When wandering into Antoine’s for the first time, don’t be surprised if you experience a range of emotions, from feeling out of place to utter wonder and awe. You might also question your sanity altogether as you look around and consider that you have to have found a portal into the 1800s.
Antoine’s conjures all of these emotions in a first timer. And that’s even before you sit down.
The famed eatery is more than 180 years old and is the oldest continuously running restaurant in America. It first opened in 1840, and the initial sophisticated ambiance with which it first opened remains very much intact.
The ambiance of Antoine’s upon first entering is elegant with its golden chandeliers, light fixtures, and crisp white table clothes. It is also truly classic in style with its high ceilings, tall white columns, grand front dining room, and ornately carved fixtures that decorate the intricate moldings.
Antoine’s also features somewhere north of a dozen themed rooms for private parties. These are adorned in several impressive aesthetics, ranging from downright regal to 20th century meets an almost Southern Gothic style.
Yes, You Can Let Your Hair Down
The tuxedo-clad servers are sure to exude an even-keeled mien and tonality — a style of service left over from bygone days. For guests accustomed to a server in khaki shorts throwing napkins in their face at other eateries, the demeanor of the waiters at Antoine’s may seem daunting or stiff. However, don’t be intimidated. Typically, we think of waitstaff as people who take our orders and bring us food. These servers bring an incredible skill set that most Americans simply never experience.
The waiters not only dress in an impeccably sharp manner, but they have also mastered the art of conversation, have an extensive knowledge of New Orleans history, and some even have a keen mastery of the French language (considering Antoine’s is the originator of French Creole dining). Let your shoulders down and realize that this style of service is a great opportunity to immerse yourself in a dining experience that goes back to the 19th century.
I love Antoine’s because it’s a chance to participate in an elegant type of imbibing that we often only see on Downton Abby. Many might assume that in an elegant place such as Antoine’s that mimosa upon mimosa is frowned upon and everyone must drink tea. Not true…at all! Getting a happy type of tipsy is absolutely encouraged. However, rather than drinking to the blasting sounds of house music by a DJ, you’re serenaded by live orchestral music instead. This is a fun way to experience living luxuriously, as those of privilege might have in the 1800s.
French Creole Cuisine, Perfected
Antoine’s is the birthplace of Oysters Rockefeller. Antoine’s son, Julian (Jules) Alciatore, created the dish on January 10, 1899. Which is my BIRTHDAY minus the 1899 part. In case you’re unfamiliar with the dish, imagine a half-shell oyster with green herbs, butter, and breadcrumbs, baked. Due to the dish tasting so incredibly rich, Julian named the oysters after one of the richest people in the country: John D. Rockefeller.
If you’re into seafood, it goes without saying that these babies need to make their way onto your plate.
I’m about to make a very contentious point with gumbo enthusiasts of Louisiana and the world. Antoine’s has the best gumbo. Hands down, case closed, book shut. It’s a seafood gumbo, and its roux is equal parts creamy, smoky, sweet, and savory. It includes a show-stopper of ingredients including shrimp, jumbo lump crabmeat, okra, trinity, and blue crab. In my opinion the blue crab is the best part and gives the gumbo its sweetness. I need a cup of this every time I visit Antoine’s.
Other favorite dishes of mine are the shrimp and grits, eggs benedict, classic fish amandine, and the Roquefort salad.
For dessert, it’s absolutely vital that your party orders the baked Alaska. Even the most stern of waiter smiles joyfully and with pride as he delivers this dessert to his patrons’ table. How can he not? Everyone’s eyes light up and they gasp in delight when severs haul this baby out!
NOTE: One of the best times to visit Antoine’s is during their weekend jazz brunch.
Lost in History
New Orleans, as far as I can tell, does a stellar job in paying homage to its very storied history. There are people who might see Antoine’s as “stuffy” and “dated.” To hold that opinion, in my mind, means you don’t understand New Orleans. It is a city that upholds and celebrates the good parts of its past.
When a city places such care and emphasis on its history, it allows for famed restaurants like Antoine’s to be not only important, but relevant. Antoine’s is literally some of the best-preserved history of [culinary] America that we have. People who understand this see it, appropriately so, as an institution, not merely a fine dining experience.
Antoine’s is a capsule of not just culinary history, but the city’s history. After several drinks and a filling meal, you’ll see a twinkle…a gleam in your waiter’s eye…a smile that is almost mischievous before he asks if you’ve “seen the museum yet?” At this moment, you’ll become privy to yet another reason why Antoine’s is so incredible.
Mardi Gras Museum
Antoine’s houses a Mardi Gras museum within its confines. Guest receive the green light to wander into the ornately decorated rooms in the back of the restaurant and examine the history and culture. They can gawk at everything from old menus, to photos of world leaders and artists who have eaten at Antoine’s, to Mardi Gras gowns and memorabilia. The experience feels forbidden and sneaky, but it’s totally permissible.
When one has the distinct honor of eating a meal at Antoine’s, you become part of the legacy and history of New Orleans. You are privy to an experience that has been shared with Morgan Freeman, Pope John Paul II, Jimmy Buffet, Whoopi Goldberg, and more. You eat and enjoy company the same way that folks did in the 19th century. Eating at Antoine’s is a paramount experience when visiting New Orleans.
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