Commander's Palace

Commander's Palace stands as one of the most celebrated restaurants in the United States, occupying a grand Victorian mansion in New Orleans' Garden District since 1880. The kitchen has launched the careers of some of American cuisine's most influential chefs — Emeril Lagasse, Paul Prudhomme, and Jamie Shannon all helmed its stoves — and today the Brennan family continues to uphold standards of Haute Creole cooking that have earned the restaurant a James Beard Foundation America's Classic award and countless other accolades. Turtle soup, spiked tableside with dry sherry, remains a non-negotiable opener, while Gulf fish preparations change with the season. Pecan-crusted fish with meunière sauce and a legendary bread pudding soufflé that must be ordered fifteen minutes ahead anchor the menu. The dining room spreads across several ornate rooms adorned with turquoise and white décor, polished silverware, and a staff that has mastered the art of attentive formality without stuffiness. A beloved Saturday and Sunday jazz brunch draws both tourists and locals who come for the live music, made-to-order eggs, and the famous twenty-five-cent martinis available at weekday lunch — a tradition that keeps the room lively at midday. Reservations are essential and should be secured two to four weeks in advance for dinner and the jazz brunch; same-day tables occasionally surface via cancellation. A smart-casual dress code is enforced: collared shirts for men, no athletic wear.