immediately seated and realized that we were one of the few tables dining at that particular hour. this made for a particularly intimate and enjoyable meal, though i can't speak for how the restaurant compares during its peak hours.

we were immediately provided with an order of bread and a bottle of olive oil for dipping. the olive oil contained traces of what tasted like red pepper, but it might have had a touch more of an additional spice. the bread was fresh, fluffy, and the perfect way to start an italian meal. speaking of italian, my girlfriend, who studied in italy and minored in italian in college, could not stop complimenting the authenticity of the menu's arrangement (i.e. classification of dishes, separating wines based on region of origin, etc.). 

our server quickly attended to us and we put in a request for the roasted cauliflower which so many people seem to rave about. the cauliflower arrived shortly after and was quite a surprise for the both of us. we were served an entire head of cauliflower, rather than what i assumed would be a few pieces. if you are dining out with a large party then this dish is a perfect appetizer to rev up the metabolism. the cauliflower was adorned with sea salt and was accompanied by a plate of whipped feta. the feta was one of the richest-tasting things i have ever tasted. while i might not agree that this is an "essential new orleans dish" like some publications and websites have asserted, i will admit that john besh and his team managed to do more with the relatively unheralded cauliflower than just about anyone around.

the next dish was the squid tagliolini topped with blue crab and herbs. it was absolutely fantastic. the rich butter sauce can be a bit overpowering, especially if you have spent the entire day eating (guilty), but its richness is well-suited for any pasta lover.

finally, we ordered a half smoked pork and a half prosciutto pizza. the smoked pork half came with a white sauce while the prosciutto half was covered in a red sauce. both halves were very tasty and i can only imagine what my impression would have been if a) i had not eaten so much prior to the pizza's arrival and b) i had not already indulged in the rich whipped feta and tagliolini. the thin crust is as italian as it gets and the toppings are just subtle enough not to overpower your taste buds. my girlfriend was enamored with the prosciutto and i found the smoked pork to be quite tasty. 

throw in a glass of penot grigio and our bill came out to $56. considering how much food we had remaining and how full we were, i'd say the bill wasn't very steep at all.

the service throughout the entire meal was top notch.domenicareally knows how to assemble a good crew. if you are in the cbd or on the edge of the french quarter, stop in if you have the time. there are plenty of drinks to choose from, affordable and delicious pizza options, and an upscale environment that is perfect for a special occasion. 

taste: 9.5/10

cost: 5/10; 9/10 (if you partake in the happy hour and order a pizza)

dining area/decor: 10/10

customer service: 10/10

location: 7/10

we haddomenicaon our radar but were on the fence about coming here because we had so many other places to try.  our friend recommended only coming here for happy hour (2pm-5pm) since all their pizzas are 50% off! we’re in! we ordered: margherita pizza – tomato, basil, fresh mozzarella tutto carne pizza – bacon, fennel sausage, salumi, prosciutto cutto all wines by the glass, beers and certain cocktails are also half-priced. pizzas are pretty big and with 50% off, they run about $6-8! we ordered two for the four of us and it was plenty!  awesome deal, right? the pizzas are tasty!  the crust could be a little crispier but still good.  we liked the marg but liked the fennel sausage even more! atmosphere:  beautiful, modern space.  high ceilings, dark accents with great light fixtures. service:  our waitress was great! extremely friendly and helpful! overall:   come here for happy hour and eat a ton of pizza and drink a lot of bellinis!

mixed feelings about great food...... i really like the food here. it is one of those understated restaurants where the menu sounds almost too simple and plain yet the food is flavorful and exciting when it hits your table. my problem is more with the management. i have probably eaten at this restaurant at least 20 times in the past 5 years. the reservations are tedious and unprofessional, and a big turn-off. i would have probably eaten here 20 more times if the maitre d' or lack there of (hostess) had a clue. if you go on open table, the restaurant often looks booked with openings at 5:30 and 9:00pm with nothing in between. i recently noticed at 5:55 in the evening, 6:15 was available. i was 15 minutes away, but i had to get my wife out of the hotel room so i knew it would be difficult. i calleddomenicaand as always a 20 year old clueless hostess answers. i asked what was available, and she said nothing, and there is 30 minute wait which would grow as the evening progresses. i said i see on open table 6:15 is available, but i may be a few minutes late. she doesn't know how long she could hold the table if i book it, and i said well how many tables do you book and how many are open seating? the question went over her head. i said i am booking it c u soon. we almost sprint down to the restaurant and realize when we get there that the place is half empty. it's like they are trying to pretend they are busier than they are at the expense of the customer.

in my 5 years of frequenting domenica, a manager has never come buy to great me or even pretend i am a somewhat regular customer. it's such an amateur setting, that it just turns me off. i gave it a thumbs up for the food, but this place would be outstanding with a maitre d'. it's almost insulting dealing with reservations, and it keeps me from going back often. the sazerac is one of my favorite bars and i pass bydomenicaoften wondering how much money they are flushing down the toilet as the restaurant sits half empty. chef alon shaya's genius is being wasted. please hire a manager that wants to make the customer feel special, and you will have a winner.

awesome experience. i went there with a group of 18 people and we were seated in a back room that was accessed by walking through the kitchen. it was like a scene in "goodfellas." walking through the kitchen, the entire staff stopped what they were doing to greet us. the back room has tastefully rustic furnishings and refined art with one wall being full plate glass storage that holds custom grain alcohols on one side and wine on the other. our server was annie, and she has been working in besh restaurants for a while, so she was well versed with his other restaurants as well as domenica. the best waitress i have had in several years. the person who arranged our meal had ordered ten different pizzas; tagliatelle with rabbit and porcini; pappardelle with moroccan spices, lamb, raisins and pine nuts; rigatoni with spicy tomato sauce, basil, and parmigiano; fried tuscan kale with lemon and parmigiano; and brussel sprouts with guanciale. my favorite pizzas were the wild mushroom with tomato, fontina, sweet onions, bacon, and yard egg; and the tutto carne with fennel sausage, bacon, salami, and cotechino. prior to going to the restaurant, a friend of mine had recommended the clam pizza, but it was not one of the ten on our menu for the evening. the taglietelle with rabbit and porcini was exceptional. freshly made pasta with a great mixture of spices, and the rabbit was very tasty. the rigatoni was out of this world, bursting with freshness. all of the pastas had a great variance of texture which was great. this was my first time having fried kale, and i am now a huge fan. frying the kale gave it a completely different flavor. it was like potato chips, but way better and good for you. the brussel sprouts were cooked to perfection, nice and soft. as we left our dining area, the staff once again stopped what they were doing to thank us for visiting. this now completes 4 of the 7 besh restaurants in nola that i will visit on my current quest.domenicawas a homerun in every respect.

after the saints season opener this past sunday, we went to domenica, john besh’s casual, contemporary restaurant in the roosevelt hotel.  this was my second visit todomenicaand it surely won’t be my last.  on my first visit, my birthday dinner, we ordered the roasted cauliflower with whipped goat feta appetizer, and i got the squid ink tagliolini with blue crab as an entrée.  the cauliflower was amazing, so much so that i’ve tried recreating it at home a couple of times.  (that’s a post for another day.)   the squid ink pasta with crab was beautiful, an ethereal looking black pasta with contrasting chunks of white crab meat.  and it was every bit as yummy as it was pretty.  on sunday, we arrived during domenica’s happy hour, when pizzas and drinks are half price.  (a pizza costs $6.50 during happy hour, an incredible bargain.)  we ordered two pizzas, clam and garlic and pizza enzo, with anchovies, garlic, tomatoes and mortadella.   (we like garlic. a lot.)   i tried the enzo first. 

pretty nice. we ate atdomenicaa couple times during our last visit. the happy hour specials were great and the staff was generally friendly. the pizza was good, though i heard some complaints there was a little too much bread in the crust. overall, it was one of my favorite experiences in new orleans.

i only ordered a pizza, big mistake. being from chicago and detroit, i am fully qualified to give an opinion on pizza. the sauce was bitter almost like stomach acid, the pepperoni was awful. steer clear ofdomenicafor pizza, just because it is a chef besh establishment, doesn't mean you have to fall in line like the other pretentious hoity toity food searchers.

so good went back the next day. in a city of amazing fooddomenicastands out - red fish with celery root purée and capper and red pepper vinaigrette one of the best fish dishes i've ever had, pizzas are outstanding roasted cauliflower with whipped feta so good they gave me the recipe, shrimp cous cous yum, goat dish fantastic, banana pudding and pistachio pie stunning. what was really amazing the prices were great too. try the happy hour menu if you want really good value. i'm a fan and will be back when i'm next traveling to nola!!!