Decisions, decisions. . . 2023 NOWFE Wine Dinners
Chef Erik Cook at Saint John, one of the French Quarter restaurants offering NOWFE wine dinners on June 7. Photo by Randy Schmidt
May 2023A delectable challenge: four of our favorite French Quarter restaurants are hosting extraordinary wine dinners on June 7 as part of the New Orleans Wine and Food Experience.
- by Kim Ranjbar
Image courtesy of the New Orleans Wine & Food Experience
The 18th century French gourmand Anthelme Brillat-Savarin once said "A meal without wine is like a day without sun," a sentiment with which many 21st century foodies agree. Regardless of the actual weather in the first week of June, the French Quarter is going to be a very sunshiny place because several of our favorite neighborhood restaurants are offering special wine dinners as part of the New Orleans Wine & Food Experience (NOWFE).
This June marks 31 years of NOWFE celebrating local chefs and getting them together with wineries from all over the world. In addition to NOWFE's Vinola and Grand Tasting events where guests can enjoy oodles of tasty bites and heady sips, the festival also organizes wine dinners in some of the finest New Orleans restaurants New Orleans.
Below, we've highlighted a few “don’t miss” ones in the French Quarter. Unfortunately, you can’t enjoy them all – the wine dinners below are all being held on Wednesday, June 7! Since your choice won’t be an easy one, when possible, we’ve provided the links to menus.
Phil Whitmarsh, executive chef at Jewel of the South/Photo by Denny Culbert
Magicians behind the stick Chris Hannah (formerly of Arnaud's French 75) and Nick Detrich (of Cane & Table) got together with John Stubbs in the spring of 2019 and launched Jewel of the South, what they refer to as a “modern tavern in a classic setting.” Though the Creole-cottage-turned-tavern is unabashedly cocktail-centric, it would be a mistake to treat the cuisine as an after-thought. London born chef Phil Whitmarsh apprenticed at Michelin-starred restaurants in England and France, learned nose-to-tail cooking in Australia, and now strikes awe into New Orleans diners at Jewel of the South.
In collaboration with Folio Fine Wine Partners, Chef Whitmarsh has prepared a five-course menu featuring dishes such as Eggs Royale with bone marrow and smoked trout roe, bright asparagus in a sauce gribiche and a foie gras parfait.
Click here for reservations
Palm & Pine
308 N. Rampart St.
(504) 814-6200
palmandpinenola.com
Palm & Pine interior by Kim Ranjbar
Self-described as a French Quarter restaurant exploring “the food and drink of Louisiana, the South, and South of that,” Palm & Pine's incredibly creative cuisine has a familiar, local feel with a singular (and most enjoyable) Latin bent. Chefs Amarys and Jordan Herndon are industry veterans who transformed their pop-up into a full-blown, brick and mortar dream in the summer of 2019.
For their NOWFE dinner, Palm & Pine is getting together with Second Line Wines, a Napa, California winery “with a New Orleans spirit,” and are once again joining forces with Hunter Evans, chef/owner of Elvie's in Jackson, Mississippi, to present a five-course prix fixe menu so bright, you might have to wear shades.
Dishes to get excited about include Louisiana Deviled Crab with creamed corn a la Huancaína – a creamy sauce made with queso fresco and grilled ahi amarillo (Peruvian yellow pepper) – crab fat butter, and pickled pepper vinaigrette; deep fried escargot boudin served with sauce ravigote; and blueberry chocolate chess pie with buttermilk ice cream.
Click here for reservations.
Saint John
117 Decatur St.
(504) 581-8120
saintjohnnola.com
Saint John interior by Randy Schmidt
Anything Chef Eric Cook touches turns to gold, including his latest restaurant Saint John, a relatively new French Quarter restaurant with an old-school New Orleans feel serving “haute Creole cuisine.” Though it opened near the end of the pandemic-related shutdowns, Saint John exudes a delicious sense of spirit with its menu and the decor.
Chef Cook has joined forces with Napa Valley's Duckhorn Vinyards to present a four-course feast featuring scallop crudo with dragon fruit and mezcal margarita granita, smoked venison served with roasted sweet potato and summer corn hash, and the South's signature Hummingbird Cake with candied ginger and Creole cream cheese frosting.
Click here for reservations.
Rib Room
621 St. Louis St.
(504) 529-7046
Courtesy Rib Room
Though it's long been a fixture at the Omni Royal Orleans Hotel, the 62-year-old Rib Room has something new to shout about. Ronald Proano, a chef with extensive experience in luxury hotel kitchens, has taken the place of seasoned local chef Tom Wolfe. Though it's sad to see Wolfe go, one can't help but be excited about new-to-New Orleans blood in one of our favorite restaurants.
Also teaming up with Duckhorn, Chef Proano's five-course prix fixe is an all-out carnivore's dream featuring an amuse bouche with house made duck prosciutto and orange gastrique atop a grilled sourdough crostini; herb-marinated lamb lollipops served with roasted beets; and Akaushi New York Strip Steak with charred broccolini, crispy shallots and red wine jus.
Call (504) 529-7046 for reservations.
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