Through February 21, Maggie Scales, Link Restaurant Group Executive Pastry Chef, will offer various flavors and sizes of King Cakes at Cochon Butcher and La Boulangerie. Elvis’ popular choice consists of a soft brioche filled with peanut butter and grilled banana, and topped with house-cured bacon, toasted marshmallows, and Mardi Gras sprinkles. Other options include cinnamon, strawberry, and chocolate almond. King cakes are available in two sizes: a six-inch single (available exclusively at Cochon Butcher) and a nine-inch large (available at both Cochon Butcher and La Boulangerie). The Elvis will be sold at Cochon Butcher daily by the slice or as a full-size special-order pie with 48-hour notice required. The Boulangerie will also offer eight-inch and 10-inch traditional French Galette des Rois (two puff pastry rounds filled with almond cream) and a nine-inch king cake pretzel garnished with Mardi Gras-colored salt and served with Cochon Abita mustard. cochonbutcher.com, laboulangerienola.com
coffee with a cause After going through some ups and downs during the pandemic, Dragonfly Cafe is officially open. A Raphael Village social enterprise (a local organization providing education, life skills, and vocational training opportunities for children and adults with exceptionalities), Dragonfly Cafe serves breakfast, lunch, and brunch with a focus on fresh, local produce. Popular menu items include the short rib in a sweet potato cornbread waffle, the breakfast burrito shrimp and grits, the vegetable melt and the sweet potato hash. dragonflynola.com
brunch bites Jack Rose at the Pontchartrain Hotel is hosting a Galentine’s Day Brunch on February 12th. It includes a three-course prix fixe menu and a variety of specialty cocktails. jackroserestaurant.com The Commons Club at Virgin Hotel New Orleans is offering a Bottomless Brunch every Friday from 9 am to 2 pm this month through February 21. Includes specialty dishes created by Executive Chef Alex Harrell, bottomless mimosas or Veuve Clicquot, and accompanying live entertainment. There will also be a special Lundi Gras Brunch on February 20. virginhotels.com/new-orleans
West African delicacies Dakar NOLA opened in November on Magazine Street offering Senegalese food with a modern twist. Managing Partners Effie Richardson and Serigne Mbaye are highlighting the flavors of Senegal through an excellent multi-course tasting menu experience. Each dish is near and dear to Richardson’s heart and stems from cherished memories of her throughout her childhood, as well as from travels in Africa. The spiced butter rolls, served at the start of the meal, have become a customer favourite, as has the tea service (fragrant jasmine tea with locally grown herbs) served at the end of the meal. Look out for monthly collaborations with local, national and international chefs. dakarnola.com
Photo credit: Angevin & Co.French rate Mamou is a new French brasserie on North Rampart Street offering a sumptuous menu from chef Tom Branighan and a well-curated wine list from sommelier Molly Wismeier. The intimate restaurant, designed by Jennie West and Jason Richards of Studio West Design & Architecture, highlights continental European cuisine mixed with Creole influences. In addition to the staple items, the menu also features seasonal items, with ingredients sourced from many local farmers and growers in Louisiana and the Gulf Coast. Additionally, John Michael Kinsella’s cocktail menu draws inspiration from French culinary techniques and ingredients seen in French cuisine. For dinner, try the Braised Celery Hearts and Gulf Fish Cut Broth (with seasonal crusted Gulf fish and oyster dressing). mamounola.com Meanwhile, French Quarter Boulangerie, the newest project by New Orleans hotelier and restaurateur Robert Thompson of Angevin & Co., is set to reimagine the historic building that once housed K Paul’s Louisiana Kitchen on Chartres Street. The all-day breakfast and lunch restaurant will open in the second half of 2023. Expect sweet and savory items, including fresh pastries, baked baguettes, gingerbread, peach pies, ham danish with red-eye sauce, croque madames on fresh bread. baked sourdough and more. There will also be a full coffee and espresso bar along with a line of wines, bottled and canned beers, and cocktails throughout the day.
