The Dish: Noodles, Please!

Jeff Gapultos and Chef Nhat “Nate” Nguyen came up with the idea for Union Ramen Bar after a night out on the town. While they planned to open in the Lower Garden District on Apr. 4 (National Ramen Day), they delayed until July 8 due to the pandemic. The interior, designed by Gapultos, his wife Cat Vo and Collectivo Design, is purposely modern mixed with industrial elements. The restaurant is unique thanks to its Tori (poultry-based) and Miso (plant-based) broths—rather than the heavier Tonkotsu (pork-based) broth found at most ramen restaurants. Also on offer is Mazemen—a saucier style of ramen, minus the broth—with options like Dirty Mazemen and Slap Ya Kim-chi Mazemen on the menu. 1837 Magazine St., Ste. B, 459-2819, unionramen.com.


Pizza Pie

The team behind NOLA Brewing is using its knowledge of water, yeast and fermentation to bring a new pizza parlor to the Crescent City. NOLA Pizza Co., set to open this month at the Tchoupitoulas Street taproom, will offer New York City-style pizza that pairs perfectly with beer. The trick to making a tasty NYC style-pizza starts with the water, and the team is using its brewery expertise and in-house lab to make authentic pizza dough. Expect the toppings to be as varied as the beer choices. 3001 Tchoupitoulas St., 896-9996, nolabrewing.com.


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Expanded Outdoor Dining

Boucherie, known for its in-house smoked and cured meats, reopened with an expanded outdoor dining area and new menu. Executive Chef Nathanial Zimet and his long-time staff member, Amilcar Bautista, built the covered outdoor seating area by hand. It features trellises covered in wisteria, picnic tables and benches, and four-top tables with purple chairs to match the vines as they bloom. The new dinner menu boasts items like whole hog pulled pork, W Black Farms wagyu skirt steak, creamed corn gnocchi, duck breast, pan seared puppy drum and applewood smoked scallops. A robust wine menu and seasonal cocktails complement the menu. Zimet also just launched Happy Hour, Tues.-Sat. from 5-6 p.m. 8115 Jeannette St., 862-5514, boucherie-nola.com.


Culinary Book Club

The New Orleans Chapter of Les Dames d’Escoffier International (an organization of women leaders who create a supportive culture in their communities to achieve excellence in the food, fine beverage and hospitality professions) has announced a new virtual book club. The next meeting takes place Nov. 21, when the group will discuss “History of American Cuisine” by Paul Friedman. While the book club is free to foodies who are interested in discussing food-related fiction and nonfiction, a suggested donation of $5 helps to support the organization’s work in the community. Advance registration is required. facebook.com/lesdamesnola.


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Decadent Dessert

Mason Romain and Kelsey Fisher recently opened Parish Parlor Ice Cream in the Lower Garden District. According to Romain, the decision came about purely from quarantine boredom. They started experimenting with baking, which eventually led to making their own ice cream from scratch. The duo opened the ice cream parlor in mid-September, specializing in French-style ice cream (meaning egg yolks are added to the base, thereby lending a rich, fattiness to the dessert). Parish Parlor also has some Philadelphia-style flavors (minus the eggs), plus a few vegan ice creams and sorbets. Overall, they currently have 18 flavors that include blackberry cheesecake, salted caramel and lemon ricotta honey. As a pet-friendly shop, they also offer pupcicles for Fido. 1912 Magazine St., 302-2244,
parishparlor.com.


 

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