Why anticipation? Because while I’ve been close enough to take these pictures, I’ve never eaten there. And I’d like to.
The queue outside suggested that dining at Commander’s Palace would be memorable. Looking at their online menu, I quite fancy Cypress Smoked Louisiana Cochon de Lait:
Falling off the bone tender pork spiced with dark chilies and Creole seasoning over cayenne-pumpkin purée, fire roasted root vegetables & satsuma lacquer.
Menus sometimes trigger word itch. You know, that feeling you get when you’ve been bitten by a minute flying creature, except, in this case, it’s a word.
For example, I hate to read that any dish is going to be ‘adorned’. By all means adorn everyone else’s, but just sprinkle mine, will ya?
Adorned is regal, biblical. It makes me think of cloth. Lots of cloth. Silken cloth. I always start imagining a marketing person at their desk, straining after a ‘better’ word to make a dish appear more worthy of the price.
In contrast, the Commander’s Palace menu is deftly written. Their handcrafted sorbets are ‘spun daily’ while oysters are ‘presented under a pastry shell’. No need to gild the lily.
While the food isn’t most people’s idea of cheap, a few drinks won’t break the bank:
Our 25¢ Martinis
“Limit three (3) per person ‘cause that’s enough”
~ Available with the purchase of any Entrée ~
Classic • Commander’s • Cosmopolitan • Ray’s Melon
But enough of dreaming. Anticipation has pitfalls. I’m going to have to delay my regular mosey around the other entries in this week’s photo challenge just long enough to find me some food!
Susan Rushton 
Last ate there in the 1970s… it was memorable. 🙂
In a good way, I hope!
Oddly enough, I’ve been thinking of the nonphysical itch recently. I do applaud the way you apply it to the literary menu — surely someone had a great time writing that! I think I’ve been bitten by “satsuma lacquer.”
Satsuma lacquer is a bit of a puzzle, now you mention it.
We spent Christmas in New Orleans a few years ago. Never got to eat at this place. We had several incredible meals there, but I couldn’t tell you the names of any of the places we ate at.
That sounds lovely – I hear the Christmas lights are spectacular.
My most memorable meal in New Orleans so far was a butterfly style pork chop with chocolate sauce a few years ago. I was dubious about ordering it but it turned out to be delicious.
When trying to decide on food for a reception, the caterer suggested ” cocktail franks in jackets” . This turned out to be “pig in blanket” i.e. hotdogs in biscuit. We still like to use the fancy name as a joke.
In England pigs in blankets are cocktail sausages (chipolatas) wrapped up with streaky bacon. I haven’t heard them called franks before.
When I see menus that put that much effort into making the food sound good…well, let’s just say that words often have failed me if I scratched the “word itch” and actually ate what was adorned with high praise. Subtle literary enticements work better for/on me…and the food usually tastes better then also.
I’m always interested in the words being used in small spaces to sell something. It’s an overlooked art. The KLM inflight magazine always has some examples I can’t imagine myself writing. For example, about pince-nez glasses: “put them swiftly on the bridge of your nose without any annoying unfolding” and about a pack of three secret leg purses: “…to match every outfit. The red colour is perfect to wear under white clothes for example”. (Am I missing something here – would white not be better?).
It is indeed an overlooked art…if done well. I think marketing folks who can “squeeze” as much impact out of but a couple well-placed words command the big bucks for that very reason. (White would be optimal in my opinion!)