Cafe Giovanni

Chef Duke Locicero has a real ""way"" with Italian food, especially veal. I never thought I would ever say this (heavy sigh) but his Paneed Veal is better than my (family recipe handed down through my Caprise great-grandmother) veal. Chef Duke obviously uses milk-fed baby whiteveal, pounds each piece to soft perfection and applies the ideal seasoning, wash, bread crumbs, etc., to achieve heaven moist with olive oil. Chef Duke's Veal Marsala is worthy of every possible accolade: bursting with sliced mushrooms, sultry wine and NOT TOO SWEET, which, sadly, is the downfall of most Marsala sauces. The various pasta served with each veal dish is sublime. Chef Duke maintains an incredible menu offering a wide array of steak, beef, veal, duck, fish and other seafood. The menu prices reflect the excellence of the types, grades and/or cuts of the various ingredients; in other words, one cannot serve duck or milk-fed baby white veal on an ""all you can eat"" buffet. The restaurant decor is a marinara of old New Orleans bordello and 50's era Mafioso: an amalgam of fine, new fixtures and dark, curtained eating alcoves and small rooms. I doubt more than one out of any one hundred people are qualified to have an opinion on a chef and an establishment of this caliber. For the ninety-nine meandering amongst the droves, I say ""thank you"" for leaving the choice food for me. more

This restaurant is quite different fromn the usual French Quarter style. The location is good and there is plentiful parking nearby. The restaurant is fairly small but accomadates large and small parties. The food was very good. We had duck, veal and drum. It is quite pricey. The music is very different as they only sing in italian. The singers walk around the restaurant and sing at every table, the negative is that they are very loud and having a conversation is difficult. I don't know if I would recommend this restaurant to tourist with so many other options in the city. Pros: Nice intimate feel Cons: expensive, singing is to loud more

Bravo Chef Duke:\r Chef Duke made our first trip back to New Orleans since katrina wonderful. My husband was a bit disappointed when he did not see his favorite dish on the Menu but was more than happy to try something new. Our waiter talked with Chef Duke and he came out to our table and offered to fix it for him. It was fantastic....worth the trip from Wisconsin alone. The atmosphere is incredible. We had a wonderful romantic evening at Cafe Giovanni....we will return again and again. Thank you Chef Duke and your great staff.\r Sincerely\r Christopher and Leona Waser\r Wisconsin\r more

Chef Duke... it's passable. Decent piccata when on menu. With maximo's gone; where downtown is there to get... more

Chef Duke... it's passable. Decent piccata when on menu. With maximo's gone; where downtown is there to get some veal? more

opera and classical music, fresher than fresh ingredients, wonderful menu, brilliant chef, worth the price, just does NOT get any better...GO! ENJOY! more

I ate here on Friday, July 23 and was not impressed. Oysters Giovanni was average at best-- oysters were plump and perfectly cooked, but the sauce was nothing spectacular-- a few swirls of ginger, apricot, and raspberry purees intertwined which an unimpressive result. Service was great, opera singer was a nice touch. Food sucked. The spaghetti dish I ordered as well as the veal dish my girlfriend ordered were just not good-- way too much salt (in mine, especially). The creme brulee with berries was once again, simply average. Italian restaurants in New Orleans in general are just not all that good, when comparing to the incredible Italian places you can find in New York, etc. Pros: Service, Opera Singer, Piano player Cons: , Price more

My husband and I love to try different resteraunts. I found Cafe Giovanni on the internet and it seemed like it would be an interesting place to eat. The service was wonderful and the food was very good. We had the Oyster Giovanni for an appetizer and the oysters were the best I have ever tasted. The atmosphere was lively and I thouroughly enjoyed the opera singing. It was such a wonderful experience I plan to go back with some of my friends. It is a great place to hang out, enjoy good food, and have a good time. Pros: food, valet parking more

This was a great all around experience. The food was fantastic. The chef and wait staff were attentive. The singers entertaining, and the atmosphere suitable for romance or business. It will be one of my favorites. more

The cusine is excellent. I refer to it as gourmet Italian with a contemporty flair. Innovative and wonderful! The atmosphere is romantic and the opera singing waiters are bellisimo! A thouroughly delightful, romantic dining experience. Cons: too noisy more

We were treated to a feast of food that had only one problem. There was actually too much food. Each course built upon the last and unfortunately, the last course was the best. By then, we were all uncomfortably full. Of course, there was that little spot left for dessert. I would like to return and eat just the garlic toast, a salad and dessert. It was an incredible meal! more