New Chef and Kids Night at Johnny V’s
6106 Magazine St., 899-4880
Armond Jonte, the former owner and chef of Gautreau’s, has joined Johnny V’s bistro as head chef.
Bringing more than 30 years experience with him, he’s cooking up the finest Creole cooking you can find, with classics such as Chicken Clemenceau and Eggplant Eloise. However, owner Johnny Vodanovich said he’s happy to do off-the-menu cooking, too: “The menu is great and the portions very plentiful, but if you come in and want something else, as long as we have the ingredients, we’ll cook it for you.” Vodanovich has recently added charbroiled oysters and homemade deep-pan pizza to the menu, and a “kids eat free” night is coming soon.
Best-Kept Secret: Crescent City Steak House
1001 N. Broad St., 821-3271, CrescentCitySteaks.com
If you’re looking for the best steak at the best price, check out Crescent City Steak House. General Manager Jake Williamson explains why this place is referred to as one of the best-kept secrets in New Orleans: “We’ve been serving the best steak for 78 years, and many of our deals with our meat suppliers were struck in the 1930s and ’40s. That helps us get the best prices from them. Having said that, if prices increase, we would rather take the hit than our customers, and we’ll only raise prices if we went into the red. Generations of this family have been serving generations of customers and that’s what we want to keep doing.”
Reveillon at Bayona
430 Dauphine St., 525-4455, Bayona.com
You may be used to most Christmas and holiday traditions, but if you haven’t been to a Reveillon dinner, then you’re missing out. An old Creole custom – to have a family feast after midnight Mass on Christmas Eve – has been revived and updated in New Orleans. Bayona, a Susan Spicer restaurant located in the picturesque French Quarter, is one of the best places to enjoy one. Here are some of the delicious dishes appearing on their menu this year: Oyster and Italian Sausage Gratin with Spinach and Parmesan Bread Crumbs and Cream of Celery Soup with Hazelnut Butter and Foie Gras Mousse. And there’s more where that came from!
