tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-625514177505810173.post8597532539321446856..comments2023-10-25T09:00:04.611-07:00Comments on Blackened Out: Restaurant R'antRenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10779979025693551840noreply@blogger.comBlogger21125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-625514177505810173.post-13417131009729929062013-02-24T15:07:56.379-08:002013-02-24T15:07:56.379-08:00We had a similar experience in December. I didn&#...We had a similar experience in December. I didn't post it on Chowhound because I was afraid of getting flamed. They did not have our reservation when we arrived (made about a month ahead and confirmed that day). We stood for several minutes at the hostess stand. Not even a seat at the bar or a drink was offered. The service was confused and inattentive. They did seat us at a table with a cloth but made a point of mentioning it as though we should have been grateful. For a table cloth? The wild rice with the quail was inedible. Wild rice is lovely - but you have to rinse it and you can't serve musty old stuff. The fish napoleon was just sad tan mush. I was ill until 3:00 the next afternoon and no, it was not bottle flu. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-625514177505810173.post-29703531797042722782013-02-22T13:30:46.591-08:002013-02-22T13:30:46.591-08:00we've been several times and enjoyed it. highl...we've been several times and enjoyed it. highlights: crab beignets (you're not supposed to get each of the sauces...pick a couple and enjoy), burrata and caviar, crab stuffed frog legs, the potted meats (a bargain at $5), and the excellent steaks. steak accompaniments menu is awesome. the pastas are good as well. <br /><br />wine list is annoying as is the dessert menu gizmo. weakest point is the service, it's unpolished. definitely a lack of leadership. <br /><br />but we have and do go back. mostly for the apps and steaks. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-625514177505810173.post-61357620211635983992013-02-22T08:51:42.329-08:002013-02-22T08:51:42.329-08:00Gotta agree with craigtrent. The review seemed a ...Gotta agree with craigtrent. The review seemed a bit harsh given some of the criticisms. It felt more like an effort to fill a review with as many puns and include as much wit/sarcasm as possible. Perhaps even too much R'Anting? You are correct in your new found decision that if you don't like the table the restaurant has given you, you should ask to be moved. And why wait for 20 minutes to get a drink? Get up and go speak to the manager. Let them know you have some concerns right away and allow them to fix them. Lastly, I don't see how some tables having cloths and some not is much of a negative. Questionable decorating maybe, but not much of a selling point in condemning a restaurant. I've had two good meals there. Both times the food was very good, and the service was above average. I think with a little more time the service will be able to catch up to the quality of the food. Given the solid effort on the food, the level of the service, and the environment they have created, I would say that R'Evolution is on par with its competitors and worthy of it's prices. Enjoy!Davidnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-625514177505810173.post-1055733351086724552013-02-21T17:43:04.922-08:002013-02-21T17:43:04.922-08:00Sorry to hear you guys had such an awful time. Thi...Sorry to hear you guys had such an awful time. This place seems to be to the Nola restaurant scene what Tim Tebow was to the NFL when the Broncos named him the starter. People on both sides of the "is it worth it?" argument. I have been twice (once dinner last August, once lunch last October) and both times we had very few problems with any of the food. At the dinner there were 9 of us and nobody ordered the same dish so I got to taste many things and I couldn't find a complaint about any of them outside of the chicken under a basket or whatever it's called. The service both times was pretty subpar though. Very clunky and unorganized. Hopefully they can par down their ambitious service and master the basics first before they get into the showy stuff, and also from what I've read from you and others the kitchen could certainly benefit from being more consistent .. and consistently good.Rohan2Reedhttp://www.tigerdroppings.com/rant/b/45/Food-and-Drink-Board.aspxnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-625514177505810173.post-82475004148479446442013-02-20T18:54:43.088-08:002013-02-20T18:54:43.088-08:00Folse's Bittersweet Plantation in Donaldsonvil...Folse's Bittersweet Plantation in Donaldsonville was my favorite special occasion destination in the early 2000s, so when we visited NOLA in early November 2012I had to go. The experience was a letdown, even including my once-favorite "death by gumbo." This restaurant has too much flash and not enough Folse.Sarah Cnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-625514177505810173.post-50046341143709630042013-02-20T17:43:25.099-08:002013-02-20T17:43:25.099-08:00sounds like youre trying way too hard to slam this...sounds like youre trying way too hard to slam this place as dramatically as possible. our group local busines owners, two of us in the restaurant business have dined here three times. each dinner was an absolute delight, served by a very polished, professiional, cordial staff. from the head waiter on down to the busser everyone did their jobs superbly. we have explored the menu enough to have confidence to order anything and know it will be better than good. twice we met mr folse, and once we met mr tramonto. proof positive that these chefs are actually in the kitchen, unlike many of the other star chef eateries. looking forward to visit four! craigtrenthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08347181291541059676noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-625514177505810173.post-61655021360930649552013-02-20T14:29:35.464-08:002013-02-20T14:29:35.464-08:00I wonder if you went to the same restaurant....we ...I wonder if you went to the same restaurant....we were there sunday night and again today for lunch, each time was amazing and wonderful.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-625514177505810173.post-54834475237760961072013-02-19T14:04:32.387-08:002013-02-19T14:04:32.387-08:00Although I didn't have the service nightmare y...Although I didn't have the service nightmare you experienced, I did have some problems with the food. My pasta, though flavorful, was mush and the bread was similar to yours, dry and old. It's a bummer because it's such a beautiful restaurant. Also, I wasn't paying so it didn't hurt as badly ;)Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16602722247166722190noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-625514177505810173.post-41216812302653471912013-02-19T14:03:17.183-08:002013-02-19T14:03:17.183-08:00This comment has been removed by the author.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16602722247166722190noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-625514177505810173.post-2867989435732802902013-02-19T07:15:00.134-08:002013-02-19T07:15:00.134-08:00#1. After 20 minutes with no drink, I am heading ...#1. After 20 minutes with no drink, I am heading out.<br /><br />#2. After looking at a menu and seeing shrimp and grits for 29 bucks, I am immediately heading out the door. I don't care how big the portion is.<br /><br />Seriously, this is why I would just as soon cook at home. Even up here in redneckville, we are seeing restaurants opening with higher prices, and then, somehow, since it's high priced, the public says "hey, it must be awesome". Then, even if they don't think it's awesome, they are scared to say anything due to backlash from "those in the know". I think that is why so many places are going casual with higher end food. That is all.Brian Chttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12271421039972086184noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-625514177505810173.post-20945878231202151052013-02-19T06:07:05.909-08:002013-02-19T06:07:05.909-08:00Never to be one mistaken as the smartest person in...Never to be one mistaken as the smartest person in the room, I'm usually protected by my instinct. Last Fall I was invited to R/E and before my second foot was across the threshold I smelled a big, phony rat. If you tried by get me bitter by giving me a bottle of bourbon and Season 5 of Top Chef on DVD I couldn't have written a better review. In a city where real is valued and phony is shown the door, this joint is about as plastic and soulless and they come.blogglenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-625514177505810173.post-88722352931783361032013-02-19T04:03:18.014-08:002013-02-19T04:03:18.014-08:00Finally! We've had two terrible meals there, o...Finally! We've had two terrible meals there, one in the dining room and one at the bar bar. We went back the second time because we simple could not believe that our experience was typical. I am so sick of every restaurant in New Orleans being lionized just by virtue of their opening. Perhaps now people will stop looking at me like I have antennae when I object to a third visit. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-625514177505810173.post-82124427247054705962013-02-18T20:34:20.681-08:002013-02-18T20:34:20.681-08:00Went there last night for the first time. Had a re...Went there last night for the first time. Had a reasonably good experience, but I could definitely see hints of what others are saying here, plus some things that are just obviously screwy. <br /><br />In the obvious department, the decor is schizo. The place is just not big enough (or segmented enough)to theme each room differently. Antoine's can do this because they're freaking huge and each dining room is its own world; R'evolution, not so much. The inconsistent table clothing only served to further highlight the discord. <br /><br />The other thing that is objectively screwy is the menu. Too big, too disparate, and the layout almost guarantees you will order too much food if you do not tread lightly. <br /><br />Service was good overall, but that's mainly because our headwaiter was on point. The ancillary staff were rough. The kid who brought out our amuse stumbled through his presentation, as did our bread guy. It's almost like they hired a handful of skilled, professional waiters, then hired kids off the street for the rest.<br /><br />The food was fairly good overall. We shared the burrata cheese and caviar app, which was good if pricy. I also had an order of hogshead cheese which was good and inexpensive, though the accompaniments were overkill, especially the random handful of trail mix on the board. For entree, I did the scallops and foie gras, and based on most other scallop dishes' sizes I got a side of artichoke and mirliton au gratin. The wife went the pasta route with the goat cheese tortelli and we added an order of the sizzling oysters appetizer to share. This ended up being too much food because the entrees were larger than expected, though in the case of scallops this may not be so bad. The scallops were cooked exactly right, the foie was a large serving, the truffled white bean puree was tasty without being overwhelming, but the dish was a touch on the salty side, probably due to the bacon vinaigrette. Overall, a nice dish, but filling. The au gratin wasn't bad, but I could only do a couple bites after my entree. It worked well as a leftover this evening, but it wasn't anything special. The wife liked her pasta, but it wasn't very memorable. The oysters were your run of the mill "oysters baked with stuff" dish that everyone does. They were done well, but again, nothing special.<br /><br />We looked at the desert menu, but were too stuffed to go for any. I will say that the LED backlit menus were obnoxious in the extreme. In lieu of desert, we got a jewelry box of bite-size sweets with the check. Neat, but not the first time I've seen that presentation.<br /><br />Overall, we had a good meal, and would probably go back at some point, but I was not blown away. Since blowing people away seems to be the goal of the restaurant, it failed in that regard. The prices are also very high in relation to my enjoyment level. I keep thinking of the epic meal I could've had at Boucherie or Coquette for the same amount of money I spent on just a good meal here. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-625514177505810173.post-60617572332023384212013-02-18T13:49:19.509-08:002013-02-18T13:49:19.509-08:00What you describe is very similar to my own experi...What you describe is very similar to my own experience back in October of 2012. Service was inattentive and amateur, food was lackluster. I've been surprised at the number of positive nods the restaurant has received on the web, I was beginning to think we experienced a very off night. Too many better options in town to bother with a return.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-625514177505810173.post-69238275304428187392013-02-18T13:07:15.137-08:002013-02-18T13:07:15.137-08:00This is great. I never liked the idea of those tw...This is great. I never liked the idea of those two together anyway and it always perplexed me. Saves me the trip, for a few years anyway, and the money I dont really have. thomas cookhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01664982418877303103noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-625514177505810173.post-57221591087980650272013-02-18T10:32:10.626-08:002013-02-18T10:32:10.626-08:00Yes. I think most of the people who claim to have...Yes. I think most of the people who claim to have had great meals there are reluctant and afraid to admit otherwise for fear of looking foolish at having wasted the time and money to go there...especially in light of the alternatives this city has to offer.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-625514177505810173.post-51350163810909761992013-02-18T08:34:05.598-08:002013-02-18T08:34:05.598-08:00Mike,
I edited out a bit about portion sizes, but...Mike,<br /><br />I edited out a bit about portion sizes, but they are comically huge, which I guess sort of maybe justifies Fat Harry's well-placed point about the expense. But not being ablt to finish your entree isn't always a good sign. <br /><br />Kevin,<br /><br />It really makes me wonder if anyone who actually owns the place has sat down and tried to eat a meal there?Renehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10779979025693551840noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-625514177505810173.post-56619227852448513162013-02-18T08:19:49.800-08:002013-02-18T08:19:49.800-08:00I know people who say they've had the meal of ...I know people who say they've had the meal of the year at R'evolution.<br /><br />All I know is that I bellied up to that beautiful bar, which had every liquor under the sun along with tinctures and extracts and a dizzying array of high-end cocktailian ingredients, and asked the barman for a club soda with lime. He not only didn't have any limes cut, but had to go looking for whole limes because no one had stocked the bar with the basics. That summed up my experience there.Kevinhttp://www.kevinallman.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-625514177505810173.post-72631609299994029842013-02-18T07:52:48.022-08:002013-02-18T07:52:48.022-08:00I realize that it is gauche to comment on the pric...I realize that it is gauche to comment on the price, but holy nutbutter is this place expensive.Fat Harrynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-625514177505810173.post-62507796840713481242013-02-18T07:41:43.945-08:002013-02-18T07:41:43.945-08:00And now I'm gutted that I gave a gift certific...And now I'm gutted that I gave a gift certificate to R'evolution as a Christmas present. Note to future self: only give gift certificates to places you have tried...Cade Rouxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17357912126693933968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-625514177505810173.post-70146063514983275132013-02-18T07:33:20.914-08:002013-02-18T07:33:20.914-08:00Completely agree. We didn't order a lot of th...Completely agree. We didn't order a lot of the same things, but had very similar issues. Had cocktails in the bar beforehand, and the cocktail waitress had no idea which liquors were on offer, suggested Bourbon Street-worthy cocktails not befitting a very high-end restaurant, and required us to cash out before moving to our table.<br /><br />Our head waiter was excellent, but the other servers seemed constantly confused, pouring the wrong broths into the gumbos (caught by the head waiter, but took another ten minutes to rectify, while the other dishes sat on the table. Sorry, but in a restaurant of the caliber this one wants to be, all dishes should have gone back and been delivered at the same time.) <br /><br />Food was all good, but nothing was truly excellent. I had the same issue you did with confusion over the kitchen's identity. Did they want to refine classic dishes, or just make classic, rustic dishes and charge more for them? Plus, the course sizes were terribly planned. If you ordered as the menu seemed to suggest, the richness and size of the courses would prevent you from even thinking about finishing.<br /><br />Overall, I just didn't get it. Mikehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18215697172791914914noreply@blogger.com