Home FOOD & DINING Weekend Cheat Sheet: May 2014

Weekend Cheat Sheet: May 2014

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Spend the entire weekend celebrating the most important woman in your life — she deserves it. Happy Mother’s Day!

NOLTartineFriday

Lunch at: Experience the aromas and flavors of a French bakery at Tartine. Located on Perrier Street, just across from University Square, this quaint Uptown lunch spot is too often overlooked — much to the detriment of the city’s diners. Owner/chef Cara Benson and her husband (and chef) Evan collaborate on delightful dishes to be enjoyed in a relaxed, comfortable atmosphere. Although Tartine offers daily soup and sandwich specials, be sure to indulge in its signature tartine: a house-made pate served with Dijon mustard and cornichons on a toasted, freshly baked baguette. 7217 Perrier St., (504) 866-4860, tartineneworleans.com

Indulge in: Treat Mom to her favorite “fro-yo” at Pinkberry on Magazine Street. This Los Angeles-based franchise has become a hit in the Crescent City, with five different locations in the Greater New Orleans area. Pinkberry swirls up different flavors on a regular basis, so patrons can enjoy everything from salted caramel to mango frozen yogurt. Spoil yourself with chocolate hazelnut and almond roca crumbles, or opt for something on the lighter side, like pomegranate with ripe blackberries. Yum! 5601 Magazine St., (504) 899-4260, pinkberry.com

Sip at: Recently opened by owners Patrick and Rebecca Singley, Ivy is an elegant Uptown restaurant with a gastro-pub feel that offers cocktails, wine and a tapas-style menu designed by famed local chef Sue Zemanick. Sip on a classic Old Fashioned or Sazerac while munching on delicate tuna tartare, snapper crudo, grilled lobster with cilantro crème fraîche, or spicy, fried baby-back ribs with celery and blue cheese. 5015 Magazine St., (504) 899-1330, facebook.com/ivyneworleans

Saturday

Revive at: Whether you prefer pour-over, cold-pressed or good ol’ espresso, HiVolt Coffee has java in the style you favor. Located on Sophie Wright Place in what was (once upon a time) a seafood joint, HiVolt is a modern coffeehouse owned by Benji Lee, who also runs The Saint bar just down the road. This Lower Garden District cafe offers coffee roasted by Counter Culture, plus an array of gluten-free and vegan/vegetarian dishes — like the eggs and polenta cake with spinach, fresh mozzarella and kefir herb dressing, or Ponchatoula “toast” with fresh strawberries, cream cheese, basil and maple syrup. 1829 Sophie Wright Place, (504) 324-8818, hivoltcoffee.com

Luxuriate in: Let the experts pamper Mom in style at Belladonna Day Spa. Located on the corner of Magazine and 6th streets, this spa offers everything a lady needs to simply relax — like shiatsu massage, facials, herbal scrubs, seaweed body treatments, aromatherapy, manicures, pedicures, waxing and makeup application. Belladonna also offers retail therapy with an abundance of body-care products, books, lounge and sleepwear items, and even home decor. 2900 Magazine St., (504) 891-4393, belladonnadayspa.com

Dine at: Housed in a restored, 1800s merchant’s cottage on Annunciation Street, Eleven 79 is a charming restaurant that serves classic Italian and New Orleans cuisine. Recently featured in the hit HBO television series “Treme,” Eleven 79 offers a large menu with dishes like pasta puttanesca, shrimp scampi, veal saltimbocca and tiramisu. The popular Italian restaurant also offers nightly specials, like crawfish gratinata or ossobuco Milanese, along with a very generous wine list. 1179 Annunciation St., (504) 299-1179, eleven79.com

Sunday

Brunch at: Celebrate Mother’s Day with class and style at Ralph’s on the Park in Mid-City. Long a popular destination for locals and tourists alike, this Ralph Brennan restaurant offers a luxurious atmosphere with colorful murals and large windows overlooking the moss-covered live oaks of New Orleans City Park. Executive chef Chip Flanagan will tantalize your taste buds with delectable brunch offerings, like stuffed French toast with strawberry and Brie filling, lobster-and-tasso eggs Benedict, Gulf shrimp and grits, and chicken and waffles. 900 City Park Ave., (504) 488-1000, ralphsonthepark.com

Smell the flowers at: Soak up the sunshine, and enjoy the sights and scents of New Orleans City Park’s Botanical Garden. What started as a rose garden in 1936 has blossomed into a live exhibition of more than 2,000 varieties of plants from around the world. One of the few remaining examples of a public classical garden funded by the Works Progress Administration — a “New Deal” agency that provided employment and income to the unemployed during the Great Depression — the garden showcases the Art Deco influences of architect Richard Koch, landscape architect William Wiedorn and sculptor Enrique Alferez. 3 Victory Ave., (504) 483-9386, neworleanscitypark.com/botanical-garden

Dine old-school at: The grocery store initially opened by Sebastian Mandina in 1898 evolved in 1932 into what is now known as Mandina’s Restaurant. After 82 years, it’s still family-owned and -operated. Located on the corner of Canal and North Cortez streets, the pastel-pink restaurant is a constant for locals, serving classic New Orleans dishes like shrimp remoulade, catfish amandine, softshell crab, turtle soup, seafood gumbo and eggplant Parmesan. It’s the perfect way to say a hearty thanks to the woman who made your life possible. Thanks, Mom! 3800 Canal St., (504) 482-9179, mandinasrestaurant.com