Commander's Palace: The Best Meal She Ever Ate

Sunday, November 30, 2014

Commander's Palace: The Best Meal She Ever Ate

Commander's Palace Restaurant in the Garden District of New Orleans

Friday night we ate dinner at Commander's Palace in the Garden District of New Orleans. It is a highly-rated restaurant known for its famous chefs including Emeril Lagasse. The TV food show where I saw Commander's Palace was Best Sandwich in America with Adam Richman on The Travel Channel.

The service is amazing. Two waiters are assigned to your table. The water glass is never empty, plates arrive at the same time, and you can ask all the questions you like.

We started off with a Sazerac cocktail. (See my photos and recipe of the Sazerac here.)

The dining room at night at Commander's Palace

The patio at night

Gumbo

The gumbo was delicious. It had okra and chicken with a smoky, spicy flavor (but not too spicy).

Pumpkin and crab bisque

The pumpkin and crab bisque was appropriate for Thanksgiving season, and it was delicious.

Lobster truffle risotto at Commander's Palace

My wife had the truffle risotto with lobster. What a treat! We all got to try a bite, and it was spectacular. Fresh lobster, and just the right amount of truffle shavings.

Angus filet with parsnips at Commander's Palace

My daughter had the Angus filet with parsnips. Needless to say, it was grilled to perfection and brought right to the table.

Speckled trout

I had the speckled trout. This is Commander's Palace, so every dish is prepared perfectly and served exactly when it needs to be. No dishes are sitting around getting cold. So this is easily the best trout I've ever had. It's a huge filet, seasoned wonderfully, and very fresh.

Bread pudding soufflé with whiskey cream at Commander's Palace

You need to order the bread pudding with your meal since it takes twenty minutes to prepare. It's really more of a soufflé than a traditional bread pudding. It arrives and your waiter quickly punctures it with a spoonful of whiskey cream, and then ladles more cream into it. It's quite a presentation, although not as exciting as the bananas Foster which was flambeaued at the table next to us. By the time you get to taste the bread pudding, it smells so good and it's just the right temperature. It's gooey, sweet, and delicious. The whiskey cream melts into the soufflé to make this a special bread puddling like none I've had before.

Apple buckle with root beer dessert at Commander's Palace

Another dessert we tried was the apple buckle with root beer sauce and ice cream. Fabulous!

Cookie with port wine jelly and ice cream with salted caramel

Be sure to grab a map on the way out the door. It is a self-guided walking tour of the Garden District, and takes you past many of the historic mansions and homes, and the Lafayette Cemetery.

Commander's Palace also serves a jazz brunch.

My daughter enjoyed her meal so much that as we walked back through the Garden District to our condo, she declared this was the best meal she's ever had! (And she's eaten at restaurants in Paris, San Francisco, New York, and many other fine restaurants.)

What's the nicest meal you ever had? Let me know in the comments!