Then we decided to eat dinner at Wolfe's in the Warehouse, and the rest was gastronomical bliss. No one ever talks about this place. Why? Because they don't have a website? Because it is hidden away on Fulton Street? Because it's a hotel restaurant? Probably all of the above. I had never eaten there before, and you probably have not either. But after my meal I am sad to say that I have waited this long to go.
The space is huge (probably 150 seats), and the tables are spread out - which are two great characteristics if the restaurant is crowded but probably a deterrence to prospective diners on slower nights. One of the unique touches is the inclusion of a few recessed tables which can be curtained off for an intimate dining experience. The service was well polished, especially our waiter Roy who was the consummate professional.
I must confess that The Pope is somewhat a celebrity at Wolfe's, so we had a few special treats throughout the meal. First was an amuse bouche of bruschetta with cherry tomatoes and fresh mozzarella. Unfortunately there were only two servings left, so TFS and PP got the nod. (Why them and not me? I don't know. Something to do with chivalry, but I was so pissed that I did not get my own that I stopped listening to whatever Roy was saying.) TFS gave me a bite of hers though out of pity, and I must say that it was deliciously salty - just how I like it.
Next we had the regular amuse of truffled potato chips with a potato leek cream for dipping. Wow. The chips were light and crisp and topped with a bit of shaved white truffle, but the cream was so good that it made an encore appearance during the main course.
We decided to share a first course, but then another starter unexpectedly arrived courtesy of La Papa: seared foie gras on top of duck sausage. Wow. The sausage was a course grind, formed into a patty, and then breaded and fried. The smooth texture of the foie gras contrasted well with the crunchy exterior of the sausage. I could go on, but a picture is worth a thousand words. Our intended appetizer was beef satay, but honestly, I was too involved with the foie gras to remember much about that dish.
For the salad course, the ladies had the petit chopped salad - mixed greens, tomato, and avocado topped with crabmeat. This dish is not currently on the menu, but La Papa gave us the inside tip. However, I was the hands down winner with the duck confit salad - warm, shredded confit of duck and Maytag blue cheese served atop bitter greens which were drizzled with a black cherry demi and sprinkled with candied pecans. I made the mistake of offering PP a taste ... she never switched back with me.As if that wasn't enough, we still had our main courses to come. TFS had the filet, PP had the scallops, and I had a ribeye which appeared to be 28oz yet it was not bone-in. The filet was cooked perfectly, but the ribeye was had been undercooked from the requested temperature of medium rare. Nothing a few more seconds on the grill could not fix, and I would much rather have my steak under as opposed to overcooked. Oh yeah, and we requested that potato leek cream as a sauce.
Altogether, the meal was fantastic. My only regret was that we were too full for dessert, but we had the next day's Louisiana Food Expo on our minds ....
Wolfe's in the Warehouse - Birdie.
* Coincidentally, shortly after my meal at Wolfe's I learned that Chef Tom Wolfe's restaurant Peristyle would be closing its doors this weekend. Another classic French restaurant is lost, but I hope the squab and white chocolate butter bars find their way onto the menu at Wolfe's
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