Vega Tapas Café offers a Mediterranean-Flavored Christmas
Vega Tapas Café and Catering, 2051 Metairie Road, Metairie, 836-2007, VegaTapasCafe.com
Vega Tapas Café in Metairie is offering a great value: a $50, five-course tasting menu over the holiday week (Dec. 23-28). Often rated as one of the best Mediterranean restaurants in the New Orleans area, Vega’s chef Glen Hogh blends Spanish cooking with other Mediterranean flavors to create an exciting cuisine using the best and freshest indigenous Louisiana produce. For example, housemade venison sausages will be served along Moroccan merguez with apricot-mint chutney and chorizo with Bavarian mustard. The flan caramel is bruléed and served with vanilla-orange crème custard with cinnamon and berries. The menu’s name La Noche Buena, “The Good Night,” appears to be very fitting. – Mirella cameran
Christmas at Commander’s
Commander’s Palace, 1403 Washington Ave., 899-8221, CommandersPalace.com
Commander’s Palace, the legendary gastronomic landmark in the Garden District, is offering its Dinner Réveillon Menu all through December. James Beard Chef of the South 2013 Tory McPhail will be offering unique indulgences such as his Louisiana game bird cassoulet with winter vegetables and foie gras gremolata crust. The six-course menu for $90 will take you on a festive tour of the restaurant’s haute Creole cuisine and is accompanied by a Mr. Bingle Cocktail. Also during December, lunch guests will take home one of the restaurant’s famed jingle bells to mark their days and dress their trees. Special menus are also available for Christmas and New Year’s Eve. – M.c.
Cheesecake Bistro debuts new look, bar and menu
Cheesecake Bistro by Copeland’s, 2001 St. Charles Ave., 593-9955, CopelandsCheesecakeBistro.com
Cheesecake Bistro by Copeland’s got just what it wanted for Christmas: an update for its bar area. The new design includes new fixtures, fittings and funky New Orleans elements, such as a faux paint treatment and new art. The menu has also been freshened up with the introduction of five new items and Mom’s Meatloaf, brought back by popular demand. The new dishes include a Ham and Gouda Pretzel Roll and are all savory – apart from the cheesecake trio. These three squares of cheesecake come with a variety of toppings and give you a good introduction to the restaurant’s namesake. – M.c.