Antoine’s Restaurant, 713 Rue St. Louis
A “Jazz” Brunch

Since 1840 world renowned Antoine’s has set the standard that made New Orleans one of the greatest dining centers of the world.

Antoine’s has a selection of 14 dining rooms, each with their own unique history and charm for private parties and events for up to 700 plus guests. This, combined with the excellent French-Creole cuisine, service and atmosphere have combined to create a great dining experience for both locals and tourists. During Mardi Gras, the private dining rooms are filled with revelers. Many of the dining rooms have balconies overlooking the street where guests can sit in comfort and watch the spectacular parades and hoards of masked merrymakers. Weddings and other family celebrations are regular events at Antoines.

In 1948 Francis Parkinson Keys wrote a novel entitled, “Dinner at Antoine’s. In it, she chronicles the splendor of the restaurant. Subsequently, the then owner, Roy Aleintore, was offered large sums of money to open branches of Antoine’s in other cities. He proudly replied, “There can be only one Antoine’s”.

Each Sunday since it reopened following hurricane Katrina, Antoine’s has hosted a traditional “Jazz Brunch” in its main dining room. David and I began our leisurely meal with a mimosa and progressed to the famous Antoine’s Oysters Rockefeller. This unique oyster dish, consisting of three oysters on the half shell was created by Antone’s in 1889 and the recipe has been a family secret ever since. Along with our oysters, we received a souvenir card informing us that we had received the 4,029,910 order of this famous dish.

The list of entrees was endless, including chicken and veal, but we stuck to the more traditional eggs. The eggs Benedict presentation with crabmeat was excellent and we continued to marvel at the abundance of great seafood in New Orleans. If the rather extensive menu confuses you, be sure to ask advice from your waiter. Most wait-staff have been there for years and their excellent service has become part of the Antoine’s tradition.

For dessert, we chose the bread pudding and the pecan pie…both New Orleans specialties that we had encountered on several menus throughout the city. Our waiter recommended that we have the special Antoine’s tea instead of coffee and it was an excellent suggestion.

I have not even mentioned the excellent trio that played a variety of jazz music that was more of a background sound than a performance. The music never interfered with conversation, but was just “there”. It was a welcome accompaniment to the excellent food. Everyone visiting New Orleans should visit Antoine’s. The Sunday Jazz Brunch was terrific and I hope that our next visit will include “Dinner at Antoines”.

contact information: Tel:504-581-4422 or www.antoines.com