Maximos Italian Grill, New Orleans, Louisiana Restaurant Details

Food:

Worth it every time. Comfy yet elegant ambiance is highlighted by impeccable, never-haughty service. A consistent love affair!

Food:

In years past this would have been a five star review. Maximos was one of my favorite restaurants and by far my favorite Italian restaurant of all time. The Pasta Rosa was terrific.When I wanted to keep it light, I would go in to just order the bread to go, which was some of the best I ever had. I never had a meal that was less than spectacular. Their specials were tremendously delicious. I even loved how on busy nights the whole place would get smoky from all the fire roasting the open kitchen was doing near the back. I was only in town a couple times a month for business, but they thought of me as a regular because I'd usually time my arrival so that I could head straight to Maximos.

I hadn't been to New Orleans very much though in the last year and was deeply saddened when I stopped in. Right away I knew things were different as the art which had been there for the last 15 years was gone. Unfazed I sat down and ordered Pasta Rosa but the bartender had never heard of it. He handed me a menu though and said he'd be happy to check with the kitchen to see if they could do it as they still do a fair number of items from the old menu. As he left, I perused the menu and noticed that it was all different. In the old days, there were so many delectable possibilities I'd often have trouble choosing. But everything that previously would have been done with olive oil or fire roasting had cream sauce or butter instead. In the end, I got my Pasta Rosa which was a fair approximation of what it used to be but was informed that they had new ownership as of around 6 months ago. Sadly, even the bread seemed different though it still looked the same.

I grieved some and went back to the hotel.

But I was in town for one more night and now in denial, I decided to go back just to see if maybe I caught them on an off night. This time I decided to order off the menu. Sadly, this meal was worse than the first. I think I figured out too that they jacked up the bread by now slicing it first before they put in the oven which makes it crisp and flavorless, destroying its previously nuanced perfect texture of yesteryear. Alas. As they say 'all good things....'

The silver lining is the old Chef, reportedly has a new restaurant. Seems like I'll have to check that out.

Food:

Very, very Italian from the menu to the wine list. This is not an American version of an Italian restaurant or a fusion type place. I would highly recommend this as a great break after several Cajun-Creole/Nawlins meals in a row.

Food:

Great food, great service. Original chocolate cake with homemade icecream was amazing!!!

Food:

Everything about this place was great. We were seated promptly. Our server was outstanding. The atmosphere was great. I had the Prima Rosa, my dad ordered the Chicken Marsala and my brother and mother both had the house made Ravioli. All were amazingly delectable. We ended up ordering all 4 deserts they were serving that night which were all excellent as well. A simply awesome restaurant!