Make A Date With Al Fresco

Now that we have moved past what to me was a most brutal of brutally hot summers, it is wonderful to step outside and want to be there. As the self-proclaimed queen of al Fresco dining, my thoughts turn to great places to dine outside. I don’t know if the word dine really applies to all of these, and certainly not the first one, which is actually my number one favorite.

We brought a dear friend to The Anchor in the evening and she just couldn’t get over how nice it was. We sat at the water’s edge where the breezes from the Tchefuncte River swept over us. Gazing out at the wide bend of the waterway offered scenes of Louisiana life being enjoyed. It was a wonderful way to while away an evening. Her Caesar salad with grilled chicken did not wow her but the setting did. The food is far better than it needs to be here, but the service is inconsistent. Who is in a hurry though, with a scene so pleasant?

The food is much better at Tableau, and much more upscale. Tableau offers an option of outdoor seating, each with a different mood and scene. The frenetic one of the outside balconies gives you a view of either Chartres St. below or St. Peter, or both if you are at the table on the corner.

There is also an indoor courtyard which is a much more subdued experience. The courtyard is beautiful and quiet, far from the madness of the French Quarter street. (And I do mean madness. I once watched a brawl on the street below but at another time a wedding.) The food and service are Brennan quality and this too, is a wonderful way to spend a leisurely dining experience. 

To watch nature and have an urban experience at the same time, head to Donald Link’s excellent Chemin a la Mer. The fifth-floor eatery has a small but ample balcony of about eight tables that overlook the Mississippi River. It is a bit more complicated to be here, i.e. valet, etc., but it is worth it. The food and service are both great and the view of boats on the mighty Mississippi is mesmerizing.

On the Mandeville Lakefront, Pat Gallagher’s Rest-A-While occupies an outsized space in our dining orbit. It’s the place we bring anyone who visits from the Southshore, and they are wowed. The place itself is a masterpiece, with buildings from a 19th-century camp for unwed mothers cobbled together into fabulous indoor/outdoor spaces for dining and drinking. Pat Gallagher is renowned on the Northshore for his three steakhouses and this temple to perfectly done Louisiana seafood, though beef and ribs have a home here too. As the cover photo of Pompano suggests, the food here is much better than it needs to be. It is in the arena of any fine dining experience. The view is just a big bonus, with dogs walking and kites flying and boats on the lake.

My previous waterfront favorite is still very good and a great place to dine al Fresco. The Blue Crab has been packed since the day it arrived on the scene. I remember the owners saying they wanted to channel the old West End with the place. Even though it isn’t on the lake as the West End was, it is located in the marina channel heading to the lake, so there is atmosphere aplenty. And with the large numbers of people enjoying both upstairs and downstairs (which offers a different scene, fast-casual service, a different menu, and live music,) the place rocks. With such fun all around, the food doesn’t have to be good, but it is. They are even still doing house-cut fries, which tell you everything you need to know about any commitment to excellence. A real West End-style stuffed crab here!

Now we move into courtyards and patios that have to make it on their charm. They don’t have natural attractions like lakes or rivers.

Broussard’s has the most beautiful French Quarter courtyard, in my opinion. The place is a rambling old house with stables from over a century ago. These stables have been converted into a cozy part of the restaurant, and that whole back area with several rooms looks out onto a beautiful and serene courtyard. The service is good here and the food is better than all other Creole Cuisine restaurants, which is that it is very good, but just shy of really good. In the case of Broussard’s, that may just be a personal bias. It is still a wonderful and romantic place to have a memorable al Fresco dining experience. 

Brennan’s is the other inside beautiful French Quarter courtyard with exceptional food and service. Their bubbly Happy Hour is a deal. 

Irene’s has a marvelous small courtyard that I’d almost call enchanting. With flowers galore a a smattering of Italian gee-gaw, the mood is a juxtaposition of age from the old building, but freshness with the flowers. Lovely. The food is spectacular here, as it has always been, and the service is good.

Moving outside the French Quarter, Rosedale is a delightful outdoor space. This is a lovely quiet neighborhood, but the building is odd, as are the grounds surrounding it. But Susan Spicer has created an intriguing and very inviting place to dine here. Bordered in the back by a railroad track with a large something sitting on it, The bamboo shrub has grown in enough to solidify a perimeter, and the presence of lanterns romanticizes the whole space. 

Shaya belongs on any list of outdoor dining options. It is a very stylish courtyard that actually reminds me of a space you might find in a Mediterranean village.

Station 6 is one of the most impressive renovations of a decrepit space into a glamorous one. It was necessary to claim outdoor seating for the restaurant to be viable, so they doubled or even tripled the number of seats with smart use of the exterior. The food is less good than one expects, and the service and management are cold.

Allison Vega gets high marks for another renovation, this one at Larder, which resembles a French garden even though it is literally a pea gravel’s throw away from traffic on Veterans Hwy. The place is now owned by BRG, and I hope they leave the outside exactly as it is.

On the Northshore, Keith Young's new patio is a metro-area favorite for us. Beautiful and breezy and fun. And the food is superb.

Honorable mentions are Cafe Amalie, Bayona, Sylvain, and Cane & Table in the Quarter, and to Doris Metropolitan’s sexy little baby courtyard, Saba’s sidewalk space, also Pardo’s in Madisonville for their California-style walled patio with chimney, and the out-front chimney patio at Restaurant des Familles. Vyoone’s in the Warehouse District is nice too.

Any of the places mentioned here can deliver a memorable evening or lunch. Just add people.