Dooky Chase is an institution in New Orleans. When they visit the city, Presidents and dignitaries put it on their schedules. How is it for regular folk just looking for a meal?Service is friendly and personable but a little slow here and there, like getting the menu initially and refills on water. Don't come here if you're on a tight schedule. Shrimp Clemenceau is an unusual dish with potatoes, peas, mushrooms in a light garlic sauce. This was a surprisingly unique formulation for a kitchen known for its more traditional dishes like stewed chicken, shrimp creole, red beans, and fried chicken. For dessert, the bread pudding and peach cobbler (the only two choices, at least at lunch) are both excellent. The atmosphere is bright and colorful with pictures of famous guests alternating with local art on every wall. When the room is full, the conversations get going. Expect the usual New Orleans dining room experience with lively loud talk and the occasional missed word. Special mention for Ms. Chase's "gumbo z'herbs," a dish available only on Good Friday. It's a combination of beet tops, cabbage, romaine, watercress along with mustard, turnip and collard greens plus some smoke sausage and ham. It's delicious and almost pointless to mention here because it's tough to get a table on that day but if you can score one, it's a near-perfect dish.
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