Mandina's

Restaurant Review

Anecdotes & Analysis

For at least two generations of New Orleanians, the joys of restaurant dining were introduced in restaurants a lot like Mandina's. Or at Mandina's itself. Until the gourmet bistro era began in the 1980s, restaurants like this were in every New Orleans neighborhood. By then Mandina's had become not only a rarity but seemed to be every Orleanian's idea of what a neighborhood restaurant should be. Then Katrina came though and reminded us how important restaurants like this are to our cherished dining practices.

Why It's Essential

Mandina's is rivaled only by Pascal's Manale as the archetype of easygoing, Creole-Italian eating out. You can order almost any familiar local dish and get at least a pretty good version of it, from poor boys to trout with fancy sauces. Mandina's has never been entirely consistent and its ingredients could be better. But any remediation of either of those matters would take something away. Low prices and the enormous portions usually take the edge off most dissatisfaction. [caption id="attachment_20652" align="alignnone" width="480"] Chicken Parmigiana.[/caption]

Backstory

Mandina's began in 1898 as a grocery store operated by Sebastian Mandina, a Sicilian immigrant. It evolved into a pool hall and sandwich shop. In 1932 Sebastian's two sons turned the building into a restaurant, with their families living upstairs. Italian food was the mainstay and still is, but since the 1960s Mandina's has been as much Creole as Italian. Hurricane Katrina put five feet of water into the building. Customers persuaded third-generation owner Tommy Mandina to repair the old place instead of building a new one. Waiting for that to be done (it took a year and a half). In the meantime, Mandina's opened two franchises, one in Baton Rouge (now closed) and another in Mandeville. The latter started erratically, but its food has evolved into a pretty good approximation of that on Canal Street.

Dining Room

The layout and look changed with the renovation, but the essential elements are still in place. You enter from the side door into the bar, there to find a bunch of older guys in suits, talking to one another. (They may well still be standing there after you've dined.) The main dining room expanded by eliminating the stark old back room. Windows onto Canal Street are blocked only by the neon signs. A smaller dining room tacked on in the 1990s is pleasant but lacks the soul of the front room. Some of the old waiters are still there, but for the most part the staff is younger and less crotchety.

For Best Results

The best food on any given day will be the either the seafood platters or the home-style specials. To avoid a wait for a table, dine between standard meal hours, or later in the evening. Come with a thirst for a cocktail. Greatest danger at Mandina's: that you will eat an entire loaf of the free garlic bread.