Those of you frustrated by the perennially long lines at Irene's in the Quarter will be delighted to know that Tommy's -- the creation of Irene's eponymous co-founder -- is more or less exactly the same; it has the same welcome waft of garlic that greets you from a block away and virtually the same menu. But Tommy's has one important difference: It takes reservations. Don't get us wrong, we love Irene's. But this space is less cramped in feel, if quite dark and chatty. (Forget deep conversations -- the noise level is palpable.) And did we mention they take reservations? So you can actually come here and not wait 2 hours before you get to dig into fantastic chicken Rosemarino, chicken marinated in an olive oil, garlic, and rosemary sauce; and duck Tchoupitoulas, which some consider the best duck dish in New Orleans. Both dishes were made famous at Irene's, as is just about the entire menu. The nightly specials are the only real difference we can spot, and even those will seem familiar to those on the New Orleans restaurant scene, because Tommy's chef spent a number of years at Galatoire's and brought along some of their heavy-on-the-béchamel-sauce seafood dishes. Stick to the regular menu, and revel in your ability to do so without having to stand in line.
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