No Italian restaurant reaches as far into the back pages of New Orleans Italian cooking than this one does. It cooks the lusty style of food that one would have found in the many Italian cafes in the French Quarter in the opening years of the 1900s. Joe Segreto saw many decades of the evolution to today's styles, and he serves it all. Joe Segreto's take on all the cuisines of Italy is fascinating. Especially among the daily specials, dishes you're not likely to see outside of Italy appear. All this keeps Eleven 79 busy at all hours, with a very loyal bunch of regular customers.
A well-educated student of Italian cooking, Joe Segreto managed some of the best restaurants in New Orleans history (Elmwood Plantation and Broussard's, to name two). In 2000, he settled into the little trattoria on the edge of the Warehouse District in 2000. Chef Anthony DiPiazza had a lot of history with Segreto, and the two of them assembled a phenomenal restaurant. Anthony died in 2004, but his spirit lives in the food, and Segreto guides it along with his taste and knowledge.
The building is much older than you might imagine, dating back to the early 1800s. The lofty height of the ceilings is the giveaway. The front room has a busy bar and a number of tables, which are among the most popular. As you enter, there's a complimentary antipasto bar on a sideboard. A second room has quieter, more intimate tables and the feel of an old library. Mr. Segreto is always there, sharply attired and the perfect host.
Have the pasta as a small introductory course rather than as an entree. Know that it will take longer for the food to come out than you might be accustomed to. The kitchen is too small for the volume they do here, and it's always a little backed up. It's worth waiting for.
| Attitude | 1 |
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| Environment | 1 |
| Hipness | 1 |
| Local Color | 3 |
| Service | 2 |
| Value | 0 |
| Wine | 2 |
