Whether you’re seeking time out in a festive holiday atmosphere or a means of entertaining guests without bringing the fa-la-la to your own kitchen, a bevy of New Orleans restaurants have you covered for the season.
With a lush hanging garden and climbing wisteria vines separating an intimate gathering space from the bustle of Poydras Street, the plush comfortable outdoor space at Copper Vine is a gracious way to begin or end an evening out. Selections from chef Mike Brewer’s new Pre-Thanksgiving menu pair and share easily: Gulf fish bouillabaise with blackened wild American shrimp, jumbo lump crab, sautéed vegetables and seafood broth; gumbo of half of a fried Manchester Farms quail with house-made boudin and chicken; and a house bread-pudding generous enough to serve two.
On Christmas Eve, Copper Vine will serve their à la carte dinner menu, along with a variety of specials from chef Amy Mehrtens. On New Year’s Eve, the restaurant will host a very special dinner from their “Between the Vines” paring series in partnership with Ruinart, the oldest established Champagne house.
If you’re looking for the trimmings, “The hotel decorates right after Thanksgiving: The room overlooking the Avenue holds a 14-foot tree,” says Adam Miller, Director of Events for The Columns. “Five mantles between the Ballroom, the Avenue Room and the Victorian Lounge (with a working fireplace that’s lit as the temperature drops) are decorated with angels and Papas Noel. Holly trims the handrails inside the magnificent three-story staircase, the stained glass windows and the 10-to-14 door frames. A hand carved European nativity crèche, an old antique, will grace the hallway along with poinsettias.”
The Columns will offer a Reveillon Menu for dinner Tuesdays-Saturdays throughout December, as well as for Christmas Eve dinner and Christmas Day brunch, for $60 per person with a selection of soups (including the hotel’s famed Oyster Stew), salads and entrées – including pan seared Diver scallops, veal osso buco, filet Oscar and pecan-crusted fish – and a plethora of tempting desserts.
The Country Club offers a beautiful retreat from the outside world. Each of the three dining rooms is adorned with stunning hand-painted floral murals by local artist Cindy Mathis that walk the fine line between sexy and proper. Whimsical paintings by southern artist Louis St. Lewis are scattered throughout and highlighted by custom lighting that makes the works sparkle.
On Thanksgiving Day, the Country Club will serve an à la carte feast 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Starters include smoked duck and mushroom gumbo and crab beignets with saffron aioli. Entrées include classic roast turkey with all of the trimmings, braised lamb shank, pan-roasted shrimp and grilled Louisiana drum. Desserts will include pumpkin cheesecake and peanut butter pie.
Throughout the month of December, the Country Club will offer a traditional four-course Reveillon Dinner for $60 per person including: duck and oyster gumbo, poached Royal Red shrimp, truffle-roasted poussin or lemon-herb crusted Gulf fish; and panettone bread pudding with warm rum sauce anglaise.
Head back to The Country Club for New Year’s Eve to bring in 2020 for an all-inclusive New Year’s Eve Celebration. The night will include a cocktail reception with hors d’oeuvres, a three course meal, live music, party favors, access to the entire club, bottomless champagne all night long and easy access to firework viewing at the Rusty Rainbow over the Mississippi River levee.
BRG Restaurant Group with host holiday dinners at many of its properties. Celebrate Thanksgiving at Restaurant August, Luke, Domenica or Borgne; Christmas at Domenica; Hanukkah at Shaya; and enjoy a Reveillon Dinner throughout December at Restaurant August, Borgne, Domenici, Luke or Shaya.
Briquette features coastal contemporary seafood in the converted Rodd Bros. Molasses factory in the Warehouse District. Executive chef Guy D. Sockrider C.E.C. is in charge of the culinary team. Briquette will feature an Absolute Dinner on December 5 for $120 per person with tasting flights of vodka and a five-course dinner prepared with vodka and paired with handcrafted cocktails. On December 19, a $120 Martell Dinner will feature tasting flights from Martell House in Cognac, France, and a five-course dinner prepared with vodka and paired with handcrafted cocktails.
A sleek French-style Brasserie located in the Eliza Jane Hotel, Couvant will celebrate Thanksgiving with seatings from 11 a.m.-7 p.m. for $62 per person ($20 for children under 12). To start guests will enjoy a wild mushroom velouté and hazelnut flan. The first course, served family-style, will be a turkey leg an foie presse with sour cherry marmalade and autumn greens in red wine vinaigrette. The main course will be a French play on the American classics: roasted turkey breast au jus and braised lardons with honey glazed chestnuts, caramelized winter squash, cider-braised gem lettuce, truffled celery pain perdu and robuchon potatoes. There will also be a pear frangipane tart with brown butter caramel ice cream for dessert.
Couvant will offer two Reveillon-style meals throughout December: A $24 two course B’Reveillon Brunch daily from 11 a.m.-3 p.m., and a three-course dinner menu for $69.
Photo courtesy of Couvant
Feeling indulgent? Add a cheese plate to any meal for $12 per person and decedent shaved back truffles for $25 per person.
Santa Claus and his elves will be visiting Broussard’s Restaurant during brunch in December. Bring the children for festive food, music, photos with Santa and even a chance to send a letter to the North Pole. Menu items include favorites like cochon de lait Benedict; southern fried chicken and waffles; and raspberry and mascarpone stuffed pain perdu. The dates are December 14 and 15, from 10 a.m.-3 p.m., and December 20-22, from 10 a.m.-3 p.m.
The restaurant will host a toy drive throughout the holiday season to benefit children in need. Unwrapped gifts may be dropped off at the restaurant and will be donated to families within our community through a partnership with the New Orleans Mission.
Broussard’s will also offer a Reveillon dinner menu for $48 throughout the month of December.
On Monday, December 2, Galatoire’s will host its annual Christmas Auction. Each year, the Galatoire Foundation holds Christmas and Mardi Gras table auctions to assist in supporting local nonprofit organizations. Started in 2006, the Christmas and Mardi Gras table auctions have raised more than $2.2 million for local charities. Each fun and lively auction allows guests the opportunity to reserve a table on Galatoire’s famed first floor the Fridays before Christmas and Mardi Gras, which are two of the busiest days of the year for the restaurant.
Always a favorite for holiday entertaining, in an unusual move Galatoire’s will be open on a Monday! The fabled spot for celebration will be open for festivities on Monday, December 23 to accommodate holiday revelers and both Galatoire’s and Galatoire’s 33 Bar & Steak will offer Reveillon menus throughout December. Galatoire’s is also hosting a New Year’s Eve Dinner in the upstairs Balcony Room for $225 per person with guests admitted beginning at 8 p.m.
Palace Cafe, Dickie Brennan’s Steakhouse, Bourbon House and Tableau will be open for lunch and dinner for a traditional Thanksgiving meal, and each of the restaurants will serve Reveillon Dinner throughout the month of December. Acorn (In the Louisiana Children’s Museum), Palace Cafe, Dickie Brennan’s Steakhouse, Bourbon House and Tableau will all be handing out holiday jingle bells at lunch during the month of December.
Take a break from holiday shopping and stress and duck into Sofia for Happy Hour every Tuesday through Friday from 4-7 p.m. Enjoy refreshing spritzes and vodka Matteo mules for $7, Peroni on draft for $4 and glasses of wine (red, white and sparkling) for $6. Small plates range $ 5-7 each and include meatballs, garlic bread, insalata, Margherita pizza, rosemary potatoes with chili aioli and olives.
Not to be outdone, the Emeril’s family of restaurant will be offering special menus to celebrate the holidays. Throughout the month of December, Emeril’s New Orleans (the flagship) will be offering a Reveillon menu for $80 per person. NOLA Restaurant will be offering a December Reveillon Menu daily for $50-$65 per person and Emeril’s Delmonico will be offering the same for $65 per person as well as a “Feast of the Seven Fishes” on Christmas Eve.
Ralph’s on the Park is turning 16 this holiday season! To celebrate, the restaurant is kicking off a year-long sweet-inspired celebration with a full menu of items like a $16 two course lunch menu, Birthday Bubbles and a 16-Night Charitable Giving Campaign.
Red Fish Grill is hoisting Holiday Gingerbread House Team Building Workshops so gather your gather your tribe, tap into your creative side, sip and create. The workshops will be offered December 2-20, Sundays-Fridays from 11 a.m.-2 p.m., for $38 per person, which includes one gingerbread house, decorative candy, a jingle bell and one adult cocktail, beer or wine. A two-course lunch will be available throughout the season, as will a three-course dinner for $35.
Get in on the Naughty or Nice Happy Hour at Brennan’s in the Roost Bar & Courtyard on December 20 from 2-7 p.m. for “snow” falling in the courtyard, Home for the Holidays cocktails, deeply discounted bottles of bubbles and holiday merriment.
Acorn
15 Henry Thomas Drive (in the Louisiana Children’s Museum), 218-5413, AcornNola.com
Broussard’s Restaurant
819 Conti St., 581-3866, Broussards.com
Bourbon House
144 Bourbon St., 522-0111, BourbonHouse.com
Borgne
601 Loyola Ave. (in the Hyatt Regency), 613-3860, BorgneRestaurant.com
Brennan’s
417 Royal St., 525-9711, BrennansNewOrleans.com
Briquette
701 S. Peters St., 302-7496, Briquette-Nola.com
Columns Hotel
3811 St. Charles Ave., 899-9308, TheColumns.com
The Country Club
634 Louisa St., 945-0742, TheCountryClubNewOrleans.com
Couvant
315 Magazine St. (in the Eliza Jane Hotel), 324-5400, Couvant.com
Domenica
123 Baronne St. (in The Roosevelt Hotel), 648-6020, DomenicaRestaurant.com
Galatoire’s
209 Bourbon St., 525-2021, Galatoires.com
Galatoire’s 33 Bar & Steak
215 Bourbon St., 335-3932, Galatoires33BarAndSteak.com
Dickie Brennan’s Steakhouse
716 Iberville St., 522-2467, DickieBrennansSteakhouse.com
Emeril’s
800 Tchoupitoulas St., 528-9393, EmerilsRestaurants.com/Emerils
Emeril’s Delmonico
1300 St. Charles Ave., 525-4937, EmerilsRestaurants.com/Delmonico
Luke
333 St. Charles Ave. (in the Hilton New Orleans/St. Charles Avenue Hotel), 378-2840, LukeNewOrleans.com
NOLA
534 St. Louis St., 522-6652, EmerilsRestaurants.com/Nola
Ralph’s on the Park
900 City Park Ave., 488-1000, RalphsOnThePark.com
Red Fish Grill
115 Bourbon St., 598-1200, RedFishGrill.com
Restaurant August
301 Tchoupitoulas St., 299-9777, RestaurantAugust.com
Shaya
4213 Magazine, St., 891-4213, ShayaRestaurant.com
Sofia
516 Julia St., 322-3216, SofiaNola.com
Tableau
616 St. Peter St., 934-3463, TableauFrenchQuarter.com
