February 05, 2015
So, it's both Carnival and festival season in New Orleans' French Quarter. Well. Isn't it pretty much, all year 'round?! Sure feels like it: marching bands, street parades, people spilling out of bars and clubs, performers on every corner, and in everyone's hand"... a "geaux" cup!
Often, the fun continues day into night. And at some time in there, revelers need a break! In the midst of the madness at some point, finding a respite to collect one's thoughts, share a few calm moments away from the madding crowds, plan your next moves "... can be refreshing! Just walk away, and drop into one the following, bars, sit down and order the cocktail of the day!
Sylvain, a cozy French Quarter hideaway, constructed in 1796 on the site of previous buildings burned in the great fires of 1788 and 1794, displays its French and Spanish heritage.
The name of the bar is taken from a French Opera, Sylvain, staged in New Orleans the same year as construction of this building, originally a three-story carriage house for the nobleman and Spanish escribano publico in the New World, Don Andres Almonaster y Roxas. He was a man of great wealth and importance.
Other notables who have made this address their home were the six-foot tall Aunt Rose Arnold, owner and operator of a brothel in Storyville, who is believed to have served as a subject for a character in William Faulkner's "Sanctuary" and "The Reivers." The address was also the scene of the much-beloved French Quarter bakery, La Marquise.
The long narrow brick-lined entry opens into a closed courtyard which functions as one of the seating areas for the bar and restaurant. Then there's the wood-walled public room and the comfortable bar, one of the most complete and historic watering holes in the French Quarter.
From the bar, there is a wide variety of house-created and crafted cocktails, including the Croquet Cocktail, Luca Not Dead, Creole Contentment, Police and Thieves and No Fun. One of the current favorites crafted by Sylvain's excellent bar staff is Revenants Toll, featuring Appleton VIX Jamaican Rum, Cynar, Campari and Sweet Vermouth.
The ambitious kitchen offers snacks such as Fried Eggplant, Chicken Liver Crostini, Southern Antipasti, an Artisan Cheese Plate, Chili Roasted Almonds and Roasted Butternut Squash Bruschetta. A more substantial menu is also offered with Confit Duck Leg and Grilled Sausage, Gulf Shrimp Pirloo, American Wagyu Beef Belly, and a very fine hamburger
SYLVAIN, 625 Chartres Street, 504-265-8123 www.sylvainnola.com
Richard Fiske's Restaurant and Martini Bar, formerly the Bombay Club, has moved to new digs, with a new name. Fiske, the former Bombay proprietor for more than 20 years, has sadly passed on, but his spirit is very much with the business he dearly adored in his beloved New Orleans.
For over 14 years, Fiske's operation at the Bombay Club has been named Best Martini Bar in New Orleans by Gambit Weekly, an honor bestowed on the club by readers.
As for the bar's other offerings, any place that has perfected the art of the martini can rightly boast of abilities to prepare a wide variety of perfect cocktails. New Orleans' rightful place in bar history is secure here; the promise is delivered with every sip.
Recent sips that made waves of flavor, were found in Pink Elderflower Bubbles, Violet Fields and Brownie with Nuts. Following in the color pattern, the bar also mixes the palest of pink Cosmos upon request.
The bar features a daily Happy Hour from 4-7 p.m. with $3 select martinis, $2 local beer, and $2 food specials. In addition, for Saturday and Sunday brunch, 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Bloody Mary and Mimosa bars are featured with different variations for guests' tastes.
The creative touches cross over both the bar efforts and the dining experience. Fine dining takes on pleasurable proportions in the comfortable, intimate club-like dining rooms.
Chef Nick Gile's dinner menu is laden with local specialties. Oysters, crab, and shrimp are creatively prepared, as well as excellent preparations of beef and duck. Side dishes designed and created to complement the main courses translate to every order being a complete experience.
Live music has been a hallmark of Fiske's and the songs go on. The nightly music performances complement and enhance the evening at Richard Fiske's. The contemporary jazz is perfect for enjoying, and doesn't interfere with conversation.
RICHARD FISKE'S MARTINI BAR AND RESTAURANT, 301 Dauphine Street, 504-586-0972 www.richardfiskes.com
Walk about ten paces from the cacophony and craziness that is Bourbon Street and you enter the quiet elegance of Patrick's Bar Vin. It's hard to believe you are even in the same town as the boisterous party street, let alone being just a few feet away.
An entry courtyard leads into a comfortable parlor, lined with sofas, and then into the grand salon of Bar Vin. Just beyond the French doors is the fountained courtyard of the Hotel Mazarin.
You won't get very far without a personal greeting from Patrick Van Hoorebeck, a French Belgian who is New Orleans' unofficial ambassador of hospitality and wine. Patrick, besides his ownership and hosting duties here, is the founder and permanent King of the Krewe of Cork.
The costumed group celebrates vino during walking parades through the French Quarter several times a year. Videos of past glories, parades, special celebrity guests, and historic footage of Carnival play almost continuously on tastefully placed and sized monitors.
The wine list is chosen for both enjoyment and price, with an emphasis on wines from Europe and America. Patrick, true to his Belgian heritage, offers an excellent array of beers, and cocktails are crafted to tasty precision.
One of Van Hoorebeck's latest offerings to guests is a Bar Vin Kiss, 3 ounces of any sparkling or Champagne on the bar's extensive list for $6.
A recent review of the Champagne and sparkling wines available indicated the following labels: Marquis de la Tour "Blanc" Brut, Avissi Prosecco, JCB No. 21 Brut, JCB No. 69 Brut Rose', G.H. Mumm Cordon Rouge Brut, Moet & Chandon Brut, Nicolas Feuillatte Brut, Tattinger Brut La Francaise, Perrier-Jouet Grand Brut, Nicolas Feuillatte Rose', Veuve Cliquot "Yellow Label" Brut, Patrick's Best-Kept-Secret Voga Sparkling Pinot Grigio and Boizel Brut Rose'.
To accompany the wines, Bar Vin offers a cheese or combination cheese and charcuterie plate to guests at a modest price.
PATRICK'S BAR VIN, 730 Bienville Street (504) 200-3100 www.patricksbarvin.com
Updating one of the grande dames of classic New Orleans dining can be a daunting challenge. Co-proprietors Terry White and Ralph Brennan performed the magic trick in classy style, lovingly incorporating a new layout and interior design with such ease that one would imagine that years ago the original should have been just like this.
The building dates to 1795 when it was constructed by the great grandfather of Edgar Degas, one of the founders of the French Impressionists movement which changed masterpiece art painting and fine sculpture forever.
After serving as the main office for the Louisiana State Bank, and as the home of world chess champion, Paul Morphy, what was to be known as the Pink Building, in 1956 became the new home of Brennan's Restaurant.
Renowned in the food service community and the literary world for classic breakfast dishes, Brennan's astounded culinary lovers with Eggs Benedict and Hussarde, turtle soup of amazing depth, legendary gumbo, Bananas Foster, and Creole delicacies. Today, Chef Slade Rushing continues the traditions, while adding a few of his own innovations, keeping the story of Brennan's fresh, while at the same time culturally rich.
The design and decoration of the many dining rooms reflect the history, culture and attitudes of New Orleans. Rex, King of Carnival, has his own room, as does his Queen, both of which reflect the rich story of Mardi Gras with memorabilia from the processions, begun in 1872...
While breakfast is a favorite meal, both lunch and dinner feature local specialties, and the comfortable cocktail area provides views of the great courtyard as well as looking out on Royal Street, one of the most famous walking streets in a town built for leisurely strolls.
When visiting the newly expanded bar, enjoy a Caribbean Milk Punch, made from Smith and Cross Jamaican spiced rum, Makers Mark bourbon, local cream, Singing Dog vanilla bean and a touch of freshly grated nutmeg. Or try some of the other cocktails Brennan's is famous for, along with Chef Rushing's delectable bar snacks.
Brennan's, 417 Royal St., (504) 595-9711 www.brennansneworleans.com
Often, the fun continues day into night. And at some time in there, revelers need a break! In the midst of the madness at some point, finding a respite to collect one's thoughts, share a few calm moments away from the madding crowds, plan your next moves "... can be refreshing! Just walk away, and drop into one the following, bars, sit down and order the cocktail of the day!
Sylvain, a cozy French Quarter hideaway, constructed in 1796 on the site of previous buildings burned in the great fires of 1788 and 1794, displays its French and Spanish heritage.
The name of the bar is taken from a French Opera, Sylvain, staged in New Orleans the same year as construction of this building, originally a three-story carriage house for the nobleman and Spanish escribano publico in the New World, Don Andres Almonaster y Roxas. He was a man of great wealth and importance.
Other notables who have made this address their home were the six-foot tall Aunt Rose Arnold, owner and operator of a brothel in Storyville, who is believed to have served as a subject for a character in William Faulkner's "Sanctuary" and "The Reivers." The address was also the scene of the much-beloved French Quarter bakery, La Marquise.
The long narrow brick-lined entry opens into a closed courtyard which functions as one of the seating areas for the bar and restaurant. Then there's the wood-walled public room and the comfortable bar, one of the most complete and historic watering holes in the French Quarter.
From the bar, there is a wide variety of house-created and crafted cocktails, including the Croquet Cocktail, Luca Not Dead, Creole Contentment, Police and Thieves and No Fun. One of the current favorites crafted by Sylvain's excellent bar staff is Revenants Toll, featuring Appleton VIX Jamaican Rum, Cynar, Campari and Sweet Vermouth.
The ambitious kitchen offers snacks such as Fried Eggplant, Chicken Liver Crostini, Southern Antipasti, an Artisan Cheese Plate, Chili Roasted Almonds and Roasted Butternut Squash Bruschetta. A more substantial menu is also offered with Confit Duck Leg and Grilled Sausage, Gulf Shrimp Pirloo, American Wagyu Beef Belly, and a very fine hamburger
SYLVAIN, 625 Chartres Street, 504-265-8123 www.sylvainnola.com
Richard Fiske's Restaurant and Martini Bar, formerly the Bombay Club, has moved to new digs, with a new name. Fiske, the former Bombay proprietor for more than 20 years, has sadly passed on, but his spirit is very much with the business he dearly adored in his beloved New Orleans.
For over 14 years, Fiske's operation at the Bombay Club has been named Best Martini Bar in New Orleans by Gambit Weekly, an honor bestowed on the club by readers.
As for the bar's other offerings, any place that has perfected the art of the martini can rightly boast of abilities to prepare a wide variety of perfect cocktails. New Orleans' rightful place in bar history is secure here; the promise is delivered with every sip.
Recent sips that made waves of flavor, were found in Pink Elderflower Bubbles, Violet Fields and Brownie with Nuts. Following in the color pattern, the bar also mixes the palest of pink Cosmos upon request.
The bar features a daily Happy Hour from 4-7 p.m. with $3 select martinis, $2 local beer, and $2 food specials. In addition, for Saturday and Sunday brunch, 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Bloody Mary and Mimosa bars are featured with different variations for guests' tastes.
The creative touches cross over both the bar efforts and the dining experience. Fine dining takes on pleasurable proportions in the comfortable, intimate club-like dining rooms.
Chef Nick Gile's dinner menu is laden with local specialties. Oysters, crab, and shrimp are creatively prepared, as well as excellent preparations of beef and duck. Side dishes designed and created to complement the main courses translate to every order being a complete experience.
Live music has been a hallmark of Fiske's and the songs go on. The nightly music performances complement and enhance the evening at Richard Fiske's. The contemporary jazz is perfect for enjoying, and doesn't interfere with conversation.
RICHARD FISKE'S MARTINI BAR AND RESTAURANT, 301 Dauphine Street, 504-586-0972 www.richardfiskes.com
Walk about ten paces from the cacophony and craziness that is Bourbon Street and you enter the quiet elegance of Patrick's Bar Vin. It's hard to believe you are even in the same town as the boisterous party street, let alone being just a few feet away.
An entry courtyard leads into a comfortable parlor, lined with sofas, and then into the grand salon of Bar Vin. Just beyond the French doors is the fountained courtyard of the Hotel Mazarin.
You won't get very far without a personal greeting from Patrick Van Hoorebeck, a French Belgian who is New Orleans' unofficial ambassador of hospitality and wine. Patrick, besides his ownership and hosting duties here, is the founder and permanent King of the Krewe of Cork.
The costumed group celebrates vino during walking parades through the French Quarter several times a year. Videos of past glories, parades, special celebrity guests, and historic footage of Carnival play almost continuously on tastefully placed and sized monitors.
The wine list is chosen for both enjoyment and price, with an emphasis on wines from Europe and America. Patrick, true to his Belgian heritage, offers an excellent array of beers, and cocktails are crafted to tasty precision.
One of Van Hoorebeck's latest offerings to guests is a Bar Vin Kiss, 3 ounces of any sparkling or Champagne on the bar's extensive list for $6.
A recent review of the Champagne and sparkling wines available indicated the following labels: Marquis de la Tour "Blanc" Brut, Avissi Prosecco, JCB No. 21 Brut, JCB No. 69 Brut Rose', G.H. Mumm Cordon Rouge Brut, Moet & Chandon Brut, Nicolas Feuillatte Brut, Tattinger Brut La Francaise, Perrier-Jouet Grand Brut, Nicolas Feuillatte Rose', Veuve Cliquot "Yellow Label" Brut, Patrick's Best-Kept-Secret Voga Sparkling Pinot Grigio and Boizel Brut Rose'.
To accompany the wines, Bar Vin offers a cheese or combination cheese and charcuterie plate to guests at a modest price.
PATRICK'S BAR VIN, 730 Bienville Street (504) 200-3100 www.patricksbarvin.com
Updating one of the grande dames of classic New Orleans dining can be a daunting challenge. Co-proprietors Terry White and Ralph Brennan performed the magic trick in classy style, lovingly incorporating a new layout and interior design with such ease that one would imagine that years ago the original should have been just like this.
The building dates to 1795 when it was constructed by the great grandfather of Edgar Degas, one of the founders of the French Impressionists movement which changed masterpiece art painting and fine sculpture forever.
After serving as the main office for the Louisiana State Bank, and as the home of world chess champion, Paul Morphy, what was to be known as the Pink Building, in 1956 became the new home of Brennan's Restaurant.
Renowned in the food service community and the literary world for classic breakfast dishes, Brennan's astounded culinary lovers with Eggs Benedict and Hussarde, turtle soup of amazing depth, legendary gumbo, Bananas Foster, and Creole delicacies. Today, Chef Slade Rushing continues the traditions, while adding a few of his own innovations, keeping the story of Brennan's fresh, while at the same time culturally rich.
The design and decoration of the many dining rooms reflect the history, culture and attitudes of New Orleans. Rex, King of Carnival, has his own room, as does his Queen, both of which reflect the rich story of Mardi Gras with memorabilia from the processions, begun in 1872...
While breakfast is a favorite meal, both lunch and dinner feature local specialties, and the comfortable cocktail area provides views of the great courtyard as well as looking out on Royal Street, one of the most famous walking streets in a town built for leisurely strolls.
When visiting the newly expanded bar, enjoy a Caribbean Milk Punch, made from Smith and Cross Jamaican spiced rum, Makers Mark bourbon, local cream, Singing Dog vanilla bean and a touch of freshly grated nutmeg. Or try some of the other cocktails Brennan's is famous for, along with Chef Rushing's delectable bar snacks.
Brennan's, 417 Royal St., (504) 595-9711 www.brennansneworleans.com
