T-Fitz Doubles the Pain...Perdu, Gold Gets Fired Up, More

Tom Fitzmorris enters the haunted mansion of Creole cuisine, Muriel's, this week, but the only souls he finds trapped inside are "some members of the service staff, notably the people at the front door" who "aren't having nearly enough fun in such a clearly enjoyable restaurant." T-Fitz doles out FOUR WHOLE STARS anyways, enlivened by the resident ghost, the "candlelit stairs with monks chanting in the background" and one of the best balconies in all of the French Quarter. The parafitznormal activities continue with Tom recalling a bizarre dinner he once had at Muriel's with Steven Latter? the recently deceased owner of Tujague's? in which "table after another" of Tujague's regulars kept showing up to eat.

The mysteries of the occult may also be to blame for T-Fitz' listing of the Pain Perdu as both his no. 6 and no. 10 Essential Dish? numerologists, what does it all mean? Stranger still, he calls the menu "forward-looking," claiming there are vegan options, though that seems a tad far fetched, since the vegetarian options mostly include butter and cheese. Over all, Scrappy Doo finds chef Gus Martin's authentic, seasonal Creole cuisine to be the most enjoyable of Scooby-snackage, but the case of the missing Fried Calamari will have until later. BTW, if you're planning to ghostbust Muriel's anytime soon, make sure to wear your nerdy Egon bifocals, because T-Fitz also gives them the elusive +1 HIPNESS POINT. [CityBusiness, subscription req]

Scott Gold worships the fire gods at chef Donald Link's newest venture into local seafood Peche this week: "Link, along with fellow chefs and co-owners Ryan Prewitt and Stephen Stryjewski, has introduced a seafood restaurant unlike anything this city has experienced, employing an impressive, custom-built wood-fire hearth to grill up an array of outstandingly fresh fish, mollusks, bivalves and crustaceans." [Advocate]

Ian McNulty finds the latest incarnation of Dominique's on the Magazine "drawn on a larger canvas and put in a grander frame" this week: "Many ideas from the original Dominique's on Magazine are realizing fuller expression here...Most notably, many of the dishes that won Macquet earlier acclaim are back on an elegantly eclectic menu," like the sweetbreads and beef tartare. McNulty's overall impression is that Macquet's food is comprised of "gorgeous ingredients featured in an elegantly eclectic style." Not too mention craft cocktails and desserts that shouldn't be missed. [Gambit]

· Muriel's Hits the Right Creole Notes For Tourists, Locals Alike [CityBusiness]
· Donald Link's Peche is a Glowing Hot Shrine to Seafood [Advocate]
· Review: Dominique's On Magazine [Gambit]
· All Week In Reviews [-ENOLA-]
Muriel's [Photo: Official Website]