Progressive Means Progress

Immediately after Katrina, our restaurant community responded bravely and rapidly, coming back to life well in advance of other industries. When you first returned to New Orleans to view your home or your business or both, there were restaurants already open, serving first-responders and returning refugees.

It’s one of the things I remember most about coming back: the paper tablecloths, bottled water, plastic knives and forks, paper plates and smiling wait staff. The joy of socialization in many fine-dining restaurants, such as Dickie Brennan’s Bourbon House and several of the Besh restaurants, among other notables, was our first signal that our town was wounded but not dead.

It’s easy to step back now and forget about how absolutely difficult and ridiculous were the many challenges faced by the restaurant community in those scary days. The water had not been determined safe. The staff was continually working short-handed. Deliveries of product could not clear the road blocks. And important sections of town were completely empty.

I don’t bring these matters up to revel in hard times or even to celebrate how far we have come in a short period of time, although those are never bad thoughts, and we can all take great pride in what we have accomplished and in what we have facilitated to be accomplished. The amazing number of restaurants open today in New Orleans is still one of the single most astounding statistics demonstrating our progress since the hurricane, as well as defining our incredible love of and devotion to dining.

Rather, I bring up the delightful circumstances because now I feel we have entered another phase of the renaissance of the Crescent City. And by noting this evolution, let me please beg the indulgence of my fellow blogger Robert Peyton and comrade in words at New Orleans Magazine Jay Forman. I am not really stepping on your territory, fellas, but rather elaborating on trends on my beat. Please allow me to explain further.

Back in the 1800s –– and despite popular opinion, I was not around to personally experience this era –– New Orleans, like big cities all over America (yes, we were actually a big city back then), boasted public houses, rooted in drink and serving excellent food fare. But the drinks were the deal, and the food was the lagniappe.

It’s where our tradition of creating drinks to satisfy the patrons first began and gave birth to our two great contributions to cocktail society, the Sazerac and the Ramos Gin Fizz.

When you entered a bar back then, you were thirsty. Maybe you were also hungry. Maybe. New Orleans excelled in establishing these bars-with-food and in doing so, also created the poor boy, inexpensive yet satisfying fare to accompany a mid-day beer or a spirited beverage.

Moving the story along, following the First World War and then Prohibition, this style of drinking and dining fell out of favor, giving way to the hectic pace of making a living and preparing for the next world conflict.

The 1950s were a time of focus on building families and a peace-time economy.

Anyway, it seems we have returned to those wondrous days of heading to a “tavern” and sipping and eating and visiting and just plain enjoying life in New Orleans.

What we are seeing now is a new generation of public houses that refer to themselves as serving tapas-style portions, indicating that the dish is small in size and a bit more complicated in the preparation, with multiple ingredients.

These destinations come in many textures and styles. If you desire very casual, dressy casual or even quite upscale, they are available to you, with all ranges in between. Are you interested in after-work or late-night? Some places don’t even begin to hum until after 9.

They all have in common great creativity in interior design, superbly made drinks, a suitable offering of wine and fine cuisine on a small scale emanating from the kitchen. It’s not really dining, but then it’s not really just drinking either.

And here we find the next step — or maybe an offshoot development — in the rebuilding of our hospitality community. It’s quite exciting.

What I suggest you do is to make an evening of visiting these establishments, enjoying a drink or two and a bit of food in each. It’s a progressive dining experience, with the added bonus of fine cocktails. Or it’s a cocktail-and-wine quest, with the benefit of small-plate fine cuisine. Depends on your point of view.

We made such a pilgrimage the other evening, starting at the Eiffel Society. This is the Eiffel Tower piece that somehow landed on St. Charles Avenue and has had a checkered existence. It’s our community umbilical cord to Paris, where everyone in New Orleans knows the building was formerly located, and my guess is that no one in Paris has given the matter any thought at all.

Capably overseeing the bar at the Eiffel Society is Alan Walter, New Orleans Magazine’s Bartender of the Year in 2008, having lost none of his creativity and kind spirit in the ensuing years. He is still at Iris on Monday evenings, but Wednesday through Saturday he is at Eiffel Society.

The place is stunning. Money has been spent on interior design, lighting and statement-making furnishings. The Eiffel bar food menu reflects chef Ian Schnoebelen’s commitment to nouveau Creole, with which he also continues to dazzle over at Iris, his award-winning restaurant now in the French Quarter.

Walter is happiest in his world of self-created infusions and myriad natural ingredients, combined in creating an eye-appealing and palate-pleasing beverage, which he places in front of you before stepping back, hoping you will concur in the result of the alchemy. I’m a willing audience.

Travel on to Salu, in the upper reaches of the Garden District up Magazine Street, and settle in with a more casual crowd — much more casual. You can choose to dine outside or in, and given the weather developments of late, the al fresco option is appealing if you don’t find yourself near or downwind from a smoker.
 
The wine menu here, even by the glass, is better than Eiffel — nothing to get too excited about but serviceable. Cocktails are very well-made and fairly priced. The food is comfort, with dishes hovering around $10, some more, many less.

It’s the atmosphere here that works. It’s a good fit in the neighborhood: very convivial, a few televisions and a service staff that tries to please even when complete success is not quite within their reach.

Moving on up, to Uptown, still on Magazine, right next to the trendy Lilette restaurant, is Bouligny Tavern. Chef John Harris of Lilette has always desired a real bar area, and now he has it, albeit in a completely separate building.

A most comfortable establishment, sort of like a large living room, Bouligny offers a variety of seating areas, including a patio next to the revamped shotgun building. I think it’s a patio, but maybe it’s a converted driveway. Anyway, it is done nicely.

Bouligny Tavern has the advantage of chef Harris’ deft touch for the menu, and he has created a nice cocktail environment, with a smattering of wine choices by the glass or bottle.

This seems to be a new gathering point for Uptown professionals, maybe going to or coming from Galatoire’s or Commander’s. Then again, I saw some folks that look like they would be at home at Cooter’s. It’s a nice New Orleans mix.

Those are only a few of the places, opening with great frequency, that are reviving our old drinks-first-then-food culture but in a more modern and pleasant way than just setting sandwiches on the bar.

CLOSING NOTE:
Many of you have mentioned over the years that you would love to attend the Seeing Red Wine Festival at Seaside, Fla., but you always wait too late.

Here’s your chance because the 20th staging is coming up Nov. 4-7, barely a month away.

Get your tickets now. This is an excellent opportunity to support our neighbors along the Gulf Coast who have suffered through a difficult summer season, thanks to BP. Plus you will enjoy one of the finest outdoor wine festivals staged anywhere in America at the best time of the year to enjoy the sugar-sands and emerald water.

Check out www.seeingredwinefestival.com

The Eiffel Society
2040 St. Charles Ave.
504/525-2951

Salu
3226 Magazine St.
504/371-5809

Bouligny Tavern
3641 Magazine St.
504/891-1810

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