Two Days in NOLA - Trip Report

[gmi3804]

We spent two wonderful days in NOLA over Easter weekend! Not having visited since Katrina, we were eager to return to supoprt the town we love so much.

We arrived Friday morning in time to survey some of the damage (my partner Greg used to live there; his old neighborhood, Lakeview, is almost totally devastated) and make our noon lunch reservation at Lilette. I'll concentrate on the wonderful meals we enjoyed.

Lilette - lunch

A charming corner bistro on Magazine St., Lilette was a chic and relaxing start to our culinary adventure.

Appetizers:

Sizzling shrimp with lemon oregano vinaigrette

Steamed Littleneck clams with Vidalia onion broth and fava bean bruschetta

Entrees:

Braised and crisped pork belly with tomato-cucumber salad

Braised beef short rib with deep-fried sweet potato gnocchi

Desserts:

Black Pepper pound cake with fresh strawberry ice cream and champagne zabaglione

Almond financier with caramelized apples and vanilla ice cream

Vizard's on the Avenue - Dinner

On Friday evening, we met a friend at the newish Vizard's on the Avenue. Chef Kevin Vizard (formerly of Cafe Adelaide) is at the helm of this civilizedl, dimly lit room.

Appetizers:

Creole Crab "Dugout" - Crispy eggplant, jumbo lump crab, crimini mushrooms, green onion, bernaise

Scallop Flan - jumbo lump crab, melted leek, creamy crab jus

Fried Oysters Bruschetta - balsamic marinated tomatoes, basil, crostini, manchego

Entrees:

"Chicken and Dumplings" - pan-roasted poulet rouge, foraged mushrooms, fava beans, gnocchi, herb poultry jus

Crab-crusted Sheepshead - kale chiffonade, fennel and jicama salad, saffron broth

Fried Softshell Crab - shaved asparagus, fennel, red onion, oven-roasted tomato, avocado dressing

Desserts:

Warm Pecan Torte - cafe au lait ice cream, chocolate ganache, melted toffee

"Almond Joy" - coconut panna cotta, almond florentine, ganache

Banana Tamale - white chocolate tabasco gelato, rum foster sauce

Restaurant August - Dinner

The same friend met us on Saturday night for our last dinner at Restaurant August, on of our all-time favorites. John Besh is clearly still at the top of his game.

Appetizers:

Salad of heirloom beets, crab meat, Allen Benton's cherry wood bacon, mustard greens, and quail eggs with black-eyed pea croutons

White asparagus "Soup and Salad" with local crab and Meyer lemon

P & J Oysters: crispy-fried with Lousiana caviar "ranch dressing", pepper-seared with country ham and truffle spoon bread, horseradish crusted

Entrees:

Cassoulet of Wade Rodi's rabbit cooked two ways (roasted loin stuffed with rabbit mousse)

Moroccan-spiced duck with soft polenta, roasted duck foie gras, and local strawberries (two of us had this)

Desserts:

Ponchatoula strawberries shortcake, cobbler, and mille-feuille

Pere Roux's Banana Rum Cake with Creole cream-cheese icing (two of us had this as well)

Early on Sunday morning, before our flight home, we made our obligatory stop at Cafe du Monde for Cafe au Lait and Beignets!

It was great to see this crippled city rebuilding after so much devastation. The spirit of the people and the pride in their city was very much evident everywhere we went. We can't wait to go back.

Edited May 12, 2006 by gmi3804 (log)

[docsconz]

Fantastic report, George. The duck and the rabbit looked particularly appealing to me. I am a little confused by the P&J oysters, however. Were there three separate preparations of oysters or were they three separate elements only one of which contained oysters?

[ronnie_suburban]

Beautiful stuff, George. Where to even start? It all looks so amazingly delicious. I know you don't normally photograph your meals. These must have really inspired you. Thanks for sharing the images.

=R=

[chezcherie]

thank you, thank you. going with my teen and twenty something sons next week, and i will savor your experience as an appetizer for our trip. can NOT wait!

[saturnbar]

Glad to see Vizard's getting some attention. I have always liked Kevin's food. All that crabmeat sure looks good. ch

[docbrite]

Your meal at August looks better than my last one, though I feared and loathed that white asparagus froth.

I think Vizard's is one of the better post-K restaurants, possibly the best. That scallop flan is a superlative dish. His opening the place has actually benefited the local restaurant scene twofold, as Danny Trace, former lead sous chef at Commander's Palace, took over Kevin Vizard's post at Cafe Adelaide and improved the menu there.

Edited May 19, 2006 by docbrite (log)

[gmi3804]

Fantastic report, George. The duck and the rabbit looked particularly appealing to me. I am a little confused by the P&J oysters, however. Were there three separate preparations of oysters or were they three separate elements only one of which contained oysters?

←

Sorry, John, for taking so long to get back to you - I didn't notice your question. All three preparations contained oysters.

P & J, by the way, is the purveyor. A friend of mine who saw this thought it said PB & J!

[docsconz]

Fantastic report, George. The duck and the rabbit looked particularly appealing to me. I am a little confused by the P&J oysters, however. Were there three separate preparations of oysters or were they three separate elements only one of which contained oysters?

←

Sorry, John, for taking so long to get back to you - I didn't notice your question. All three preparations contained oysters.

P & J, by the way, is the purveyor. A friend of mine who saw this thought it said PB & J!

←

Thanks, george. That's what I thought, but I was a little confused.