First there is French Quarter Fest. The locals' Jazz Fest, this festival combines many of your favorite things about New Orleans: food, booze, music, the French, and quarters - all at a price up to 100% less than Jazz Fest.
Although the price is free, Blackened Out is selling limited edition tickets to this year's French Quarter Fest. For $25 you get access to all stages and front of line skippage privileges at all food booths. For an extra $25, you can reserve your ticket to next year's Mardi Gras.
See? We love a deal here.
Also, there is the 6th Annual Bayou Basset Boogie at Audubon Park on Sunday. So if you like slow, lazy hound dogs waddling around a picturesque park, then this party is for you. I hear Donnie Boy Riguez will be there with his new hound, Ms. Daisy de la Hoya.
Alas, Lindsay and I will be unable to make either event as we are heading to Austin City Limits for the wedding of our PR Director and Social Chair. So Austin, a city I have never been to, prepare to be boarded. Peter has told me something about a mechanical bull, all-you-can-eat barbecue, and a gallon of margaritas. It sounds like fun. If you live in/lived in/frequently visit/ have visited/are named Austin and read this crap, leave a comment and tell me where to go.
Showing posts with label Social Chair. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Social Chair. Show all posts
Friday, April 17, 2009
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Patois, Part Two
The Social Chairman's fiancee moved to New Orleans recently and has graciously agreed to become the PR Director for the blog. Which brings our staff to 4; only one person less than the total number of readers we get on a daily basis. To celebrate, the Social Chair, the PR Director, Lindsay and I all went to Patois.
We arrived to a packed house at 7:45; luckily we had a reservation. We sat down and ordered some drinks. The Pau Boy Pierre is a slightly Vietnamese-influenced version of the Pimm's Cup. A Pinot Noir for the PR Director and a Lillet Rouge for I and we set about the task of ordering.
Lindsay and PR Director played it light on the first course, a wise decision. A plate of tuna carpaccio arrived. Interesting, a more fashionable and welcome take on Tuna Tartare, but a good, clean flavored dish; maybe a little bland. But fresh bright pink tuna needs little more than a splash of olive oil and a squeeze of citrus. A market salad with sunflower seeds and hearts of palm, which was running as a special, displayed the bounty of late summer/early fall.
Social Chair got the gnocchi with bacon, cream, black pepper, and crabmeat. This dish really displays the classical roots of this restaurant. Tender, soft gnocchi are married to sweet, succulent gems of crabmeat with the creamy, salty sauce acting as the minister. Great dish, always on the menu with slight variations.
I got the pork belly salad which showcases the kitchen's creative takes on classical preparations. This salad is nothing more than a Lyon Salad; but here it is slightly retooled. Pork belly, a fried egg, frisee, a light sherry vinagrette, and some charred bread in a really beautiful plating. Simple, yet more elegant without becoming stuffy. The dish succeeds not only on the flavors, but also the contrast of hot and cold elements. The execution of this choid-froid dish gives a diner slight feelings of schadenfreude towards other diners who ordered something else.
Lindsay got the mussels in a smoky tomato broth with pommes frites as an entree. The mussels were a little sandy and the fries a little soggy. Which reminded me of being on the beach in a rain storm. PR Director got the cumin-scented seared tuna; sliced on the plate the tuna had a perfect ring of cooked tuna encapsulating a rare interior. Social Chair, ecstatic about living near the sea again, went for a wild caught speckled trout over haricots verts. His temptation to pass around his dish lost to his desire to eat every last bite.
I went with the braised short ribs, despite Lindsay's helpful reminder that I had previously said I would not order braised things in restaurants because they are not as good as the same dish cooked at home. She was, as usual, right. I was offered a steak knife from our very helpful waiter, but told "You wont need it."
Well, I kind of did. The fat of the meat had not sufficiently melted away, which resulted in a tougher finished product. The pasta rags and purple peas served were very bland and needed more salt. But perhaps the biggest problem was the different textures and shapes of items on the plate-the round peas, long, flat strands of pasta, and chunky meat-made it almost impossible to get a complete bite on the fork.
Desserts were wonderful and playful: a banana cream pie and some amaretti zeppolis with a Grand Marnier dipping sauce. The zeppolis arrive in a paper cone taking the diner out of the restaurant and putting them back at a county fair.
Service is truly top notch. Always willing to lend a hand with a menu suggestion or wine pairing, the wait staff is extremely knowledgeable not only about the offerings. But they also seem to be keyed into a similar philosophy, which to me appears to be, "together we can make this a great place." Its getting there if it is not already.
Birdie-Par.
We arrived to a packed house at 7:45; luckily we had a reservation. We sat down and ordered some drinks. The Pau Boy Pierre is a slightly Vietnamese-influenced version of the Pimm's Cup. A Pinot Noir for the PR Director and a Lillet Rouge for I and we set about the task of ordering.
Lindsay and PR Director played it light on the first course, a wise decision. A plate of tuna carpaccio arrived. Interesting, a more fashionable and welcome take on Tuna Tartare, but a good, clean flavored dish; maybe a little bland. But fresh bright pink tuna needs little more than a splash of olive oil and a squeeze of citrus. A market salad with sunflower seeds and hearts of palm, which was running as a special, displayed the bounty of late summer/early fall.
Social Chair got the gnocchi with bacon, cream, black pepper, and crabmeat. This dish really displays the classical roots of this restaurant. Tender, soft gnocchi are married to sweet, succulent gems of crabmeat with the creamy, salty sauce acting as the minister. Great dish, always on the menu with slight variations.
I got the pork belly salad which showcases the kitchen's creative takes on classical preparations. This salad is nothing more than a Lyon Salad; but here it is slightly retooled. Pork belly, a fried egg, frisee, a light sherry vinagrette, and some charred bread in a really beautiful plating. Simple, yet more elegant without becoming stuffy. The dish succeeds not only on the flavors, but also the contrast of hot and cold elements. The execution of this choid-froid dish gives a diner slight feelings of schadenfreude towards other diners who ordered something else.
Lindsay got the mussels in a smoky tomato broth with pommes frites as an entree. The mussels were a little sandy and the fries a little soggy. Which reminded me of being on the beach in a rain storm. PR Director got the cumin-scented seared tuna; sliced on the plate the tuna had a perfect ring of cooked tuna encapsulating a rare interior. Social Chair, ecstatic about living near the sea again, went for a wild caught speckled trout over haricots verts. His temptation to pass around his dish lost to his desire to eat every last bite.
I went with the braised short ribs, despite Lindsay's helpful reminder that I had previously said I would not order braised things in restaurants because they are not as good as the same dish cooked at home. She was, as usual, right. I was offered a steak knife from our very helpful waiter, but told "You wont need it."
Well, I kind of did. The fat of the meat had not sufficiently melted away, which resulted in a tougher finished product. The pasta rags and purple peas served were very bland and needed more salt. But perhaps the biggest problem was the different textures and shapes of items on the plate-the round peas, long, flat strands of pasta, and chunky meat-made it almost impossible to get a complete bite on the fork.
Desserts were wonderful and playful: a banana cream pie and some amaretti zeppolis with a Grand Marnier dipping sauce. The zeppolis arrive in a paper cone taking the diner out of the restaurant and putting them back at a county fair.
Service is truly top notch. Always willing to lend a hand with a menu suggestion or wine pairing, the wait staff is extremely knowledgeable not only about the offerings. But they also seem to be keyed into a similar philosophy, which to me appears to be, "together we can make this a great place." Its getting there if it is not already.
Birdie-Par.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Gautreau's
A good friend from college has recently moved to New Orleans, lets call him the Social Chair. He is staying with Lindsay and I for a few days and graciously offered to take us to any restaurant we wanted. Lindsay chose Gautreau's.
Gautreau's has always been a great Uptown, swanky joint. The lushness of the exterior is matched by the old world warmth of the interior. One feels like they are part of a secret club and with good reason. This spot will become one of your favorites; however, I suspect it already is.
Walking in we spotted in the corner Le Bucket and The Zanimal, who were celebrating the latter's birthday. Chef Sue Zemanick of Gautreau's recently became the latest New Orleans Chef to be on the cover of Food and Wine Magazine as a F&W Best New Chef. Congratulations to her, and kudos to Gautreau's for bringing in and cultivating such great young talent.
A few drinks and a toast to New Orleans gaining another young, professional couple (as the Social Chair's fiancee will move soon) later the appetizers arrived. Gazpacho with crabmeat and shrimp pleased the Social Chair, who leaving landlocked Nashville longed for seafood.
Scallops with truffled fettucine for Lindsay. A word about those scallops. One side was seared perfectly, the other side not at all. This was on purpose and provided an amazing contrast as one moved from the crunchy exterior to an almost molten interior. The truffled fettucine brought the familiar pungency of truffle oil in a complimentary fashion, rather than an overwhleming one. Lindsay did want me to mention one of the scallops was a little gritty.
I, being wise beyond my years, ordered the Pork Belly with soft polenta, peaches, and veal jus. The scoring on the pork belly let the fat crisp up nicely. The peaches, jus, and polenta completed what was overwhelmingly the best appetizer. The Duck Confit would also be a great choice.
Two salads arrived. The first a Bibb Lettuce salad with walnuts and strawberries. The other a salad of baby romaine and olives. Both were good and after eating mine, I thought "Why don't I eat more salads when I am out to eat?"
All of the above and all of the below was enhanced by a beautifully fragrant Sancerre Rose. Social Chair continued his quest for a seafood fixed with a crispy snapper. Lindsay got a roast chicken on mashed potatoes. Cause let's face it, roast chicken done properly is about as good as it gets. I got the duck over spinach with squash and potatoes. Plates were quickly and quietly cleaned.
If there is one thing I think Gautreau's does perfectly, it is crisping the fatty skin of animals. Sure they do other things very well, but the mastery of that skill makes Gautreau's very special. At the end of the day, a crispy duck confit, cracklin pork belly, or crunchy roast chicken all the while perserving a flavorful, moist interior would be good enough on its own to make this spot great.
The Social Chair had a terrific idea. We grabbed three flourless chocolate cakes with Grand Marnier sauce, sat on the couch, and watched the Raiders get beat.
Birdie.
Gautreau's has always been a great Uptown, swanky joint. The lushness of the exterior is matched by the old world warmth of the interior. One feels like they are part of a secret club and with good reason. This spot will become one of your favorites; however, I suspect it already is.
Walking in we spotted in the corner Le Bucket and The Zanimal, who were celebrating the latter's birthday. Chef Sue Zemanick of Gautreau's recently became the latest New Orleans Chef to be on the cover of Food and Wine Magazine as a F&W Best New Chef. Congratulations to her, and kudos to Gautreau's for bringing in and cultivating such great young talent.
A few drinks and a toast to New Orleans gaining another young, professional couple (as the Social Chair's fiancee will move soon) later the appetizers arrived. Gazpacho with crabmeat and shrimp pleased the Social Chair, who leaving landlocked Nashville longed for seafood.
Scallops with truffled fettucine for Lindsay. A word about those scallops. One side was seared perfectly, the other side not at all. This was on purpose and provided an amazing contrast as one moved from the crunchy exterior to an almost molten interior. The truffled fettucine brought the familiar pungency of truffle oil in a complimentary fashion, rather than an overwhleming one. Lindsay did want me to mention one of the scallops was a little gritty.
I, being wise beyond my years, ordered the Pork Belly with soft polenta, peaches, and veal jus. The scoring on the pork belly let the fat crisp up nicely. The peaches, jus, and polenta completed what was overwhelmingly the best appetizer. The Duck Confit would also be a great choice.
Two salads arrived. The first a Bibb Lettuce salad with walnuts and strawberries. The other a salad of baby romaine and olives. Both were good and after eating mine, I thought "Why don't I eat more salads when I am out to eat?"
All of the above and all of the below was enhanced by a beautifully fragrant Sancerre Rose. Social Chair continued his quest for a seafood fixed with a crispy snapper. Lindsay got a roast chicken on mashed potatoes. Cause let's face it, roast chicken done properly is about as good as it gets. I got the duck over spinach with squash and potatoes. Plates were quickly and quietly cleaned.
If there is one thing I think Gautreau's does perfectly, it is crisping the fatty skin of animals. Sure they do other things very well, but the mastery of that skill makes Gautreau's very special. At the end of the day, a crispy duck confit, cracklin pork belly, or crunchy roast chicken all the while perserving a flavorful, moist interior would be good enough on its own to make this spot great.
The Social Chair had a terrific idea. We grabbed three flourless chocolate cakes with Grand Marnier sauce, sat on the couch, and watched the Raiders get beat.
Birdie.
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