Will be in NO in August. Which has the better food for the $. Are their prices similar. Also interested in Tujague's for a meal. Any help is appreciated.

If romance is on your agenda I would recommend Sazerec in the fairmont hotel. OUTSTANDING. You can't go to wrong in new orleans when it comes to eating. Commanders is nice and classic new orleans. Some other favorites to look into Mikes on the Avenue (st. charles) and NOLA (emiril's restaraunt but not as pricey or hard to get into as EMERIL'S)

Sorry, Clint, your info is old! Mikes on the Avenue has been closed for years. And NOLA IS as expensive as Emerils these days and just as hard to get into.

I vote for Commander's Palace!!

I love Commander's. The elegant atmosphere & service makes me wish I were rich & could always be treated like this. The food is delicious.If you go ask for reservations in the Garden Room. It is a glass room off the patio & very pretty. I jhave never tried the Upperline.
As for Tujaques, my parents went there in the 50's so it has been around forever. It is an experience to eat there. They have a fixed menu with several courses. I remember my mother telling the story about going there & having the brisket with horseradish. She laid her fork down for a minute & the next thing she knew the waiter had swooped off with her plate. She was really disappointed because she was still enjoying her food. We still laugh about it when we go past there.

Have fun & bring some cool weather & rain when you come!

Arnaud's is better than Commander's Palace.

Keep in mind that Upperline closes for the summer so don't count on eating there, though it is excellent. And Sally, Mikes on the Avenue is no more, it is now Mike Ditka's BUT it has NOT been years since the change. I second the NOLA recommendation and also suggest Susan Spicers restaurant, Bayona. Commanders is overrated and geared to tourists.

Haven't eaten at Upperline, but we had a wonderful anniversary dinner at Commander's Palace. A classic. Quite expensive, though. When we go back, I want to go for brunch on Saturday or Sunday. I hear when you order a Bloody Mary, they bring the bottle of vodka (frozen in a block of ice) to the talbe and mix it right in front of you.

We've eaten at Tujaques twice and had great food and service both times. No menu. The waiter will tell you what they are having that night. And you will love whatever it is! There will be two or three entrees to choose from. Other items, such as the aforementioned beef brisket come with the meal. Shrimp remoulade salad is also wonderful. I think there are 4 courses for dinner and 3 for lunch. Tujaques is much less expensive than Commander's. Also a New Orleans classic. I think it's the second oldest restaurant in the French Quarter.

I felt all the restaurants were over rated. Commanders Palace was very disappointing. Our server was this dour faced lesbian type woman in a man's polyester suit. She did not smile once. Asked for bread and they threw a baguette uncut on the table wrapped in a napkin with nothing under it. My local pizza parlor does more than that!
Nola was horrible. Hostess was rude and obnoxious. The place had lass ambiance that my gas stained garage. My pizza was burned and gumbo tasted like a bottle of soy sauce. Shame on Emeril!
The waitress shoved a dersert menu in front of my face while I was talking to my husband without any prior warning. No 'would you likr to see our desert menu?" or anything. All that forf the priviledge of my paying them 80.00 for 2 for lunch. The Windor court was ok. If you dont mind spending 230.00 per night for a room with windows so filthy with bird crap and dirt that one could barely see out of them or dead bugs left on coffee tables and dusty funiture. This is one of the best places in NO? I would hate to see the worst. Well it was my first and last visit to the most overrated city I have ever experienced.

June, it kinda sounds like you're the type that's never happy.

I was at Commander's Palace yesterday (Memorial Day) and our party of twelve is still talking about how wonderful everything was. I didn't go to NOLA this trip but have stayed at the Windsor Court and it's usually deserving of its great reputation.

I cannot imagine why ones negative experiences posted to an appropriate travel board would cause someone to make personal judgements on a person. I just dont understand that small minded mentality. We have the right to post our experiences without being analyzed.

June, re-read your post. You do sound like a negative ol' crow. Perhaps it was just a bad trip for you all the way around, but look at it from the viewpoint of others, especially when you're talking about hotels and restaurants that are world renowned. I don't doubt your bad experiences but can see why people are skeptical.

JJ that person DOES have the right to write her opinions here. I am glad some are honest. HELLO!!!! Maybe if we had more people like that instead of people accepting mediocrity and spending alot of $$$$$$$$ for it, we might see quality go up and prices go down. I dont get that ignorance.

Andy well put! I agree with June. Many restaurants are totally overrated in NO and stupid people keep paying their ridiculous prices. I live here so I should know. I hope June said something to the servers and left less of a tip. By all means , complain to management!!! Otherwise, the chefs/servers laugh behind your back for thier crummy service and your 20% tip for it!

Gina, what restaurants in NO would you recommend that are reasonably priced with great food and service?

Sue -
I haven't been to Commander's, but did eat at Upperline in December and it was fabulous! One of the best meals we've ever had. I just checked their website and they are closed for vacation this year from 7/23 to 8/9. Hope you'll be in town after that...

The duck is wonderful!

Sue-
I am a local foodie, and my fav restros here are:
*Brightsens (Esplanade Ave) They have an early dinner special Tues-Thurs and Friday lunch, fantastic service
*Peristyle (French Quarter) Unique combinations by an up-and-coming chef, although a little pricey
*The Grill Room (CBD)Pricey, but such a beautiful dining room and fantastic food
*Commanders (Garden District)It is pricey for dinner, but try doing lunch there. The service cannot be beat, and the food is good, too. I have had a couple of not so great experiences there, but I've eaten there probably 50 times in the last 7 years, and they're on the majority of the time.
*The Pelican Club (French Quarter)They also have an early dinner special before 6 pm, and have great food, with really unique Asian influences in some of their dishes.
I've only tried Upperline once and wasn't very impressed, but a lot of my friends love it. You may want to try looking online at Zagats. That's all I can think of off the top of my head, but feel free to email me if you have any other questions.