The Tasting Panel magazine

September 2013

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PHOTO: EUGENIA UHL And then, there's Mariza—a reminder that New Orleans, like Venice, is a land built on water. In this case, the waters yield up local seafood prepared Italian style: crudo of local red snapper and squid ink linguine topped with locally caught crab, shrimp and mussels. Salume is cured in-house; the wine list is very Italian. And the restaurant sits in the repurposed Rice Mill Lofts in the city's Bywater District. A further taste of recovery from Katrina. Capacity 34-1/4 oz. Ralph Brennan is a third-generation New Orleans restaurateur whose family's eateries include the legendary Brennan's and Commander's Palace. He's also gone on to open BACCO, Red Fish Grill, Mr. B's Bistro, Heritage Grill, Café NOMA—and the affably edgy café b (the lower case is his), which sits in nearby Metairie and which takes the classic Cajun-Creole dishes of The Crescent City and gives them a modernist twist. Consider the pleasures of a potpie made with Breaux Bridge crawfish tails in a rich, aromatic Creole seasoning, pan-roasted herb chicken with coriander carrots and a three-cheese mac 'n cheese of epic proportions. From the bar, there's a Bing Cherry Old Fashioned, made with Bing cherry-infused Woodford Reserve Bourbon, and a drink called a Ponchatoula: Cruzan Light Rum and Prosecco with locally grown Ponchatoula strawberries. Height: 9-1/2" Fee Brothers Rhubarb Bitters and limeade). At Cochon Butcher, the wines and beers are all regional (even if the region is sometimes Spain). Except for the Miller. On a hot night in the Big Easy, the Miller goes down real smooth. 750 ccm 26-1/2 oz Merlot Decanter PHOTO COURTESY OF RALPH BRENNAN RESTAURANT GROUP Ralph Brennan's café b has a casual but edgy vibe. YOU CAN'T NOT DECANT. That goes for reds, whites and believe it or not, bubbly. Starting at $13. Mariza's salumi of the day are made in-house. Available through your distributor or at riedelop.com. TP0913_063-103.indd 67 8/22/13 9:23 PM

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