Salon by Sucre

622 Conti St, New Orleans

The future of the contemporary restaurant menu, is smaller plates that can be shared and ordered at a higher frequency. The menu is progressive in the size of the plates. Even the entrees can be ordered in smaller portions. A great idea considering the small plate trend. Diners are skipping entrees in favor of ordering more small plates instead.

I had a great dinner at Salon by Sucre. The restaurant ambiance is super clean with bright neutral colors. The straight line white marble bar sets the tone for the precision in the food presentation. Beauty and lightness are the themes on the menu and on the walls. Salon is detailed and precise, no clutter on the plates or in the room.

• Great cocktails. Order their take on gin and juice.
• Belgian fries + caviar - Caviar on top on chive cream served with fries. The saltiness of the caviar, balances the creaminess & buttery nature of the Belgian fries.

  

  Everything is pretty at Salon by Sucre

  
  
• Wagyu flank steak - red wine Braised, roasted shallots and mushrooms, potato puree, bordelaise. This was a perfectly cooked steak that begged for a glass of red wine to set it off.
•  Dessert = Mind blowing. My brain is creating serotonin just thinking about them. It is not just dessert here these sweet dishes are a production.
• Tea - If you favor tea over coffee you will love the selection here. Tea is served in single serve clear glass kettles. You can watch the tea steep to the color you like while you eat dessert. If you are sucker for good tea service this place does it the best.

Compere Lapin

535 Tchoupitoulas, New Orleans

I would advise starting with the Compere Lapin take on the Pimm's if you visit. A fine cocktail in the best cocktail city. The menu is structured small plates to larger. I didn't get to larger but I tried six plates. For small bites the pig ears were a killer snack and highly complementary of any alcohol. They have a pretty roasted corn plate that is good for splitting.

At this point a second Pimm's is a good choice. And the savory dish of the night here was marinated shrimp with jalapeno jus. This dish is like the flavor of great fajita spread that has fresh pico and guacomole. Another style point of this menu is doing simple things in a pretty and elevated manner. The menu items are simply listed for example; (pici pasta/crawfish/summer squash). Not fussy but sophisticated enough plates to keep a diner from boredom.

The prettiest was the ending. Horchata Panna Cotta/ Melon Salad/ Melon Sorbet. What you see with the panna cotta: three types of melons, compressed spherically, melon ice cream. It looks this pretty and tastes just as well.

Meauxbar

942 N Rampart St New Orleans 

Meauxbar does French influenced cocktail and dinner items. It would be good anytime, ideally it is a night spot. This restaurant is near Louis Armstrong Park and the Saenger Theater. The cocktails are easily approachable for any level of drinker. Their take on a Pimm's is a good start that makes it easier to wait, if you have to. Pretty, fresh fruit on a bar is always a good sign for cocktails.

Pimms Cobbler

Pimm's No. I, Ginger, Cucumber, Mint, Muddles Seasonal Fruit

Let me tell you about the small plates I ate:

Escargot in Bone

vermouth, bone marrow, shallot & thyme butter, toasted baguette

This looked just as pretty, in person. The escargot and sauce went very well together. It was a well executed classic. The toasted baguette (not pictured) was one of my favorite things here. A warm flavorful piece of bread with great butter. It reminded me of the flavor of a homemade southern biscuit right out of the oven. Crisp but composed, flaky and buttery, this bread was a knock out. My criticism of this dish; I wish the bone marrow would have been more prevalent.

Pork Belly & Scallop sherry orange gastrique, kimchi vinaigrette, cashews:

This dish was an exciting menu read. Definitely a non traditional combination. The scallops were breaded and crispy. I liked the unorthodox scallop preparation. The French/Korean idea for the sauce worked well with the pork belly. This dish strays from the pure French bistro theme. I like that because it gives the menu some finesse and unpredictability.

Fried Oyster Salad

cornmeal fried oysters, cucumber celery root-creme fraiche remoulade

Great job on these. The temperature was hot. The oysters were crispy. I could not have asked for better fried oyster preparation. The salad was fine but it did not complement the oysters. I ended up eating the oysters and salad separately. This dish would be better if the salad were better incorporated with the oysters. Because the components do not easily mesh together on this dish. The salad ends up being on the side.

Let me tell you about a large plate:

Hanger Steak au Poivre

parmesan frites

Great steak. Was cooked perfect medium rare. The steak was juicy and tender. This classic take on steak frites is a sure win.

Tart Au Chocolat

pate sucre crust, espresso creme anglaise

This was a great ending. If only there were some fresh whipped cream on top of this it would have been a stronger narcotic.

I would happily go to Meauxbar again. The food products are at a high standard here. And the alcohol program is more than friendly to the cuisine. Good dinner, good night.