Irene's is somewhat off the regular tourist dining path, and locals would probably prefer to keep it that way, even though they often have to wait upwards of 90 minutes for a table. (A friend of ours was their third customer post-Katrina, and the sight of the place nearly empty was shocking to him!) To many, the French Provincial/Italian food is worth the wait, and you may agree.
Once you enter, you will find a dark, noisy, cluttered tavern, with friendly waiters who seem delighted you came. We were thrilled by soft-shell-crab pasta, an entirely successful Italian/New Orleans hybrid consisting of a whole fried crustacean atop a bed of pasta with a cream sauce of garlic, crawfish, tomatoes, and wads of basil leaves. The panned oysters and grilled shrimp appetizer can be magnificent, and don't forget pollo rosemarino -- five pieces of chicken marinated, partly cooked, marinated again, and then cooked a final time
Cozy, romantic Quarter spot packs in adoring locals with a menu of Italian influences paired with hints of southern France. |
