Palace Café, 605 Canal Street
The Flavor of New Orleans

The Palace Café is an upbeat and lively grand café which caters to locals, tourists and those seeking an upscale venue for special occasions. Although I had not previously heard of this popular landmark eating establishment, it appears that others have, because it was filled almost to capacity, including the outdoor patio, on this weekday evening. We were seated at a table near the window, where our entertainment was the constant parade of locals and tourists passing by on Canal Street. We were even treated to an impromptu parade, complete with police escort, which we were told took place every Thursday evening. It was all very colorful and peaceful and made for interesting conversation during our excellent dinner.

The “starter” list relied heavily on an extensive selection of local seafood. All of the ingredients used at the Palace Café are local and “in-season”. We had our choice of Garlic Crusted Frog Legs, Crabmeat Cheesecake, Oysters, Crab Claws Bordelaise or Barbecued Shrimp. At this point, I was tempted to tell our waiter that I would have “one of each” and skip the rest of the dinner. Instead, I opted for the Crabmeat Cheesecake because I could not imagine what this eclectic concoction would provide. It was an excellent choice and I was not likely to find it anywhere else.

I reluctantly passed on the Turtle Soup and Seafood Gumbo and went on to the equally interesting entrees. There was lots more seafood, but also sweetbreads, duck breast, chicken, steak and pork shank. David and I finally settled on the Grilled Redfish and Crab with cornbread dressing finished with bourbon corn cream and Gulf Seafood Fra Diavlo with Gulf fish, shrimp, crab and oysters in a spicy fennel and tomato sauce. We shared and it is doubtful we could have found better food anywhere in the city.

For dessert, we both chose chocolate in the form of White Chocolate Bread Pudding and White Chocolate Crème Brulee. It was the perfect end to a perfect meal. The service throughout had been excellent. This was our first day in New Orleans, but it was going to be difficult to find better food, service or a more relaxed ambiance.

The Palace Café will also do “take-out” orders, but they must be ordered twenty-four hours in advance. They also have an interesting innovation in their “Temperature Lunch” This lunch special, served on the patio, is priced at the previous day’s high temperature. For the past 16 years this has been a favorite with the locals who often dine here several days each week.