We went a little overboard this year on our coverage of St. Joseph’s Day. I got swept up in the magic of this uniquely New Orleans celebration. After John Blancher from Rock’N’Bowl told me his St. Joseph stories I became obsessed with the custom. We had to cross the lake on the official day to visit one of these altars.
It was the plan to see the big altar at St. Joseph’s on the Westbank and to eat outside at Chemin a la Mer, but just thinking about all this Italian stuff made me want Italian food, even though I really wanted to sit outside.
The issue was settled when I realized we wouldn’t make it to the Westbank in time. Immediately my mind jumped to Irene’s, which Tim McNally told Patty had a great altar. And it has outdoor dining!
We stood in a short line as the opening time approached, the big gates in front still locked. We had no reservation and the plan was to ask if we could just view the altar if there was no table. I asked about outdoors, because this may be the most beautiful courtyard in the Quarter, and one of the finest I’ve seen anywhere.
Irene DiPietro opened Irene’s with Tommy Andrade when the Sazarac closed. It was deep in the Quarter, coincidentally in the same building where Tom’s dad toiled as a bookkeeper. This simple connection made Tom kindly disposed to love Irene’s, but what was everyone else’s reason? Delicious, sensual food. Cozy, sensual environment. Excellent service.
Great prices.
Irene’s was from the start one of the hardest reservations to get in town, and it remains so. Now, with social media, there are a lot more tourists who make their way here, when before it was a neighborhood gem whose name had spread.
They were most welcoming and we got a table outside instantly. It was one of three four-tops, and there were three other large tables for groups. We passed the altar on the way to the patio and it was spectacular. I was overcome with emotion at the care and reverence here. It took up the entire back dining room and was overflowing with the requisite cookies and breads and fish, etc. Statues and candles everywhere. Quite something.
It was good that we arrived when the gates opened because it would not have gone as easily. This place is popular! And rightly so.
The menu was much smaller than the last time we visited, and there was a special Sicilian menu which included the Milanese sauce I have been mocking on the air. Nothing would make me order that, except that I did. I also ordered another appetizer of BBQ shrimp, a half small stuffed artichoke, and involtini of eggplant in Irene’s delicious red sauce.
While we waited for our order the waitress brought two things to the table. One was a version of bruschetta. A slice of bread, not exactly crostini, with a slice of tomato, not chopped tomato, and melted cheese on top. Mozzarella, not Parmesan. This was pretty ordinary, but the other amuse was not. It was a tiny dish of luscious olive oil with chunky vegetables. Clearly a homemade olive salad - or a bottled one I need to buy.
And then our food came. The shrimp were cold but they weren’t supposed to be. The sauce was thick and herbal with fresh sprigs of herbs in a thick sauce. This would have been even better hot, but it was St. Joseph’s Day. To properly enjoy this meal it was necessary to suspend the usual expectations and just enjoy the experience. I asked for some bread for the sauce and a thick dense seeded Italian bread was served warm. Perfect.
The stuffed artichoke was only stuffed in the center and cut. It was tender and slightly charred on the edges, stem intact. Even though there wasn’t a significant garlic presence, the stuffing was perfect otherwise. I loved this and wished I had more.
The best thing on this trio plate surprised me. I am not an eggplant fan but this was really great. Thin strips of eggplant were rolled around ricotta cheese and covered in a delicious red sauce with a discernible Parmesan flavor.
Tom was busy working on the Oysters Irene, which were covered in ‘stuff.” Pancetta, Parmesan cheese, pimiento, and parsley. Six broiled oysters disappeared so quickly I didn’t try one, but I didn’t have the heart to have one anyway. Tom was ecstatic with this, and the shreds of “stuff” were pretty tasty.
Another course from the Sicilan menu was the Milanese sauce, replete with symbolism. It was Irene’s red sauce tossed with the spaghetti, and all the currants, etc. sat on the bottom. I started to leave them there but was so caught up in the taste of it all that I cleaned the plate. I will never diss this Ottoman-inspired dish again.
The smell emanating from inside the restaurant was divine. Roasting meats. It made me look over the menu again. Irene’s food is scrumptious and I had to get more from the regular menu. We ordered a roasted duck dish with raspberry glaze, which came with sweet potato puree and spinach. The duck seemed overcooked and the glaze dried out. The sweet potatoes were perfect, the spinach less so, and overall this was not up to her standards.
She was out on the patio often, welcoming customers and showing the altar, coordinating the blessing and the choir. Not a day to properly judge the food.
But oh, what a delightful experience! The restaurant is exceedingly handsome, with lots of mini rooms that offer intimacy, and a long sweeping bar leading to the spectacular courtyard.
Dr. Tusa plays the piano and the bar is busy and electric, the courtyard quieter but still abuzz with happy customers enjoying a beautiful spring day.
We didn’t get to experience Irene’s food at its best. We will definitely return for that. And we didn’t stay for the blessing and singing because it was getting dark, but this was one of those very, very special dining experiences. A magical night.
I know St. Joseph was smiling down on it all.
