Paneed veal became a New Orleans restaurant staple in the late 1970s, and the dish found a natural home at places like Mandina’s, where Italian and Creole cooking had been sharing the same kitchen since 1932.
Sebastian Mandina came from Italy in 1898 and opened a grocery store on Canal Street to serve the Italian immigrants settling in Mid-City. His sons, Anthony and Frank, grew up in the building, watched it become a pool hall, and eventually converted it into the restaurant that still operates there today. The pink house at 3800 Canal Street has been feeding the neighborhood through every era the city has lived through, including Hurricane Katrina, which flooded the dining room and shut the place down for months before the family rebuilt and reopened.
The paneed veal is the dish that earns the most reverence. Thin veal cutlets get pounded flat, dredged in seasoned breadcrumbs, and shallow-fried in butter until the crust sets golden and the edges go crispy. Fresh parsley and garlic go in near the end, and the finished plate arrives with the butter still sizzling faintly underneath. The portion is large enough that first-timers generally stop mid-meal to reassess their life choices. Regulars already know to pace themselves.
The menu mixes classic New Orleans with Italian in the way only a place this old can pull off without it feeling forced. Red beans and rice on Mondays, seafood on Fridays, and Sunday dinner specials with turkey and oyster dressing. The complimentary toasted French bread that arrives at every table before the order is placed has its own following. The calamari and onion rings are worth ordering while waiting for a main, which may take a few minutes because the kitchen doesn’t rush.
Reservations are strongly recommended, especially on weekend evenings when the wait can run long. Mandina’s is at 3800 Canal Street, open Monday through Thursday and Sunday 11 am to 9 pm, Friday and Saturday 11 am to 9:30 pm. Call (504) 482-9179 to book a table.
