Dinner

Hot Apple Cider. 

Grilled Broccoli. Walnut. Radish. Sieved egg. Paper-mustard vinaigrette.

Wagyu Hangar Steak. Tomatillo. Fingerling potato. Cipollini onion. Creme fraiche.

Pan-seared Cobia. Saffron Broth. Israeli couscous. Black eyed peas. Field Peas. Caramelized Fennel

House made Raviolo. Egg yolk. Ricotta. Maitake mushroom. Porcini Cream. Truffle Pecorino.

House made Pappardelle. Spicy Pork Sausage Ragu Basil. Parmigiana.

Duck Confit Agnolotti. Delicata squash. Pepitas. Caramelized onions. Sage.

Buttermilk Panna Cotta. Louisiana passionfruit. Gingersnap cookie.

Lemon Cream Tart. Candied satsuma. Vanilla syrup. Whipped cream.

The restaurant nearly takes you out of NOLA and you could almost find yourself feeling as if you’re in NYC or SF. There’s little Cajun and Southern influence in the food so if you’re looking for local cuisine, you won’t find it here. I would particularly pay attention to their pastas, which had to be my favorites. For dessert the Panna Cotta was the table’s favorite! It was lightly sweet and balanced well with the tart passionfruit.

FAVES: Tuna Crudo, House made Raviolo, House made Pappardelle, and the Duck Confit Agnolotti. Panna Cotta for dessert!

LEAST FAVES: The protein dishes (steak) tended to be on the blander and not-so-memorable side, but they weren’t terrible. I would stick to the pastas! Brunch was so-so.

TIPS: Paladar 511 is more of a tapas-style dining experience. Be sure to bring friends to order and share with!

Rating: 4/5 spoons

Brunch at Paladar 511

Dinner was so great that we had to return for brunch! We were particularly eyeing the Korean Steak & Eggs, since there’s a lack of Korean cuisine in NOLA. We also ordered the Lemon Ricotta Pancakes.

Hot Apple Cider. 

Yellowfin Tuna Crudo. Avocado. Pistachio. Fennel. Cumin-lime Vinaigrette.

Brunch: Korean Steak and Eggs. Braised Short Ribs. Shiitake Mushrooms. Rice. Fried Egg. Lemon Ricotta Pancakes. House made Kumquat Marmalade.

We repeated another order of the Tuna Crudo because it was the highlight of our meal from the night before. Aside from that were the mediocre Steak & Eggs, but the Lemon and Ricotta Pancakes were outstanding. I love the balanced tartness from the Kumquat Marmalade. Paladar 511, you’ve done an excellent job and I can’t wait to come back to see what’s new. Please keep the pastas as your mainstay! Loved them all!

Rating (for brunch alone): 3.5/5 spoons

Huevos Rancheros. Corn tortillas. Black beans. Melted Cheddar. Two over medium eggs. Red peppers.Onions. Avocado, Pico de Gallo. Crema.

Breakfast Burrito. Scrambled eggs. Potatoes. Cheddar. Choice meat: chorizo (other options: applewood bacon, black forest ham, andouille sausage). Spicy Ranchero Sauce. Tomato Tortilla. Choice side: fruit

The restaurant was ridiculously clean with a modern minimalist decor. You wouldn’t even know it was a restaurant if it weren’t for the diners sitting down with their colorful and delicious looking plates. The restaurant is quite small and it setup to where you order first, then find a table. There’s very few places to stand and wait so definitely come early or come on a good weather day in case you have to wait outdoors. Luckily for us, we were able to find the last available table! We sat down and enjoyed the hustle and bustle of a Sunday morning at Refuel. It’s pretty loud and echoey, but we preferred the air conditioned room over the humidity so it was fine!

My cousin enjoyed her Breakfast Burrito, which was loaded with chorizo. I have a feeling they have a thing for high protein here. I ordered the Huevos Rancheros, which was definitely not-your-usual Huevos Rancheros. Usually there are a ton of potatoes, but Refuel replaced the usual “patatas” with a ton of beans. Funny thing is that I’m not in love with beans and I can’t really blame Refuel since I overlooked it on the menu. It was still good, but I really wished there were some potatoes, If you’re looking for a lighter and healthier take on the Huevos Rancheros, this is definitely it!

I’ve seen some other items on the menu that I would like to give a shot so I would definitely like to try it again!

Rating: 3.5/5

Ham & Cheese Croissant.

Almond Croissant. 

I first heard of La Boulangerie years ago from my high school French teacher. She was originally from France and raved about this place! I decided to go back for brunch today. We ordered The Ham & Cheese croissant and the Almond Croissant. It was pretty busy for a Sunday morning. After I ordered I asked the cashier if  the drink on the counter was for me and a tall, dirty-blonde barista or whatever she is aggressively butted in and said “Ma’am! Just listen for your name because there are at LEAST 4 drinks before yours!”. I asked ONCE. I don’t know what her deal is, but it makes me regret leaving that tip. Just the way she said it was SO rude. Besides that, the croissants were pretty good and so was my Americano. I wish the croissants were warmer, crispier, and flakier. The ones I got were cold and somewhat soggy on the inside. I’ve definitely had better croissants, but there’s something homey about these croissants too. I will definitely come back again, but customer service needs some improvement.

Rating: 3/5 spoons

Bottomless Mimosa. Usually, they place it in a different cup as an identifier for “bottomless” and unlimited refills, but this day was so busy they ran out of the bottomless mimosa cups. This is the cup for a single mimosa.

Boudin Dip. Duck cracklin. Seasonal jam. Dijon Mustard.

House-made Drop Biscuits. Devil Ham spread (highly recommended by our waitress)

Charlie’s Gumbo. Chicken. Oyster. Andouille Sausage.

Quail-N-Waffle. 

Oyster Salad. Arugula. Frisee. Celery. Chopped Egg. Spiced Pecans. Blackberries. Candied Mustard Seed Vinaigrette.

I understand that Easter brunch is a very busy time, but we had made reservations around 1:30 PM. Our waitress was sweet and made some decent recommendations. I ordered the bottomless mimosa, because who can eat brunch without bottomless mimosas?! Plus, the single mimosa price was $3, but unlimited was $10. It’s worth it! Unfortunately, it was such a busy day that they ran out of the unlimited mimosa cups and there was a ton of confusion when I did not get refills. To start off my meal, I wasn’t too happy with that…

45 painful and “hangry” minutes later, we received our first wave of appetizers: Boudin Dip with Duck Cracklins, Drop biscuits with devil ham spread, and the Gumbo. The boudin dip was interesting. I don’t think I’ve seen that dish anywhere in the city and it had to be my favorite of these 3 dishes. The Drop biscuits were dense and dry, but the Devil Ham spread was pretty good. If only it had a fluffier and more delicious medium to be spread onto. The Gumbo (see pictures) was obviously sitting for quite a while under a heat lamp. There was a layer of soup skin that had formed on top from sitting for so long. I can’t tell if it was the kitchen’s fault or the wait staff’s fault for the delay in food expediting. As for the gumbo itself, I wouldn’t try it again…

30 minutes after our first wave of appetizers, we received the Quail-N-Waffle and Oyster Salad. The Quail was cold and the waffles were soggy from the sauce. Eating any type of poultry dish that comes out cold is always disappointing. The Oyster Salad had to be the highlight of the meal, since you can’t really go wrong with fried oysters and the salad was refreshing, but easily forgotten.

It’s not often that I do poor reviews, but I feel this was worth sharing because the menu at Tivoli & Lee was very attractive but the execution was lacking. At the same time, I don’t know whether or not to blame the wait staff or the kitchen. Although our waitress was nice, she didn’t address the long wait and didn’t update us on our food progress. It was a long and disappointing brunch…Hopefully, Tivoli & Lee can improve on this, because I see potential for a good restaurant, but service issues need to be addressed.

Rating: 1/5 spoons

Back in NOLA…

Years ago, I ate dinner at Atchafalaya and I loved it. I remember an Atchafalaya Pasta that I don’t see on the dinner menu anymore, but since then, there may have revamped the menu. Considering how much I loved it then, I found myself craving brunch and found my way back…

There was about a 25-30 minute wait, but while you wait, grab a Bloody Mary at the bar. You can personalize your own drink at the Bloody Mary station. From what I here, it’s supposed to be the best in the city, but personally, I’m not a Bloody Mary fan. I’m more of a mimosa kinda girl!

Mimosa. I’m more of a mimosa kind of girl!

Soup Du Jour. Crab meat soup.

Eggs Atchafalaya. Poached eggs. Fried green tomatoes. Jumbo lump crab. Hollandaise. Brunch potatoes.

Boudin cakes.

Cochon du L’eggs. Sunny-side up eggs. Pulled Pork. Cornbread pudding. Creole coleslaw. Blackberry cane syrup.

The crabmeat soup was so homey and light, and I loved it!  It was a great starter for brunch. The Eggs Atchafalaya was refreshing and elegant yet had some good ol’ Southern fried tomatoes for a touch of hominess. If I see crabmeat, I usually order it because you can never have too much! Finally, we had the Cochon du L’eggs, which is as delicious as it looks. Moist, savory pulled pork and eggs. Yes, please!

It’s been years since I’ve been back to Atchafalaya and I’m so glad I went back for brunch. I’m excited to come back for dinner again and hopefully it will be very soon…

Rating: 4/5 spoons

Biscuits & Buns on Banks is a new brunch spot that’s been open for about a year now. There was a bit of a wait, but outside there’s some seating and coffee while you wait. 3 or 4 groups were ahead of us, but we waited no more than 25 minutes. It could be more or less depending on what time of day or how busy they may get…

Mini Biscuits. Steen’s Cane Syrup & Butter.

3 Egg omelette with mushrooms, onions, and crabmeat.

Abita glazed pot roast and debris. Over grits. I added an egg!

Normally, the chef and I would order a variety of things, but thank goodness we didn’t! The portion sizes are large and trust me, I can eat, but for the first time in a long time, we had to take home to-go boxes. The omelette was great…we stuffed it with our favorite things: spinach, onions, mushrooms, and crabmeat. I love crabmeat…

My favorite dish was without a doubt, the Abita glazed pot roast and debris. Order it over grits and add an egg. So scrumptious. Every bite you can tell was so bad, but oh so good! This was the dish that I had to take home and it made the best leftovers the next morning especially since the grits just marinated in the debris and goodness overnight. The biscuit is delicious as well. I kind of wish they toasted their biscuits a bit, because it was so good when I toasted it at home. Be sure to order the jelly with your biscuits.

It’s too bad we couldn’t order more so I could get a little taste of everything. The next items I’m eyeing are the Grilled Brie on Waffles with blueberry compote. That’s a combination I can’t turn down! Another would be the BBB Seafood Etouffee over house biscuit/grits.

You can tell the owner is very involved and very friendly. Keep it up! The menu is great with a variety of delicious brunch options. I can’t wait to come back for another filling meal!

Rating: 4.5/5 spoons

Shrimp Remoulade Salad. Shrimp. Cucumbers. Grape Tomatoes.

Poche’s Pork and Jalapeno Boudin. Creole mustard.

Creole Seafood Gumbo. 

 Corn and Crab Bisque. 

Crab Omelette. 3 egg omelette. Creole Cream Cheese. Local crab meat. Stone ground grits. Fresh fruit.

Tons of crabmeat!

Not pictured above, but the restaurant even kept Rue De La Course’s old coffee mugs, which I thought was a really nice touch. Years ago, this place was filled with college kids intensely studying for their next big test, but now I see a different crowd…middle-aged folks, retirees, and couples like “The Chef” and I.

It’s homey, but the food is refined. I really loved the omelette dish, because it had tons of crabmeat! The grits were cheesy and delicious. The Shrimp and Remoulade Salad is also a great choice and it went so well with the gumbo. I was slightly disappointed with my Corn & Crab bisque, since it wasn’t thickened like I expect chowder to be. It probably needed to be reduced down a bit more…

Overall, everything was the perfect mix of South Louisiana meets brunch. I would love to come back to try the Dinner menu.

Rating: 3.5/5 spoons

Black Coffee. 

Chilaquiles Benedict. Barbacoa beef. Ranchero sauced Tortillas. Melted Cheese. Poached Cage Free Eggs. Roasted Poblano Holandaise. Pico de Gallo. Cotija Cheese.

Gyros Benny. Griddled Feta. Herb Bread Pudding topped with Braised Lamb. Poached Cage Free Eggs. Cream Cheese Hollondaise. Tomato and Cucumber Salad.

Pineapple Upside Down Pancake. Buttermilk pancake. Carmelized Pineapple Chunks. Housemade Vanilla Crème Anglaise. Cinnamon Butter.

There was a bit of a wait, but it’s worth it. We waited about 30 minutes, and we were seated promptly. Enough about that, now onto the food! The “Benny’s” were a great interpretation off the original eggs benedict. “The  Chef” and I ordered the Chilaquiles and the Gyros Bennies. I was so surprised at the creativity that they brought to the plate. “It’s like a Mexican chef and Greek chef got together and had a benedict throwdown and these two new beautiful morsels were born.” I quoted “The Chef” since I can’t take credit for his beautiful words!

Normally, an eggs benedict would consist of a poached egg on top of an English muffin, but no. Snooze had to “hit the snooze” on that old time clock. The Chilaquiles surprised me with the corn tortilla as the carb and the Gyros Benny was laid on top of a bread pudding. Who would have thought of that?! They also perfected the “art of hollandaise” and incorporated a unique flavor to each Benny. My only disappointment was in the hashbrown. It was a bit too dense, in my opinion, but it left room in my tummy for the deliciousness around it!

I cannot forget to mention the pancake. THE. BEST. PANCAKE. EVER. It was dense, but light and I felt I was eating the best cake of my life. I’m not exaggerating. Others have recommended the Blueberry Danish Pancakes, but I couldn’t room another bite…until  next time!

Considering Snooze is a local chain in the city, it holds the restaurant title for best brunch with originality and character. Next time, I’ll come in starving so that I could eat a feast!

Rating: 4.5/5 spoons

Gets my vote for the cutest restaurant logo and sign! 

Toast with Proscuitto & Ricotta with Honey.

Omelette with Bacon & Cheese and Cheesy Biscuit. 

I accidentally ate some of the cheese biscuit on the proscuitto plate and realized that the honey only added to this already delicious treat. I’m a carb girl…Biscuit and bread could be my dessert!

Hangar Steak. Tarragon aioli. Eggs. Lyonnaise Potatoes.

Jam Aebelskivers. 

What the heck is an “Aebelskiver” you ask?? It’s basically a Danish pancake ball…a very delicious one. It was so buttery and moist with the perfect amount of jam to compliment it. I’m 100% sure the other flavors (lemon curd, maple syrup, caramel, chocolate) are just as delicious!

Chocolate and Creme anglaise Sweet Crepe. 

All around THE BEST BRUNCH I’ve had. It’s more delicate and light compared to your typical loaded and elaborate New Orleans brunch. I tend to over order or sometimes I just like a light mid-day snack and Toast offers a variety of items…a simple option is the toast dressed with a variety of things like prosciutto, egg, smoked fish, and more! Otherwise, everything else is great…just check out the pictures above. Here is a link to their menu: http://www.toastneworleans.com/menu.html

The only thing I’m sad about is the seating..it’s a tad bit small, but it adds so much character!

Trust me…you’ll only thank me! Bon appetit!

MAX’s Famous Southern Fried Chicken. House-made jalapeno and buttermilk-marinated chicken. Mashed potatoes. Collard Greens. Texas Toast. Chipotle Honey.

So I just had enough of studying at the Alamo Heights Starbucks and decided to stop by for some brunch at Max’s Wine Dive. I’ve heard good things about their Famous Fried Chicken so I had to try it! It was delicious…Flavorful batter and very moist chicken! The chipotle honey sauce complimented it really well. I’d love to stop by and try Max’s other great entrees. My only complaint is the slow service…I made a reservation for one, was seated, but was never greeted or served until 15 minutes later. It was a Sunday morning, but I noticed other people being served before I was. It happens, but I’ve heard similar complaints from other folks.

While exploring San Antonio, the Alamo Heights area has become one of my favorite areas to spend my time so I’m glad I had the chance to try Max’s Wine Dive. It’s a great place for brunch or even to watch the game!