Petunias, A Restaurant, New Orleans

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Petunia's is a tiny little place in the French Quarter. Pink on the outside, pink on the inside. It has a great, friendly atmosphere. Get there early, cause it fills up fast, and no reservations. But the wait is totally worth it.

Favorite Dish: Their breakfasts are fantastic. I had the southern sausage breakfast, which came with eggs, andouille, boudin sausage, grits or hash browns and toast. The sausages were fresh and spicy, which complemented the hash browns very well. My companion had the French toast, which was larger than the plate it came on, along with a slice of whatever meat she wanted (pork, sausage, bacon). The toast was amazing; light, fluffy, a little chewy, and drizzled in powdered sugar. A homerun to be sure.

It took forever to get in this place! We went for breakfast on a Sunday morning so it was probably worse than normal. But, even with the wait, it was well worth the price. The food was fantastic and cheaper than most anywhere else near the Quarter.

Favorite Dish: I had the eggs Benedict (always good) and my wife had the Pain Perdue (New Orleans style French Toast) which was awesome. Her meal alone could have fed both of us.

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We got up early to have breakfast somewhere. My girlfriend told me about Petunias and we just happened to run right into it. I had a basic eggs and bacon breakfast, Rob had an Orleans breakfast and a bloody Mary. The Orleans breakfast had a sausage like thing that I cant remember what it was called but it started with a "B". Soething like boudain...something like that. It tasted like stuffing stuffed in a sausage but it also came with sausage on the side and potatoes and alot of other food.
Inside the restaurant looks like you are at someones house. It doesnt look or feel like you are in a restaurant. There were also many locals here during our visit.
The service was great and so was the food.

Located just one block north of Bourbon St., this pastel colored eatery has called me in each time I visit New Orleans. The menu offers a sligh twist on standard New Orleans cuisine, and always beautifully done.

Favorite Dish: Shrimp Barataria, a curry infused mess of wonderful.

Located in the French Quarter, Petunia's is not just a restaurant, but a dining experience. We went for brunch (not too many folks are early risers, so we fit right in). The line at 10:30 a.m. was relatively short, and we waited only 20 minutes. Reservations would be a good idea for dinner as I understand the wait is quite long.

The service is first rate - warm and friendly. We didn't even mind the waiter calling us "baby" as he used it so endearingly.

Please see the restaurant's website below for a full history of the building. It's incredibly fascinating, and I don't feel I can do it justice by trying to reiterate it here.

History sneak peak - Three story townhouse built by a cabinetmaker - so you can only imagine the detail of the interior. The dining room is located in the home's double parlor, which makes it a tight fit, but quite cozy. (Elizabeth and I actually had a conversation with the couple seated next to us and got a few other restaurant recommendations from them as they were frequent visitors to N.O. from Atlanta, Georgia.)

Behind the main building is the kitchen, which used to be a two-story slave quarter - the kitchen being on the first floor and slave quarters on the second.

Favorite Dish: St. Francis crepe - shrimp, crab meat (the real thing), ratatouille, cheese sauce. Boasted as the World's Largest Crepes, you most likely won't have room for dessert. If you do, you're a better person than I am.

Elizabeth had the crawfish etouffee (e two fay) omelet, which was very good, but she had a little trouble getting past the appearance of the crawfish (miniature lobster). If this happens to you, take in the ambience of the restaurant and people around you so you taste the food, but don't have to look at it.

We would both like to go back again as the menu is quite diverse and there's so much we wanted to try.

Cajun/Creole

Favorite Dish: Any of the Crepes. They were HUGE, and filled with all kinds of good stuff. I TRIED and tried to finish it all because it was so good. I stuffed myself full and still couldn't do it. Staff is so nice and atmosphere is very quaint. This also came recommended from our Bed and Breakfast hosts, and they are locals. I would also say this is off the beaten path and not at all touristy even though it is in the quarter. Go here at least once and get a crepe as big as your head!

Petunia's. While traveling I usually do not 'splurge' on food. Located in the French Quarter, this restaurant was highly recommended and turned out to quite good. Cozy surroundings and huge crepes. There was quite a wait to be seated and not overly pricey. A great treat.