Weekend Cheat Sheet: August 2014
During the hottest month of the year, it’s important to take time out to stay cool … and nothing is cooler than a mouth-watering weekend in the Crescent City!
Friday
Lunch at: Delight in a healthy vegan lunch at one of the city’s newest restaurants, the Sneaky Pickle. Located way down on St. Claude Avenue, almost to the canal, this ubercasual restaurant is decked out in Maw-Maw’s flowery tablecloths, a mish-mash of garage-sale furniture and light fixtures from the early ’70s. Produce is sourced locally, so the menu changes daily depending on what’s in season at the farmer’s markets nearby. Try the Bowl o’ Food with savory lentils and vegetables (topped with a fried egg if you’re feeling carnivorous) or try the smoked tempeh flatbread with butter bean puree, caramelized onions and slaw. 4017 St. Claude Ave., (504) 218-5651, yousneakypickle.com
Sip at: Get your whiskey on at Oxalis, a Bywater restaurant on Dauphine Street. Step up to the bar, and let seasoned professional Sonali Fernando mix up an amazing, frothy cocktail. We like the Rattlesnake with rye whiskey, absinthe, fresh lemon juice, simple syrup and egg white. A sweeter option is the Stiletto, made with bourbon, amaretto, lemon and lime juice, and a cherry. Be sure to munch on some duck pate or sweet potato poutine, because the food at Oxalis is as good as its libations. 3162 Dauphine St., (504) 267-4776, oxalisbywater.com
Enjoy live music at: Owned and run by musicians, Siberia is self-proclaimed (and fan-proclaimed) as one of New Orleans’ top venues for good old rock ’n’ roll. Located on St. Claude Avenue, just a hop from Elysian Fields, Siberia is open nightly — presenting an array of local and national musicians, like Art of the Process, Dischordia, Holly Hunt, DJ Gris Gris, Solid Giant and more. Siberia also features comedy shows, burlesque and Slavic soul food from Kukhnya (“The Kitchen”), serving savory pierogi, blini and kielbasa. 2227 St. Claude Ave., (504) 265-8855, siberianola.com
Saturday
Revive at: Hop off of the St. Charles Streetcar, and slip into Refuel Cafe on Hampson Street (in the Riverbend) for a bottomless hot cup of locally roasted coffee. Sold by the cup or by the pound, at Refuel you can purchase coffee from local vendors like Try Me and French Truck, but, before you glide out, be sure to try one of the weekend special brunch plates. Our faves are the brioche French toast, citrus roasted pork and grits, and the huevos rancheros with corn tortillas, black beans, fresh avocado, pico de gallo and crema. 8124 Hampson St., (504) 872-0187, refuelcafe.com
Play riverside at: Enjoy the breezes that gust off of the mighty Mississippi River while lounging under an oak tree at The Riverview, or what locals lovingly refer to as The Fly. Located behind the Audubon Zoo, this waterfront portion of the park is a natural environment in which to enjoy the sights of the river, play Frisbee, and host a barbeque or even a crawfish boil. The Fly is open daily from dawn to dusk and offers a children’s playground, picnic tables, public restrooms, and off-street and handicapped parking — making this gorgeous, yet somewhat secret park, accessible for all. auduboninstitute.org
Dine at: Recently opened by chefs Hans Limburg, Gary Darling and Greg Reggio of The Taste Buds restaurant group, Mizado Cocina offers a unique and eclectic blend of Latin cuisine. Located on Pontchartrain Boulevard in the space formerly occupied by Semolina Restaurant, Mizado offers a modern approach to the Mexican dining experience with a clean, white interior and a small, yet extremely cushy outdoor patio. Although the menu can be somewhat overwhelming (thanks to the huge array of choices), it would be a mistake to miss out on the guacamole tradicional (prepared table-side) or one of six different types of ceviche. Mizado’s menu is also chock-full of taco options from traditional carnitas to the playa rosarito (“lobster party”), featuring four grilled Maine lobster tails served with all the fixin’s. Be sure to knock back a few shots of tequila or one of the signature margaritas, and don’t forget to bring along a designated driver! 5080 Pontchartrain Blvd., (504) 885-5555, mizadococina.com
Sunday
Breakfast at: Wake up to Waffles on Maple, one of the city’s newest breakfast spots located in the Riverbend. It’s hard to miss the brightly colored building with its waffle-like facade wedged in between Starbucks and Swap on Maple Street. Like the name, the fare is simple with the restaurant serving waffles (and crepes) both sweet and savory, and not a whole lot else. Try an Allman Brothers waffle (topped with warm peach cobbler) or a Sunny in Holland (a Belgian waffle topped with two fried eggs smothered in hollandaise sauce). Waffles on Maple also recently began featuring a challenge waffle, dubbed the Heart Attack – Quadruple Size with four waffles, eight eggs, three different kinds of cheese, sauteed mushrooms and onions on each layer. If you finish it in less than 20 minutes, the restaurant will comp your meal and add you to their Wall of Fame. 7712 Maple St., (504) 304-2662, facebook.com/pages/Waffles-on-Maple
Appreciate at: Since 1911, the New Orleans Museum of Art has offered a permanent collection of over 40,000 objects, — not to mention a constant influx of new exhibitions from around the globe. Escape the hottest part of the day, and appreciate the wonder of local and international art with treasures from such well-known masters as Degas, Picasso, Miro and more. Some of NOMA’s most recent exhibitions include Alexis Rockman: Drawings from Life of Pi, Robert Rauschenberg and the “Five from Louisiana” and Rising Up: Hale Woodruff’s Murals at Talladega College. One Collins Diboll Circle, (504) 658-4100, noma.org
Relax at: Located on River Road in Jefferson, The Rivershack Tavern has long been a beloved hangout with local music and terrific food. Chef Mike Baskind is known for serving up specials you usually don’t find in a bar — like paneed redfish smothered in a shrimp, crawfish and gator sauce piquant or Jammin’ Jamaican shrimp soup — but most go for the simpler things, like po-boys, burgers, steaks and fried seafood. Pop in for a plate of fried pickles and a Shank You burger (made with beef and Louisiana hot sausage), and stay to hear the music of Refried Confuzion or John Lisi & Delta Funk. 3449 River Road, (504) 834-4938, therivershacktavern.com