My wife and I would like to reserve Sat. or Sun. Brunch next weekend in New Orleans. Any suggestions?

This is how Zagat ranks brunch in New Orleans.
LAFITTE'S LANDING 27
NEW ORLEANS GRILL 27
COMMANDER'S PALACE 26
LA PROVENCE 26
EMERIL'S DELMONICO 25

On this list I've only been to Commander's- which I love. I've read that Lafitte's Landing has a lovely view and I've heard friends say that Delmonicos is very lovely,but pricey. Enjoy.

Tim

The Court of the Two Sisters had a jazz brunch that we enjoyed.

Depends on what you're looking for. If I was doing brunch in New Orleans, I'd be heading to the House of Blues for the Gospel Brunch. I'm sure the food isn't nearly as good as Commander's Palace, but I'd be going for the entertainment. jean

The Veranda, inside the Hotel Intercontinental also has a very nice jazz brunch on Sundays. They do two seatings and the last time we were there, the food was excellent, if you like buffet style brunches.

For those of you who have suggested brunch restaurants, could you post prices, if you know them? I know we can google these places if we need to, but it might be nice to have it on this thread too. Thanks!

I highly recommend the jazz brunch at Commander's Palace. Ask for the patio room, and if the weather is nice you'd enjoy the patio itself. They will accept your request but not guarantee any specific seating. We've been going to CP for over 40 years and absolutely love it. The service is the best anywhere and as a bonus we love the food too!

The Palace Cafe - one of CP's sister properties - also has a great jazz brunch but not the atmosphere. I'd advise against Court of Two Sisters as it's got the reputation of being a tourist trap. By all means go to their courtyard for a cocktail though...it's really pretty!

Sorry I can't remember the prices at either place I've recommended; it's been a few months since we were in New Orleans.

I have to agree with SusanCS. Commander's gets my vote & the garden room is the best. The service pampering & food has always made us feel like millionaires!

I agree that the Court of the 2 Sisters is a tourist trap! The food sits out for a long time and the jazz band often doesn't play for long periods of time. When my husband and I ate there, the band played "Happy Birthday" and that was it for the next 1 1/2 hours.

We have reservations for Jazz Brunch on a Sunday in early July. Will it most likely be too hot to be seated outside in the patio area? I think our reservation is around noon.

Someone mentioned the the garden room. Is this the same area as the patio?
Thanks for your help! Laurie

Also, Landry, if you want to get reservations for Commander's Palace, call soon! I called about a week ago for Sunday Brunch in early July and I was not able to reserve my choice of times. It was filling up fast!

Commanders is definitely the place to go. I still go every time I am in NO (which is quite a lot) because it is such a great atmosphere. The Garden Room is very nice for brunch (it overlooks the Garden).

Pre-entree: Eat as much of the little sliced bread that they give you at the beginning of the meal, because it is very good and once your appetizers are finished it is taken away. For appetizers, get the Turtle Soup (their specialty) or the Soup 1-1-1 (samples of turtle, gumbo and soup of the day).

For Dessert, you have to try the Bread Pudding Souffle. This a delicious course (and I hate bread pudding). Light, rich and delicious. Order one to share along with your chocolate desserts. You won't be dissappointed.

The jazz brunch is just as good as dinner and it is the same food, but better prices and so so beautiful. Although more touristy than in the past, the locals still love the brunch also. Drink a mint julep at the bar before your meal and delight in the way they make it. Slow, carefully and very well.

Although the restaurant will not advertise that you can order from the regular menu at the brunch, you generally can order most of the items off of their regular menu if you just ask the waiter (I like the Veal Tchopotoulous (horribly misspelled), the snapper/redfish with pecans or their panneed veal and pasta). My suggestion is when you first get there is to ask to see that evenings menu and see if there are some items that you are truly head over heels for. Then, after you review the brunch menu, you can request that item specifically from the waiter instead of having him/her have to make it too public what they are doing for you. It has always worked for me in the past. Good eating.

Price I believe is about $35 a person for 4 courses without drinks.

The Garden room - which is considered by some to be the best room - overlooks the garden. However, it's a big room and unless you have one of the few tables at the window, you won't even have a peek at the garden.

The Patio room - which is on the ground floor - is just adjacent to the garden/patio. It's been so rainy recently it's hard to know whether it'll be cool enough to sit outside. Last time we were there I requested the patio room and when we arrived we were given the option of sitting on the patio, which we did.

If it is cool enough (depending upon the time of the year), there is no doubt that sitting in the actual courtyard is THE BEST seat in the house. In summer, you will melt though. The Patio room (which is not always open) is a very nice room also.