For almost eight decades Brennan’s has sated soul and stomach for locals and visitors alike in New Orleans.
Located in a rambling flamingo-hued building wrapped around a charming central courtyard, the bright interior and feels like sitting in a garden room at Versailles.
Large art depicts whimsical vintage Alice in Wonderland-esque pastel painting framed in lattice against a spring green wall.
Large windows separating the courtyard allows natural light to flood the space.
The menu is both classic New Orleans, and classic old school restaruant. The eats and drinks here are timeless, and exploring the options is like having a meal that is still relevant today, but provides a touchstone to yesterday.
Not surprising, the hospitality at this Brennan family-owned gem extends from the moment you walk in the door though the entire meal. Service is excellent, and should be the standard for restaurants today.
On January 30, 2024, we dined at brunch and started with a Bloody Bull, a heady drink crafted from housemade Bloody Mary mix, beef bouillon and vodka. A skewer of olive, pickled green bean, and pickled okra adorned the beverage.
This was a wonderful cocktail, with a gorgeous depth and savoriness brought on from the beef bouillon.
Some of the best Turtle Soup I’ve ever had started the meal. At Brennan’s, the soup is 100 percent turtle meat, with no other meats added like you may see elsewhere – if you can even find it on menus elsewhere.
Rich and complex, with just a hint of heat, the soup was completely satisfying, made even better with a splash of aged sherry atop, much like is done with She Crab Soup.
Following the soup, we enjoyed the Endive & Chicory Salad, which was crisp and light and refreshing. The bitter endive and chicory greens added crunch as well as contrast to the pressed pears and grapefruit segments. Although the menu did not reference grapefruit, it appears to have been a substitute for medjool dates which was written; it was a fine swap.
A bright, sassy oregano vinaigrette dressed the salad, and additional texture came from chopped pistachio nuts.
Two entrees were shared, including Eggs Sardou.
Here two thick artichoke hearts are breaded and fried crispy, providing the perfect platform for beautifully poached eggs. The artichoke and eggs sat on a bed or decadent, rich creamed parmesan spinach, and topped with a generous drizzle of Choron Sauce.
Choron Sauce is a take on Bearnaise sauce, one of the subsets of the mother sauce, hollandaise. It is made with butter, egg yolk, white wine vinegar, shallot, black pepper, and tarragon.
Tomato paste comes to the Bearnaise party to create Choron Sauce. It is thick and decadent, and beautiful with the Eggs Sardou.
Also ordered was Shrimp Creole.
Lovely buttermilk and scallion pancakes were the topping for were the platform for sunny-side-up eggs and tender shrimp swimming in a robust Creole tomato sauce.
The pancakes were wonderful; light and fluffy with the tartness of the buttermilk offset with the slight sharpness of the scallion. Perfectly fried eggs sat on top, their orangey-golden yolks rising high above the whites, slightly shimmering and waiting to be burst and flood the plate with flavor.
It all worked with the ribbon os Creole sauce which ran down the center of the pancakes, full of flavor, with just the right hint of heat. The chunky tomato sauce bathed the shrimp, accenting their natural sweetness.
With the entrees, we paired lovely, crisp 2022 Hubert Brochard Sauvignon Blanc. It was a gorgeous, refreshing wine, and the acidity cut through the richness of the Eggs Sardou and Shrimp Creole.
Like many other good things to eat, necessity was the mother of invention when, in a flash, a new dessert had to be created for special guests in 1951. Working with what was available, Brennan’s came up with the well-noted Bananas Foster.
This is more than a dessert, however.
A server came to you table side, pushing a lacquered black cart emblazon with the Brennan’s name on the side in gold. It unfolds and ingredients are laid out: bananas sliced in half lengthwise, rich butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon among them.
The butter is heated in a skillet atop the portable burner, bubbling away with the seasonings added. Bananas come in, and turn soft, taking on the pan flavors and then rum is added before the skillet slightly nods toward the flame, and it becomes alive with fire, heating the dish.
While hot, it is spooned over premium vanilla ice cream, with everything melting and coming together to create an impossibly decadent dish.
What’s better with a rich dessert? A rich dessert cocktail.
With a nod to a time when white-gloved ladies gathered and lunched, we ordered the Pink Squirrel.
Here Creme de Noeux, Creme de Cacao, and heavy cream are shaken with ice until well blended and chilled, then poured into a dainty glass. The pink hue sets the tone, and delivers with full bodied flavors of the red-hued, almond-flavored creme liquor and the chocolate-flavored liqueur.
There is an old fashioned flavor to this, reminiscent of the cherry component of spumoni ice cream.
We dined for our honeymoon, and the restaruant provided to us two lovely flutes of a rose’ sparking wine. We also sampled housemade cotton candy, typically reserved for birthday celebrations.
Of all the staff we encountered during our visit, servers Chalaine and Stephen were outstanding.
Brennan’s is at 417 Royal St., New Orleans. Call 504-525-9711 or visit www.BrennansNewOrleans.com
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