Ambiance and Decor.

Willa’s Juice. Botanist Gin. St. Germain. Pema. Blueberries. Nola Blonde Ale. 

Crostini Party. Boudin. Salmon. Beet. Avocado.

Lisa’s Cornbread. Pourier’s cane syrup.

Hot buttered Crab Roll. Garlic. Pickled Red Onion. Toasted soft bun with chips.

Louisiana Shrimp Bisque. Brandy Cream. 

Cookies & Cream. Edible Cookie Dough. Vanilla Milk.

Even though Willa Jean is a bakery/restaurant, it has more of a restaurant feel but you can definitely stop in for some pastries. I would recommend the blueberry muffin. It’s different and refreshing. I love the added ginger which adds an extra layer of subtle flavor.

As for the dining experience, service was friendly and everything flowed so smoothly. I started with the Willa’s Juice Cocktail, which was a fruity gin type drink. The Crostini Party was a fun appetizer to share between two people but no more because it’s difficult to split the different crostinis (I’ve tried it.). The four crostinis that came out were: the Salmon, Boudin, Beet, and Avocado (most fav to least fav, but they were all really good). Next, we ordered the cornbread, which I can never say “No” to, but if I had to cut anything out it would be the cornbread because we over-ordered. The Shrimp Bisque was solid, but wasn’t the most memorable dish of the night. My favorite dish was the Crab Roll. Who doesn’t like “hot butter” and “fresh crab”? Everything was so perfect about this roll and we don’t have anything like it in the area, but if we did, this roll would be hard to beat.

Lastly, we had the Cookies & Cream. This was definitely NOT your typical cookies-n-cream. What’s unique is the  Vanilla Milk that they serve with the Cookies, which I felt was a dessert on its own.

Must haves: Crab Roll, Cookies and Cream dessert

If you’re looking for a great laid back place to eat, Willa Jean is a must-try. With the variety of breakfast pastries in combination of lunch and dinner menus, it’s a great place for all around good food.

Rating: 5/5 spoons

Pate and Chips. 

3 Little Frenchies. Beef, Duck Confit, and Foie Gras Butter Slider.

Stuffed Jumbo Lump Crab “Shells”. Baked with Garlic and Lemon Fondue.

Now, when we ordered this dish, we were expecting actual crab shells, but enjoyed the play on words AND the overflowing amounts of crabmeat stuffed within the pasta “shells”.

Baked Oysters.

Bibb Salad. Butermilk Blue Cheese Dressing. Spiced Pecans. Added Benton’s Bacon.

Slow Cooked “Blade” Steak. Added Crabmeat..I could never get enough of this stuff. I could honestly top anything off with crabmeat…even dessert lol.

I was very surprised with this restaurant! The dishes were simple, delicious, and exactly what I had hoped for in a Besh steakhouse. Each of John Besh’s restaurants have character…this restaurants embodies a true New Orleans steakhouse. Great steak, delicious appetizers, fun environment…I was actually surprised by a few reviews on the meals not being “worth it”, but honestly I think some may have spent more than they had hoped at Harrah’s.

My favorite dishes had to be the Crab Stuffed “Shells and the Blade Steak. The shells were literally stuffed with crabmeat…no extra fillers, just pure crabmeat. It was a great dish that left you wanting more. The steak was perfectly cooked to med-rare and well seasoned!

I’m normally not a fan of “steakhouses”, but this one definitely surprised me! If you happen to pass by during your trip to Harrah’s or you’re just looking for a great place for steak, I highly recommend Besh Steak.

Panoramic restaurant view.

Early for lunch…

Charbroiled Oysters. 

Duck Poppers. Jalapeno. Bacon.

Slow Smoked Pork Empanadas. White BBQ Sauce.

Sopa Ajo (Garlic Soup). Garlic Soup. Idiazabal Cheese. Cured Egg Yolk. 

Honeysuckle Hotty. Cathead Honeysuckle Vodka. Hot Chamomile Tea. (Missing: Sugar Candy pop)

Marinated Crab Fingers. Bread Salad. Torn Herbs.

Ragout of Louisiana Rabbit (Lunch Special). Orecchiette Pasta. Garlic. Tomatoes. Rapini. Reminds me a lot of the Spicy Lamb Meatball dish at Domenica’s except with rabbit! 

Fried P&J Oysters Amandine. Grilled Mushrooms. Wilted Spinach. Oh..the delicious Oysters Amandine…Delicious and LOADED with cornmeal crusted oysters!

Seared Jumbo Shrimp. Brandade Ravioli. Shrimp Chorizo Consomme. Brussel Sprouts. Pumpkin. Chick Peas. 

Pecan Praline Beignets. 

My favorite dishes had to be anything with oysters: Charbroiled oysters and Oysters Amandine. I also LOVED the Pork Empanadas...Honestly, I hadn’t known much about Spanish or Mexican food until I relocated to Texas and since then, I just LOVE it. It’s just so rich, but can be so refreshing at the same time. 

What didn’t I like? We had a grapefruit sorbet (not pictured) that was definitely homemade, but the fruit itself was not ripe and left a not-so-enjoyable bitter aftertaste. Another item I could’ve done without was the Honeysuckle Hotty. My girlfriend said the same about her cocktail so if anything, I would suggest grabbing a local beer like NOLA Brewing. I really like the blonde ale..it’s lighter and goes great with the food at Borgne.

Overall, good meal! I feel like Borgne’s menu is a boiling pot of Domenica and Luke…The rusticness of Luke together the Italian refinement of Domenica. If you’re in the CBD and looking for a fine lunch, Borgne is a great place to try!