King Cakes

Through Feb. 21, Maggie Scales, executive pastry chef of the Link Restaurant Group, is offering several flavors and sizes of king cakes at Cochon Butcher and La Boulangerie. The popular Elvis option consists of a soft brioche filled with peanut butter and roasted banana, and topped with house-cured bacon, toasted marshmallow and Mardi Gras sprinkles. Other options include cinnamon, strawberry and chocolate almond. The king cakes are available in two sizes: a six-inch individual (exclusively available at Cochon Butcher) and a nine-inch large (available at both Cochon Butcher and La Boulangerie). The Elvis will be sold at Cochon Butcher daily by the slice or as a full-size special order cake with required 48-hour notice. La Boulangerie also will offer eight- and 10-inch traditional French Galette des Rois (two rounds of puff pastry filled with almond cream), and a nine-inch pretzel king cake decorated with Mardi Gras colored salt and served with Cochon Abita mustard. cochonbutcher.com, laboulangerienola.com 

Cafe with a Cause

After suffering through a few ups and downs during the pandemic, Dragonfly Cafe is officially open. A social enterprise of Raphael Village (a local organization providing education, life-skills and vocational training opportunities for children and adults with exceptionalities), Dragonfly Cafe serves breakfast, lunch and brunch with a focus on fresh, local produce. Popular menu items include the braised short rib on a sweet potato cornbread waffle, the breakfast burrito, shrimp and grits, the veggie melt and sweet potato hash. dragonflynola.com

Brunch Bites

Jack Rose at the Pontchartrain Hotel is hosting a Galentine’s Day Brunch on Feb. 12. It includes a three-course prix fixe menu and a variety of specialty cocktails. jackroserestaurant.com 

Commons Club at Virgin Hotel New Orleans is offering a Bottomless Brunch every Friday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. this month until Feb. 21. It includes specialty dishes created by Executive Chef Alex Harrell, bottomless mimosas or Veuve Clicquot and accompanying live entertainment. There will also be a special Lundi Gras Brunch on Feb. 20. virginhotels.com/new-orleans

West African Delights

Dakar NOLA opened in November on Magazine Street offering Senegalese food with a modern twist. Managing partners Effie Richardson and Serigne Mbaye are highlighting the flavors of Senegal through a fine-dining, multi-course tasting menu experience. Each dish is near and dear to Richardson’s heart and comes from cherished memories throughout her childhood as well as travels throughout Africa. The bread rolls with spiced butter, served at the beginning of the meal, have become a customer favorite, as well as the tea service (fragrant jasmine tea with locally grown herbs) served at the end of the meal. Be on the lookout for monthly collaborations with local, national and international chefs. dakarnola.com

French Fare

Mamou is a new French brasserie on North Rampart Street that features a sumptuous menu by Chef Tom Branighan and a well curated wine list by Sommelier Molly Wismeier. The intimate restaurant, designed by Jennie West and Jason Richards of Studio West Design & Architecture, spotlights European continental cuisine mixed with Creole influences. In addition to staple items, the menu also features seasonal items—with ingredients sourced from many local farmers and producers in Louisiana and the Gulf Coast. Additionally, the cocktail menu by John Michael Kinsella pulls inspiration from French culinary techniques and ingredients seen in French cooking. For dinner, try the braised celery hearts and the Gulf fish court bouillon (featuring seasonal crusted gulf fish and oyster dressing). mamounola.com 

Meanwhile, French Quarter Boulangerie, the latest project from New Orleans hotelier and restaurateur Robert Thompson of Angevin & Co., is set to reimagine the historic building that once housed K Paul’s Louisiana Kitchen on Chartres Street. The all-day breakfast and lunch restaurant will open in the second half of 2023. Expect sweet and savory items, including freshly made pastries, baked baguettes, spice bread, peach hand pies, ham danishes with red eye gravy, croque madames on fresh-baked sourdough and more. There also will be a full coffee and espresso bar alongside a lineup of wines, bottled and canned beers, and all-day cocktails.