Few holidays put more pressure on restaurants than Valentine’s Day. Places chosen for this night shoulder burdens heavier than just a well-executed risotto. Namely, romance. Consequently, chefs often have a love/hate relationship with Valentine’s Day. They like the business but dread the heightened expectations. Yet the simple truth is that whatever romance is found at a restaurant usually comes from that which the guests themselves bring. But while romance may indeed be a state of mind, here are a few places that will provide an ambient environment especially friendly to fostering such feelings.
Clémentine’s Belgian Bistrot in Gretna is one spot. Although sequestered along the less-than-scenic Whitney Avenue, the faux-Bavarian exterior opens up into a cozy and comfortable dining space presided over by friendly proprietress Mrs. Clementine Desmet.
What is more romantic than a cauldron of molten cheese? Well, lots of things but since fondue is hard to find in New Orleans I rarely pass up the opportunity to order it. Here the Fondue au Fromage makes for a nice appetizer to share, arriving at the table in the requisite chafing pot alongside a wicker basket of cubed bread.
The steamed mussels are popular as well. They come in four styles, ranging from a basic broth of onions and celery up to a version prepared with a creamy lobster bisque. The Moules Provençale strikes a good balance with its broth of onion, celery and white wine with the addition of cream for a little backbone. Fragrant steam billows out when the pot’s lid is raised, and the serving size is generous.
Complementing the moules are the hand-cut frites, accompanied by two mayonnaise-based dipping sauces – one made with herbs and garlic and another with roasted red pepper. Both are quite good, though I’d give the edge to the red pepper sauce for its depth of flavor.
Yet it’s the dessert that really stands out. The thin, plate-sized Crêpe Clementine comes garnished with apple-slices and sugar which is bruleed by flaming Grand Marnier to a consistency one click past caramel. The browned sugar melts quickly on the tongue in a whiff of honeyed caramel notes. In the center of the crêpe, a scoop of vanilla ice cream melts slowly over the ensemble, adding creaminess and contrast.
Mrs. Desmet, herself from northern France, married an American serviceman over 40 years ago. “At first, he couldn’t speak French and I couldn’t speak English,” she recalls. “But 46 years later, he still loves me.” What is more romantic than that?
This was my first visit to Mat and Naddie’s since it was so rudely interrupted by a tree during Katrina that fell atop the restaurant taking out features both structural and aesthetic. The ensuing renovation resulted in a new floor plan. Now, the entrance is at the front, not the side, and a gallery parallels the main dining room. But one thing that hasn’t changed is the food, which is still ambitious, creative and quite good.
The restaurant maintains its cheerful, Riverbend feel with backlit cast-iron porch medallions installed in the ceiling and local art and photography gracing the walls.
A nice way to start the meal is with an appetizer of Crab Cakes with Cucumber Slaw. They come three to an order, surrounding a mound of shredded cucumber seasoned with rice vinegar. The crab cakes are assertively seasoned and punched up with the addition of a terrific and spicy mango chutney. Doled out alongside on the plate as a garnish, this gives diners the ability to control the heat quotient. Another good appetizer of Shrimp and Crawfish Croquettes comes with pickled fennel and red onions with a roasted garlic and balsamic reduction sauce alongside, providing additional flavor. For entrées, the Bronzed Gulf Drum with Basil and Shrimp Risotto features a meaty filet of redfish’s first cousin over a generous mound of rice loaded with shrimp and seafood essence. The accompanying curly spinach is braised lightly, shocking in the bright green color, and then seasoned with slivers of garlic.
The dessert menu is pleasant, though unlike their more ambitious savory side, with dessert they play it relatively safe. A Nectar Float is one nostalgia-triggering option. It brought to my mind memories of the long-gone soda Pop Rouge. This float is contemporized with New Orleans Nectar Soda, aka “Mardi Gras in a Bottle.” Soda and ice cream – nothing fancy here – is sweet and satisfying. An Almond and Banana Bread Pudding is another nice way to end the meal.
Mat and Naddie’s is low-key, attractive and relaxed. Service was very friendly and the picturesque patio seating is a good way to go, weather permitting. A surprisingly extensive wine list adds to the appeal.
Those seeking to present Significant Others with a gift of chocolate truffles should check out Bittersweet Confections in Lakeview near Mid-City. There they’ll find owner Cheryl Scripter at work putting together her signature sweets, working with such flavors as fresh ginger, mango and Indian Chai.
Her Second Line Collection, an assemblage of eight truffles inspired by her love of New Orleans, is popular. After her house in Lakeview flooded, she decamped to Baton Rouge where she spent a lot of time thinking about how much she missed home. “I tried to make something that the locals would love and appreciate,” she says. The Second Line Collection itself breaks down into two smaller ones. The more traditional Canal Street Collection is made up of Banana Foster, Crème Brulée, Pecan and Lemon truffles. The more eclectic Royal Street Collection features Ginger, Earl Grey Tea, Indian Chai and Dark Chocolate truffles. Both are very good.
While the Canal Blvd. shop opened in late December, Cheryl has been pouring her energy into Bittersweet Confections for over seven years. Prior to Katrina she had been trying to get a slot at the Farmer’s Market but heavy competition for the limited spots kept out of reach. After Katrina, spaces became available and since then her business has boomed. Her success at the market finally opened up the opportunity for a storefront of her own. “It worked out really nicely for me,” Scripter says. “It is absolutely the best thing that ever happened to my business, being out there at the Farmer’s Market every week.”
Cheryl likens her shop to a Neapolitan ice cream bar, with its pink, brown and white stripes on the wall and mocha-brown floors. With its long counter and display cases, guests are able to point and choose their way to cull their own personal collections from her array of offerings. Valentine’s Day is as good an excuse as any to pick up a box.
