Copeland's Restaurants
5 Locations in Metro New Orleans: Dining out with children is always a challenge. For our family, it's an extra one, because Helen and I like to eat at nice places. We're fortunate that there are so many good "neighborhood" places where rowdy children aren't going to spoil the atmosphere and ambiance. When we wanted to get out of the house for dinner last weekend, we were looking for something a bit more up-scale than Liuzza's or R&O's, but not something so fancy or expensive that the meal would be spoiled if the kids got fussy. Additionally, since we were bringing Kevin (who is now 16 months old), we didn't want to venture too far away from home. It had been some time since either of us had been to Copeland's, so it sounded like the right choice. Many locals have strong feelings about Copeland's-they either love it or hate it. I've always felt that the restaurants have received a bum rap from the food critics and such over the years. Copeland's defies one piece of conventional wisdom-that a chain of restaurants can maintain high quality. Well, Al Copeland has managed to create a chain of restaurants where the food is ** ½ to *** at every location in the metro area. There are a couple of simple reasons for this success: First, Copeland knows how to do franchised restaurants. After all, he built Popeye's into what it is today. Second, he's got an excellent Executive Chef supervising the kitchen staffs of all locations. That man is Chef George Rhode, IV. Rhode was a protégé of Paul Prudhomme in the 80s, and has been his own boss at a couple of his own places in town. There are five Copeland's locations in the metro area. All serve the same menu. I haven't been to the two outlying (west bank and north shore) locations, but the other three are very consistent. For our little Saturday night outing, we decided on the one on Veterans. It was a bit on the crowded side, which the waitress attributed to two high school dances that evening-Brother Martin and Ecole Classique were having their homecoming dances. The prices at Copeland's are in line with what a high school kid would pay for a "nice" dinner date. The hostess told us there would be a 35 minute wait for a table, but we were seated within 20 minutes. Both of the Copeland's in Metairie have a section that can be closed off for private functions, luncheon meetings, etc. The waitress told me that they use that area on a regular night for large (8+) parties as well as for families with children. Since they try not to seat other diners there, we got bumped ahead of some other folks. There are times when having a small child with you can be an asset. Al calls Copeland's a "Cajun-American Café." The readers of New Orleans magazine have rated it as the best "Cajun" restaurant in town four years running. There's a lot of Cajun food on the menu-andouille, fried catfish, crawfish cooked bunches of ways, chicken sauce piquant, and even some alligator dishes. The presentation is more K-Paul's style than true Cajun, however, with emphasis on the spices. The mixture of the Cajun recipes with classic Creole sauces like Hollandaise give the food a decidedly New Orleans bent. I think this is the main factor contributing to the New Orleans magazine survey results. Copeland's is what New Orleanians want from a Cajun restaurant rather than what is truly authentic Cajun food. Copeland's does a good job on several appetizers. Their andouille sausage sampler is very good, as well as their fried veggies and Cajun Popcorn (shrimp or crawfish). We decided on the onion mum. The batter was good and spicy, but not so spicy that Kevin didn't enjoy digging in as well. Even though they do a good chicken-andouille gumbo, we skipped the soup and salad (didn't want to push things as far as timing for Kevin went), so we jumped right to the main course. Helen got the shrimp-and-tasso pasta in cream sauce, and I went with the sautéed seafood platter. Justin got the kid's pizza fingers (french bread cheese pizza cut into strips). The food came out in a very timely manner. Helen's pasta was very good. Instead of being over-peppered, they let the tasso do the work on that dish. I decided on the sautéed seafood platter rather than the fried version because I don't think anyone in town does fried seafood better than Bruning's out at West End. The dish was a winner. It included lots of decent-sized shrimp, some scallops, and a good-sized piece of broiled catfish in herb-butter sauce. Make no bones about it-this is spicier seafood than you'd get anyplace else in town. That doesn't mean it's done to an extreme, but it's definitely hot food. The side dishes on my dinner (Helen's pasta was just one big bowl) were steamed vegetables and Copeland's "red-hot" potatoes. These are boiled red potatoes that are quartered, then mashed a bit and seasoned. They're called "red-hot" because they're red potatoes and they're awfully spicy. It was great. Justin's pizza got mixed reviews-Kevin loved the pieces we gave him, but Justin wasn't overly impressed. As a result of Justin's lack of enthusiasm for his pizza, I lost most of my biscuit (which are better than even Popeye's biscuits) to him. Wine at Copeland's is always a dilemma. You know the food is spicy, and you're going to need something to clear your palate quickly. Guzzling good wine is sinful, so do you opt for a good bottle of wine and drink more water than one would normally, or do you get the house wine and put that down? The house wines at Copeland's are currently Glen Ellen Chardonnay, Cabernet, and White Zinfandel, so we decided to get a couple of glasses of the Chardonnay. If we were alone, I may have perused the wine list for a moderately priced Fume Blanc, but the kids don't make for what you would call a completely relaxed atmosphere. It was easier to go with the house vintage and leave it at that. The cheap wine actually wasn't a bad complement to the spicy food. I thought about getting the White Zin, but the Chardonnay worked out better. For dessert, we split a hot fudge brownie sundae. Rich, thick, gooey, chocolate. 'Nuff said. Service was excellent. I've never had a bad waitress or waiter at Copeland's. There's probably a good measure of luck in that, but it also stands to reason that the restaurant demands a certain level of performance and gets it. It doesn't hurt that the kitchen has the timing between appetizer, soup, entree, dessert down pat. The young lady was comfortable with both us and a group of ten or twelve high school kids two tables away, then another family with two small children. Overall, I give the meal ** ½. Not the best I've had from Copeland's, but still a good meal. Recommended for anyone out in Metairie especially, looking for a spicy meal. Copeland's is still on my Top-Ten Burger List, so if you're looking for an interesting lunch, it's worth considering.
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