Copeland's Cheesecake Bistro

Last night I had dinner at Copeland's Cheesecake Bistro in Metairie for probably the twentieth time. It's a great place to eat for a spontaneous dinner for a couple of reasons:
1. Complementary valet parking - you will never have to search for a place to park.
2. Large dining room - you almost never have to wait for a table.
These reasons and the fact that it was raining and we wanted to go somewhere with covered parking helped us to make our decision last night.
I always love the ambiance in Copeland's restaurants. The lighting is romantically dim, but not to the point where you can't see your food. Large booths are cozy yet roomy, allowing for good conversation as well as plenty of table space. The decor is modern and classic at the same time, which makes the restaurant feel contemporary and chic.

Our meal last night started with an appetizer of spinach and artichoke dip. Unlike most spinach and artichoke dips, this one was also served with chips, ranch dip, and salsa. These flavors didn't match at all, and they did not make for a cohesive meal; the ranch and salsa seemed to serve as alternates for the spinach dip, which was good for me because the dip was very heavy on the artichokes. The chips, however, were seasoned with sea salt, and were very very good.

For my entree, I selected the blackened chicken with tomato and basil ravioli. This dish was very rich and delicious. The chicken was roasted without being too dry, and was well-seasoned, with pepper being the predominant flavor. The ravioli were bursting with soft, melty cheese, and the tomato-basil sauce was unbelievably delicious.

Normally at Cheesecake Bistro I eat cheesecake for dessert (for obvious reasons). The friend I dined with last night, however, is not a fan of cheesecake, so we tried the brownie a la mode. Unfortunately, I had no room left in my belly for dessert last night, but I took home one of the brownies and ate it today. Basically, it tasted like mamma's. It was soft, chewy, gooey, and it even had a little crust on top. I only wish I had been able to enjoy the ice cream as well.
Overall, here's how I'd rate this experience at Cheesecake Bistro:
Ambiance: 10. (Described earlier).
Service: 9. Other than being a tad late on drink refills, our server was friendly and fast.
Food: 5. Although everything tasted good, the accompanying dips with the spinach and artichoke dip didn't make sense to me, and the food actually made me sick. With that said, I'll continue to visit the Cheesecake Bistro on rainy Metairie days, and maybe on some sunny ones too.