My red beans lunch last Monday came from Landry's Restaurant, on Harrison Avenue in Lakeview. Harrison Avenue has become a "restaurant row" in recent years, with several excellent places in the section of the street in-between Canal Blvd. and the Orleans Ave. canal. Landry's is located next to St. Dominic's Church, on Memphis and Harrison. This Landry's was around before the folks from Houston moved into Jax Brewery. It's a typical neighborhood place, not much on decor, but long on quality. I got there right around noon after having spent the morning at a client in Heritage Plaza, the big office building on Veterans just on the Metairie side of the 17th St. canal. The place was a bit crowded, and I had to wait five or so minutes to get seated. The waitress said this is pretty typical right at lunchtime, so go earlier or later to avoid the rush. Landry's tried for a more lively presentation. The rice was scooped in the middle of the plate, with the beans ladled around the rice rather than covering it. It looked nice when served, but I had to mix everything up. The beans themselves were well-cooked but not creamy. There was no seasoning meat in my plate of beans, so if they used any, it wasn't in a large enough quantity to have an impact on the flavor. I'm sure there's still enough fat and such in the dish that a vegetarian would pass, but if you're looking for a relatively meatless lunch, you could do worse. I had my beans with smoked sausage, of course, which was fried up well and tasty. Bread was a buttered piece of french bread. The service was the highlight of the trip. My waitress was quite cheerful, and made my day. The tab (which included my Barq's) was just over $5, and I left a dollar tip. Between the solid meal, good service, cold Barq's, and interesting reading in Gambit, it was an enjoyable meal.
New Orleans, LA