Tonight we did something I’ve wanted to do for many years. We ate at Commander’s Palace.

It is situated in an old mansion, graciously redone to accommodate dinner guests. Once we were seated at our table on the second floor, I wondered what the house must have been like in its pre-restaurant days. It’s just across Washington Ave from a cemetery, but the cemetery, unlike at home, was completely walled-off with large white-washed stone fencing. It was still a bit creepy, since it’s situated just in the middle of the Garden District, but not creepy enough to make me not want to eat there, of course.

The Garden District, if you’ve never been there, is full of old 2-story mansions and huge trees, which still have beads from Mardi Gras hanging from their limbs. Commander’s Palace is just a couple of blocks off of St. Charles, which is the “main street” of the District.

The food – supreme. The service – top-notch. Every staff member greeted us both as we were making our way to our table and as we were leaving for the evening.

The White Wild Shrimp and Filet (our choices) were divine, and the house Chardonnay and Cabernet were excellent. The creme brule was also very good and served in a way I’d not seen previously.

All in all, an excellent meal and excellent company with Sweetie, plus another mark off the “bucket list” for me.

Somewhere, my former boss is smiling, knowing I’ve finally taken his advice and tried the Palace.