Square Root. 15 Courses. $150. Is it worth it?

There is only one restaurant in New Orleans doing a tasting menu nightly in New Orleans. Square Root opened in April 2014, and they are the most ambitious restaurant in the city.

These are high risk high reward type restaurants. Root has been around 2-3 years and it must be a success. One it is still open, two Square Root is open now too. The Square Root team is taking a huge risk while attempting something unconventional. The night I went to dinner the menu was successful. But when there are 15 courses, some things catch you by surprise and then your opinion could go either way.

I am not going to review 15 different plates here. I am going to tell you if I feel like I would pay the cost again to dine at Square Root. 

To get a thorough answer I am going to answer a few questions:
Are any of Square Root's plates good enough to get into the best dish canon of NOLA restaurants?

There were two dishes I would put in the NOLA canon. One was an amazing oyster (it wasn't a Gulf oyster, Virginia or New England maybe?) and it had this great horseradish concoction made with liquid nitrogen. It was like horseradish ice chips that evaporated when you ate the oyster. The other dish was a multiple mushroom pasta. They made the pasta from the mushrooms. The pasta looked like little bells. I don't remember all the mushrooms but the pasta was topped with ultra savory chanterelles. 

Was it worth $150 compared with the rest of NOLA?

Yes. This is a unique experience. It is most definitely worth doing once.

Would I pay the cost again this month? In one year? In two years?

I wouldn't spend $150 again there this month. I would think about it next year. If they stick around two years from now? Sure I will go back.

I have to mention the upstairs bar (Root Squared) is open daily. I would go there happily anytime. The drinks are ten out of ten. Excellent decor, a wonderful modern Gothic lounge vibe.

Square Root is a place food nerds have to check out if they already haven't. To try once, I am glad I went to Square Root it was a great dinner. Except for this pretty salad, that had some ugly tasting gelee as a base. Pound for pound I could get a lot more in NOLA for $150. But for a one night 15 course tasting menu, Square Root is worth a shot.