Guest Author: Lisa

New Orleans, of course, is not known only for its wonderful food, but for its superb jazz scene. Supposedly, visitors interested in jazz should not miss Preservation Hall. While jazz is great and all, I skipped Preservation Hall -- after all, they don't serve food or drink there! Mon dieu! I decided that the better option would be to combine the food, drink and jazz by attending the Jazz Brunch at Commander's Palace, a much lauded Big Easy restaurant.

Commander's Palace is located in large aqua-colored building in the Garden District, making it conveniently located for a pleasant pre- or post-brunch stroll around the gorgeous neighborhood and/or Lafayette Cemetery. A jazz trio, complete with a bass player with a Louis Armstrong voice, entertains the diners during the Sunday brunch. My mother appreciated that the jazz was "not too intrusive," but was not just background music either. Curiously, during one of the songs the New Orleanites began dancing around the dining room, waving their napkins in the air. This was quite a spectacle for a Northern girl like me, used to brunching at crowded restaurants packed too tight to allow for conga line, and I was a bit too shy to join the dancing.

The brunch price includes an appetizer, main dish and dessert. All of the food was spectacular, but there were a few highlights. My brother enjoyed the shrimp remoulade, which he described as tasting "like really good cole slaw, but with shrimp in it..." "....but with a kick!" my mother added.

All four members of my dining party enjoyed poached eggs for the main course, preferring to order breakfasty-food for Sunday brunch rather than the meat dishes that were also available on the brunch menu. This was a good choice, as the eggs melted in your mouth, but for good measure I ordered eggs that came atop pork chops, which were delectable as well.

For dessert, I took a chance and skipped the traditional and highly-recommended bread pudding for a trio of melon sorbets. I wasn't disappointed -- the sorbets tasted just like actual honeydew, cantaloupe and watermelon, but frozen. It was a perfect refreshing dessert for typical New Orleans summer day (i.e., oppressively hot and humid).