Short Order Reviews

In today's edition of Short Order Reviews, we take a look at a Creole-Italian classic, one of the Marigny's most popular restaurants, and the creator of the New Orleans style steak served sizzling in butter.

Tommy's - Tommy's has always offered impeccable service, and this night was no different. But even though this was a group dinner for about 40 people, I was quite disappointed with the food. Everyone began with a trio of baked oysters, all of which were overcooked (although that is not surprising during simultaneous service for such a large group). The Oysters Tommy was the best by far – baked with romano cheese, roasted red pepper, and pancetta. The Bienvilles and Rockefellers were poor, withered examples of what a baked oyster should be. The salad course was forgettable. For entrees, we had two choices: an overcooked filet or Veal Sorrentina which just looked sad on the plate with its taut blanket of mozzarella protecting a rubbery piece of veal layered with prosciutto and eggplant all sitting in a pool of tepid mushroom marsala. Meanwhile, I filled up on an entire loaf of the complimentary braided sesame loaf on the table. Not a good sign. Bogey.

Sukho Thai - The Marigny location was slammed on a recent Saturday night, and although our appetizers came out quickly, the kitchen was running slow when it came to expediting the entrees, as was the front of the house with regard to getting the check to the table. We decided to break away from our usual orders and try a few new dishes. We started with the "special" dumplings, whose filling tasted identical to that in a classic pot sticker, but the presentation was open faced and upright. Nothing extraordinary about those. The Drunken Noodles were less than impressive, with a cloyingly sweet sauce and a ddisproportionate chicken/noodle to vegetable ratio. The Folk Singer was equally disappointed with her Bathing Rama, which included overcooked beef and a mild, bland peanut sauce. Next time we will stick to Dirty Noodles and Panang Duck Curry. Bogey.

Crescent City Steakhouse - A men's dinner was called to order recently, and what better place to hold court than the steakhouse who invented the signature New Orleans style steak served sizzling in butter. The charm of Crescent City Steakhouse is in its longevity and timelessness. This place has character. From the waitresses who can be heard singing along to the tunes playing from the classic jukebox to Quint Davis waltzing in like he owns the place and then disappearing into one of the curtained booths. Start with the garlic bread and fantastic onion rings, but skip the Crescent City Martini, which leans a little too far on the sweet side. Our table shared a a mammoth porterhouse for 3 which is carved up by the kitchen and left attached to the bone. It's neither the most tender nor the most flavorful cut of beef, but it's good eating. The sides were another story. Spinach au gratin tasted like uncooked flour and the mushrooms were sadly underseasoned. We finished with a Z pie for dessert, of course, a homely combination of vanilla ice cream and whipped cream in a chocolate cookie crust. For those of you who like to say farewell to Mardi Gras with a juicy steak, remember that Crescent City opens at 10:00am on Fat Tuesday. Food: Par. Ambience: Birdie.