Sarahritchie17 Coolinary is back in New Orleans for the month of August! If you can tough out the Louisiana summertime heat, I promise you, these menus are worth it.
Here’s a link to the full Coolinary program, but read on for my specific picks and recommendations!
Picks this year
This year we actually forgot to make reservations in advance. (Pro tip: Make reservations for Coolinary 2 weeks in advance or more if you’re eyeing a NOLA classic like Commander’s Palace.) We ended up with limited options for morning-of-bookings, but we were able to find destinations for both lunch and dinner. We’d actually been to both before and loved them; once again they did not disappoint.
Picnic Provisions & Whiskey
Located near Audubon Park on Magazine Street, Picnic is an adorable lunch cafe offering sandwiches, salads, and other lunch bites you might pack for a picnic in the park. The restaurant offers good-sized portions at reasonable prices.
Website: https://nolapicnic.com
Coolinary Menu: https://www.neworleans.com/coolinary/listing/picnic-provisions-%26-whiskey/38530/
Tommy’s Cuisine
As an Italian-food-lover, Tommy’s is one of my favorite restaurants in New Orleans. Their 3-course Coolinary menu is a great deal of some of their best offerings. This year we got fried artichokes to start, followed by a mouthwatering shrimp pasta, and bread pudding to finish. In my humble opinion, this place is an underrated gem, perfect for date nights or celebrations.
Website: https://tommyscuisine.com
Coolinary Menu: https://www.neworleans.com/coolinary/listing/tommys-cuisine/38422/
Classics
Commander’s Palace Restaurant
A gorgeous restaurant in the Garden District, Commander’s Palace is one of the New Orleans classics esteemed in Creole cuisine. We tried it for Coolinary in 2019, and it definitely lived up to the hype.
Court of Two Sisters
I’ve written about Court of Two Sisters before. It’s another one of my favorites for both atmosphere and food. If you’re in the French Quarter, this is the place to go.
The Bower
A newer restaurant in NOLA, the Bower is located on an up and coming part of Magazine Street.
The Mill NOLA
I don’t have pictures from The Mill, but their food is also incredible!
Tony Mandina’s
Another Italian favorite in New Orleans, Tony Mandina’s can be found on the West Bank. I also don’t have pictures of this one.
On my list
- Annunciation Restaurant
- Antoine’s Restaurant
- Brennan’s
- Copper Vine
Something different
Most of the picks above are typical New Orleans food, Southern Comfort food, or Italian (because that’s my fave). If you’re looking for something different, check out Shaya or Cho Thai, both on Magazine Street.
- Shaya – Mediterranean
- Cho Thai
More NOLA favorites
Be sure to check out my other New Orleans posts, including my favorite brunches, recommendations for a weekend in NOLA, and a perfect birthday in NOLA.
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Cheers!
Sarah
