Iacovone Kitchen Comes Back
My friend Bob Iacovone has one of those names you don’t know how to pronounce when you first read it. Ya-ka-vohnee, is how I’d write it, and dear baby Jesus I hope I’m right. He’s a talented chef with…
Restaurants
Lin Poke and Sushi Now Open at St. Roch Market
NEW ORLEANS (press release) – The newest dining concept to open at the St. Roch Market is LIN SUSHI AND POKE from executive chef Than "Lin" Regules. Lin got her cooking career started in San Francisco making sushi. She…
Celebrate Valentine’s Day at Criollo
NEW ORLEANS (press release) – Criollo is offering a special Valentine’s Day dinner on Saturday, Feb. 12, for those looking to celebrate overthe weekend in case you have any Valentine’s/Galentine’s Day content in the works. The dinner will feature a…
The Bower Bar Opens in Lower Garden District
NEW ORLEANS (press release) – When Mark Latter of Latter Hospitality opened Claret Wine & Cocktail Bar in early 2019, his goal was to give locals in the Lower Garden District a place for great wines, cocktails and charcuterie.…
The Best Cure for Too Much King Cake (or Swedish Candy): A New Light and Lovely Lunch Menu at The Elysian Bar
Few sweets really grab me unless they involve mascarpone and fruit, like any version of the Chantilly cake or the Princess cake from Bywater Bakery. That said, one week into Carnival season I have been safe from king cake…
Experience Light Lunching at The Elysian Bar
NEW ORLEANS (press release) – The Elysian Bar is unique in New Orleans because their menu is available all day long – breakfast, lunch and dinner, and the lunch menu is not to be missed! Served Monday through Friday,…
Party at Palm&Pine this Mardi Gras
NEW ORLEANS (press release) – Palm&Pine announces upcoming events and offerings. The Rampart Room – Palm&Pine’s new private dining room Now open and booking for Mardi Gras! CLICK HERE for more information. Location, Location, Location! Palm&Pine’s location in the…
Mister Mao Launches Sunday Brunch
NEW ORLEANS (press release) – Mister Mao, from Chef Sophina Uong and husband/partner William “Wildcat” Greenwell, opened in July 2021 in Uptown New Orleans and has since earned critical acclaim and praise for its bustling atmosphere, creative cocktails, and…
Kick Off Carnival Season with Criollo
NEW ORLEANS (press release) – It’s officially Mardi Gras in New Orleans and Criollo Restaurant is ready to welcome guests to kick off the party with their exclusive offerings on Taittinger Champagne complemented by their contemporary New Orleans brunch menu,…
The Best Incarnations of King Cake
While most of us were sleeping, with the stroke of midnight last night Carnival Season was upon us, and king cakes and king-cake-flavored things have rolled out in great abundance. What follows is a simple smattering of the hundreds…
Mix It Up
Even in cocktail-crazy New Orleans, dry (or damp) January is a thing. For Minnesota transplant Nicole Draeger, taking a break from the party scene, especially leading up to Mardi Gras, is beyond necessary. “New Year, new liver!?" said…
Peacock Room at Kimpton Hotel Fontenot Expands Weekend Brunch with Saturday Addition
NEW ORLEANS (press release) – Beginning Saturday, Jan. 1, 2022, Kimpton Hotel Fontenot is launching a new expanded weekend brunch at Peacock Room. Brunch will now take place every Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in…
New Year’s Eve at Hot Tin Rooftop Bar
NEW ORLEANS (press release) – The crown jewel of the Pontchartrain Hotel, Hot Tin will toast 2022 in style with a festive party certain to impress even the most discerning revelers. Boasting sweeping views of the Mississippi River and…
Some Restaurants Open for the Holidays
With the holiday season upon us, and while some restaurants close for Christmas Eve and Day, a lot of are hoping we’ll celebrate with them. This Friday, Dec. 17, Brennan’s will have a “Naughty or Nice” happy hour from…
New Year's Eve Menu Announced, Boucherie
NEW ORLEANS (press release) – Ring in the New Year at Boucherie with a five-course tasting menu ($125) with optional wine pairings ($50). The menu includes a foie gras grilled cheese with toasted milk, honey and pickled pepper, pasta…
Criollo Launches Exclusive Taittinger Champagne Brunch
NEW ORLEANS (press release) – Over the past year, Criollo has expanded its culinary operations team and they are eager to share Criollo’s new Taittinger Champagne Brunch, which offers guests exclusive discounts on bottles of Taittinger Champagne found nowhere…
Ruby Slipper Set to Open Second Metairie Location
NEW ORLEANS (press release) – New-Orleans born, all day brunch restaurant Ruby Slipper has announced it will open its second Metairie location, at 4236 Veterans Blvd. near Clearview Mall, in the soon-to-be rebranded Clearview Commons in Summer 2022. This…
Palm&Pine’s Tamale Fest, Plume Algiers Pop-Up & More Late Nite Burlesque
NEW ORLEANS (press release) – Palm&Pine announces new happenings. Upcoming Events & Offerings: Tamale Fest Now Live! Place orders on the website now: CLICK HERE. Reserve for pickup on Dec. 20, 22 or 23. Pickup options for Hot &…
SoBou’s New Executive Chef Unveils Reveillon Menu
NEW ORLEANS (press release) – SoBou is pleased to announce Florida native and culinary expert, Nick Ocheltree as Executive Chef. Chef Ocheltree’s skills and creativity bring delicious new additions to SoBou’s new Reveillon Holiday Menu, which is available throughout…
The Best of St. John Restaurant and Voodoo-Inspired Holiday Specials
Waste no time, get thee to Saint John, Chef Eric Cook’s new hotspot on lower Decatur Street in the French Quarter. Saint John follows Cook’s celebrated Gris Gris in the Lower Garden District, opened in 2018. I visited on…
Holiday King Cakes at Brennan's
NEW ORLEANS (press release) – Happy 'Almost King Cake Season!' Celebrate with your Kringle Krewe by gifting the group with a Holiday King Cake. Enjoy our celebratory red & green "Holiday King Cake by Brennan's," made with all-natural flour,…
Feast of the Seven Fishes at Gianna
NEW ORLEANS (press release) – Gianna is offering the traditional Italian-American Christmas dinner, known as the “Feast of the Seven Fishes,” for two nights only – Wednesday, Dec. 15, at 7 p.m. and Wednesday, Dec. 22, at 7 p.m.…
Best of Dining
New Orleans is a food town. We love to incorporate food and cooking into almost all of our celebrations, get-togethers, family reunions, festivals and so much more. This year, the city and our beloved dining institutions, neighborhood bars and gathering…
Quarter Stop
LeBLANC + SMITH, the restaurant group behind popular spots such as Sylvain and Barrel Proof, recently opened The Will and The Way in the heart of the French Quarter as an act of social restoration. After an eerily quiet year…
Santa Claus Is Coming To Broussard's Collecting Toys For Those In Need
NEW ORLEANS (press release) – Santa Claus and his elves will be visiting Broussard’s Restaurant during Brunch in December. Bring the kids for festive food, music, photos with Santa, and even a chance to send a letter to the…
Jack Rose Launches Limited Friday Lunch Series for December 2021
NEW ORLEANS (press release) – Just in time for the holiday season, Jack Rose – the bustling eatery located inside the Pontchartrain Hotel – has announced a limited series of festive Friday Lunches available from 11 a.m. – 2…
The Best Thanksgiving Recipes from My Kitchen to Yours
When my daughter, Cecilia, was still living at home (she is now almost 25 and working as a biomedical engineer for the Feds in Birmingham) our little family had a tradition of inviting everyone to our house on Thanksgiving…
Mister Mao Announces Brunch Sunday
NEW ORLEANS (press release) – Mister Mao, the tropical roadhouse restaurant from Chef/Owner Sophina Uong and husband/partner William “Wildcat” Greenwell, is inviting diners to a special, festive Thanksgiving Brunch on Sunday, Nov. 28, from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.…
No Meat, No Problem! Reveillon Vegetarian-Style at The Bower
NEW ORLEANS (press release) – The holiday season is upon us and in New Orleans, that signals Reveillon. In celebration of this timeless tradition, The Bower — the culinary darling from Latter Hospitality Group (Tujague’s, Birdy’s, Claret Wine &…
Broussard's Hosts 2010's Century Supper
NEW ORLEANS (press release) – Join Broussard's Restaurant & Courtyard Wednesday, Dec. 8, at the 2010's themed Century Supper featuring Martell VSOP Blue Swift Cognac craft cocktails! Savor a perfectly paired three-course meal created by Chef Jimi Setchim along…
Haute Plates
A weekly blog on the New Orleans fine dining scene
about
Robert D. Peyton was born at Ochsner Hospital and, apart from four years in Tennessee for college and three years in Baton Rouge for law school, has lived in New Orleans his entire life. He is a strong believer in the importance of food to our local culture and in the importance of our local food culture, generally. He has practiced law since 1994, and began writing about food on his website, www.appetites.us, in 1999. He mainly wrote about partying that year, obviously.
In 2006, New Orleans Magazine named Appetites the best food blog in New Orleans. The choice was made relatively easy due to the fact that Appetites was, at the time, the only food blog in New Orleans.
He began writing the Restaurant Insider column for New Orleans Magazine in 2007 and has been published in St. Charles Avenue, Louisiana Life and New Orleans Homes and Lifestyles magazines. He is the only person he knows personally who has been interviewed in GQ magazine, albeit for calling Alan Richman a nasty name. He is not proud of that, incidentally. (Yes, he is.)
Robert’s maternal grandmother is responsible for his love of good food, and he has never since had fried chicken or homemade biscuits as good as hers. He developed his curiosity about restaurant cooking in part from the venerable PBS cooking show "Great Chefs" and has an extensive collection of cookbooks, many of which do not require coloring, and some of which have not been defaced.
Robert lives in Mid-City with his wife Eve and their three children, and is fond of receiving comments and emails. Please humor him.
