Cochon

I made a reservation at Cochon approximately two weeks prior to my trip to New Orleans. I had heard great things from a friend who thoroughly enjoyed her dining experience here.

I arrived at the restaurant a few minutes before the reservation, and even on a busy Thursday night, they were able to seat my party immediately.

I found the cocktail menu quite appealing, and I was pleased with the watermelon-tequila concoction served up from the bar.

Now on to the good stuff: the food. My boyfriend and I started with the fried alligator with chili garlic aioli. Did not disappoint. I ordered the Louisiana Cochon with cabbage and turnips. Absolute heaven on a plate. I would go back just to order this entree again. My boyfriend really enjoyed the gulf fish, served fisherman's style. We also ordered the mac n' cheese and smothered green beans on the side. I'm fairly picky when it comes to 'gourmet' mac n' cheese, but this one far exceeded expectations. It paired beautifully with the main dishes. For dessert, we decided on the black bottomed banana cream pie. Absolutely delightful.

I dine out regularly in New York, and I was really looking forward to this meal in New Orleans. It was a show-stopper. The atmosphere was laid-back, but it still felt like a special occasion. Service was outstanding. A wonderful experience from start to finish. Just make a reservation in advance!

third trip to NO and this time it was all about the food and trying places that were NOT Commanders, Emerils, etc. Went here for lunch and had a great time. Pretty, not too busy, service pleasant. Special of the day was PERFECT - chorizo on creamy grits with green, red and poblano peppers' with some excellent sauce. Boucherie plate was great too(Pork rilettes so light!). Salads were good - the pumpkin coulas with the bitter greens was great. Its not cheap but i have been easily spending $100 for 2 since we got here. Have an open mind and remember its called couchon so eat pig.

I went here on a Friday afternoon between lunch and dinner. The place was nearly dead. Our waitress was inattentive, which was strange because she had no other tables to mind. It took her fifteen minutes just to bring us drinks, another 15 minutes to take our food order, another 15 minutes to realize we needed more drinks, and another 15 minutes to bring them. We almost walked out before the food came. The crawfish pie had about 4 crawfish in it. The gumbo was unlike any I've ever come across, very thick with little meat in it. The artichoke stuffed crab was full of shell bits and very dry. I've gotten better cajun food at Semolina's. All the food was incredibly over-salted. The portions are tiny, we left hungry and disappointed. The waitress was handsy, she kept touching everyone in my party when she spoke to them and practically getting on top of them when she picked things up from the table. She kept giving us dirty plates and dishes, not dried food on a plate, wet food she just spilled on it, and she didn't even bother to replace it. The service was so bad we saw a group of five people walk in, and when the hostess who was on the phone ignored the party for five or ten minutes, they just walked out. This place has gotten so much buzz that I guess they see no need to make good food or upscale service.