Reviews
Zagat’s (2007)
| Food | Decor | Service | Cost |
| 27 | 21 | 24 | $37 |
Following what many call a “seamless” change of owners post-Katrina, this clapboard-cottage bistro on a “working-class” Uptown block remains “beloved” by locals thanks to “sumptuous”, “soulful” Creole-French “comfort food” that “reflects the seasons” and comes at “very reasonable prices”; with the same “friendly” servers and “laid-back”, “folk-art” atmosphere, it continues to draw fans who roll with the no-reserving policy by “lazing” away the “long waits” sipping cocktails while “relaxing on the patio rockers.”
**** (Rated one of “America’s Top Restaurants,” rated “Extraordinary” by Zagat’s Guidebook.)
2005 AOL City Guide
- Best Creole
- Best Family Friendly
- Best All Around
WWL TV.com (Morning News)
2/2004
“…has New Orleans flair to it that permeates the entire experience and leaves you with a big smile on your face.”
National Geographic Traveler
2004 Best of the City, Featured in March 2004 Issue
“Local favorite thanks to superb treats like the crawfish cheesecake and fresh fish.”
The New York Times Frugal Traveler
9/2/01
“Imaginative neo-southern cooking by husband and wife team.” Entrees $15-19. Wines start at $22 bottle.
A delicious fairy tale unfolds on Tchoupitoulas
By S.M. Hahn
Restaurant critic/The Times Picayune
January 14, 2000
Once there was a man named Dick. He loved to cook, so he moved to New Orleans. There, he met a waitress named Jenny. They fell in love and got married. They dreamed about opening a restaurant together, so they did. They called it Dick & Jenny’s, of course.
They found a little bargeboard house on Tchoupitoulas Street and painted it cinnamon and moss. They planted petunias and put a smoker out in the courtyard. They put up a sign and, soon, Dick & Jenny’s started filling up with diners. Some of them were curious foodie types who always chase after the new new thing; others were people who happened to live nearby. Quite a few diners were fans of Richard Benz (aka Dick), who had cooked at both Upperline and Gautreau’s (and got four-bean ratings each time). By Thanksgiving, after two months, everyone was telling all their friends: Dick & Jenny’s is a charming fairy tale of a place to eat.
Every homespun element is creatively personal and personally created, from the hand-lettered sign swinging outside the front door to the painted ceramic plates decorating the entryway and bar. The wholesome quality about this unvarnished but attractive space finds its perfect match in the food: Dick & Jenny’s is new New Orleans cooking at its smartest and unfussiest. (There’s even a wonderful children’s menu.) When you bite into the hot bubbles of fried oysters or plunge to the smoky depths of the chicken and sausage gumbo, you may almost forgive the house its no-reservation policy, which can create waits up to an hour long. This is the only feature of D&J’s that’s less than charming.
And, boy, do people wait — at the tiny bar; in the narrow entryway; in the courtyard with its aromatic smoker; outside on the sidewalk — all very good-naturedly and while nursing a slight buzz. “It’s kind of like Uptown happy hour,” says Jennifer Benz (aka Jenny). Their patience is surely helped along by the fact that the prices are as considerate as the food is good. The generously sized pain perdu appetizer, for example, is $6.50; that’s a very nice price for a knife-and-fork toasted cheese sandwich made fancy with Brie, duck confit and fruit preserves. And how about $7 for those meaty crab cakes? OK, they’re a little on the small side, but they also come atop two luscious slivers of fried green tomato drizzled with a vivid red pepper sauce.
One of the best ideas on the menu is the appetizer sampler, which rounds up the most popular starters — fried oysters, crab cakes and pain perdu — all of which are available a la carte. By the time you read this review, these will probably be the only appetizers that survived the menu overhaul, because Benz changes everything every two months, to reflect seasonal changes.
Mainstays among the entrees include the beef tournedos, luscious cuts of filet accented with seared foie gras and glazed with just enough port balsamic reduction to moisten but not overwhelm the meat. Pecan-crusted Gulf fish (last week it was black drum) arrives dressed with smoked leeks, Portobello and a frothy crab meuniere sauce touched with tarragon. Another keeper on the menu is the winter vegetarian composition, which might include spaghetti squash, smoked mushrooms, a grit or rice cake and stuffed tomatoes, along with a few other daily vegetables, all cooked and flavored just so.
The whole smoked fish, my favorite, did not make the cut. Benz explained that people kept requesting it filleted. Too bad: There is nothing like the experience of a whole flounder, turbo-charged in its birthday suit, tail, fins and bones all intact to add their flavors. When you pull back the skin, the pearly meat gives off a steam that smells as smokily rich as the flesh tastes. Top that with paneed oysters and a buerre rouge sauce and you’ve got a fabulous feast.
Look for the whole smoked fish should it return to the menu; Benz just might bring it back. Other dishes that are worth keeping an eye out for: any preparation involving duck or a slow-cooked stew, such as the simple but deeply satisfying venison stew of last month and this month’s lamb stew. The pan-roasted duck breast of last month’s menu was tender and fully flavored, dressed with smothered cabbage, griddle cakes and a blackberry glaze. Currently there’s a roasted duck confit, served with crispy veal sweetbreads. I didn’t try it, but I can vouch for the sweetbreads, which are all crunch and velvety smoothness.
Next to its pricing, the most endearing feature of Dick & Jenny’s menu is its wide appeal, on many levels. First and foremost, this is food you enjoy eating just because it’s so simply delicious, like the perfectly composed plate of pasta tossed with parma ham, smoked mushrooms and peas in a cream sauce. Second, this is food that expresses the distinct personal style of the chef, which is intelligent but utterly approachable. Never tried oxtails before? You’ll be utterly intrigued by the gloriously sticky and tender cuts featured on the new menu: They are braised in zinfandel and served with a chewy saffron risotto and roasted turnips. And foie gras fans should not miss the starter on this month’s menu that pairs these delicate meats with griddle corn cakes and a sprightly apple compote.
Nowhere is this artful balance of populist appeal and epicurean originality more evident than when Benz is making dessert. Last month’s winners were, without question, the coconut mango creme brulee and the fugdy-pudgy bread pudding. Overly creative spins on these two local classics usually end up more interesting than edible. In these two cases, the results were utterly refreshing. In the first, slivers of mango were embedded in a traditional creme brulee touched with coconut; in the latter, a quivering round of chocolate bread pudding came smothered with chocolate sauce. Sounds excessive? You had to taste it to understand why it was impossible to stop eating. This month, the clear winner is the Tchoupitoulas Tcheesecake, possibly the fluffiest slice of banana cheesecake ever. I predict that Dick & Jenny faithfuls will not allow this particular dessert to leave the menu even for a moment.
It’s been rumored that Dick & Jenny’s will move, to accommodate more people. But that’s just wishful thinking. Both Benzes want to keep D&J “a small local’s kind of joint,” says Jenny. It’s strictly a family affair, in true New Orleans tradition. He cooks; she watches the front of the house. Currently, her mother pinch-hits a few nights a week. That’s because, come May, they’ll all be joined by baby Benz. And that’s the end of this dinnertime story.