Sultry Days & Nights At Tales of the Cocktail

New Orleans Gets a Big Hug from the Spirit World

We had never been but, of course, heard stories. Brian Miller at Death & Company implored, “You have to go. You’ll have a terrific time.” Brian was referring to Tales of the Cocktail, an annual event started by Ann Tuennerman (nee Rogers) to celebrate all that goes into making a glorious elixir known worldwide as the cocktail. So we reserved our room for five nights at the famous Hotel Monteleone, booked a flight, and waited in feverish anticipation to descend upon the city where, we discovered, you hear music of all variety beckoning you at every corner in the French Quarter. Here are a few places we imbibed at.

July 27, 2008

1. So after quickly unpacking our duds, and pouring over a map of the city, we ventured out of the French Quarter, and came upon the Loews Hotel. Inside is the Swizzle Stick Bar, all decked out in Tiki fashion. We sat down, and Brian, our friendly waiter, took our order. Minutes later he returned with a Sazerac for Steve and a Mai Tai for Paul. The Sazerac was dry, as promised, and the Mai Tai, of course, sweet. A perfect complement for our first night in New Orleans, with temperatures in the nineties, and humidity off the charts. We paired our drinks with some Spinach and Absinthe dip with Brioche batons & shaved Manchego cheese (the absinthe together with the brioche is mind-blowing), and Andouille & Yukon Gold Potato Pot Stickers. Yummola!

2. “Steeeeellaaaaaa!” This immortal cry, of course, shouted by a distraught Stanley Kowalski in the classic A Streetcar Named Desire. So what better place to go for dinner than Stella!, located in the French Quarter. Stella! took part in a Spirited Dinner, an event in which about twenty restaurants participate in Cocktail–Food pairings. The menu at Stella!consisted of 5 cocktails (yes, five full cocktails) and 4 courses, with an amuse bouche and mignardises, one of which was a lovely bite of marshmallow. Chef Scott Boswell created four amazing courses, while Bar chefs Phil Ward and Brian Miller (of Death and Company) complemented each course with mostly spirituous cocktails. We started the evening with a St-Germain Redux (Beefeater Gin, St-Germain Elderflower Liqueur, Club Soda, Champagne, twist of grapefruit), which started off the evening on a light and appetizer-stimulating note. Our favorite pairing was the second course: Lobster Roe Agnolotti with Edamame puree (Chef used edamame from his own garden, right next door to the restaurant!), Louisiana Jumbo Lump Crab and Cognac-Soy Crème, paired with the “Gypsy Woman,” a stirred cocktail made with Don Julio Blanco Tequila, Martini & Rossi Bianco Vermouth, Green Chartreuse, and Bitter Truth Celery Bitters. We conversed with our table companions, Kummi and Curt, about everything under the hazy, lazy moon, and ate and sipped to our hearts’ content. Before we knew it, the evening had ended, and we congratulated Scott, Phil, and Joaquin Simo (who stood in for Brian) on their amazing culinary and mixological gifts. Stella! is a must for any serious food lover. Chef Boswell is truly a magician and he isn’t afraid to mix flavors that you would never suspect would go together.

To read more about our New Orleans adventures in dining, click here.

The St-Germain Redux

Steve and Paul, slightly toasted

Mai Tai

Tropical plants grow everywhere in NOLA, even out of Paul’s head

3. Brennan’s is a New Orleans tradition. If you want a breakfast that’ll put a smile on your face, then look no further. We attended a media breakfast at Brennan’s, sponsored by U’luvka Vodka and scion of the Brennan’ “fortune,” Alana. She was charming, as was the gentleman who created Bananas Foster for us in the dining room. Gadding about was host of TV’s “Thirsty Traveler” and “Iron Chef America,” Kevin Brauch, keeping the event lively and unpredictable. At our nicely appointed table, we met some great folks, like Danny and Jenn who are a writer/photographer couple (sound familiar?) and fellow bloggers, there and had a meal rich in calories, steeped in New Orleans tradition (Southern Baked Apple with Double Cream (and a desert crouton stick to sop up the goodness), Egg Hussarde/Egg Sardou Split, and of course, the Bananas Foster, with a Bloody Mary made with U’luvka vodka). We had to waddle back home to the Hotel afterwards, our stomachs sated, our arteries hardening.

Steve, keeping rehydrated, with good old-fashioned H2O.

A Sazerac, New Orleans’s official cocktail

Danny and Jenn, a dynamic duo

The Irascible Kevin Brauch

Egg Hussarde/Egg Sardou Split

Alana Brennan, aflame with desire for Bananas Foster

4. No trip to New Orleans is complete without a stop at Café Du Monde for some powdered-sugar-coated beignets (puffy bready delights) and coffee with chicory. Start your day here, and then walk around the French Quarter and have lunch at Napoleon House, known for its Muffuletta (a sandwich made of Italian bread and filled with meat, cheese, and olive salad). You can listen to verismo opera and drink some punch or beer, or if you prefer, a cocktail, New Orleans style.

On the wall at Napoleon House

5. One of the culinary highlights of our five nights in NOLA was sitting at the chef’s counter at Cochon, watching Chef and Co-owner Stephen Stryjewski, and Sous Chef Bill Briand, create porcine and piscine specialties with agile aplomb. The chefs sent us a plate of wood-fired oysters, seasoned with cajun spices, and sizzled to perfection. They were, indeed, the best oysters we had ever tasted, hands down. We then placed our order with the sassy waitress (crawfish pie, pork loin Milanese style, and spicy grilled pork ribs with watermelon pickle), and as they came out, we tasted each in awe as we washed them down with some southern cocktails. Paul had “Bayou Beer,” made with Catdaddy (a new favorite) and Draft Abita Rootbeer; and Steve had a “Dancing Outlaw,” made with Woodford Reserve, Créole Shrubb, peaches, fresh mint, and Algerian honey. After dinner, we toasted with a round of Catdaddy and Pineapple Upside-Down Cake (cornmeal cake with coconut-lime sorbet & dulce de leche). This restaurant is, to us, the taste of New Orleans. You must come here when you visit this hauntingly beautiful city.