Restaurant Reviews Part V (Mother's, Commander's Palace, Shogun)

1) Mother's Restaurant (Downtown)
Stats: Genre - New Orleans/Po-boys, Price - $-$$, Ranking - 3 stars

Mother's Restaurant is a New Orleans institution, serving po-boys and homestyle New Orleans cuisine for generations. The atmosphere is very laid back, and you'll find the restaurant home to businesspeople and tourists alike. Once you enter the restaurant, you will be handed a menu and ushered to the counter to order. It's no frills service, but you can tell the atmosphere is rich in history. The restaurant is actually larger than it looks, and there is a large dining room towards the side. The trick is to arrive early. The lunchtime crowd settles in around 11:45am, so unless you want to wait outside in line and hazard the conditions, arrive between 11 and 11:30.

As for the food, the po-boys are a sure bet, especially the roast beef and debris. During my latest outing, the po-boys were good, BUT certainly not the best po-boys I've ever eaten in the city, by any stretch. I like how they offer grilled alternatives, instead of the ubiquitous fried food. My grilled shrimp po-boy consisted of a heaping of flavored, grilled shrimp on a bed of cabbage on french bread. It was good, but I felt something was missing; perhaps, more fixins' aside from just cabbage. I just couldn't put my finger on it. For breakfast (or any time for that matter), the omelettes are great. The crawfish omelette is fabulous and comes with grits and a biscuit.

Parking can be a hassle, since the restaurant is located on a busy downtown street (Poydras), but there is street parking and a pay lot nearby. If you go early enough, you might be lucky to find a spot (or two!) right outside the front door, which I have down on occasion.

2) Commander's Palace (Garden District)
Stats: Genre - Creole/Fine Dining, Price - $$$-$$$$, Ranking - 3.5 stars

Commander's Palace is arguably the grand dame of New Orleans cuisine. One of the most famous restaurants under the Brennan family (proprietors of some of the best restaurants in the city), Commander's has developed a reputation over the years as a status symbol, a place to see and be seen in, whether for a business meeting, family brunch, or romantic dinner. Therefore, the majority of what you pay goes toward maintaining the status quo.

The restaurant is split into several rooms, including a courtyard patio, replete with fountains. On my latest outing, a had lunch in the patio room. What I like about Commander's is that they offer prix fix lunches and dinners, along with lunch specials, which include appetizer, entree and dessert. For lunch, they offer 25 cent martinis too (which my friends loved!). The food itself is good, not great. As I mentioned above, you pay for the ambience. I had a grilled flounder on top of a bed of beans and lentils. Unfortunately, the fish was bland, and I was hoping for the sauce to stand out, which it didn't. Thankfully, a little Tabasco spiced things up.

Dessert is the best thing at Commander's Palace. The Creole bread pudding souffle is to die for! Light and fluffy, I could seriously eat one every day. The pecan pie a la mode was also tasty, but the bread pudding souffle is NOT TO BE MISSED!

Unfortunately, the service has gotten slack in recent times. In fact, I had to flag down other members of the waitstaff for my Tabasco as well as the bill. For the amount you are paying and the reputation of the restaurant, I expect service to be crisper and more attentive.

Parking is not a problem. The restaurant has complimentary valet. Plus, there is usually enough street parking.

3) Shogun (Metairie)
Stats: Genre - Japanese, Price - $$-$$$, Ranking - 2.5 star

Shogun is one of the few Japanese restaurants in the New Orleans area where patrons can choose between a normal sit down dinner and a hibachi dinner. Unfortunately, the restaurant does not take reservations, even for large groups, so be prepared to wait a while, especially on peak nights. I ran into this problem most recently when I was out on a birthday dinner with a big group of friends. We originally waited for the hibachi, but after an hour of a two hour wait!, we decided to opt for the table. The prices at Shogun are fairly reasonable for a Japanese restaurant dinner. I ordered the Chirashi dinner, which was under $15. Though the amount of food is not large, it was still filling. In fact, most entrees we ordered were around $20. The food itself is decent, not the best Japanese food in the area, but not the worst either. The hibachi is definitely the way to go if you decide to eat at Shogun. There are much better Japanese restaurants in the area, but few with hibachi tables. Parking is not a problem, as there are lots in front and in back of the restaurant.