What can you say about a restaurant that is built upon part of the actual structure of the original Eiffel Tower?  I have never been to Paris, but my Bride has, and we have dined in a restaurant that has simulated the part of the Eiffel Tower in Las Vegas.  The cab dropped us off at the foot of the Red Room, and there was a huge red staircase that you could walk up to the restaurant or you could take an elevator, which we did, because of the killer humidity that is New Orleans, I mean why get all wet before dinner, when you are all dressed up?

Upon entering the restaurant there was a huge floral centerpiece of maybe five or six dozen roses splayed out, and almost lost to the background.  Everywhere you looked was the same red as in the roses.  The walls, the carpeting, the draperies and all the accessories that accompanied the room were red.  I joked that even the finest brothels in New Orleans could take lessons from the décor.

The Red Room was not only a restaurant, but a night club as well.  It was a throw back to the old night club that is now only seen in movies.  There was a hat check lady, a cigar/cigarette hostess with a tray, and a young lady selling solitaire roses for your date (of course it was de rigueur that you bought one).  There was a society orchestra of about seventeen pieces playing music during dinner.  Then a “torch singer” came out in a white gown, white fur stole and elbow length white gloves to sing lamented love songs.  Later the star of the evening came out reliving the likes of Louis Prima and Harry Connick Jr. singing ballads for the evening.

We had turtle soup to start with, then my Bride had Crawfish Etoufee and I had a duck dinner.  We finished with a banana soufflé.  The evening was so festive that we enjoyed a creamy, buttery Dom Perignon ’92 which is made by the Moet et Chandon firm in Epernay in France.   There is something very unique about vintage Champagne that I find is so different from the Champagne wines offered from the same house.  The firms claim that they do not like to issue a vintage, because they like to maintain sameness year after year, but each vintage Champagne that I have had is so much smoother and creamier than the basic house offering.