Latest news with #Commander'sPalace
Miami Herald
06-07-2025
- Business
- Miami Herald
‘Black market' dining reservations sell for thousands. States want to stop that
NEW ORLEANS - This isn't just any old list. With tables spread across several distinct dining rooms at the storied Commander's Palace restaurant, managers must calculate precise labor needs and open up the reservation list for just the right number of rooms at the right time for each dinner service. "If I spread the reservations out too much, it feels like you're sitting in church," said operations manager Steve Woodruff. "We have an old saying: Nothing dresses up a dining room like customers." In recent years, emerging third-party online platforms selling hard-to-get dinner reservations have created headaches for popular restaurants like Commander's Palace. New platforms such as Appointment Trader auction off the most desirable tables for hundreds or even thousands of dollars. And unlike other platforms that contract with restaurants, such as OpenTable, the reservation trading apps work outside of a restaurant's control: Anyone can make a reservation (often for free) and sell it for a profit, with the platform taking a commission on the sale. During this year's Super Bowl weekend in New Orleans, one table at a French Quarter restaurant went for more than $2,100. When customers spend that kind of money before the meal, Woodruff said, it heightens expectations and alters a diner's perception of value without restaurants even knowing. He said the apps also can force restaurants to run a service with empty tables if those online platforms don't find buyers - putting the risk on the business, not the customer. "If you resell a concert ticket, you had to risk something to buy the ticket. There's no risk here," he said. The issue is increasingly gaining the attention of state lawmakers. Commander's Palace and the Louisiana Restaurant Association successfully lobbied for a new law banning the resale of reservations without the consent of restaurant operators. Recently, Republican Gov. Jeff Landry signed the bill, which gained unanimous approval in every committee and floor vote. The Louisiana law follows the signing of bills by New York Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul and Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis. A similar measure passed by the Illinois legislature is awaiting action by the governor. California and New Jersey are also eyeing such protections. "I know what it takes for people to build a brand," Republican state Rep. Troy Hebert, who sponsored the Louisiana bill, said in an interview. "I mean, think about it: You're making money off of my brand, and I didn't even know about it." He said online reservation platforms can use automated technology to quickly secure reservations, holding them hostage from other customers. Hebert noted that restaurants can still choose to work with any of the online reservation trading systems. "We're not preventing people from running those types of models," he said. "They just need to get the permission of the establishment. That's it." The new law allows the attorney general to issue platforms a $1,000 daily fine for each restaurant they're selling reservations for without permission. Appointment Trader founder Jonas Frey told Stateline that lawmakers are only hearing from powerful restaurant associations and the reservation platforms they contract with like OpenTable and Resy, which have pushed for these new laws. Frey said restaurants often show no availability online even when they have free tables. "It's one of the reasons why Appointment Trader works so well, because people with the relationship to the restaurant generally get these tables," he said. "We didn't make this problem - the restaurants are doing that." He said the site can actually help restaurants avoid no shows because most trades occur on the day of the reservation. And many restaurants require a credit card for a reservation, meaning a consumer could be charged even if schedules change and they can't use their reservation. "In my mind, it's atrocious: You're liable for something, but then you're not allowed to sell it," he said. Consumers completed 50,000 transactions on the platform last year, he said, with a no-show rate of only 1%. While restaurants have raised concerns about people making lots of reservations to flip a few online, Frey said his site blocks sellers who list too many openings without selling them. So far, these"black market" restaurant reservations have been most problematic in the nation's hottest dining destinations, including Chicago, Las Vegas, Miami, New Orleans and New York City, said Mike Whatley, vice president for state affairs and grassroots advocacy at the National Restaurant Association. "It's the places where there are those reservations that if you aren't logging on right at midnight a month out to get the reservation, you're not getting them, where these challenges have arisen, where you're seeing piracy take place," he said. Whatley added that this wave of state legislation is reminiscent of one that followed the rise of third-party delivery services such as DoorDash. In some cases, delivery platforms posted restaurant menus and sent drivers to pick up orders without permission. "And restaurants were going, 'Hey, why am I on this website? I didn't give authorization for that,'" he said. Whatley said some restaurants have responded to reservation traders by requiring deposits to make reservations, decreasing the likelihood of no-shows. "There's a lot of interest in states where this isn't a problem yet, getting ahead of it and just passing something on a bipartisan basis so that it never becomes a problem down the road," he said. Commander's Palace first learned of these platforms early last year when a customer asked why he couldn't get a table on the restaurant's website but saw one for sale on Appointment Trader. Woodruff said the new law is important because the restaurant and its reservation vendor struggled to tell which reservations came directly from customers and which came from reservation traders. "It didn't feel like we could fight it effectively on our own in house, because it's like a game of Whac-A-Mole," he said. Located among historic mansions and Victorian homes in the city's Garden District, Commander's Palace is more of a campus than a single restaurant. Nicknamed "Big Blue" among the staff for its striking teal paint job, the restaurant sprawls across nearly 12,000 square feet and is known for dishes like turtle soup and gumbo. In business for more than 130 years, Commander's Palace is among the city's most famous spots. Reservations can be difficult or impossible to land, especially between October and May when tourists and conventions fill the Big Easy. Proponents of reservation trading platforms argue they can provide customer flexibility. But Woodruff says it's only those websites that are winning - while consumers and restaurants lose out. In the foyer of the restaurant, Woodruff pulls up a big screen at the podium displaying the tables for every meal service. The restaurant is a must-stop for many tourists, but it's the locals that keep the place running year-round. Wearing a white shirt and black braided leather suspenders, Woodruff scrolls back to the recent Mother's Day brunch service. The screen shows the history of each customer. Some have dined here dozens of times, some more than 110. "These people spend every family special occasion with us," he said. "There's an awful lot of local goodwill that I try and cultivate." ____ Stateline reporter Kevin Hardy can be reached atkhardy@ Copyright (C) 2025, Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Portions copyrighted by the respective providers.
Eater
25-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Eater
Best Dishes Eater Editors Ate in New Orleans This Week
Skip to main content Current eater city: New Orleans Eater editors recently visited New Orleans and ate through a long list of restaurants. We hit the classics, taking full advantage of the 25-cent martinis and turtle soup at Commander's Palace, coffee and beignets at Cafe Du Monde, and French 75s at Arnaud's. And then we hit the new cool kids in town, like Acamaya, Lagniappe Bakehouse, and the Kingsway, among plenty of others. Some dishes left us feeling wowed, while others sent us gasping for air (finishing a muffaletta from Central Grocery is not for beginners). In our first roundup of several more, here are the best dishes we ate around New Orleans in June, 2025. Seafood spot Peche has served the New Orleans community since 2013, and it's thankfully been able to avoid the usual patina of an early aughts restaurant — it still feels fresh today with intriguing specials featuring local seafood and produce. On a visit in June, I couldn't resist a Royal Reds special since these crustaceans rarely make it up to the Carolinas. The dish was a departure from the fried shrimp I'd been eating the rest of the week (not that there's anything wrong with several po'boys on a trip to NOLA). Chef de cuisine Nicole Mills, a native of the Philippines, often incorporates Southeast Asian flavors into her dishes. The special featured Royal Reds poached to an enviable tenderness that I could never recreate at home, ripe mango, thinly-sliced radish, a hit of jalapeño, red onions, mint, peanuts, a fish sauce dressing similar to nuoc cham, fried shallots, and crispy dried shrimp from Kho Market. Imagine crushing through the first layer of tiny crunchy shrimp to reach the succulent Royal Reds, and then plunging into fresh produce, a citrus tang, and more crunch from the nuts. It's a most satisfying bite. I could have stopped there, but I went on to the crab rice and catfish in a chili broth. Basically, you can't go wrong with seafood here. — Erin Perkins, Eater editor, South. I learned a lot about the local fare in New Orleans and the proteins that are so ingrained in the city: turtle soup, delicious boudin, and best of all, rabbit. La Petite Grocery serves an excellent paneed rabbit for lunch with spaetzle, wilted greens, and turnip puree for $38. It is a hearty meal enough to split among two people. The rabbit is crispy, and sings doused with a good zip of acid from capers and lemon (grenobloise sauce). It sits on a creamy turnip puree, which makes the dish luxurious without feeling too heavy. La Petite has an excellent wine list — you can't go wrong with lunch bubbles in Collet Champagne or 2020 Lucien Albrecht cremant d'Alsace rosé with this dish. But here's what sets this lunch apart. You can order a jar of pickles for $10 to accompany the whole meal. Pickled okra, carrots, and cauliflower cut right through that fatty rabbit. It's a jar of joy. — Henna Bakshi, Eater regional editor, South. Crab is my favorite food, so you know a dish is something special when the stuffed crab served on the side isn't the part of the dish I'm most excited about. The dishes at New Orleans' tasting menu-centric Mosquito Supper Club change frequently, so odds are that you may not get the opportunity to experience its stuffed crabs with summer panzanella. But if you can sneak there soon before tomato's fleeting season ends, you'll get the chance to try the most vivid version of the summer bread salad that I've ever had. Brightly acidic tomatoes, crisp cucumber, and crunchy croutons are paired with less-expected additions like butter beans, a hefty scattering of dill, and sesame seeds. A charred scallion vinaigrette, puckery with white balsamic, brings it all together. And yes, there's also stuffed crab on the side, its filling tucked under bright-red blue crab bodies arranged artfully on a platter nearby. Participants at Mosquito Supper Club's communal table share everything family-style — remember to be generous, or you'll be tempted to snag a larger-than-fair portion of that salad for yourself. — Missy Frederick, Eater cities director. All the restaurants with the best dishes Eater editors ate are listed in the Eater app. See More:
Axios
02-04-2025
- Business
- Axios
Michelin is coming: What that means for New Orleans
The Michelin Guide will soon offer its sought-after recommendations for restaurants in the U.S. South, potentially offering stars to New Orleans restaurants, the company announced Wednesday. Why it matters: A Michelin star is one of the restaurant world's top honors, and having one can launch a chef's career into the culinary stratosphere. The latest: Michelin Guide inspectors are already scoping out restaurants in Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. Their experiences will result in an elite group of restaurant selections, which the company will share in a ceremony. It's not yet clear when that will be, the company said in a press release. Catch up quick: The prestigious list of Michelin-starred restaurants began with the advent of car travel, when hungry motorists in France benefited from recommendations for the new places they visited. Go deeper. It first expanded to North America in 2005. Between the lines: It's no guarantee that New Orleans will end up with a restaurant — let alone more than one — with a Michelin star. But the idea of it, a possibility foodies around town have talked about for years, could push the city's restaurants even harder toward greatness. "New Orleans has always been a beacon of culinary excellence, and the arrival of the Michelin Guide brings an exciting opportunity to showcase our city's vibrant food scene on a global scale," says Serigne Mbaye, who worked in Michelin-starred restaurants before opening Dakar NOLA. What they're saying: "Whatever pushes all of us is good for this city and this food scene, and we have this very adoring-of-each-other competition in this town, but that competition is good," says Commander's Palace co-proprietor Ti Martin. "All of this pushes us forward, and that's good for our whole city and region." Yes, but: Upping the ante for the possibility of a Michelin star doesn't necessarily come cheap. Emeril's Restaurant, for example, underwent a multimillion-dollar renovation in recent years and took a turn toward the kind of menu approach that might appeal to Michelin Inspectors. Martin, for one, is glad Commander's Palace recently renovated, too. "But shoot, I wish [our new chairs] had already arrived," she laughed. How it works: Michelin inspectors visit restaurants anonymously and look for five criteria, the company says. Per a press release, they include: quality products the harmony of flavors the mastery of cooking techniques the voice and personality of the chef as reflected in the cuisine consistency between each visit and throughout the menu. Each restaurant is inspected several times a year. The bottom line: "There are so many more great restaurants in New Orleans than in most cities that it's inevitable to leave off a lot of great places," Martin says.
Yahoo
23-03-2025
- Yahoo
Discover 5 of Louisiana's most iconic dishes
Being so uniquely Louisianan, the world-class dishes created in this Southern state are nearly impossible to define simply as American. The cuisine here reflects a varied tapestry of cultures, with the influence of France, Spain, West Africa, the Caribbean, Germany, Italy and Native Americans woven into its distinct recipes. In the west, you have Cajun country, an area populated by Acadians originally from French-speaking Canada. In the north, Southern-style home cooking is the order of the day. Then, there's the Creole influence in the lively city of New Orleans. Wherever you head, many dishes are dominated by a slow-cooked roux, and the 'holy trinity', a mixture of onions, peppers and celery — Louisiana's answer to the mirepoix (a base of diced vegetables). Discover this and much more of the Bayou State's cuisine at its absolute best by sampling five of its standout dishes. Gumbo is Louisiana encapsulated in a single dish, a cultural melting pot in which Gallic, Spanish, Choctaw, West African, Caribbean and Southern culinary traditions collide. The most familiar gumbos are made with seafood as well as chicken and sausage, but, in reality, recipes vary across the state. When it comes to preparing the dish, a few points of contention exist. Some people use tomatoes in their recipe, whereas others consider that sacrilege. Some gumbos are thickened with okra, and others use filé (a spicy herb seasoning). Then, there are chefs who swear by a dark chocolate-coloured roux versus those who favour a lighter colour. Depending on where you're visiting, gumbo may be a dressed-up soup with shrimp, sausage, crab and tomato (like in Creole-influenced New Orleans) or a heartier, gravy-thick stew made with game birds, seafood and certainly no tomato (found in the Cajun Acadiana region). Nobody agrees about the one true way to cook this dish, but every Louisianan will agree that a piping hot bowl of gumbo is one of life's most cherished pleasures. Where to try it: Rachel's Cafe in Lafayette serves up delectable Cajun-style gumbo. In New Orleans, for haute renditions of the dish, head to institutions like Pêche and Commander's Palace. The twangy Deep South cousin to its ancestors, Spanish paella and West African jollof rice, jambalaya is a hearty, comforting combination of thick and creamy rice stewed with meat, seafood and vegetables. It's a dish that's often cooked in massive proportions for celebrations and communal gatherings. Like many of the state's signature foods, views on what constitutes a proper jambalaya depend on where you're from, as there are hundreds of variations, with home cooks liable to voraciously defend their own preferred method. Cajun jambalaya is known for its bold, spicy flavour with no tomatoes. The New Orleans 'red jambalaya', on the other hand, includes tomatoes and is primarily found in and around the city. Almost every iteration, though, will begin with a golden brown roux and the holy trinity, and, for most people, hot sauce is also a necessity. Where to try it: The Jambalaya Shoppe in Baton Rouge serves up solid, spicy Cajun renditions of the dish. There's also Evangeline in New Orleans, Marilynn's Place in Shreveport and Johnson's Boucanière in Lafayette. The UK has the toastie. In Vietnam, it's the bánh mì. In Louisiana, the po' boy reigns supreme. Essentially a sandwich of infinite possibilities, the po' boy is a New Orleans original, created in 1929 by two deli-owning brothers. To feed picketing streetcar workers, the brothers would fill up baguettes with pot-roast scraps. 'Here comes another poor boy', the picketers would say to the chefs when requesting a sandwich. 'Poor boy' was shortened to 'po' boy', and it's stuck ever since. Nowadays, the most popular variations of the sandwich (almost all require a crunchy baguette, lettuce, tomato, pickles and mayo) feature fried shrimp, oysters, roast beef or catfish. There are, of course, more eclectic versions containing alligator, or boudin (a type of sausage), which should also be on your culinary checklist. Where to try it: Olde Tyme Grocery in Lafayette is an old-school, no-frills, counter-service deli dishing out some of the best po' boys around. In New Orleans, both Parkway Bakery and Domicile's Po' Boy are local institutions, the former specialising in a roast beef po' boy and the latter a shrimp variation. They say that Cajun food without crawfish (crayfish) is like French food without butter, and there's arguably no better way to consume the beloved crustacean than in crawfish étouffée (meaning 'smothered' in French). The creamy stew consists of a buttery rich seafood broth, enriched with spicy, cayenne-infused seasonings, the holy trinity and succulent crawfish tails — all of which is served over rice. This dish celebrates the flavours hiding within the state's fruitful waterways. You'll find the best iterations during crawfish season (from February to mid-May) and along the Bayou Country Crawfish Trail. Where to try it: In New Orleans, test out the old-school Cajun kitchen at The Bon Ton Cafe. Or head to Boudreau & Thibodeau's Cajun Cookin', a homely joint in Houma. Monday night in Louisiana means one thing — red beans and rice for dinner. The dish has been a staple across the state for centuries; legend has it that its popularity derives more from necessity than culinary tradition. Historically, Louisianians would cook up a ham on Sunday nights. Monday was typically laundry day, so, amid the washing, home cooks would reuse the ham bone and slow-cook it in red beans along with the holy trinity, cayenne and leftover bits of ham and sausage. The consistency of the resulting red beans is that of a creamy soup (with soft bean chunks), and it's served atop white rice. Today, the beloved comfort food has made its way beyond the back burner at home and into the state's most famous kitchens. Where to try it: This dish is the Monday special at Lil' Dizzys in New Orleans. The beans are simmered all day and you can incorporate smoked sausage, a tender pork chop or Cajun-fried chicken. This paid content article was created for Explore Louisiana. It does not necessarily reflect the views of National Geographic, National Geographic Traveller (UK) or their editorial staffs. To subscribe to National Geographic Traveller (UK) click here. (Available in select countries only).
National Geographic
23-03-2025
- National Geographic
Discover 5 of Louisiana's most iconic dishes
Being so uniquely Louisianan, the world-class dishes created in this Southern state are nearly impossible to define simply as American. The cuisine here reflects a varied tapestry of cultures, with the influence of France, Spain, West Africa, the Caribbean, Germany, Italy and Native Americans woven into its distinct recipes. In the west, you have Cajun country, an area populated by Acadians originally from French-speaking Canada. In the north, Southern-style home cooking is the order of the day. Then, there's the Creole influence in the lively city of New Orleans. Wherever you head, many dishes are dominated by a slow-cooked roux, and the 'holy trinity', a mixture of onions, peppers and celery — Louisiana's answer to the mirepoix (a base of diced vegetables). Discover this and much more of the Bayou State's cuisine at its absolute best by sampling five of its standout dishes. Travel on one of Louisiana's historic red streetcars as you weave between restaurants in New Orleans' French Quarter. Photograph by Explore Louisiana 1. Gumbo Gumbo is Louisiana encapsulated in a single dish, a cultural melting pot in which Gallic, Spanish, Choctaw, West African, Caribbean and Southern culinary traditions collide. The most familiar gumbos are made with seafood as well as chicken and sausage, but, in reality, recipes vary across the state. When it comes to preparing the dish, a few points of contention exist. Some people use tomatoes in their recipe, whereas others consider that sacrilege. Some gumbos are thickened with okra, and others use filé (a spicy herb seasoning). Then, there are chefs who swear by a dark chocolate-coloured roux versus those who favour a lighter colour. Depending on where you're visiting, gumbo may be a dressed-up soup with shrimp, sausage, crab and tomato (like in Creole-influenced New Orleans) or a heartier, gravy-thick stew made with game birds, seafood and certainly no tomato (found in the Cajun Acadiana region). Nobody agrees about the one true way to cook this dish, but every Louisianan will agree that a piping hot bowl of gumbo is one of life's most cherished pleasures. Where to try it: Rachel's Cafe in Lafayette serves up delectable Cajun-style gumbo. In New Orleans, for haute renditions of the dish, head to institutions like Pêche and Commander's Palace. Gumbo is perhaps the state's most iconic dish, with the seafood version one of the most popular varieties. Photograph by Explore Louisiana 2. Jambalaya The twangy Deep South cousin to its ancestors, Spanish paella and West African jollof rice, jambalaya is a hearty, comforting combination of thick and creamy rice stewed with meat, seafood and vegetables. It's a dish that's often cooked in massive proportions for celebrations and communal gatherings. Like many of the state's signature foods, views on what constitutes a proper jambalaya depend on where you're from, as there are hundreds of variations, with home cooks liable to voraciously defend their own preferred method. Cajun jambalaya is known for its bold, spicy flavour with no tomatoes. The New Orleans 'red jambalaya', on the other hand, includes tomatoes and is primarily found in and around the city. Almost every iteration, though, will begin with a golden brown roux and the holy trinity, and, for most people, hot sauce is also a necessity. Where to try it: The Jambalaya Shoppe in Baton Rouge serves up solid, spicy Cajun renditions of the dish. There's also Evangeline in New Orleans, Marilynn's Place in Shreveport and Johnson's Boucanière in Lafayette. Jambalaya is a comforting rice dish combined with fish, meat or vegetables — often compared to a Spanish paella. Photograph by Explore Louisiana 3. Po' boy The UK has the toastie. In Vietnam, it's the bánh mì. In Louisiana, the po' boy reigns supreme. Essentially a sandwich of infinite possibilities, the po' boy is a New Orleans original, created in 1929 by two deli-owning brothers. To feed picketing streetcar workers, the brothers would fill up baguettes with pot-roast scraps. 'Here comes another poor boy', the picketers would say to the chefs when requesting a sandwich. 'Poor boy' was shortened to 'po' boy', and it's stuck ever since. Nowadays, the most popular variations of the sandwich (almost all require a crunchy baguette, lettuce, tomato, pickles and mayo) feature fried shrimp, oysters, roast beef or catfish. There are, of course, more eclectic versions containing alligator, or boudin (a type of sausage), which should also be on your culinary checklist. Where to try it: Olde Tyme Grocery in Lafayette is an old-school, no-frills, counter-service deli dishing out some of the best po' boys around. In New Orleans, both Parkway Bakery and Domicile's Po' Boy are local institutions, the former specialising in a roast beef po' boy and the latter a shrimp variation. 3. Crawfish étouffée They say that Cajun food without crawfish (crayfish) is like French food without butter, and there's arguably no better way to consume the beloved crustacean than in crawfish étouffée (meaning 'smothered' in French). The creamy stew consists of a buttery rich seafood broth, enriched with spicy, cayenne-infused seasonings, the holy trinity and succulent crawfish tails — all of which is served over rice. This dish celebrates the flavours hiding within the state's fruitful waterways. You'll find the best iterations during crawfish season (from February to mid-May) and along the Bayou Country Crawfish Trail. Where to try it: In New Orleans, test out the old-school Cajun kitchen at The Bon Ton Cafe. Or head to Boudreau & Thibodeau's Cajun Cookin', a homely joint in Houma. 4. Red beans and rice Monday night in Louisiana means one thing — red beans and rice for dinner. The dish has been a staple across the state for centuries; legend has it that its popularity derives more from necessity than culinary tradition. Historically, Louisianians would cook up a ham on Sunday nights. Monday was typically laundry day, so, amid the washing, home cooks would reuse the ham bone and slow-cook it in red beans along with the holy trinity, cayenne and leftover bits of ham and sausage. The consistency of the resulting red beans is that of a creamy soup (with soft bean chunks), and it's served atop white rice. Today, the beloved comfort food has made its way beyond the back burner at home and into the state's most famous kitchens. Where to try it: This dish is the Monday special at Lil' Dizzys in New Orleans. The beans are simmered all day and you can incorporate smoked sausage, a tender pork chop or Cajun-fried chicken. Plan your trip Flights are available from London, Manchester and Belfast to Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport. Throughout Louisiana, there are good public transport options, especially in the cities, although hiring a car at the airport is the easiest option for exploring the whole state. For more information, visit This paid content article was created for Explore Louisiana. It does not necessarily reflect the views of National Geographic, National Geographic Traveller (UK) or their editorial staffs. To subscribe to National Geographic Traveller (UK) click here. (Available in select countries only).
