Happy Thursday guys! It’s been 2 weeks since we got back from New Orleans and let me just tell you, I’ve already planned our next trip back. NOLA is one of my favorite places on this entire planet and the more time I can manage to spend there, the better. During this last trip, we had a pretty heavy hitting list of restaurants to try out, but one meal in particular really stood out for me. Commanders Palace in the Garden District is an institution in the New Orleans food community. Not just the food community I should say, but really to the entirety of New Orleans culture. Have you ever eaten at a restaurant that’s been around since 1893? Yes, 1893 not 1993…. it was quite the experience. Check it out below!
When you done at Commanders, the dress code is strict. To be honest I hadn’t really eaten at a restaurant before that required a certain dress code. I’ve definitely eaten at restaurants that suggest ‘upscale’ dress etc. but never actually enforced it. Unfortunately last time we were in New Orleans we did try to eat here and were not dressed properly, so we made SURE to get our you know what together so we could make it in this time around.
It might seem out-dated or even silly to require a dress code (business attire, jackets preferred for gents, no jeans or sandals, sweats, or hats) but you know, it made the entire meal feel so special. This was not just an ordinary brunch, I felt like I was going to a really exciting event. Everybody around us was dressed up, the mood was high, and the service was out of this world amazing. I seriously can’t say enough good things about the whole experience, and we haven’t even gotten to the food yet!
Oh and did I mention the band? The incredible jazz trio walked around from table to table, playing song by request. I got Hello Dolly by Louie Armstrong and it literally brought tears to my eyes. Just once again, wow!
It was hard to choose what to eat, but I loved the way their menu was setup. Everything was served in courses, so you chose your entree (priced out) then were able to choose an app and dessert to go along with it. We did the Turtle Soup (amazing) and Commander Salad to start. From there we went into Eggs Benedict and Shrimp for our entrees. Lastly was a special birthday dessert came rolling out – Creole Bread Pudding Soufflé and Strawberry Shortcake. Everything was fantastic. If I was going to recommend one restaurant you had to try on a trip here, aside from Bayona this would be it!
Stay tuned for my next couple posts sharing the other places we checked out on our latest NOLA adventure. Bayona + Bacchanal Wine is up next! And as always, keep an eye on my Instagram account for the latest and greatest food updates.
