Frommer's Review
The much-beloved Commander's is perhaps the symbol of the New Orleans dining scene, and for good reason. The building has been a restaurant for a century, it's at the top (more or less) of the multi-branched Brennan family restaurant tree, and its chefs have gone on to their own fame and household-name status (Prudhomme and Emeril ring any bells?), plus they train and produce their own outstanding locals, so the tradition keeps going. The many months it spent shuttered -- part of the roof was lost and rain water got in, requiring a pretty much stripped-to-the-studs renovation inside and out -- were a frustrating symbol of the pace of city recovery in general.
But now it's back, gleaming on the outside, and amusing on the inside with new, endearingly subtly eccentric decor. (Check out the hand-embroidered wallpaper in the entry hall, the display of painted and wooden local birds in the main dining room, and the excellent chandeliers.) Such a relief. Service, once the gold standard for the city, may, as with every other establishment, remain a bit spotty in these trying staffing times, but it should never be less than eager. The current menu reflects the work Chef Tory McPhail did during his months off. Favorites like the pecan-crusted gulf fish, and the tasso shrimp in pepper jelly appetizer remain, but new dishes reveal all sorts of culinary fun going on in the kitchen. A standout appetizer is the molasses and black pepper cured pork belly. It's slow cooked over a couple of days and it falls apart at the touch, releasing a waft of brandy-black truffle and goat cheese grits, a smell so luscious it can make one weak in the knees. Chef Tory makes a daily gumbo of relatively unexpected ingredients that might convince even a committed Cajun cook to reconsider his own traditions. "Veal-Platte" is the amusingly named (it's a pun on a Cajun town) seared veal tenderloin covered in cracklins, while the seared duck breast (with mushrooms and shallots, a morel duck fond, and spicy honey) caused more than a few superlatives to be uttered. The three-course complete dinner (appetizer, entree, dessert) for no more than $39 remains a very good deal. The dessert menu is undergoing modifications as new creations are added. We remain torn among such choices as the bread pudding soufflé your waiter will (justly) press upon you, the seasonal strawberry shortcake, the signature crème brûlée, and the Creole cream cheesecake.
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