restaurant
winter
guide
vietnamese coffee&desserts
japanese
steakhouse
page 42
THE GRILL ROOM AT THE WINDSOR COURT 300 Gravier St., 522-1994; www.grillroomneworleans.com Grilled Hudson Valley foie gras comes as an appetizer. Entrees include a slow-cooked rack of Niman Ranch lamb. Reservations recommended. Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily, brunch Sun. Credit cards. $$$ HOUSE OF BLUES 225 Decatur St., 310-4999; www.houseofblues.com The meatball sliders are two slow-braised beef short rib sliders simmered in fresh tomato sauce, topped with Cotija cheese and served on a potato bun. Pan-seared jumbo shrimp are simmered in chipotle garlic cream sauce and served over a crispy fried grit cake with sweet teardrop tomatoes. Reservations accepted. Lunch and dinner daily, brunch Sun. Credit cards. $$ IRIS 321 N. Peters St., 299-3944; www.irisneworleans.com Iris offers chef Ian Schnoebelen’s creative cooking. Pork cheeks come with raw vegetable salad, Italian herbs and fried spring onions. The lamb loin and braised shoulder duo is served with fried merguez ravioli, ratatouille and kalamata olive puree. Reservations recommended. Lunch Thu.-Fri., dinner Mon. and Wed.-Sat. Credit cards. $$$
JACMEL INN 903 E. Morris St., Hammond, (985) 542-0043; www.jacmelinn.com The baked oyster appetizer features oysters covered in Havarti cheese, andouille and bechemel. Louisiana shrimp and grits includes smoked Gouda cheese grits and barbecue sauce. Reservations recommended. Lunch Wed.-Fri., dinner Tue.-Sun., brunch Sun. Credit cards and checks. $$$ LE MERITAGE Maison Dupuy Hotel, 1001 Toulouse St., 522-8800; www.lemeritagerestaurant.com Le Meritage organizes its menu around wine and food pairings, and dishes are available in both small and large portions.
Mushroom truffle risotto comes with truffle foam and slices of white truffles. Lobster ravioli is served with asparagus, peas, tomato and corn. Reservations recommended. Brunch Fri., dinner Tue.-Sat. Credit cards. $$$
MAT & NADDIE’S 937 Leonidas St., 861-9600; www.matandnaddies This quaint and colorful converted cottage is home to an eclectic menu. Grilled New Zealand rack of lamb alla cacciatora is served with polenta fritta and braised rapini. Cacciucco is a Tuscanstyle seafood stew made with Tuscan fish broth, mussels, drum and shrimp, served with fried calamari and watercress. Reservations accepted. Lunch Mon.-Fri., dinner Mon.-Sat. Credit cards. $$$ MEAUXBAR BISTRO 942 N. Rampart St., 5699979; www.meauxbar.com On the edge of the French Quarter, Meauxbar serves continental cuisine with creative touches. Herbed rabbit terrine is served with pistachios, cornichons and mostarda. Sauteed frog legs Provencal is served with saffron-fennel dikon slaw. Reservations recommended. Dinner Tue.-Sat. Credit cards. $$$ MIKE’S ON THE AVENUE 628 St. Charles Ave., 523-7600; www.mikesontheavenue.com Crab, crawfish and sea scallops are rolled into crepes and topped with creamy Creole sauce with sausage and Asiago cheese. Passion fruit-glazed pork chops are sprinkled with black-and-white sesame seeds and served with balsamic caramelized sweet potato, green beans and flashfried spinach. Reservations accepted. Lunch Mon.-Fri., dinner Mon.-Sat. Credit cards. $$$ MONDO 900 Harrison Ave., 224-2633; www.mondoneworleans.com Chef Susan Spicer draws dishes from around the globe at her Lakeview restaurant. Thai-style shrimp and pork meatballs are served on lemongrass skewers. For lunch, try broiled fish tacos with cilantro-lime crema, avocado and jicama-apple slaw. Reservations accepted for large parties. Lunch Mon.Fri., dinner Mon.-Sat., brunch Sun. Credit cards. $$
TAMARIND BY DOMINIQUE Hotel Modern, 936 St. Charles Ave., 962-0909; www.thehotelmodern.com Chef Dominque Macquet’s restaurant melds French and Vietnamese flavors. Grilled Morgan Ranch Wagyu beef coulette is served with Asian ratatouille, root vegetables, bok choy gratin and red wine jus. Fire-roasted Louisiana shrimp come with kaffir-lime beurre blanc over jasmine rice with crispy mirliton-squash relish. Reservations recommended. Dinner Mon.-Sat. Credit cards. $$$
NOLA RESTAURANT 534 St. Louis St., 522-6652; www.emerils.com Chef Emeril Lagasse’s French Quarter restaurant combines rustic accents and refined touches. Maine lobster meat and celery root top a roasted beet salad with arugula, spiced walnuts and green onion-buttermilk dressing. The hickory-smoked duck is coated with whiskey-caramel glaze and served with buttermilk cornbread pudding, haricots vert and fire-roasted corn salad, natural jus and candied pecans. Reservations recommended. Lunch Thu.-Sun., dinner daily. Credit cards. $$$ NUVOLARI’S 246 Girod St., Mandeville, (985) 626-5619; www.nuvolaris.com Order seared scallops, Gulf shrimp or jumbo lump crabmeat over pasta with either marinara or sherry cream sauce. The pesto-crusted salmon is served with smoked tomato risotto, char-grilled asparagus and lemon beurre blanc. All entrees come with soup or salad. Reservations recommended. Dinner daily. Credit cards and checks. $$$ O’BRIEN’S GRILLE 2020 Belle Chasse Hwy., Gretna, 391-7229; www.obriensgrille.com Grilled scallops are served with grilled corn maque choux and Creole beurre blanc. Fried redfish is stuffed with mushrooms and crawfish and served with stewed okra and Creole hollandaise. Reservations recommended. Lunch Mon.-Fri., dinner Mon.-Sat. Credit cards. $$$
ONE RESTAURANT & LOUNGE 8132 Hampson St., 301-9061; www.one-sl.com Braised country ribs come with collard greens with a potato and white truffle croquette. Char-grilled oysters are topped with Roquefort cheese and red wine vinaigrette. Reservations accepted. Lunch Tue.-Fri., dinner Mon.-Sat. Credit cards. $$ RALPH’S ON THE PARK 900 City Park Ave., 488-1000; www.ralphsonthepark.com Ralph’s boasts expansive views of City Park’s live oaks and an ever-changing menu of innovative cooking. Lamb spareribs are slow-cooked and served with Worcestershire and citrus glaze. Traditional barbecue shrimp gets a modern kick with a broth made of NOLA Blonde beer, and comes with assorted wild mushrooms over a brown butter baguette. Reservations recommended. Lunch Tue.Fri., dinner daily, brunch Sun. Credit cards. $$$ ROOT 200 Julia St., 252-9480; www.rootnola.com The inventive menu at Root includes chorizo-dusted, cohiba-smoked scallops served on a bed of caramelized cauliflower and fennel choucroute. The menage a foie appetizer rounds up a lollipop of foie gras mousse coated in watermelon Pop Rocks, a foie gras panna cotta with peanut butter gelee and grape jelly on black brioche and smoked torchon of foie gras rolled in pastrami spices and served over Algiers honeycomb and fennel choucroute. Reservations accepted. Lunch and dinner Mon.-Sat., late-night
Thu.-Sat. Credit cards. $$$
RUE 127 127 N. Carrollton Ave., 4831571; www.rue127.com For an appetizer, try cauliflower and Parmesan risotto with crispy florets, capers and extravirgin olive oil. The char-grilled double-cut pork chop is served with roasted pepper jus, Jack Daniel’s and roasted corn coush-coush and crispy shallots. Reservations recommended. Lunch Tue.-Fri., dinner Tue.-Sat. Credit cards. $$$ STANLEY 547 St. Ann St., 587-0093; www.stanleyrestaurant.com Chef Scott Boswell adds gourmet twists to classic diner fare. The Breaux Bridge Benedict features two toasted French bread rounds topped with boudin from Breaux Bridge, cheese, poached eggs and hollandaise. A trio of sliders includes chicken club, oyster po-boy and barbecue beef poboy versions. No reservations. Brunch, lunch and dinner daily. Credit cards. $$
VINE AND DINE 141 Delaronde St., 361-1402; www.vine-dine.com Foccacia is served with toppings ranging from seared steak and portobello mushrooms to basil pesto and mozzarella. Barbecue pork is slow-cooked and served with chipotle corn bread and green beans amandine. No reservations. Dinner Mon.-Sat. Credit cards. $$ WOLFE’S IN THE WAREHOUSE Marriott New Orleans, 859 Convention Center Blvd., 613-2844; www.wolfesinthewarehouse.com The barbecue shrimp comes in a sauce of white wine, Worcestershire, shallots and cream and is served with rosemary French bread. The grilled rib-eye is served with mushroom garlic demi-glace and accompanied by braised Southern greens and roasted fingerling potatoes. Reservations recommended. Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. Credit cards. $$$
Creole
STELLA! 1032 Chartres St., 587-0091; www.restaurantstella.com Chef Scott Boswell combines exotic ingredients and a refined touch at this elegant restaurant. The duck five-ways includes Szechuan seared duck breast, a lacquered leg and thigh, duck miso broth, and foie gras wontons with cassis reduction. Panseared scallops and shrimp are served with truffled andouille and caviar butter. Reservations recommended. Dinner daily. Credit cards. $$$
ANNADELE’S PLANTATION 71518 Chestnut St., Covington, (985) 809-7669; www.annadeles.com Creole turtle soup comes with a dash of sherry and chopped egg. The hand-cut filet mignon is served with whipped potatoes and finished with garlic butter. Reservations recommended. Lunch Thu.-Fri., dinner Tue.-Sat., brunch Sun. Credit cards and checks. $$$
SYLVAIN 625 Chartres St., 265-8123;
ANTOINE’S RESTAURANT 713 St. Louis St., 581-4422; page 47
Gambit > bestofneworleans.com > january 31 > 2012
IRISH HOUSE 1432 St. Charles Ave., 595-6755; www.irishhouseneworleans.com Chef Matt Murphy’s upscale Irish pub offers everything from Irish breakfasts to fish and chips to braised lamb shanks with apple brandy broth, stoneground grits and roasted root vegetables. Muscovy duck breast is stuffed with Brie and figs and served with celeriac puree, caramelized zucchini relish and sour cherry brandy relish. Reservations accepted. Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. Credit cards. $$
www.sylvainnola.com This gastro pub serves dishes like seared sea scallops with faro, roasted grapes, shaved almonds and sherry. The panfried pork shoulder features Coosa Valley grits, braised greens and mustard jus. Reservations recommended. Lunch Fri.-Sat., dinner daily, brunch Sun. Credit cards. $$
The crispy fish in sauce is among the popular Chinese and Korean dishes served at Jung’s Golden Dragon in Uptown.
45