It's not often that I write a post that has nothing to do with the Middle Kingdom. However, I felt the need to highlight one of the places that make my new home of New Orleans such a special city. On the upriver side of Napoleon Avenue sits a true local institution. Pascal Manale's restaurant is the kind of place with wood paneled walls and a well worn bar. One of the few establishments that is equally as welcoming to someone wearing gym shorts as someone in a three piece suit.
New Orleans memorabilia decorates the walls. Several of the posters are from the Super Bowls held at the old Tulane Stadium just a few blocks upriver. Pictures of famous people who have eaten at the restaurant also adorn the walls. Let's just say it's an eclectic group of patrons. Walking around the barroom and seeing on the photos and memorabilia is certainly part of the experience.
The bar does an insane happy hour. Drinks are half price and a dozen oysters will run you around $8. The oyster bar is one of the main attractions of this place. Opposite the real bar is the standing only oyster bar where a shucker stands shucking oysters for the customers. The oyster bar will accommodate about five people, and even that is a squeeze. Make sure the ask the person working the oyster bar where the oysters came from. The bar tender will tell you a number that corresponds to a section on a map of south Louisiana. It's cool to know exactly where the oysters come from, and this adds a cool novelty to the experience.
I would like to recommend something from the menu but I can't. I've never eaten off the menu. According to the internet they have great barbecue shrimp. However, every time I go to this place, the happy hour deal calls my name like a siren, and I end up eating a dozen oysters. If you're ever in New Orleans and looking to eat at a local institution, avoid the hipsters on Magazine Street checkout Pascal Manale's.
New Orleans memorabilia decorates the walls. Several of the posters are from the Super Bowls held at the old Tulane Stadium just a few blocks upriver. Pictures of famous people who have eaten at the restaurant also adorn the walls. Let's just say it's an eclectic group of patrons. Walking around the barroom and seeing on the photos and memorabilia is certainly part of the experience.
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| Photo courtesy of the restaurant's website |
I would like to recommend something from the menu but I can't. I've never eaten off the menu. According to the internet they have great barbecue shrimp. However, every time I go to this place, the happy hour deal calls my name like a siren, and I end up eating a dozen oysters. If you're ever in New Orleans and looking to eat at a local institution, avoid the hipsters on Magazine Street checkout Pascal Manale's.
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