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My birthday brunch at Dante's Kitchen was absolutely one of the highlights of my trip to New Orleans. We slept in so my party got there about 30 minutes before closing and we were told we were the last table of the morning and the gate was closed behind us (just fyi for those trying to slide in at the last minute!) We had to wait about 25 minutes to be seated but we had some mimosas on the patio and thought nothing of it.
The restaurant is an incredibly charming home that has been converted into a cozy restaurant that makes you feel like you have found a gem tucked in this equally adorable neighborhood! The walls are brightly splashed with paint and all the servers are cute, urban kids with tattoos. There are two large chalkboards when you walk in, one with all the local places they get their goods and another with their drink menu- get their bloody mary, it's only amazing.
I had the crabmeat and brie omelet, which is making my mouth water as I type it. We also tried the brioche french toast, the grilled shimp and grits (oh my god good), debris and poached eggs, and the daily special of alligator sliders. Everything was served with a side of fresh fruit and it was the perfect brunch. Then out of nowhere our server told us they took our drinks off our tab due to the wait-- which hadn't even bothered us! Now that is some pretty awesome service.
Loved it, will undoubtedly be back every time I am in New Orleans!
Wow this was really good. Really good. We went for dinner.
The only place I've liked liver; we had the duck liver as part of a charcuterie. They make their own pickles which were really good. A wide variety of pickled goods each in their own pickling brine. Shrimp and grits were really good and the clear winner of the appetizers. Their red eye gravy is better than mine or my moms. That's something I need to work on.
The sangria was good but maybe too sweet.
As for entrees the red fish on the half shell (just means that skin and scales are left on one side) was really really good. Scallops were quite good but we'd eaten at Bayona which has even better scallops. We thought the clear winner was the duck. The duck was really good. Comes with duck cracklins and sweet potato fritters. The fritters were good but not great. This side dish was the only dish that we thought was kinda thrown together instead of being done right.
My only minor complaint was that there were several dishes with unusual spices (some of the pickles, some of the charcuterie, and the chocolate peanutbutter pie). They were good but it took a few bites to get used to. Might have been better if the menu mentioned this unusual spice so we could go straight to the enjoying.
Yes Yes Yes!!!
This was hands down the BEST meal I had during my recent visit to New Orleans. Everything about this place is absolutely phenomenal. Mitch M. said it best. "Wow this was really good. Really good".
The Ambiance - Upon my arrival, the hostess inquired as to whether I preferred to dine inside or out on the patio. It was a beautiful day and the weather was perfect, so I opted for the patio. Excellent choice. I was seated on the most adorable porch facing the quaint little neighborhood street - Dante St. As I sat outside, I could not help but feel like a true Southern Bell, being catered to hand and foot with true Southern hospitality. This is a cozy yet romantic New Orleans gem.
The food - Everything I ordered from beginning to end was absolutely magnificent and mouthwatering. As many of the reviewers have indicated, they start you out with the molasses spoon bread that is to die for! It is topped with a warm sweet butter that truly tickles your taste buds. My server encouraged me to order the barbecue shrimp - said I could sop up the sauce with warm bread. I couldn't resist. The barbecue shrimp came out in the most beautiful presentation. It was truly divine. I could not stop myself from eating those plump shrimp and sopping up the sauce with that oven hot bread. Super delicious. Next, I was presented with the most delectable looking chicken covered in what appeared to be the maple sauce, and accompanied by a potato hash slightly covered with an egg - sunny side up. I was not to keen on the idea of my potato being covered by an egg, especially since I had never eaten an egg sunny side up. However, I was quite pleased with the taste - the flavors blended together ever so beautifully. Please do not be put off my this unique combination. The chicken under a brick is to die for! You must try this.
The service - Dante's Kitchen truly understands the essence of customer service. They wait on you hand and food. What is also very comforting, is that the servers all seem genuinely kind and courteous. They are constantly filling your glass with water, bringing you more bread, etc. You will be taken care of at all times.
Dante's exceeded my expectations. This restaurant is definitely one of my top favorites. I will definitely make this one of my stops next time I am in New Orleans.
The FQ is great, but why not drive down St. Charles (or take the St. Car) for a scenic view of the beautiful Tulane and Loyola Universities before having a great meal at Dante's Kitchen? Do not miss out on this special treat.
The brunch is the way to go. Love the kick back atmosphere. people are really friendly too.
i find it difficult to add on to the superlatives others have already submitted. this place is fan-effin-tastic. arrive a little early to have a cocktail before dinner. chat with the gregarious and knowledgeable bartender. enjoy your cocktail outside, weather permitting.
then soak up the casual, delicious, warm relaxing fun that is danté's kitchen. everything we had was outstanding.
during dessert is where they truly went above and beyond. we ordered a tawny port, and it was the last pour in the bottle, and only about half of what they'd normally serve. they gave it to us for free. amazing.
my one and only complaint is the bathroom situation. there's only one, and you constantly have to watch the door to see when it's available. the lock is also a little strange.
Fantastic. I'm a newbie when it comes to New Orleans cuisine but my local friends agreed best meal in the city. Our helpful waiter guided us to the best on the food and drinks menu and we ended up with the boar, chicken, and local veggie plate. As he suggested, for drinks try the Argentinian merlot and the pimms cup. It will be hard to find a finer meal. Only advice is it's not purely a Cajun or Creole restaurant so skip this meal if you're dead set on jambalaya. Rather it has heavy Southern influences with a fresh, local agenda.
I think I split the difference with a lot of the reviewers. It appears there's a lot of distaste for the "oversauciness" of the entrees, and with that I'd definitely agree. I had the duck and I tended to take each bite like so: "Hmm. Mmmmm. Er? Huh. Mmm. Yeah! Well...Wha? Hm." I'm no chef, but that seems like too much going on.
But what can you do? This place had the best shrimp and grits I've ever had (I've had shrimp and grits twice). They were so off-the-hook, I gobbled them all up, shrimp with heads and all. This sauce was perfect, one distinct taste, all good.
Everyone was very nice, including the owner who went out of his way to make me feel at home, totally cozy atmosphere, so perhaps someone can yelp through and find an entree that works better for most to have with them thar shrimp.
This restaurant was amazing. I ended up here after being turned away from Commander's Palace because my silly brother decided to wear shorts. Quickly, I looked in my Frommer's guide and found this place. What a stroke of luck! Throughout the rest of the day, my brother kept mentioning how great it was that he refused to wear long pants and got us kicked out of Commander's Palace.
First, I will say that my initial visit to this place was on a weekend, for brunch. Oh, damn it was good! First, we got some homemade breads--mocha, pecan praline, zucchini--that just about blew our minds. Next, our meals--I got something that was so good and so crazy decadent as to defy belief. Listen to this: Buttermilk biscuits with pulled pork and two poached eggs, all smothered in hollandaise sauce. Yeah, it doesn't get a lot better than that. The other meals ordered by my companions were just as great.
This place is very cute, with a small dining room and a nice, romantic patio. It is at the end of the St. Charles streetcar line--an easy and scenic trip out of the quarter if you are a tourist there (I was).
Anyway, the initial experience was so wonderful we all decided to come back again for dinner a couple days later. This was great as well. I got trois mignons, which were three little filets, each with a different topping (pulled pork, stilton cheese sauce, and a reduced red wine sauce). One of us ordered duck with sweet potato cakes, and the other, scallops. It was all very good.
This place definitely gave me a great experience. The service was friendly and personal--I ordered a mojito, which was bad, but the bartender, host, and server all did backwards flips to make up for it--giving up complimentary fresh-baked cornbread and me a free shot of tequila. It was very obvious that they cared immensely about our experience and about their little restaurant. This place is highly recommended.
PS. They gots great grits!
I ended up trying this place for the first time on my birthday thanks to Jacque-Imoff's being closed that particular day, and wow how fortunate that ended up being!
1) Their gin and juice... holy crisp shaven cucumber Batman! Absolutely top notch, had to order two and wish they'd just have brought out an entire Gatorade cooler and poured it over my head like I'd just won my 1st Super Bowl instead of my 32nd Life Bowl. I'd also consider bobbing for cucumbers in a tank of this, if by consider I mean shove you out of the way and breathe gin through my alcohol gills.
2) Their BBQ shrimp... holy how did I get this job as your sidekick I suck but don't call me shrimp Batman! This puts Pascal Manale's own to shame. If you want BBQ shrimp like you can only get it in New Orleans, come here. They've reached a level of perfection where you ask your server to pour the leftover sauce in a cup so you can take it home and drink it for lunch the next day like some kind of shrimp debris addict. I'd have injected this straight into my veins if I could taste it better in doing so.
3) Their duck liver mousse... holy I can't believe you let me run around with you fighting crime in my underwear as a small boy circus acrobat without ever covering my completely underaged and inappropriately so body in whipped duck Batman! This actually came with two other pates but this put those others to shame. Next time I just want a bucket of this, and I'm going to spread it on everything in sight, and if it spills on the table, I'm eating the table.
I could go on as this place seriously has a long list of incredible and always changing dishes made with only the best and freshest local ingredients, but I figure a top three is good enough. Plus, who needs more Jason Todd's Robin references right? You know I'm just going to make mine longer and longer, right? Yep, also... that's what Batman said.
We ended up here for brunch because I wanted to get out of the French Quarter. As we walked up I knew I'd made the right decision. There was already a line outside15 minutes before the doors opened. I ended up with the brioche french toast with peaches and my husband had the debris with poached eggs (biscuits topped with pulled pork, eggs and hollandaise). Both were divine. I can only imagine what dinner is like.
If you don't already live there:
1) Go to New Orleans - It is a truly magical city and the people truly appreciate your tourist dollars.
2) Get out of the French Quarter and explore!
3) Take the St. Charles street car all the way through the Garden District to see some of the most romantic looking homes you've ever seen.
4) Get off at the end of the end of the line and have a meal at Dante's Kitchen.
There is a ton of tasty food in New Orleans, especially if you like heavy fried foods; however, there are a smaller number of newer restaurants that tap in to New Orleans' culinary heritage while offering the palate something slightly different. Dante's Kitchen is one of those places.
Located in what feels like a house in the River-bend area of town, Dante's Kitchen is warm and inviting. Eat inside and you feel like you are in someones living room. Eat outside and feel like you are their garden party guest.
The menu changes regularly but a few items tend to remain that are worth recommending heartily:
1) The shrimp and grits appetizer. A must try. I didn't like grits until I had this dish.
2) The chicken cooked under a brick. I NEVER have had chicken this tender. It is served in some kind of maple sauce that is sweet and complements the chicken superbly.
Service was generally fantastic as were the cocktails (they infuse much of their own alcohol on-site).
Frankly, if our waiter hadn't dropped my camera in my wife's Cosmo I wouldn't hesitate to give Dante's five stars.
Dante's is the best mid priced brunch that you will find in the city. Their grits are life changing and I've taken to buying grits at home in an attempt to reproduce their creamy, thick goodness.
Sunday brunch fills up fast. The last time I came was the first Jazz Fest weekend. The restaurant opened at 10:30am, I arrived 8 minutes later just in time to snag the last table outside. When I left at 11:15am there was a line out the door. However this doesn't deter from good service. Our waitress was friendly, knowledgeable and our food came out promptly. Of course this isn't a "wham, bam, thank you ma'am" establishment. Savor your experience, nurse your cocktail and be patient! Good food takes time.
Most of the entrees do not come with sides unless indicated on the menu. Order the grits and caramelized onion biscuits for the table or risk being scoffed by your dining companions.
There is also an array of mid day drinking selections, such as well prepared mimosas and bloody marys. For those needing a pick me up Dante's also serves a great cold brewed coffee.
I took my family here for mother's day and we thoroughly enjoyed our first Dante's experience! The ambiance of the restaurant is perfect for a brunch along the Mississippi....it's like being in someone's house and the patio is beautiful!
The entrees were reasonably priced for the selections and the quality. I had no idea what I wanted until I took a closer look at the eggs benedict....it was anything but your usual EB. Carmelized onion biscuit topped with rosemary pork loin, topped with poached eggs, hollandaise and honey! All of these things would have been terrific on their own, but were the flavors went so well together that each bite was perfection.
After hearing about the grits, I had to order a side of the highly recommended southern side to see for myself. Don't tell my grandma, but they're better than her's....and all of these years I thought she had the best! They were creamy, not one bit grainy, and I could've eaten the entire bowl as my entree! Best.....grits.....ever.....the end.
Everything about Dante's is fresh & local - the food, the drinks, the staff and even the restaurant itself. So fresh & local we ate there twice - once for dinner & then for brunch on Sunday. The board at the front doesn't show the specials - just a long list of "What's Local". Repeatedly, the staff were overheard describing with pride where or how or why something was on the menu. They have a passion for what they do, and it shows.
The menu changes every two weeks or so based on what's available, and creativity is everywhere on it. While the obligatory shrimp & grits were good, the lump crab salad with cucumber and cantaloupe on field greens exemplified this. The combination was so unusual I had to try it, and it more than just "worked". The lightly dressed & salty greens melded the other ingredients into something more that the sum of it's parts. Simple, creative, and delicious.
My redfish on the half shell was cooked perfectly, topped with a crab & fresh chopped herb mixture. The topping complimented the fish, but was a little to leafy for me. Lots of crab & less herb would have still done the trick, but again it was simple and creative and tasty. My wife's eggplant napoleon was excellent, and frankly would also make a fantastic side dish.
From what they told us, the chef is also doing double duty as pastry chef, which can be a real workload. He's pulling it off, because the fresh blueberry pie was the best I've ever had. If it's available, get it without hesitation. Yummy.
Brunch was yummy, too. The place was full, with a short wait around noon, but they get the food out fast. My Debris & Eggs Benedict was another combination I'd never thought I'd try, and they were great. Blueberry pancakes didn't need syrup they were so tasty. Portions are small so don't hesitate to double up and try a few other items. Like the spoon bread.
All in all, we really enjoyed Dante's. Right across from the stodgy Brigstens, they are vibrant, fun, and passionate about their focus on fresh & local food. Worth the trip uptown, we'll be back again. It seems like the kind of place that doesn't get old.
Dante's was probably my favorite restaurant in New Orleans. The shrimp and grits are insanely delicious (NO ONE has even come close)... in general, breakfast/brunch is wonderful and dinner is equally fantastic if not greater. They give you this spoon bread at dinner that comes in mini cast iron pans and it is exactly as all gratis-beginning-of-the-meal-carbs should be: hot, freshly made, delicious, and so good you want more.
Everything I've ever had here is delicious, so recommendations are moot. Just come here.... the restaurant is so beautiful (located in an old house) and on a sunny day, the patio cannot be beat.
I have to tell you I would give them a 4.5 if I could. I'm very stingy with my stars, but this place comes close to a 5 with me.
First I never expected a restaurant on a residential street. At least I thought it was residential as I'm not from around the area, and we arrived via a street full of houses and pulled up in front of what I thought was just another house.
I look out and there is not one, but two restaurants to choose from.
We looked at both menus and chose Dante's Kitchen and my goodness am I glad we did.
We were greeted by the owner and seated in a room we had all to ourselves that night. The 6 of us. It could not have made for a nicer experience.
The staff were friendly, helpful and attentive. The food was super fresh, delicious and priced very reasonably.
I had chicken under a brick and split it with my friend. There was no way that I could have eaten that whole thing myself. It was simply devine. As others' have reviewed it I will not go into detail.
The grits with shrimp should be another classic.
The scallops were a great hit.
The only thing that was just so, so was the pate platter. two of the pates were top notch and one was bland. So I would recommend trying one of the other appetizers before I recommend this one.
They give you the fantastic cornbread YEAH!!!!
Oh Geez I can't remember what we had for dessert?
I'm coming back when I return to New Orleans.
I promise.
Thank You.
Dante's Kitchen is a laid-back little place in New Orlean's river-bend, tucked back at a safe distance from the always rocking Daiquiri Cafe, facing the train tracks. Situated in an old house, Dante's has developed a reputation in town for serving high-end New Orleans and Southern specialities at unusually reasonable prices (with an emphasis on local ingredients,) and it seems like mostly locals occupy the tables inside and the garden eating area outside. So how's the food?
Every table is started off with a cast iron pot of spoonbread with honey butter, that intoxicating Southern speciality that resembles a warm and gooey corn souffle. This stuff was downright delicious - like a semi-liquid corn cake (and I very much like my corn cakes.) It was snarfed down with unusual speed, which may explain why I have no photo.
We sampled the shrimp and grits with andouille red eye gravy ($9.00), a house speciality and a truly fine specimen of a classic Southern dish. Nice, char-grilled (or so it seemed) shrimp topped a healthy portion of slightly cheesy and pleasantly buttery grits, topped off with a fine gravy. A must order. The cauliflower salad was less successful: an apparent riff on New Orleans's classic olive salad, this had a decent vinegary, peppery flavor but became overwhelming and entirely too oily as a starter-size salad. This pickled cauliflower concoction would work much better as a condiment.
I had the roasted seabass with preserved meyer lemon, roasted squashes, slow roasted tomatoes, kalamata olives, red kale, wild mushroom jus ($23.00.) Let's start with the good: the seabass was delicious, with a crispy, savory skin and a buttery and fork-tender interior. The other components of the dish weren't as successful: the combination of all those strongly flavored ingredients made for a vinegary and rather powerful combination, which served to overpower the subtly flavored fish. The combo of kale, wild mushroom, tomato and olive (and whatever other stuff) would suit a muscular slab of beef or another full-flavored red meat a whole lot better.
Charlotte, one of my dining companions, had Bell & Evan's chicken roasted under a brick, maple glazed, with a potato and bacon hash cake, topped with a fried farm egg, ($22.00). Huge portion and it looked pretty darn delicious: apparently she orders this all the time.
I also got to take a look at the Daily Preparation of Local Farm Vegetables, served with a goat cheese and caramelized onion croquette ($20.00). The verdict from my dining companion? Decent flavors, but the presentation - note the vivid pink and green on that there plate (and no, you don't need to adjust your monitor) was nothing if not lurid. She also noted that this dish too suffered from the addition of strongly flavored greens: it overpowered the roasted beets and caramelized onions that made up the rest of the dish. The goat cheese croquette was pronounced tasty.
We also sampled these beet greens, the day's seasonal vegetable. I rather enjoyed these and their pungent and earthy flavor, although they were, once again, not much more then vinegary green vegetables. I am a fanatic collard green fan, a kale aficionado, an ardent supporter of mustard greens and broccoli rabe, but Dante's Kitchen, I implore you, does every single food item on the planet have to involve greens with vinegar? Admittedly this could be due to our ordering choices, but I am not entirely convinced. (Were there greens in the spoonbread? Are there greens in dessert...?)
Dessert did not involve greens (to the relief of all) and was nicely presented and tasty: freshly made sorbet came out in a beautiful custom-made compartment dish, and mega-rich chocolate spice cake had a crackly and tasty crust, accompanied by a flavorful scoop of gelato. I didn't sample the strawberry shortcake, but it was both bigger then my head and tasty looking and that sure counts for something.
Verdict: Dante's Kitchen serves interesting, tasty, and reasonably priced riffs on Southern and Louisiana cuisine, but could use a less profligate hand with vinegar, oil, and greens in the kitchen. It's definitely a fine addition to New Orlean's bistro restaurant scene, and I'll be returning for another visit - I'll just have to ensure that I don't inadvertently order the Greens with Greens and Green Sauce speciality platter. Shouldn't be difficult.
food photos here: http://teenagechowhoun...
I realize I give many, many places 4 stars but they all genuinely deserve it, and this place does too. I was lucky enough to have a long weekend in New Orleans and my friends and I happened upon this place on Sunday of Memorial Day weekend. I say happened upon because a few other places were closed for the holiday and it was around 9:45PM...although we were first told the kitchen was closed, the owner was gracious enough to seat us.
Everything from here on in was absolutely delicious. They have a great wine list but we all went with cocktails, all original and tasty. Our waitress was also our bartender, which made for a stronger cocktail as well. Appetizer was the barbeque shrimp, cooked perfectly and just the right amount. I really enjoyed my dish, the mahi mahi - especially the homemade pasta that went with it. My friend that had the amberjack liked her meal as well, although she thought the mahi mahi was slightly better...
Dessert was the splitting of key lime pie and an Irish coffee, which was damn near perfect.
Waitress was knowlegable and gave her opinion on different dishes, which was a big help. Atmosphere was cozy but well lit with some jazz in the background. Yum.
This just might be the best place I ate at during my recent trip to New Orleans. First, the service was awesome. We arrived with a couple extra people in our party and they were very accomodating.
The seasonal mojito (called a black and blue) was very tasty. We also enjoyed the lemonade and the gin/cucumber beverages.
For appetizers, we ordered several and shared them. The mussels were great, the cheeses very nice and the escargot to die for.
The trio of filets was not only a super presentation but well prepared. The fish dishes received rave reviews from my friends. The root beer sweet potatoes are a must-try (we ate two bowls!)
Even if you are staying in the French Quarter, grab a taxi and head out to Dante's ... it was worth it.
Outstanding food. While New Orleans has lots of great traditional restaurants, there is also a new bread of small innovative restaurants that innovate while still being true to their New Orleans background.
Everyone talks about the Shrimp and Grits. I had to try it and they were amazing. The BBQ shrimps were also very good. The sauce had a definite shrimp stock flavor to it.
We had the filet au trois and the short rib. Both were excellent.
I can really recommend them and their great friendly service. Try something different next time you're in NOLA.
The abmiance is nearly as good as the food. The art and colorful walls of this very clean cottage make you ready for a perfect meal. They play perfect dinner music - Modest Mouse was rotated in. All glasses of wine are only $5 and the list compliments the food very well. The mixed drinks are top notch too! Like all NOLA eateries, this one serves up generous portions. I had a terrible time deciding what to get but am very pleased with the scallops. I noticed most other tables in the restaurant ordered the BBQ shrimp so I am going to go back for mine! Oh yeah, most of the ingredients are FRESH AND LOCAL. It's been my favorite meal so far this trip....
In about as many weeks, I had but two disappointing meals in NOLA. Sadly, Dante's was one of them. I really wanted to like this place, and we even took our one-day rented car to get there on a Friday night for a change of scenery from the quarter.
I almost gave Dante's three stars, because for the most part, it seems to be a decent local slow-food joint, but they served me an entree for which there was NO excuse, which should never have left the line, and which I can only assume escaped from the kitchen on a night when no senior kitchen staff were on. Because no one who cares about this restaurant, and its reputation, its fresh-and-local image, could have served the eggplant napoleon I received, a dish so bad I shudder to think of it, and I just know I won't be able to order eggplant again for a long time.
I totally didn't trek here to order eggplant, though -- I came for chicken-fried flank steak. CHICKEN-FRIED STEAK! It was on Dante's online menu, posted right alongside the date we went. When we arrived, however, the menu was a good deal different than the one I had seen. That's lame -- why post a daily menu if it's not accurate? I got teased with chicken-fried steak.
There was instead a flank steak piri piri, and to the credit of the server, she tried to steer me that way ... but I really wasn't in the mood for just any steak, but for CHICKEN-FRIED steak. And after eating two weeks of creole cooking, by the time we ordered dinner at nearly 9 this night, I was just not hungry enough to settle for just steak. So I thought the egglant napoleon -- with smoked tomato sauce, heirloom tomatoes, fresh local basil, local mozzarella, and parmigiano reggiano would be a fresh, simple, layered dish with just a bit of creole kick.
What arrived should have been immediately returned, but I did order it over the server's clear steering away, so I suffered in silence. First, this was no napoleon. The dish was not layered at all, but was instead a large blob of eggplant chunks, grey, lukewarm, and incredibly seedy. So seedy, every bite was crunchy. The smoked tomato sauce wasn't integrated, and the heirloom tomatoes were half-heartedly sauteed, bitter, and set among some flavorless, stiff onions. There were no more than two tablespoons of cheese -- about one of each type -- and these were just sort of embedded in the eggplant. There was zero presentation here, on a dish that everyone knows -- by its very nature -- is supposed to be layered. There was also no basil at all in the dish, as claimed on the menu. Fresh basil should have been featured prominently, considering the menu took the time to note its local origin, and to simply omit it insulted my intelligence. There were instead some fresh snipped chives -- hey, they're green, too! -- which had no business hanging around smoked tomato sauce. Had I made this dish at home, I would have discreetly slid it in the compost bin before anyone could notice my ineptitude.
The molasses spoon bread -- a buttery, sweet corn bread -- was really nice, and my guy's chicken cooked under a brick was wonderful (although I thought the sauce was maybe a little too maple syrupy, he dug it despite having a generally French aversion to too much sweet with savory), and our appetizer of shrimp and grits was well-executed, with creamy, stone ground grits and four sweetly charred whole shrimp.
As a former trade bartender (and current hobbyist bartender) I was interested in checking out Dante's homemade infusions, but the peach-infused old-fashioned was watery and unsweet, and the cucumber gin and juice lacked any sharpness to its citrus component to balance the cucumber.
We had water with our entrees and got the hell out of Dante's Kitchen.
My first New Orleans meal and after four years a foodie in NOLA I still hold Dante's in a high place. The menu is simple as our the dishes, but you will leave satisfied. ASK for two spoon breads and they will give you the recipe. This place destroys so many spots just by having a small well executed menu.
We had a great meal here with a great group of friends. The foundation of the meals greatness had more to do with the service, company and ambiance than food however.
It was our last meal in town and by this time my vegetarian diet was completely in ruins. I ate the collard greens (with sausage). I had better w/o sausage at the Fest. I tried a bite of the "medium rare" pork loin- it was dry- a pity. My fish (almondine) was OK. Others liked their different fish dishes. The molten cake with port ice cream was fabulous. The beer selection sad.
It was refreshing to be served by bright eyed college types in a nice garden atmosphere.
I became and still am obsessed with this place!..
This super colorful and hidden away restaurant is well worth anyone's time. It is not over priced, anything on the menu is brilliant and if you love iced totti's and bloody mary's with brunch you are set.
Experience this place and we all can start of club of loyal worshipers.
They were close here. We first went to Dooky Chase's. Closed. Then all the way over the Jacques-Imo's. Not quite what I had hoped -- that is, self-consciously cajun. And the wait was an hour and a half (Friday night). So, we drove down the street to third option, Dante's Kitchen. We got a table right away. Granted, it was right next to the door, but given the circumstances...
I love converted houses as restaurants. Part of the add-on here didn't quite fit with the remainder of the structure, though. And maybe that's a summary of the whole experience -- it was just not quite there. Good, but not great. Redfish was good. Poached fish, eh. Barbecued shrimp, good. Sauce for dipping bread in, better. Potatoes au gratin, good. Vanilla bean pudding with creole cream cheese, weirdly okay.
The alpha male of foods were the grits. I've always chalked up the champions of grits as sentimentalists, partaking in a pre-modern southern custom as much as eating food. But these grits, oh these were good grits. Kissable grits. They put grits on my radar.
If a place elevates a food type, it deserves four stars, certainly.
Went there last week for dinner. Very interesting and creative menu - I guess you would call it Nouveau Cajun. Food was tasty and good selection of beers and cocktails - always nice to have a Pimm's Cup. Kind of far from the FQ but I would recommend it for a good New Orleans meal.
New Orleans is unique in that restaurants that would be stellar in most cities come off as being okay here. Dante's is one of these restaurants. The menu offers a small, solid sampling of creole-style dishes, many of the ingredients are local, and the setting is comfortable.
I had the shrimp and grits with andouille gravy . This is one of my "last meal" dishes, so I'm insanely particular about it. The flavors were great, the grits were creamy, and the shrimp...were overcooked. My lady-friend ordered the eggs benedict which came served over honey drizzled buttermilk biscuits and a thick cut of ham. Again, the flavors were dynamic and exciting, but the ham was dry and overcooked. The service was congenial but slow and confused. The prices were moderate. We came out of it feeling like Dante's could be great if they would pay more attention to the details and less attention to the image.
I'd actually give it a 4.5 if I could. A smaller restaurant with a great ambiance. Seems to attract a lot of locals due to it's location, but I would definitely recommend trying to this place out (especially if you're a fan of Jacques-Imo's). The staff was very courteous and knowledgeable making the place an overall great experience. The menu is relatively small (BUT delicious), but they change it often so it never really seems to get boring. This is a place I would definitely try again.
Brunch is outstanding - I had a fluffy omelette with delicious melty cheddar, potatoes, and andouille, wife had a shrimp and chorizo salad with a chile lime vinaigrette that really tied the room together, and we got the bread pudding french toast for "dessert" - all 3 were perfect, but the french toast was truly singular. Bloodys were good and spicy and the patio created the perfect relaxing setting. Good music (Bob Marley) and great service topped off an ideal Saturday morning.
Just a few blocks past the end of the St Charles streetcar line, it's great way to start a weekend day and then head over to the Aubudon park and zoo or the garden district. Can't wait to try dinner on our next visit to the big easy.
Great food. Yes the Bar-b-que shrimp hands down wip Pascal Manales. Sorry they did not have it for an entre, only appetizer. The skitp steak was great as well.
While i note comments from other reviewers about small portions, this has never been my experience. Even dining as a gluttonous, obese, out of control mouth-cramming flavor savorer my portions while never causing me to beg fro a doggie bag have never left me asking for more either.
Sounds like some people have fallen prey to nights of bad management with a kitchen spread too thin.
Various local artists hang on the walls of Dante's, for better or worse depending on taste, accompanying a menu that is never better-or-worse, and never fails at filling my hankerings, even if before receiving the menu that hanker is a mysterious vacuum-shaped question-mark.
Grits with duckfat. Oyster stew thick as pudding. Friends stabbing each other over the last bite of spoonbread.
Obviously it's diet food.
sidenote: there is a private room available for parties.
My current favorite restaurant! Emphasizes "localvore" items. Delicious specialty cocktails, as well as a changing seasonal menu. Plus the attire is casual so you don't have to wear your fancy clothes...that won't fit at the end of your yummy meal.
Prior to Katrina, this was *the* place I'd go to for Sunday brunch. They have a HEAVENLY HASH dish that's awesome and the EGGS BENEDICT was fantastic. I don't know if they're open now but if they are, you've got to go.
They have a fantastic sunny patio with all kinds of plants so you feel like you're in someone's backyard. The service is friendly and attentive but you may have to wait a little while if you come primetime for brunch.
Ahhhh.... to be in that patio with a mimosa right now!
I LOVE this place. I have a friend with a house Uptown, and thanks to him I have gotten to know the restaurants and bars along Carrollton and the surrounding neighborhood. Dante's Kitchen has consistently been a great meal. My mother even requested - nay, DEMANDED that we come back here on her second visit to Louisiana. And that was after Katrina - I was so happy to see their doors open. (I know Katrina probably sunk a lot of restaurants in more ways than one).
Love the molasses spoon bread, the shrimp and grits kick ass, and pick any of the entrees - you won't get a bad meal here.
The service is also great and always willing to chat and give recommendations. I hope this place continues to feed New Orleans.
I was just in New Orleans for a conference and someone in our group suggested we go here after she heard about it from a friend.
I was so happy that we took a pleasant and senic cab ride through the Garden District (I think) and saw all of the historical homes, Loyola University-New Orleans, etc.
Apparently the Dante's is a 1800's home. It was very cute and quaint. The staff was very accomodating to our group of 11--explaining the menu, letting us know their favorites and offered excellent service refilling water glasses.
While the menu is small--though I'm not sure if that's because it was a weeknight, it offers traditional Louisiana dishes. The molasses spoon bread that they brought out was delicious and melted in my mouth. I had a pork chop dish that had lyonaise potatoes and some baked apples. It was very tender and juicy. For desert I had the key lime pie that was also good. I did not try them, but one of the women who I was with from Oklahoma had the collared greens and she said they were the best she ever had.
The waitress was so nice and was patient while we all figured out our bills and even called us cabs so we could get back to our hotel safely.
On our way out, the owner walked us out and was very friendly and gracious. Thank you for your hospitality!
Very cute, semi secret location, mostly locals. Very good- but this is Nawlin's ya'll, if it aint slap your momma good, it only gets four stars!
We had a great dining experience at Dante's Kitchen. Its a very small place with a nice (other than some road noise) patio to dine on. The food portions were small but the quality was amazing. Lots of incorporation of local produce and fresh ingredients.
Nice wait staff and great food.
The only reason they're getting 4 stars is because of the small portions.
This place was amazing! It's off the beaten path if you're staying in the french quarter BUT you can take the trolly which was fun. I had the cornbeef and potatoes and my boyfriend had the shrimp grits (which he was making fun of me for raving about until he had them). AND WOW! The shrimp grits was so freaking good I think I cried...because as wonderful as the cornbeef was and as perfectly beautiful as my eggs were poached, his dish was truly divine. Lucky for me, we love to share food so I got my fill of both. Oh...and the spicy bloodys were good too!
I do agree with the other reviews that the Molasses Spoon Bread is very good. The shrimp & grits and barbequed shrimp appetizers are both excellent.
The entrees are all good, but small. One friend had the redfish on the half shell and it was a small portion and came with no sides. The crabmeat that accompanied it must have been 2 bites worth. A total disappointment. I had the tangerine glazed pork loin with goat cheese grits and collard greens. I really enjoyed my meal and the collard greens were delicious. Others we dined with had the gulf fish amandine and citrus rubbed gulf fish. I think they enjoyed thier meals, but the overall impression was the portions were a little small for the prices they charged.
As for the desserts, one guest commented, "Are they dollhouse sized?" They charged around $6+ for teeny, tiny desserts. The molten lava chocolate cake was literally 2 bites of cake with some ice cream on the side. We were shocked because the waitress warned us it would take a little while to prepare since it's served warm, so we expected a nice hearty dessert. Don't bother with dessert at this place and go somewhere else. We're not this giant, obese eaters, but I really felt they overcharged by $5-6 per plate for the portion sizes.
I would probably recommend Dick & Jenny's over this place.
New Orleans, LA
Category: Seafood
New Orleans, LA
Category: Cajun/Creole
New Orleans, LA
Category: Cajun/Creole
New Orleans, LA
Category: American (New)
New Orleans, LA
Category: Cajun/Creole
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