Bruschetta Alla Romana: Irene's Cuisine

We went to Irene's on a Monday night. We had originally intended to go to a bar down the street that was rumored to have the best jambalaya in New Orleans. We stopped in and the kitchen was closed for remodeling.

We had passed Irene's Cuisine on the way and it looked cute, so we headed back. We were reading the menu outside when the door opened and this cute older woman waved us in without saying a word. We followed her and she led us to a table in the back of a dining room. I counted three dining rooms. We were seated in the room in the middle room. It's an old house and each dining room is about the same size holding eight to ten tables of varying sizes. The tables are very close together and it was cozy, but not cramped. It was also quite pleasant for conversation, not loud at all. There is even a piano bar in the back.

Since we were seated and what we had briefly viewed of the menu had looked good, we decided to stay. It was the best decision as it was our best meal in New Orleans and one of our top meals EVER!

When we sat, we were brought some bruschetta right away without ordering it. The wine list included a huge selection of Italian reds, which made me very happy. I don't remember which wine I ordered, but it was great. Our waitress was very friendly and knowledgeable about the menu. She answered all our questions and made some great recommendations.

The food is Italian, but with a slight Creole edge, if that is possible. We started with the Calamari. It was cooked perfectly, lightly breaded and tossed with roasted almonds, garlic and lime. A small salad came with the meal. For the main course, we both chose the San Francisco. A blend of mussels, clams, shrimp, drummer fish and scallops in a wonderful tomato-based broth over homemade lasagna noodles. The seafood was outstanding and the lasagna noodles were so tender and flavorful. We finished with Banana Bread pudding which was served with whipped cream and a wedge of banana.