Fresco. Uptown: 7625 Maple. 504-865-7046.

Written by Tom Fitzmorris October 17, 2010 03:04 in

1 Fleur
Average check per person $15-$25
 BreakfastNo Breakfast SundayNo Breakfast MondayNo Breakfast TuesdayNo Breakfast WednesdayNo Breakfast ThursdayNo Breakfast FridayNo Breakfast Saturday
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Fresco

Uptown 3: Napoleon To Audubon: 7625 Maple. 504-865-7046. Map.
Very Casual.
V MC DS
Website

WHY IT'S NOTEWORTHY
It lives up to its name. Outdoor tables fill the front of the restaurant, and even inside the building the feeling is of being on a patio. That's enough to make it popular among the college crowd, which keeps the place busy, especially in the late evenings. The food is less impressive. Pizza is the specialty, and it's reasonably good, although the crust is too soft for my tastes. The menu goes on to include a great deal of Middle Eastern food, salads, sandwiches, and pasta dishes. The menu is flashy with food and drink specials.

WHAT'S GOOD
My main problem with this place is that much better versions of everything it serves can be found within a block or two. Ciro's makes incompatably better pizza. Better Italian dishes are across the street at Antonio's. Jamila's and Babylon both make much better Middle Eastern eats. It's more about the crowd and the scene. And the late-night hours, which is a premium to the college crowd.

BACKSTORY
Fresco opened in 2002, taking over a space that previously had hosted the Maple Gardens Chinese restaurant. It reopened just two months after the hurricane, and became immensely popular for that.

DINING ROOM
The preferred tables are those on the patio, but even inside it feels like you're outside, somehow. The setting is very casual and the service is performed with no frills.

ESSENTIAL DISHES
Starters
Roasted eggplant dip
Hummus
Mediterranean shrimp (with garlic butter and feta)
Spinach pie
Buffalo chicken wings
Caesar salad
Roasted lamb salad
Greek salad
Entrees
Pizzas to order
Spicy chicken pizza
Shrimp or chicken pesto pizza
Stromboli (turnover pizza)
Baked fusilli pasta with ground beef, marinara, and melted mozzarella
Spaghetti and meat sauce
Fettuccine Alfredo
Spinach and portobello mushroom pasta
Portobello ravioli
Cheese tortellini with ham and broccoli
Shrimp Italiano pasta
Wrap sandwiches
Roast lamb wrap
Philly cheesesteak wrap
Shrimp pesto wrap
Italian feast sandwich

FOR BEST RESULTS
The best food here is the pizza, but suppress the desire to load it up with ingredients. The Middle Eastern appetizers make a good starting point.

OPPORTUNITIES FOR IMPROVEMENT
Nothing I've eaten here couldn't have been made with more care and better ingredients. It's not terrible, but its not good enough to grab me.

FACTORS OTHER THAN FOOD
Up to three points, positive or negative, for these characteristics. Absence of points denotes average performance in the matter.

  • Dining Environment
  • Consistency -1
  • Service-1
  • Value +1
  • Attitude
  • Wine & Bar
  • Hipness +1
  • Local Color +1

 

SPECIAL ATTRIBUTES
  • Courtyard or deck dining
  • Open Sunday lunch and dinner
  • Open Monday lunch and dinner
  • Open after midnight
  • Open all afternoon
  • Unusually large servings
  • Quick, good meal
  • Good for children
  • Easy, nearby parking
  • No reservations