Jazz Brunch to Jazz at Night

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Today started the same as all days. I get up go down to the lobby and buy the morning coffee. For a Waldorf it is pretty amazing that they don’t have coffee service in the room, so daily coffee is an unplanned expense. At least it isn’t Starbucks. Not a great deal on the agenda for today, brunch some more antiques and ending the day with a Jazz club.

Commander’s Palace

Since it is Sunday that must mean Brunch. Our brunch choice was Commander’s Palace in the heart of the Garden District and across from Lafayette Cemetery. This is one of several restaurants owned by the Brennan family of New Orleans. I had brunch here over 20 years ago and it was very good, so am looking forward to the repeat trip.

We took the street car to Washington Street then walked the two blocks to Commander’s Palace. We were about 20 minutes early, again the street car is not the most dependable form of transportation so you never know if you’re going to be early or late. We checked in and then escorted to the bar to wait for our table. The trip to the bar, might have been my favorite part of the day. To get to the bar, you have to walk through the kitchen. It was huge and for such a large restaurant the kitchen staff was extremely laid back and clam. Camera wasn’t out so didn’t get a picture of it.

(brief aside, pictures are not turning out as good as we like, our digital camera appears to be on its last legs, this is the reason for only one dinner picture last night)

We waited in the bar for about 15 minutes, had a mimosa and people watched. Always such a mix of people. From the hipster to the well-dressed retired set and everything in between. This is the third restaurant we have eaten at with an alleged dress code, jackets for men, etc. Would be nice if they enforced. Ripped jeans and skirts way to short is not my idea of upscale business dress, unless you’re a hooker or hipster tech guy. Anyway, I digress. When it was time to be seated we were show to a great table in the main floor dining room along the wall, so we had a view of everything that was going on in the room. This was also a Jazz brunch so there was a wondering band of musicians roaming the room. Don’t make eye contact or you get a table side serenade and a tip is expected. But if you are two men they aren’t going to come to your table anyway. Ah, homophobia in the South.

Bruch is a three-course affair, starter, main and dessert. Jerry switched from Mimosa to a bloody Mary, with a Cajun/creole spice on the lip of the glass. I switched to a Saint 75. Tanqueray, St. Germaine and sparkling wine, with a hint of basil. I started with a Commander Salad and Jerry had an heirloom tomato salad with pesto. Both were very good. My salad was mixed greens, bacon, a blond ceaser type dressing and pressed egg (let’s call it what they are, diced boiled egg, there was not pressed about it.) Jerry’s salad was plated very nice and the tomatoes very flavorful.

Food Aside. Every restaurant and I mean every, we have eaten at serves the same French bread. It is really good, if not slightly addictive. It is the same bread used to make po boys, not that we have had one yet. The bread is good, but no offense to our server, it is not a French baguette.

This was the rare occasion when we both ordered the same main dish. Usually we always order every course different to insure we get to taste a broad range of the offerings, but the entrée here was just too good so we both had to have it. Cochon Benedict. Basically, a pulled pork eggs benedict. Instead of an English muffin it was over a light buttermilk biscuit. The pork was cooked to perfection and oh so moist. In addition to the hollandaise, there was also a mushroom sauce on the bottom and the poached eggs were perfection. It was one of the best takes on a benedict we have ever had.

The meal ended with Bread Pudding Soufflé for me and apple cobbler for Jerry. What made my dessert was the Whiskey sauce and what made Jerry’s was the brown butter ice cream. Brunch was a very relaxing and enjoyable occasion, even the little munchkin next to us was perfect behaved. But I do have news for the mother, “Blanche not everyone loves babies.” Nor do we think they are the best thing since sliced bread. If they are well behaved, as this little boy was, then great, but so many parents today are raising their kids to grow up with more of a since of entitlement than they have. The World is doomed.

After brunch we took the street car back to the hotel, changed clothes and spent the rest of the day roaming the French Quarter, the far eastern side and down the part of Royal we had not yet seen. This part of the quarter was mostly residential. As we made our way back to the hotel to relax, we decided to walk bourbon street. Even on a Sunday it is just a horrid place. People were drunk, the entitled 20 somethings more obnoxious and the street is just filthy, there really is just nothing appealing about the street. Yes, there are a few historic bars and restaurants, but for the most part it is just worse than Time Square pre- 80’s.

Safe back in the room, it was quality time with Tarragon a bit of wine and getting ready for our Jazz evening.

We had pre-booked tickets for a show at the Jazz Playhouse in the Royal Sonesta (yes, it is on Bourbon Street, but you wouldn’t know it once you got inside, well except for a few of the shithead quests.) We had front row seats, which was good and bad, good because we had an up-close view for the headliner a woman by the name of Germaine Bazzle (known for her scat); bad because we were right next to the drummer.

Since we had a fairly large brunch we just ordered a few small plates at the show. All of which were very good: Crab Cake, Shrimp Remoulade (over fried green tomato) and Crawfish Cheesecake. The crawfish needs a bit of an explanation, it was not cheesecake but more like a quiche. It was incredibly good. The crawfish stood out and the cheese held it together so well. The sauce that went with it was equally as outstanding.

The show was very good, the drummer a little loud for me, but then I don’t like drums that much. He also reminded me of Gilda Radner, I kept waiting for Loraine Newman to appear and a SNL skit to unfold.

The headline was just what we were looking for, she did a nice range of music, Cole Porter, Duke Ellington, etc. We stayed for two sets, because I am not sure we could stay awake for a third set and the entitled jerks behind us were just way to loud. I came to hear music not about their day.

Thus ended our day of Jazz. Very relaxing and enjoyable.



Up next Garden District Walking Tour.

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Photos

Bread Pudding Souffle
Brunch

Apple Cobbler/Brown butter ice cream
Brunch

Bar looking into Kitchen
Commander's Palace

The Dining Room
Commander's Palace

Crab Cakes
Jazz Playhouse