Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/581407
136 / the tasting panel / october 2015 HOT PROPERTY W hile the scars still peek through the streets and buildings of the Big Easy, everywhere you look when walking around the city, you can witness the transformation that New Orleans has undergone over the past decade. One of these recent rebirths occurred in the heart of the Arts District last year, when Omni Hotels & Resorts spent eight million dollars to revamp a hotel in the area, resulting in Omni Riverfront New Orleans opening in November 2014. Returning to the structure's roots as a grain mill, the renovation created a warehouse feel throughout and a more open floorplan in the lobby. This welcoming space now houses the Fulton St. Bistro | Bar, where Parisian- inspired cuisine and a gin-centric cocktail menu greet hotel guests. While the menu focuses on the City of Light, Executive Chef and Lafayette native Brett Breaux can't help but slip some of his French Cajun background into the specials that he creates. "People come to New Orleans, and since we are near the Gulf, they want to eat seafood," Breaux explains. This expectation led him to give these guests a taste of the Big Easy within the restaurant's offerings, leading with items like oysters Rockefeller topped with Brie and Cajun aioli, honey aioli shrimp and a Cajun Cobb salad. "I enjoy taking a food I like and putting my own twist on it," continues Breaux. As the first gin-centric bar in New Orleans, Fulton St. Bistro | Bar's offering of 17 gins hailing from all corners of the world is a pleasant surprise for many guests. In addition to a variety of staple gin cocktails— including the Ramos Gin Fizz and Riverfront Gimlet that are all varia- tions on beloved concoctions—the bar offers a flight of gin-cocktail tasters, perfect for the guest who is exploring the spirit for the first time or one who is testing out new ways to appreciate an old standby. "Our guests range drastically in preferences," notes Amandalynn Picolo, Outlet Manager for the property. "We like to introduce them to new tastes, but when it comes down to it, it's all about what the guest wants." The bar also features plenty of local beer offerings and Picolo emphasizes their ability to do any New Orleans classic—fitting for a new restaurant that is destined to become a Big Easy classic. Fulton St. Bistro | Bar features 17 gins from around the world in a gin-centric cocktail program. Executive Chef Brett Breaux's oysters Rockefeller are topped with Brie and Cajun aioli. When in the Big Easy by Emily Coleman / photos by Scott Meyers OMNI RIVERFRONT NEW ORLEANS PUTS A TWIST ON A CLASSIC Executive Chef Brett Breaux and Outlet Manager Amandalynn Picolo of Fulton St. Bistro | Bar, located in Omni Riverfront New Orleans.