Alligator Pear — Restaurant in New York

This review is somewhere between 3 and 3.5 stars. As one of the only, if not only, NOLA restaurant in the city, this place has a lot to live up to especially for those who are longing for some NOLA cuisine.

My husband and I went last week when they were still in their soft opening phase. I was looking forward to trying this spot since New Orleans is one of our fave cities to eat. The reviews were mixed but we wanted to try it for ourselves. I will say that the food was good but like many have said, something is missing.

The service was a little slow though the staff were super friendly and nice. They were apologetic about it and luckily we were able to order drinks fairly quickly. However, it was about an hour later when we received our appetizer. It seemed like they were still trying to figure out the service and timing of everything.

The restaurant is beautiful and the ambiance is nice. There's also live music on Tuesdays.

Here's what we ordered: Tempura Alligator Bites: This was pretty good and had a better ratio of meat and batter compared to what others said. They do give you A LOT of sauce and could probably cut the amount in half. Newport Steak: They said this was similar to a tri-tip steak and though I'm not too familiar with that cut, I ordered it. I asked for medium but it seemed more like medium rare though I didn't mind. The flavor and char was great but the biggest issue I had was the amount of fat on the steak. I cut off at least 25% fat from my steak and it cost $38. It did come with 3 pieces of carrots, which also tasted good. NOLA Style Jambalaya Paella: It was good but a little too saucy for us. The portion was incredibly small for the single order and we're not big eaters. Drinks: Overall was pretty good and no complaints here. Beignets: WOW! These were my fave part of the meal. They were soft, flavorful and full of delicious powdered sugar. Dare I say it's better than what I had at Cafe Du Monde...yes! *Oysters...I was very much looking forward to oysters but apparently they ran out that night. They said there was a large party the day before and wiped them out of the oysters. I was pretty bummed to say the least.

I'm torn about going back here b/c while the food was pretty good, the shortfalls have me second-guessing that decision. I would liken the food quality to that of going to a nice Disney restaurant along...

Saw Alligator Pear promoted on Instagram, so we thought we'd try it. The restaurant has only been open for 2 weeks and I'm betting they still have some kinks to iron out re their food. I gave them a 4 instead of 3 stars, because they are new.

We had the following: Cornbread - disappointing. Was very dry. The cinnamon butter that came with it was great. Beignets - probably the worst I've ever had. I had high hopes for these. They were cold and crispy. If that's how you like your beignets, then you are in business. I was hoping for a temperature and consistency more along the lines of what we experience in NOLA. Chicken and sausage gumbo - This was tasty. I would have preferred it with rice instead of potato salad. It's a matter of taste. Again, I revert to what I'm accustomed to in NOLA. Shrimp okra - Nothing to write home about. It was relatively bland and lacked flavor. Gnocchi - It was OK. I believe it was made with goat cheese. I tried one piece and had enough. It wasn't my dish, so no harm. I feel Gnocchi doesn't make a great main, but that's a personal preference. I see it as more of a side dish. Drinks were good. Nothing that stands out, but also nothing to complain about.

Ambiance/vibe: My fellow diners were a bit harsher than me. They felt it was more art deco, al la Miami vs NOLA. I liked it. They had a DJ playing great tunes from the balcony. I enjoyed that part.

Service: We arrived 30 minutes early and they accommodated us immediately, without a fuss. Very much appreciate this kind gesture. Everyone was very friendly, attentive, and accommodating. I very much hope they can work out some of these kinks and start shining like I believe they can.

I'm glad we came here once. We likely won't return. There are too many amazing restaurants to try. That's what makes this business so tough. I wish them success, and I hope they listen to some of this critical feedback for their...

It’s a very eye-catching, beautifully decorated restaurant. The dramatic lighting definitely works to create an almost wonderland illusion. The cocktails are well done and tasty. The menu isn’t the largest of menus, but that’s actually a good sign that the cuisine is probably well done…and it is. The restaurant did not disappoint on quality or flavor; everyone at the table really enjoyed their dinners. As a vegetarian, the black bean burger was a great option to discover, and it was very good. Even the apps had options like burrata and arancini, which were both great! The downside of the experience would be service, which is where many restaurants seem to pay less attention for unknown reasons. Our dinner was served literally within a couple of minutes of our appetizers, which was very jarring, and created a suddenly and unnecessarily cluttered table. The bus boy later took away an appetizer that we hadn’t quite finished without asking first, which seems to be something that has become a “standard” in many restaurants, but is very aggravating. However, this was my first time at this restaurant, so that may not be typical for the restaurant as a whole. The other issue was loud music, which is an issue that many restaurants seem to fall victim to. They don’t take into consideration that loud music means people are going to speak louder, which means the noise level in the restaurant gets out of control. That said, the noise level here wasn’t unbearably loud since the music was a calmer genre, but was bordering on it. I know louder music makes the place seem even more exciting, but honestly, people never go to restaurants to listen to the playlist. All in all, this was a nice place with great cuisine, and interesting menu options, so I would certainly...