Tito’s Ceviche & Pisco

Tito’s Ceviche & Pisco is a fun, relaxed restaurant in the Garden District section of St. Charles Avenue which allows for fun people watching as the street car rolls by. It relocated from it’s original spot on Magazine Street. I met several friends for a birthday brunch on Saturday at noon. It was my first time at Tito’s though a friend mentioned she works nearby and often comes for their happy hour with coworkers. Full disclosure - I don’t eat most seafood (I know, I moved to the wrong area of the country to be as picky as I am about food. My friends often tease me about this). I also don’t like onions which makes Spanish food (and many other types of food) difficult for me as I’m often in the uncomfortable position of asking if a dish can be made without onions (often no). I was a little nervous about finding something I could eat. Of course I reviewed the menus online before I got there but I was still unsure walking through the door. I was relieved to find appetizers, sides, and brunch entrees without seafood or noticeable onions (I don’t mind if they are cooked into a sauce as long as I can’t see them or feel the texture in my mouth). The restaurant was not crowded when we arrived and they allowed us to linger for several hours without making us feel pushed out the door. The noise level was just how I like it - not overwhelming. There was music playing but not so loud that I couldn’t hear the conversation. The food I got was good and the drinks were even better. The pacing of the food was good - it certainly wasn’t a fast meal but we were having a celebration and intended on lots of chatting so this was not a problem. Overall I really enjoyed this meal - the flavors were good but not overwhelming for me. I did not feel overwhelmed by noise or people and was able to make it through multiple hours of sitting still and socializing at a table which is a difficult thing for me a lot of the time.

Lychee Cocktail

This was DELICIOUS - it had pisco, lychee puree, hibiscus flower syrup, fresh squeezed lime juice, and house made simple syrup.

I do want to note - for anyone sensitive to texture - this drink is not smooth and the lychee puree leave some small bits of lychee floating on the bottom. I did not mind them and sometimes I’m sensitive to those kinds of textures in drinks but want to give a heads up to anyone considering this cocktail.

From Tito’s brunch menu - Fried green tomatoes - with poached eggs and a huancaina sauce.

You can add fried shrimp, a crabcake, or fried oysters. A friend added fried shrimp to hers which looked tasty.

We lingered long enough to get both dessert drinks AND dessert. I split this Carrijllo with a friend. It was so tasty, I’ll be going back for this drink if nothing else.

This was an iced coffee drink with pisco and something mildly citrus flavored. Absolutely delicious. I’m wish I’d ordered my own!

Also - llama wearing a crown - absolutely delightful - would love to add this queen to my home decor!

Last but not least - the Mango Creme Brulee - was very tasty and I loved the tangy flavor of the mango with the crunch of the sugar!

One more texture warning - This does not have the traditional thick texture of custard that you expect with a standard creme brulee. The addition of the mango means that the filling is thinner and the turbinado sugar on top does not melt to create the same texture of regular sugar that you may be expecting. I still found it delightful and recommend it!