In a 300 year-old city renowned for its dining culture and native cuisine, New Orleans might seem like the kind of place that’s beyond culinary surprises. We’ve seen a lot and eaten even more, and it’s easy for local gourmands to perhaps worry that our food scene might become staid or complacent. So, when you try out a new spot with a clear idea of what to expect and are then treated to an experience beyond those expectations, it’s a genuinely wonderful thing to savor. Such is the case with Junebug, the eclectic spot in the Central Business District that aims to seamlessly combine the vibe of vinyl records, craft cocktails and elevated fare to produce an experience that, even for seasoned restaurant goers, is filled with welcome, novel delights.
Most of those delights come from the kitchen of course, in this case Chef Kyle Focken, a longtime veteran of New Orleans kitchens including Kingfish, Kenton’s, Luvi, The Franklin and The Elysian Bar. “From the diners’ perspective, I just want them to have a fun, enjoyable evening,” Focken said. “During the week, you’re going to come here, and the music is going to be a little softer. But on the weekends, the music will be vibrant and louder, and you’re gonna have a different experience. And I think the menu reflects that a little bit. That’s what we do. There are no restrictions, and so I think that’s a beautiful thing, especially in today’s world. I just want people to come in, try everything, and then leave happy.”
If you’re wondering where the music comes in, Junebug has on staff a music director that meticulously curates the audioscape for diners by spinning records both classic and under the radar, playfully integrating sound into the dining experience. The menu is mostly dominated by smaller plates, with the intention that you’ll order many and share with your companions. To facilitate this, diners can “play the samples” by choosing three plates for $35 or five for $58, or better still, opt for the “Junebug mixtape,” which allows the chef to take the lead and “build a playlist” of hit dishes for $68 per diner. The result feels like something akin to an eclectic, lively fine dining meal inside an exclusive vinyl bar for audiophiles.
Of course, the star of the show at Junebug is the cuisine, which punches well above its weight. Chef Focken displays both refined culinary craftwork with a generous pinch of culinary ingenuity. Take, for instance, the steak tartare, an old-world standard that can easily come off as uninspired. Here, the dish combines Wagyu beef with smoked aioli and pickled celery, and served not with local French bread, but rather fried, puffed beef tendon that has the perfect airy crunch to accompany the raw steak. It might just be the single best version of that dish in New Orleans at present. Similarly, blistered shishito peppers are an increasingly popular snack around the country, but Focken’s take includes a sauce derived from reduced Mezcal, preserved lime and cilantro, then dusted generously with parmesan. Also worth note are the marinated mushrooms, again a deceptively simple menu item that gets the luxe treatment here, as the maitake and beech fungi arrive in a bowl heaped with stracciatella, fresh herbs and champagne vinaigrette, accompanied by house-made sourdough crumpets. You’ll also find smoked pimento cheese with Ritz crackers, a delicate snapper crudo with smoked tomato water, crispy spareribs with gochujang barbecue sauce, and crab fat popcorn with green onion and garlic oil, just to name a few bites that demonstrate Focken’s culinary creativity as well as a worldly palate.
With a roster of hits this deep, it might feel a little daunting for diners who want to try everything on the menu, so a larger dining party or multiple visits are clearly in order here. That said, you’re not going to want to miss the fried chicken skins, a snack not regularly seen on Big Easy menus. “That’s a fun one,” the chef said. “We had cracklins on the menu when I first started here, but I’m not the biggest fan of cracklins, so I wanted something crispy to replace that. I was like, ‘What’s the number one thing people love about fried chicken? What’s the thing you eat first? I know I eat the skin first, so I said, ‘Let’s do chicken skins!’” The result has all the crunch and umami of Cajun cracklins combined with the best part of an expertly fried chicken. In the same vein, you’ll also find duck and bacon Swedish meatballs served with whipped potatoes and fried onions. “The sauce is a fun one, made out of grape jelly, veal demi-glace and gochujang that we make in house. It’s definitely one of our most popular items.”
Larger plates include a killer smash-style burger with Hook’s cheddar, a classic New York strip steak with conserved mushrooms and a truffle jus, as well as blackened redfish and an outstanding “brick chicken” served with pickled green strawberries. Whatever you choose as your playlist for the evening, make sure to order the outstanding French fries, cooked exclusively in beef fat. “We have two fryers, and one is pure beef fat, so we have one fryer strictly for fries. Nothing else goes in there,” Focken said.
A casual weekday dinner or a romantic date night are both great options for those who want the Junebug experience, but the restaurant also hosts regular music-inspired events should you want to truly experience the spot’s dedication to music-paired cuisine. The “Junebug Music Club” features special menus with curated playlists, from Prince to spaghetti westerns, a “Big Disco Brunch,” as well as “Flashback Fridays” highlighting fan-favorite genres and artists. It’s such a fun and novel idea that might seem a bit gimmicky at first glance, but at Junebug the effect is both delightful and seamless, a refreshingly unselfconscious and freewheeling vibe that any diner with even a miniscule sense of whimsy should enjoy.
More than anything, Chef Focken exudes the kind of passion for his hometown and its culinary culture that makes this city so special. “You’re never gonna find a place like New Orleans,” he said. “I’ve traveled around, but I can’t see myself anywhere else. The food culture here is very tight knit and close, and everybody really cares about each other. The people that I grew up here with, people that I coach here with, we all still communicate, even though we’re at different restaurants in different cities, and it’s one of those tight-knit communities you share and love together. It’s a beautiful thing.”
About the Chef
Originally from Corpus Christi, Texas, Chef Kyle Focken moved to New Orleans with his family when he was in middle school, quickly falling in love with the Big Easy and its vibrant culture and cuisine. Focken got his start washing dishes at Gattuso’s in Gretna, and his career in the kitchen blossomed from there, especially after landing a position at Kingfish under the tutelage of Chef Greg Sonnier. Following that, Focken worked closely with Chef Jonathan Klaskala and graced the line at Kenton’s on Magazine Street, as well as at Luvi, where he “obsessed” over their delicate fish preparations, after which he found himself at The Franklin. Some time cooking abroad in Barcelona came next, and Focken returned to New Orleans to eventually become the executive chef at The Elysian Bar. “Then one day I saw that Junebug was hiring for executive chefs, so I applied, and ever since then we’ve been off to the races, trying new things, and making food exactly how we want to eat it,” he says. “If you do that, if you don’t overcomplicate things, everybody’s going to love it.”
Jolie
There’s an abundance of riches in New Orleans when it comes to cocktail lounges with great bites, and Jolie is one of our favorites in the more elegant realm. Something about cozying into a booth draped in leather and enjoying first rate craft cocktails and sophisticated snacks isn’t something we expect we’ll tire of, and you’ll find exactly that here. For instance, take their riff on “purple drank,” which is far afield from the famed frozen daiquiri at Lafitte’s, here crafted with ume plum whiskey, Amérisse, orgeat and fig bitters. The cocktail list is both deep and impressive, and definitely worth exploring. As for the cuisine, look for everything from fancy devilled eggs with trout roe, chili crisp and dill, to foie gras French toast and decadent duck poutine. And if you happen to have one tipple too many, their signature brisket burger with gruyere will set you straight. Oh, and you can add foie gras mousse to it if you want. We know we do!
Three Muses
This beloved Frenchman haunt isn’t exactly known for its white tablecloth fine dining, but should you be aiming for a gratifying and lively music-infused dining experience, it’s not a place you want to skip. Sure, it’s worth paying a first or hundredth visit for the live entertainment alone, with some of the best and hottest jazz and funk players in town. But when you’re burning calories getting your groove on, at some point you’re going to get a bit peckish. Fortunately, the kitchen at Three Muses has the perfect fuel for a long night of dancing, starting with the outstanding Korean fried chicken sandwich dressed with gochujang. creamy cabbage slaw and fresh jalapenos. You’ll want the egg rolls, too, of course, not to mention their soul-satisfying bulgogi. Or you can just get the red beans and rice, that always satisfies!
