600 Carondelet Street
New Orleans, LA 70130
New Orleans, LA 70130
My wife and I had dinner at Josephine Estelle, the restaurant located inside the Ace Hotel in New Orleans. We started the evening at Gallier Hall for the unveiling of the renovated Ty Tracy Theatre, and the Ace Hotel is in walking distance so no great thougth went into the selection. We had a babysitter so we got the most out of that by going out to dinner for my wife's birthday 2 days early.
We started at the bar with some friends. We each had a glass of white wine, but our friends did praise the cocktails. The bar has a cool vibe, and the bartenders were attentive and friendly. Walking around the lobby, there are many interesting nooks where one could sit and relax with a drink, or hang out with a big group of friends. I'll definitely be back to enjoy that one day.
The hostess was very accommodating. We had a reservation for 8:30, but we wanted to chat with our friends at the bar a little longer, and she had no problem seating us at 9:00. It's nice to go to a place with a relaxed, hip vibe where everyone wears black and the decor is metal and velvet, and the staff is still friendly. Nice to go where nice is chic.
At dinner, we split a bottle of Pinot Noir, and shared two appetizers, a pasta, and a main. The tuna appetizer was delicious. We also had an asparagus joint that was battered and fried. It was good, but nothing special. However, the scallops and the crawfish pasta were fantastic. I'm pretty picky when it comes to scallops. They have to be cooked just right, and these were perfect.
The price was very moderate. We would have had dinner for well under $100 if we didn't order the $90 bottle of wine.
I recommend Josephine Estelle if you're looking for a more casual, yet still hip restaurant experience. The two chefs who started this venture are James Beard Award nominated Andy Ticer and Michael Hudman. For more on them and the story of the restaurant, visit the Josephine Estelle web site.
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