Lady
04-28-2003, 12:26 AM
We left off in the last chapter with the three of us lazily cruising up the river with a Peach Daquiri in my hand – it has been a long cruise lol – on with the story!!
Along the cruise of the river we saw the entrance to the Intercoastal waterway, cargo ships from Russia, various shipping docks, cargo being unloaded, interesting to see a truck being taken off one of the ships – the relationship of the size of the truck to the ship pointed out clearly how large that ship was! Also saw the Domino Sugar factory, the site of the Battle of New Orleans and a few levees - the views of the City of New Orleans from the river were awesome!
It was time to read off the winners of the vacations - as we were about to turn around and head back to dock, the cruise is about two hours – they called out three couples and the last one they called out was us!!! Zippppedy Dippppppedy - Tramp went to collect the prize – he brought back the winning ticket – it was the one I had filled out – ooooh our wonderful vacation – what did we get, where are we going??? Tramp replied we are going on a timeshare visit lol - our prize was getting to go on a timeshare tour – oh goody – two days left, when are we going to fit this in??
Hey, we get two free swamp tickets with pick up at our hotel, we would still have to pay for Scamp - hmmm. The plan was to rent a car on Wednesday and drive out to the plantations and the swamps. The calculator in my mind turned on – let’s see – car rental – swamp tickets for three – plantation tickets for three equals – minus plantations have been there for a zillion years – they’ll be there next time and we have some in our own state if we really must see one – yep we'll save the $211 - where do we sign up. This was now sounding not too bad at all. We also received a $25 lunch coupon at one of the Bistro Seafood restaurants on Decatur Street and a long weekend vacation at whichever location we wanted in the Country and the islands – just the hotel though – but still great deal.
After we met with the man who represented the timeshare tour and set up a time for them to pick us up at the hotel to take us to the Avenue Plaza – I went and ordered another Peach Daquiri and chatted with two other couples – we exchanged pleasantries regarding our respective visit so far in such a cool town as New Orleans and the city was coming into view – OMG what a view it is from the river as you approach it – it is really a stunning sight!
We made our way back to the hotel by foot – walked up past Harrah’s Casino along – made a right at Mulatte’s Restaurant on Julia and continued to the hotel - we walked mostly everywhere all over the town it is not that far to get from one place to the next – the blocks are short – and it’s all very compact. We freshened up for dinner – had some of the Happy Hour - don’t know how we managed to arrive back at the hotel every evening by 5:30 – an internal clock – a homing device – we were like the birds of Capistrano
Rosie pulled up outside the hotel and we were all off to Commanders Palace!! Here we go!!!!!!
Scamp went inside to let them know we were there and within a few minutes we also ventured inside and were taken into the kitchen and seated at the table in the kitchen.
Short Background Note:
About seven months ago I was thinking it was still a bit early to call Commanders and inquire as to reservations for the Chef’s Table – thought I would wait awhile but, one day while on the computer looking at various New Orleans sites – I felt like I should call – when I called and asked about the Chef’s Table – I asked how far out they were booking – the reply – the week of April 13th!!!!!!!! They then said they had Tuesday the 15th available – it’s booked I told them lol I’m sure glad I didn’t wait another week or maybe another day – whew!!
Life can’t possibly get any better than this – if you only eat in one restaurant while in New Orleans – eat here!! We were seated in the kitchen – Tramp and Scamp in the middle looking out into the where the stoves/pots/pans were and Rosie and I each took an end of the table – Rosie had Mango Iced Tea which came with a stick of sugar cane in it – I had unsweetend iced tea and I forget what the guys had at the moment - Chef Tory who is one of the top five chefs in the Country created the following for us:
Tuna canapes with cucumbers, artichokes and fresh herbs
A Study in Caviar – Haddleback, Puddlefish, Choupiquet – these are all American – The Puddlefish was from Michigan and was presented on a scrumptious slice of Sweet Potato - all three of us loved the one from Michigan – the others were from Tennessee and Louisiana
A Chili Crusted Gulf Shrimp with Fennel Onion Cboux Croûte
A Tasting of Creole Soups
Turtle, Rabbit Gumbo and Oyster Verlot – Scamp had the Oyster and loved it - Rosie Tramp and I all had the Rabbit Gumbo and proclaimed it to be quite tasty!
Crispy Soft Shell Crabs with Creole Tomatoes and a sweet corn succotash
Scamp does not care for soft shell crabs – Chef Tory made him the Tasso Shrimp Henican which is shrimp that is quickly seared and coated with Crystal hot sauce beurre blanc and served with five pepper jelly and pickled okra
Before the next course – Tramp and I ordered a glass of wine
Blackened Pork Tenderloin with Crawfish Etouffee on a bed of andouille-cracked corn grits – Scamp and I do not eat grits so Chef Tory made ours with delightful Lyonnaise Potatoes
We’re not done yet – then came the Cheese Course
Assorted imported cheeses with roasted pecans and artisan – currant bread
Morbier – Cow – France
Bucheron – France
Reblochon – Cow – France
Valdeon – Cow – Spain
They gave us a good break after all that – we got up stretched our legs – Rosie called her home to see how things were – and we all returned to the table for the desserts – all 8 of them!!!!
Our server – Beth – held a couple in her hands and we kept passing them around the table – Beth kept track too lol – at one point I asked her if I had had that one as yet – she replied not yet and handed it to me with a smile – she did this with all four of us – we would take a bite or two – hand it to Beth – she would pass it to someone else – or we would give each other – you have had enough, my turn – looks lol
Here they are:
Lemon Flan
A feathery light, citrusy custard under a thin, crisp sheet of pastry with sweetened curd sauce
Chocolate Fudge Sheba
A chocolate lover's dream
Créme Brûlée
With fresh fruit in a sugar basket - my favorite
Commander's Pecan Pie À La Mode
Served with caramel and chocolate sauces
Praline Parfait
A crisp pastry cookie with pecan syrup, chantilly cream and candied pecans served with our own housemade vanilla ice cream - our whole family loved this one!!
Creole Bread Pudding Soufflé
The richness of bread pudding whipped into a light, fluffy soufflé - whiskey sauce added at your table Rosie loves this one – and extra whiskey sauce can be added too!
Creole Cream Cheese Cheesecake
Garnished with white and dark chocolate lattice and finished with caramel sauce – we loved this one!
Stawberry ShortCake soaked in a liqure
The one thing that really impressed me and was a great contrast to our dinner at Galitoires was the water - remember a few chapters back when I told you about the container of water sitting on the table gathering dust and who knows what? At Commanders we took a few sips of water – and a new glass replaced it in a matter of a minute or two - that impressed me
The bartender’s name was brandy lol wonder if that were really her name or a restaurant name she uses lol Loved the print on the wall of the kitchen – a watercolor sketch – thought to myself I’d like to get one for our dining room – when we returned to the table, I asked Chef Tory if he would sign a menu – turns out the entire print is on the menu – since returning home we have had it double matted in the colors of eggpant and mushroom, framed in a Victorian frame and it is now hanging in our dining room.
We also asked for a cookbook – and Chef Tory signed that – wishing us a very happy 10th Anniversary – this dinner was my anniversary present from Tramp. Chef Tory gave us a present also - the book! We were not charged the $40 for the book – how sweet and thoughtful – made me all fuzzy! We had our photo taken with the Chef – Rosie was kind to let us use two photos of hers – we had six or seven shots remaining on our disposable camera but somehow when we got to the restaurant there was only one! New Orleans sure eats up your available photos lol
Rosie drove us back to the hotel – and after our usual nightcap we headed up to the room to drop off pleasantly stuffed to sleep : ) We ate much food but it was different – there was time between each offering to let it digest - to relax – you are not rushed – the experience was pleasant therefore; being stuffed to the gills was pleasant for once lol!! I drifted off to sleep with visions of gators wearing Mickey Ears – tomorrow is swamp day, and also the Mini meet!!!
Along the cruise of the river we saw the entrance to the Intercoastal waterway, cargo ships from Russia, various shipping docks, cargo being unloaded, interesting to see a truck being taken off one of the ships – the relationship of the size of the truck to the ship pointed out clearly how large that ship was! Also saw the Domino Sugar factory, the site of the Battle of New Orleans and a few levees - the views of the City of New Orleans from the river were awesome!
It was time to read off the winners of the vacations - as we were about to turn around and head back to dock, the cruise is about two hours – they called out three couples and the last one they called out was us!!! Zippppedy Dippppppedy - Tramp went to collect the prize – he brought back the winning ticket – it was the one I had filled out – ooooh our wonderful vacation – what did we get, where are we going??? Tramp replied we are going on a timeshare visit lol - our prize was getting to go on a timeshare tour – oh goody – two days left, when are we going to fit this in??
Hey, we get two free swamp tickets with pick up at our hotel, we would still have to pay for Scamp - hmmm. The plan was to rent a car on Wednesday and drive out to the plantations and the swamps. The calculator in my mind turned on – let’s see – car rental – swamp tickets for three – plantation tickets for three equals – minus plantations have been there for a zillion years – they’ll be there next time and we have some in our own state if we really must see one – yep we'll save the $211 - where do we sign up. This was now sounding not too bad at all. We also received a $25 lunch coupon at one of the Bistro Seafood restaurants on Decatur Street and a long weekend vacation at whichever location we wanted in the Country and the islands – just the hotel though – but still great deal.
After we met with the man who represented the timeshare tour and set up a time for them to pick us up at the hotel to take us to the Avenue Plaza – I went and ordered another Peach Daquiri and chatted with two other couples – we exchanged pleasantries regarding our respective visit so far in such a cool town as New Orleans and the city was coming into view – OMG what a view it is from the river as you approach it – it is really a stunning sight!
We made our way back to the hotel by foot – walked up past Harrah’s Casino along – made a right at Mulatte’s Restaurant on Julia and continued to the hotel - we walked mostly everywhere all over the town it is not that far to get from one place to the next – the blocks are short – and it’s all very compact. We freshened up for dinner – had some of the Happy Hour - don’t know how we managed to arrive back at the hotel every evening by 5:30 – an internal clock – a homing device – we were like the birds of Capistrano
Rosie pulled up outside the hotel and we were all off to Commanders Palace!! Here we go!!!!!!
Scamp went inside to let them know we were there and within a few minutes we also ventured inside and were taken into the kitchen and seated at the table in the kitchen.
Short Background Note:
About seven months ago I was thinking it was still a bit early to call Commanders and inquire as to reservations for the Chef’s Table – thought I would wait awhile but, one day while on the computer looking at various New Orleans sites – I felt like I should call – when I called and asked about the Chef’s Table – I asked how far out they were booking – the reply – the week of April 13th!!!!!!!! They then said they had Tuesday the 15th available – it’s booked I told them lol I’m sure glad I didn’t wait another week or maybe another day – whew!!
Life can’t possibly get any better than this – if you only eat in one restaurant while in New Orleans – eat here!! We were seated in the kitchen – Tramp and Scamp in the middle looking out into the where the stoves/pots/pans were and Rosie and I each took an end of the table – Rosie had Mango Iced Tea which came with a stick of sugar cane in it – I had unsweetend iced tea and I forget what the guys had at the moment - Chef Tory who is one of the top five chefs in the Country created the following for us:
Tuna canapes with cucumbers, artichokes and fresh herbs
A Study in Caviar – Haddleback, Puddlefish, Choupiquet – these are all American – The Puddlefish was from Michigan and was presented on a scrumptious slice of Sweet Potato - all three of us loved the one from Michigan – the others were from Tennessee and Louisiana
A Chili Crusted Gulf Shrimp with Fennel Onion Cboux Croûte
A Tasting of Creole Soups
Turtle, Rabbit Gumbo and Oyster Verlot – Scamp had the Oyster and loved it - Rosie Tramp and I all had the Rabbit Gumbo and proclaimed it to be quite tasty!
Crispy Soft Shell Crabs with Creole Tomatoes and a sweet corn succotash
Scamp does not care for soft shell crabs – Chef Tory made him the Tasso Shrimp Henican which is shrimp that is quickly seared and coated with Crystal hot sauce beurre blanc and served with five pepper jelly and pickled okra
Before the next course – Tramp and I ordered a glass of wine
Blackened Pork Tenderloin with Crawfish Etouffee on a bed of andouille-cracked corn grits – Scamp and I do not eat grits so Chef Tory made ours with delightful Lyonnaise Potatoes
We’re not done yet – then came the Cheese Course
Assorted imported cheeses with roasted pecans and artisan – currant bread
Morbier – Cow – France
Bucheron – France
Reblochon – Cow – France
Valdeon – Cow – Spain
They gave us a good break after all that – we got up stretched our legs – Rosie called her home to see how things were – and we all returned to the table for the desserts – all 8 of them!!!!
Our server – Beth – held a couple in her hands and we kept passing them around the table – Beth kept track too lol – at one point I asked her if I had had that one as yet – she replied not yet and handed it to me with a smile – she did this with all four of us – we would take a bite or two – hand it to Beth – she would pass it to someone else – or we would give each other – you have had enough, my turn – looks lol
Here they are:
Lemon Flan
A feathery light, citrusy custard under a thin, crisp sheet of pastry with sweetened curd sauce
Chocolate Fudge Sheba
A chocolate lover's dream
Créme Brûlée
With fresh fruit in a sugar basket - my favorite
Commander's Pecan Pie À La Mode
Served with caramel and chocolate sauces
Praline Parfait
A crisp pastry cookie with pecan syrup, chantilly cream and candied pecans served with our own housemade vanilla ice cream - our whole family loved this one!!
Creole Bread Pudding Soufflé
The richness of bread pudding whipped into a light, fluffy soufflé - whiskey sauce added at your table Rosie loves this one – and extra whiskey sauce can be added too!
Creole Cream Cheese Cheesecake
Garnished with white and dark chocolate lattice and finished with caramel sauce – we loved this one!
Stawberry ShortCake soaked in a liqure
The one thing that really impressed me and was a great contrast to our dinner at Galitoires was the water - remember a few chapters back when I told you about the container of water sitting on the table gathering dust and who knows what? At Commanders we took a few sips of water – and a new glass replaced it in a matter of a minute or two - that impressed me
The bartender’s name was brandy lol wonder if that were really her name or a restaurant name she uses lol Loved the print on the wall of the kitchen – a watercolor sketch – thought to myself I’d like to get one for our dining room – when we returned to the table, I asked Chef Tory if he would sign a menu – turns out the entire print is on the menu – since returning home we have had it double matted in the colors of eggpant and mushroom, framed in a Victorian frame and it is now hanging in our dining room.
We also asked for a cookbook – and Chef Tory signed that – wishing us a very happy 10th Anniversary – this dinner was my anniversary present from Tramp. Chef Tory gave us a present also - the book! We were not charged the $40 for the book – how sweet and thoughtful – made me all fuzzy! We had our photo taken with the Chef – Rosie was kind to let us use two photos of hers – we had six or seven shots remaining on our disposable camera but somehow when we got to the restaurant there was only one! New Orleans sure eats up your available photos lol
Rosie drove us back to the hotel – and after our usual nightcap we headed up to the room to drop off pleasantly stuffed to sleep : ) We ate much food but it was different – there was time between each offering to let it digest - to relax – you are not rushed – the experience was pleasant therefore; being stuffed to the gills was pleasant for once lol!! I drifted off to sleep with visions of gators wearing Mickey Ears – tomorrow is swamp day, and also the Mini meet!!!