Jacques-imo's- a New Orlean's famous restaurant serving up traditional Southern food left me and all of my dining companions far more than satisfied. Laurie, an old college friend of mine saved us a table for eight early. Besides the excellent service, Laurie's boyfriend, Jared was the bartender so we were treated perhaps a tad bit better than the average tourist. The evening began with a full table of complimentary appetizers from Fried Green Tomatoes, Spicy Gulf Shrimp, Alligator Cheesecake, Fried Oysters and Garlic Cornbread. Next came entrees! I quickly learned what the Paneed Rabbit I ordered was- pounded, breaded and fried! And check this out- it came on a bed of pasta with a cream sauce and oysters and tasso pork (similar to prosciutto but thick and chewy). It also came with a side dish! Sweet potatoes and sauteed buttered greens. This was all just my portion mind you. Some other mentionables at the table: Foie Gras Stuffed Quail Wrapped in Bacon, Crispy Potato Coated Fish and more Spicy Shrimp. Sadly- and I mean it, most of us couldn't dent our plates. Everything was so delicious but it was just too much. If all this wasn't enough, we were given blue berry cheesecake, a strawberry and ice cream parfait and a classic creme brulee for dessert. Many many thanks Jacques-imo's!
Paneed Rabbit Over Pasta with Oysters
Even in the wee hours of morning, one can order seafood gumbo. The Charles St. Tavern is open 24 hours a day. After an amazing Eric Lindell concert in the French Quarter, we were starving so we stopped by the Charles St. Tavern for burgers and gumbo. I tried several attempts to grab the rubber crawfish with a metal claw out of the kiddie machine in the corner, for a Charles St. Tavern memory, but no luck. The memories of happy exhaustion and the sweetest Southern waitress ever, is a far greater souvenir.
Ah crawfish! The Louisianna lobster. At one time I worked at a Cajun food restaurant where we served big plates of boiled crawfish. I loved them dipped in clarified butter. I don't know what it is about my love of shellfish. Perhaps these
mud bugs should have a page all their own. We ordered a huge plate of crawfish on our first day at Jazzfest almost immediately and then, a couple hours later- had to come back for more! Sure it's a lot of work to get the little meat out of the tail, but it's so sweet and perfectly seasoned. Plus, you have to suck the head- which does not give you a mouthful of crawfish brains, just sweet and salty, delicious juices with flavors of allspice, bay, crawfish shell and cayanne.
And there is more to come...
Paneed Rabbit Over Pasta with Oysters
Even in the wee hours of morning, one can order seafood gumbo. The Charles St. Tavern is open 24 hours a day. After an amazing Eric Lindell concert in the French Quarter, we were starving so we stopped by the Charles St. Tavern for burgers and gumbo. I tried several attempts to grab the rubber crawfish with a metal claw out of the kiddie machine in the corner, for a Charles St. Tavern memory, but no luck. The memories of happy exhaustion and the sweetest Southern waitress ever, is a far greater souvenir.
Ah crawfish! The Louisianna lobster. At one time I worked at a Cajun food restaurant where we served big plates of boiled crawfish. I loved them dipped in clarified butter. I don't know what it is about my love of shellfish. Perhaps these mud bugs should have a page all their own. We ordered a huge plate of crawfish on our first day at Jazzfest almost immediately and then, a couple hours later- had to come back for more! Sure it's a lot of work to get the little meat out of the tail, but it's so sweet and perfectly seasoned. Plus, you have to suck the head- which does not give you a mouthful of crawfish brains, just sweet and salty, delicious juices with flavors of allspice, bay, crawfish shell and cayanne. 
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