Weekend Cheat Sheet: February 2016
The idea of romance differs for everyone, but what’s important is spending quality time with your significant other regardless of what delicious adventures you dare to take … just take them together!
Friday
Lunch at: Treat your beloved with a casual, yet elegant lunch at the recently opened Kenton’s. Located on the corner of Nashville Avenue and Magazine Street, this bourbon-inspired eatery owned by Sean Josephs and Mani Dawes is a reflection of their New York restaurant Maysville with modern Southern cuisine. Delight in well-crafted dishes by Executive Chef Kyle Knall like red snapper tartare, lamb carpaccio or a fried green tomato sandwich with buttermilk dressing. It’s imperative you both save some room for dessert — if you miss Pastry Chef Caroline Schiff’s peanut butter cheesecake or s’more pudding, you can only blame yourself! 5757 Magazine St., (504) 891-1177, kentonsrestaurant.com
Take a stroll at: One of the most beautiful outdoor locations in the entire city, Audubon Park has been a fixture of New Orleans for over a century. Named after the naturalist John James Audubon who lived in the city in the mid 1800s, Audubon Park features a 1.8 mile loop for joggers and cyclists, and several covered shelters for family gatherings. Enjoy alleés of live oaks, a tranquil lagoon, gushing fountains and tons of green space as you walk hand-in-hand or recline on a park bench with arms around one another, immersed in the beauty surrounding you. 6500 Magazine St., (504) 861-2537, auduboninstitute.org
Sip at: Secure a curtained booth or grab a couple of cushioned stools at the bar for an evening of wine and local music at Oak. This hip, elegant bar on Oak Street in the Carrollton neighborhood is hopping every weekend with musicians like Billy Iuso, Jenn Howard Glass and Jon Roniger. Select a glass from their unique wine list or opt for one of their signature cocktails, and let the night — and the music — lead your way. Oak also offers an excellent menu of bar bites created by Chef Stew Freeman, so you can share a plate of French fries with aioli or Gulf shrimp tacos, or feed each other mouthfuls of warm apple cobbler with Chantilly cream. 8118 Oak St., (504) 302-1485, oaknola.com
Saturday
Revive at: Get your java fix and a little something sweet at District: Donuts. Sliders. Brew. Located on Magazine Street just a hop from Jackson Avenue, this bristling cafe touts the importance of small-batch roasted coffee, specifically 1000 Faces “where individual beans are roasted to find their sweet spot.” Choose from a wide selection of specialty coffee drinks from espressos and Americanos to cortados and lattes. They even feature Vietnamese iced coffee with condensed milk, chai, hot teas and sodas. Though District also features biscuits, sliders, sandwiches and cheese-fries, your best bet would be one of their signature donuts — be it the Blackout with chocolate upon chocolate or an Elvis with peanut butter, banana and bacon. 2209 Magazine St., (504) 570-6945, turnchange.com
Don a new you at: Meander down Magazine Street after breakfast, browsing the many shops along the way, but make a stop at Goorin Bros. where you can try on a new you! Founded over a century ago in Pittsburgh, Goorin Bros. recently opened up a new location here in New Orleans and its popularity is showing. Longtime creators of men’s and women’s hats, this particular shop will appeal to the retro personalities in both of you as you try on everything from Fedoras and Bowlers to cloches and beanies. 2127 Magazine St., (504) 522-1890, goorin.com
Dine at: It can’t get much more intimate than the tiny dining space at Kin in Gert Town. Owned by Hieu Than and helmed by Chef Nate Nguyen, Kin is wowing everyone who’s anyone with a highly creative and constantly changing menu of Asian-inspired dishes. Join the feast at a family sized table with strangers, and dive into dishes like beef tongue salad with fennel vinaigrette, pork bone-broth ramen with house-made soba noodles, General Meow’s chicken wings, house-made bratwurst with brie congee or short rib bibimbap with spicy kimchi. 4600 Washington Ave., facebook.com/kinfordindin
Sunday
Dine at: Take a leisurely Sunday drive down River Road to lunch at Truck Farm Tavern in St. Rose. Recently opened by Chef Brack May, owner of the ever-popular Cowbell on Oak Street, Truck Farm Tavern is reminiscent of a country diner with a casual atmosphere and a warm, courteous staff that treats everyone like family. Expect to eat big with dishes like smoked-pork poutine with fried cheese curds and onion gravy; black-eyed pea fritters; smoked chicken, turkey neck and andouille gumbo; or a crispy chicken sandwich with hot honey, jalapeño slaw and Magic Pan sauce. Remember, it wouldn’t be a country luncheon without a slice of hummingbird cake or some creamy banana pudding. 11760 River Road, St. Rose, (504) 699-0099, truckfarmtavern.com
Step into the past at: Since it’s not that far from Truck Farm Tavern, why not spend the afternoon learning a little about Louisiana’s storied past at Destrehan Plantation? Built over 200 years ago, this huge sugar plantation was the property Jean Noel Destrehan, which formed the livelihood for the Destrehan family along with generations of enslaved and free men, women and children. In 1968, a group of friends formed a non-profit organization called the River Road Historical Society dedicated to preserving the many plantations along River Road and the history they reflect. Spend Sunday afternoon touring the plantation grounds, learning about the day-to-day lives of all those who lived there and even see a demonstration on artisan candle making the way it was done so long ago. 13034 River Road, Destrehan, (877) 453-2095, destrehanplantation.org
Relax at: Eat in or grab an early dinner to go at Willie Mae’s Grocery & Deli on St. Charles Avenue. Opened just over a year in its second location, this Willie Mae’s offers the same menu found at the original in the Treme. Share a fried shrimp and catfish platter with a side of sweet potato fries, fried okra or cornbread muffins, or fulfill your cravings for a plate of “America’s best fried chicken,” so say most people in the Greater New Orleans Area. Don’t forget a helping of some sweet bread pudding with a couple of cups of freshly brewed Community Coffee. 7457 St. Charles Ave., (504) 417-5424, williemaesnola.com