Delicious, delicious New Orleans

Oysters

I'm in and out of New Orleans on business, and I ate at a delicious restaurant in the city recently. Revolution is located in the Royal Sonesta Hotel in the French Quarter, and the menu, while inventive, also speaks traditionally to the unique geography and culture of New Orleans.

We started with cocktails (I had the Magnolia, I think, a deliciously flowery glass of nectar, garnished with a tropical blossom.), then moved on to appetizers.

We began with the beer-battered crab beignets and the sizzling oysters revolution. Presentation of all the dishes was impressive. The beignets were served on a long rectangular platter, and each beignet was in a pool of its own flavored remoulade. The six oysters were served on a large, warm stone, cushioned by a pile of rock salt. Both appetizers were delicious. The beignets were crispy and savory, and the oysters were large and buttery.

Snapper

For our entrees, I chose the red snapper and pork belly a la plancha, and my dining companion had the crawfish-stuffed flounder. We also ordered a side of artichoke mirliton au gratin to share. My entree was wonderful. The fatty pork belly served as a nice counterpoint to the lightness of the fish. We split a half bottle of wine to wash it down.

To finish, we shared the tart a la bouille, a strawberry tart scattered with merignue, gelee and other deliciousness. (I loved that the merignue was shaped like a small piece of chalk! What a nice touch of whimsy!)

A note: eating at Revolution is definitely not cheap. Including cocktails and wine, our dinner came to about $100 per person. We could have kept our costs much lower by ordering fewer courses and skipping the drinks, but since we were on our own dime and feeling celebratory, we splurged.

Artichoke mirliton au gratin

This is a great spot for special occasion dining, and I'd definitely go back! We sat in the dining room that opens into the kitchen, and I loved watching the chefs work and seeing the different dishes go by!