Home FOOD & DINING Weekend Cheat Sheet: July 2014

Weekend Cheat Sheet: July 2014

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Create your own fabulous vacation weekend without ever leaving the city!

salu11Friday

Lunch at: Bring your friends and be prepared to share at Salú Restaurant. Located at the corner of Magazine and Pleasant streets, this casual restaurant offers a bevy of Italian-, Spanish- and French-inspired small plates — and larger entrees if you want to keep your dish all to yourself. Chef Dustin Brien has created an eclectic menu, featuring dishes that range from bacon-wrapped prawns and Two Run Farms skirt steak to wild mushroom empanadas and lamb lollipops. Salú also serves an amazing seafood paella with shrimp, mussels, scallops and crawfish — but be prepared to wait! This kind of epicurean masterpiece takes time. 3226 Magazine St., (504) 371-5809, salurestaurant.com

Survey suds at: Find out what it takes to brew the perfect glass of beer at NOLA Brewing on Tchoupitoulas Street. CEO Kirk Coco wanted New Orleans to become the craft-brewing hub it once was, and with the help of experienced brewers like Peter Caddoo (former brewmaster of Dixie Beer), he has begun to make his dream a reality. Every Friday, NOLA Brewing offers a free brewery tour where you can learn about the company and the brewing process, and taste all of the products, from NOLA Blonde to Hopitoulas (and perhaps even a few seasonal summer brews). 3001 Tchoupitoulas St., (504) 896-9996, nolabrewing.com

Sip at: Constructed from over 11,000 pieces that were originally part of a restaurant atop the Eiffel Tower in Paris, Eiffel Society has become so much more than an elegant cocktail lounge on St. Charles Avenue. Featuring a unique, artistic atmosphere, this “lounge” offers weekly events — from comedy shows to live music and “hangover brunches” — as well as a constantly changing art gallery and a garden with a catwalk. On Friday nights, guests are encouraged to enjoy well-made cocktails and small bites while relishing the artistic ambiance. 2040 St. Charles Ave., (504) 525-2951, eiffelsociety.com

Saturday

Revive at: Located on the corner of Carondelet and Girod streets, Haro Coffee & Chocolate is both a coffeehouse and an after-dinner dessert shop opened by Ryan Haro and serving locally roasted, fair trade, organic coffee and specialty “grand cru” chocolates. Re-energize with hot or iced espressos and lattes, or get a traditional cafe au lait, and indulge in sweet dainties (think housemade marshmallows dipped in chocolate; chocolate-covered bacon; chocolate-dipped Zapp’s potato chips; and chocolate-dipped strawberries and truffles). 703 Carondelet St., (504) 208-5388, haronola.com

Appreciate at: Aiming to “broaden the knowledge, understanding, interpretation and appreciation of the visual arts and culture of the American South,” the Ogden Museum of Southern Art is a wonderful way to while away the heat of the day and expand your aesthetic appreciation of local art. Located around the corner from Lee Circle on Camp Street, the Ogden offers an exquisite permanent collection of work by artists like William Dunlap, Frederich Trenchard, Ida Kohlmeyer, Robert Gordy, George Biddie and many more. The Ogden also features rotating exhibitions, art education for adults and children, films and a weekly After Hours event with live, local musicians, cocktails and food. 925 Camp St., (504) 539-9650, ogdenmuseum.org

Dine at: Famous TV chef Emeril Lagasse’s eponymous flagship restaurant on Tchoupitoulas Street is one of New Orleans’ most well-known culinary gems. Located in the Warehouse District, Emeril’s is still wowing diners, both locally and internationally. Visitors can expect excellent service, an enormous wine list and choice New Orleans-centric cuisine. Chef de cuisine David Slater offers a seasonal menu with dishes like sticky buffalo Chappapeela Farms duck wings with whipped blue cheese crème fraiche; andouille-crusted drum; jerk Mississippi quail and Emeril’s famous banana cream pie. 800 Tchoupitoulas St., (504) 528-9393, emerilsrestaurants.com/emerils-new-orleans
Sunday

Brunch at: It’s a joy to spend a leisurely, Uptown brunch at the neighborhood Patois Restaurant at the corner of Laurel and Webster streets, only three blocks from Audubon Park. This casual-yet-elegant restaurant features the cuisine of famed local chef Aaron Burgau, who has learned from some of the finest chefs in New Orleans, including Susan Spicer and Gerard Maras. Start your Sunday with almond-crusted Gulf fish and potato galettes, pulled pork and biscuits with poached eggs and a smoked tomato hollandaise or a Crescent City classic — grits and grillades. You’ll regret it if you leave without indulging in one of pastry chef Lisa Gustafson’s incredible desserts, like her Ponchatoula strawberry budino with sesame-maple tuile and candied thyme. 6078 Laurel St., (504) 895-9441, patoisnola.com

Take a dip at: Bring the whole family, and have fun in the sun at the Whitney M. Young Memorial Pool at Audubon! Get some sun while the kids splash and play, or go alone to work off brunch by swimming a few laps. The pool also offers swimming lessons for children and adults, lifeguarding classes and water aerobics. The pool is located across from Audubon Park on Magazine Street and is open to the public every day in the summertime from June 2 to Aug. 10. auduboninstitute.org

Veg out at: Indulge your inner vegetarian at the newly opened Seed on Prytania Street. Housed in what used to be the Blue Plate Cafe, Seed offers an interesting menu that features only vegan, vegetarian and raw cuisine. Start out with a crunchy beet carpaccio with thinly sliced, raw beets and grapeseed oil or some nachos with corn chips, roasted corn salsa, cashew queso, black beans and guacamole. Next, try the raw (and meatless) chili; seaweed salad with pistachios and miso maple dressing; or an eggplant po-boy with roasted red peppers on Leidenheimer bread. You’ll be surprised how delicious eating green can be! 1330 Prytania St., (504) 302-2599, seedyourhealth.com