Home FOOD & DINING Weekend Cheat Sheet: May 2015

Weekend Cheat Sheet: May 2015

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Our moms deserve a full weekend of rest, relaxation and really great food! Spoil her rotten with the perfect weekend in the city.

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Lunch at: Located in the building that formerly housed Henry’s Bakery and Deli on St. Claude Avenue, Kebab is the newest (and quite possibly the only) doner kebab-style sandwich shop in New Orleans. Owners Benjamin Harlow and Walker Reisman had a vision, and they delivered with house-baked bread and a well-seasoned gyro made from Chappapeela Farms pork and dressed with red onions, cabbage, pickled cucumbers and tzatziki. Kebab’s menu also offers doner kebab (roast chicken), a falafel sandwich for the wary vegetarian or vegan, and Belgian fries (fried twice to a dark golden brown and drizzled with aioli and Kebab’s house-made ketchup). 2315 St. Claude Ave., (504) 383-4328, kebabnola.com

Sip at: Spend the afternoon worshiping at the temple of Dionysus in Bywater, better known as Bacchanal Fine Wine & Spirits. Located on the corner of Poland Avenue and Chartres Street, this corner wine shop is so much more than meets the eye. It has become a place where one can relax in a lush, shady courtyard, sip excellent wines with friends, dine on cuisine prepared by chef Joaquin Rodas and enjoy local jazz under the stars. Bacchanal is also unique in its approach to wines, selecting Old World wines from small vineyards that “truly reflect their terroir.” 600 Poland Ave., (504) 948-9111, bacchanalwine.com

Appreciate live, local music at: Stroll through the Marigny over to the edge of the French Quarter, and be lured by the sultry sounds of jazz emanating from the Balcony Music Club (a.k.a. B.M.C.). Located on the corner of Decatur Street and Esplanade Avenue, this live music venue has been a place for local musicians to ply their trade for over 5 years now. Stop in on a Friday night, and enjoy performances from artists like Soul Project, The Crooked Vines, Dysfunktional Bone, Johnny Mastro & Mama’s Boy, The Jeff Davis Project and more. 1331 Decatur St., (504) 301-5912, facebook.com/BalconyMusicClubNola
Saturday

Revive at: Get your caffeine fix at Addiction Coffeehouse, the newest java spot in the French Quarter on Iberville Street. Proponents of their own “farm-to-cup” movement, the owners take great pride in using local, organic and all-natural ingredients, sourcing Bernard’s Honey; small-batch, fresh roasted coffee from French Truck Coffee; and dairy from Mauthe’s Progress Milk Barn. Enjoy the playful environment pulled together by reclaimed materials and creativity, and sip a cafe au lait or Miss Tracy’s Addiction (made with espresso, steamed coconut milk, warm honey and cayenne pepper). 909 Iberville St., (504) 475-5900, addictioncoffeehouse.com

Relax at: Treat mom to an afternoon of rest, relaxation and reinvigoration at Spa Aria inside the Hotel Monteleone. Begin with a custom exfoliating facial, followed by a 30-minute foot rub and finishing off with full make-up service. Or, you could score a package deal, The Full Monty, which is 3.5 hours of bliss that includes a mani/pedi, facial and full-body massage. Co-owners Sandy Blum and Cindy Cocke are relaxation specialists who will ensure your time at Spa Aria is time very well spent. 214 Royal St., (504) 523-9990, spaaria.com

Dine at: Alex Harrell, the former executive chef of the popular restaurant Sylvain, recently opened his own digs named after his mother, Angeline. Located in the French Quarter space on Chartres Street that once housed Scott Boswell’s Stella!, Angeline offers a Southern cooking-inspired menu with dishes like an oyster pan roast with creamed leeks; butterbean tortellini with red-eye gravy; Mississippi rabbit Milanese; and double chocolate chess pie. Angeline is open nightly from 5:30 to 10:30 pm. 1032 Chartres St., (504) 308-3106, angelinenola.com
Sunday

Brunch at: Delve into a neuvo Latino brunch at the newly renovated Mayas on Magazine Street. Influenced by South American, Central American and Caribbean cuisine, chef Edgar Irias and co-owner Trinity Cazzola offer an eclectic menu in a casual, yet vivaciously designed atmosphere. Bring your sense of adventure, along with your appetite, and feast on dishes like huevos marineros (featuring scrambled eggs cooked with huge, Gulf shrimp and jumbo lump crab meat), lechon roasted pork marinated in orange and pineapple juice, and what might possibly be one of the most delicious tres leches cakes in town. 2027 Magazine St., (504) 309-3401, mojitoland.com

Shop at: After a highly satiating brunch at Maya’s, stroll Magazine Street to discover more than 20 unique shops in a short, three-block distance. Discover designer women’s clothing and accessories at Free People, fancy and casual head wear at Goorin Bros., contemporary local art at Coup d’Oeil, fair trade clothing and sustainable fabrics at Green Serene, antiques and decorative objects at La Belle Nouvelle Orleans, music in many formats at Jim Russell Rare Records and retro styles at Trashy Diva. Magazine Street, magazinestreet.com

Dine at: Make it a Sunday evening in the Mediterranean with dinner at Amici Ristorante and Bar, located in the building that once housed Byblos. Let executive chef Chad Matrana treat your palate to dishes like calamari fritti (flash-fried calamari), fried risotto stuffed with Maine lobster, a fresh Caprese salad with Ovoline mozzarella and, of course, coal-fired pizza. The style of pie includes a quattro formaggio (four cheese), cavolfiore arrosto (roasted cauliflower), gamberetto fra diavolo (shrimp with spicy marinara) and melanzana amici (breaded eggplant with basil and Romano cheese). Amici is open daily for lunch and dinner. 3218 Magazine St., (504) 300-1250, amicinola.com