The crabmeat cheesecake is the best and two people can split it as an appetizer. The duck dishes are wonderful and the white-chocolate bread pudding is the only dessert you should consider. Our waiter was kind enough to give me the recipes for the cheesecake and bread pudding, and I ended up ordering the Palace Cafe Cookbook after I got home.

The kitchen is behind a glass wall and you can watch the madness that goes on as this delectable fare is created. Definitely put this one on your list. I've been to NO a couple of dozen times and love to try new restaurants, and this is in my top five.

The wait staff was very friendly and professional. We did not make reservations but it was a Monday night, so I would recommend reservations if going on a Saturday night.

The excellent food and incredible service soon led me to see what was, indeed, obvious. This truly was, as locals referred to it, "Commander's Palace Lite". Since we had eaten a HUGE lunch, the four of us opted for a selection of appetizers, soups and salads for our meal, foregoing a regular entree. This required some maneuvering by the serving staff, who are trained to serve each course at exactly the same time to all members of a party.(How they accomplish this is nothing short of amazing.) We didn't have a traditional order of courses but they handled our whimsy good-naturedly and with a bit of humor.

The food was reminiscent of the wonderful meal we had at Commander's last year; the shrimp remoulade, turtle soup, oyster pan roast, Bleu cheese salad, crabmeat cheesecake (a signature dish), spinach salad, eggplant fingers with marinara sauce, and the finale -- a decadent white chocolate bread pudding.

We shared a bottle of sparkling wine (I didnt note the exact vintage, but a great selection by Dr.Fitzgerald) before heading out (on foot) to the French Quarter for a night of fun!