Home FOOD & DINING TASTING NOTES Where to Dine for Réveillon

Where to Dine for Réveillon

570
0

where-to-dine-photo-placesetting’Tis this season to feast, and in a city where food is always the talk of the town, there is no shortage of special holiday fare and prix fixe deals to tempt your taste buds. Scrumptious options range from classic Creole and Cajun eateries to contemporary, global-inspired restaurants, so there is something for everyone to enjoy. The following is just a sampling of great places to enjoy a terrific révillon meal. For a complete listing, visit neworleansonline.com/christmas. Joyeux Noel!
5 Fifty 5
555 Canal St., 553-5585
Don’t be fooled by the location of this first-class restaurant! While 5 Fifty 5 sits just off the standard, rather nondescript lobby of the Sheraton Hotel, the food here is anything but standard. The special holiday menu, filled with local flavors and seasonal ingredients, offers seven mouthwatering courses for the bargain price of $45! Selections include charbroiled oysters and Creole fried green tomatoes with Louisiana goat cheese; butternut squash bisque; field greens with brandy-braised apples, andouille sausage cracklins and brown butter vinaigrette; and hazelnut gianduja terrine with eggnog sabayon and spiced port wine sauce.
Arnaud’s
813 Bienville St., 523-0611
This iconic restaurant has been a favorite of locals and visitors alike since 1918. Its splendid, sophisticated ambience and traditional New Orleans fare make for perfect holiday revelry. The classic réveillon menu of four courses for $45 offers diners a tempting array of choices. Start with deviled eggs Arnaud with remoulade sauce or stewed beef chilled between layers of jellied consommé with garlic croutons. Next up is Creole onion soup en croûte, then select from paneed veal with wild mushroom sauce; Louisiana gulf fish court bouillon; or slow-roasted cornish game hen Twelfth Night with sauce Chasseur. Complete your dining experience with delectable praline profiteroles.
Bayona
430 Dauphine St., 525-4455
For a more contemporary holiday feast, check out Susan Spicer’s awardwinning restaurant, Bayona, tucked just off the beaten track in the French Quarter. The charming space, complete with a lovely courtyard, is warm and inviting, as is the attentive and savvy staff. Chef Spicer’s réveillon menu consists of four heavenly courses including choice of oysters and Italian sausage gratin or truffled scrambled eggs in brioche with crispy sweetbreads to start, followed by a salad of apples, endive and hazelnuts with Comté cheese. Entrée selections include gulf fish with satsuma brown butter and smothered greens or turkey and foie gras roulade. Dessert is Baba au Rhum, or rum cake, which is sure to keep your holiday spirit high!
Dickie Brennan’s Steakhouse
716 Iberville St., 522-2467
If you’re looking to indulge, then Dickie Brennan’s Steakhouse is the place for you! Sophisticated and stylish with masculine, rich decor, this top-notch steakhouse offers skillfully prepared, deliciously robust cuisine. Appetizer options include lobster and artichoke gratin or white bean, andouille and shrimp soup. Next, enjoy a spinach and oyster salad with Creole mustard–bacon vinaigrette, followed by your choice of charbroiled twin filets served with phyllo-wrapped asparagus, lump crabmeat and tarragon cream or crispy duck over tasso and sweet potato hash with citrus Grand Marnier glaze. Topped off with a spiced holiday cupcake and housemade pecan brittle, it’s highly doubtful that you’ll leave hungry!
Galatoire’s
209 Bourbon St., 525-2021
From anniversaries to weddings, the local hot spot for celebratory occasions is world-famous Galatoire’s. So it’s only natural that the spirited holiday season would attract hordes of foodies and fun seekers in search of frolicking and festivities. Chef Brian Landry’s $45 réveillon menu features traditional favorites such as sweet potato bisque or turtle soup; escargot or oyster pan roast; gulf fish Provençal with roasted tomatoes, olives, capers and fresh basil or roast duck with dirty rice and a balsamic honey reduction. Decadent dessert options are banana bread pudding with praline sauce and a creamy caramel cup custard.
Martinique Bistro
5908 Magazine St., 891-8495
This quaint, romantic bistro offers French-inspired cuisine with a distinct local flair. Of all the réveillon menus, this one boasts more classic holiday flavors than all the others, making it hard to resist. The five-course $55 meal starts with your choice of quail and wild mushroom crepe or poached egg over lobster with sautéed spinach. Soups include pheasant and andouille gumbo or French onion. Two delectable salads are offered: mixed greens with champagne-cranberry vinaigrette and gingerbread croutons or Belgian endive with saffronpoached pears, candied walnuts and blue cheese. Entrées range from seared salmon with mulled spice beurre rouge or medallions of venison with Calvados demi-glace, to molasses-cured duck with sastuma and ginger glaze. Eggnog crème brûlée or peppermint baked Alaska are both sure to please!
The Rib Room
621 St. Louis St., 529-7046
If visions of sugar plums dance in your head and your sweet tooth is never satisfied, then you might want to opt for the Rib Room’s $45 four-course réveillon menu, the only one that offers guests their choice of any scrumptious sweet delight from the Rib Room dessert cart. Chef Anthony Spizale has created a divine menu featuring for starters sweet potato gaufrettes with duck confit and cranberry–black pepper relish or bacon-wrapped shrimp with rosemary and Stilton. A mâche salad with blood orange, pistachios and pomegranate precedes the entrée selection of braised short ribs with mashed sweet potatoes and/ or roasted gulf fish with roasted porcini mushrooms and fingerling potatoes.
Upperline
1413 Upperline St., 891-9822
For those who relish options, Upperline for réveillon is a must! This popular and artful Uptown eatery is offering a spectacular four-course menu filled with well-crafted local favorites that are as colorful as is the decor. Begin with turtle soup, Creole gumbo or a glass of Madeira wine. A few appetizer choices are oyster and celery remoulade; spicy shrimp étouffée; watercress Stilton salad; and foie gras Bonaparte. Entrée selections include grilled salmon with oysters bérnaise; gulf fish piquant; veal grillades with cheddar grits; roasted duckling with sweet potatoes; filet mignon with port sauce; or rack of lamb. Finish up with crème brûlée, toffee bread pudding, Stilton cheese or a green salad.