Our October Gourmet Supper Club outing was to a funky-cool totally New Orleans kind of place....Bacchanal Wine on Poland Avenue in the 9th Ward.
You walk into what is basically a wine store....plenty to choose from at reasonable prices. We were given the quick tour by the friendly host and then our group each made their wine choices....hubby and I decided on bottle of Pinot Noir from Elk Cove Vineyards in Willamette Valley, Oregon. I wish I remembered the year, but it escapes me. I love Willamette Valley Pinot Noirs....they never disappoint, and this bottle was no exception.
With our bottles in hand, we headed upstairs to throw a few tables together for our group. You can also sit outside and enjoy the live music, but it was a little cool (below 70 which for me means hypothermia could set in any minute). It didn't seem to bother these people though.
I wish I'd taken pics of the upstairs restaurant area. Very cool....high ceilings, open screenless windows, lots of dark wood and candlelight....very cozy and casual. Just too dark for pics.
But back to food. Hubby went back downstairs to order (this is not a true restaurant where they come to your table and take your order. You order at the desk in the wine store downstairs, they give you a number on a stand to place on your table, and bring your food when it's ready). He chose a nice tray of gouda cheese, bread, olive oil and olives...this is a must do....sooooooo good.
I got the Squash soup (squash soup, fregula sarda, pecorino romano, kale, herbs de provence), which was very good and had a real homemade quality to it.
Hubby got the Johnny Cakes (johnny cakes, eggplant caponata, asparagus, pickled carrots), also delicious. I tasted this, but honestly I just don't remember much about it. It was good, but I was more into the bread, cheese and my soup.
Then came the entrees.....OMG....I definitely won the prize for picking the best entree on the menu....the Pork Chop (pork chop, arugula, white anchovies, parmigiano-reggiano, balsamic vinegar). I almost licked my plate...no lie. If you look closely at the picture, you can see that, in my haste to sample this dish, I dove into my pork chop and cut a hunk off of it before I remembered to snap a pic. See how nicely I fit it all back together for your viewing pleasure?
Sadly, I did not get a photo of hubby's grilled hanger steak. Pretty sure it was gone before I finished snapping pics of my pork chop.
Our friend, Nancy, was nice enough to share her dessert with the table....chocolate bark, extra virgin olive oil, marcona almonds, sel gris. Very good and ohhhhhhh so rich.
And just to add a little fun to the night, Nancy also got the bar tender to show us his waaaaay cool Telly Savalas tattoo. That's right, Kojak right on the calf. That is true commitment...and suddenly I feel the need for a lollipop....showing my age here.
We really enjoyed Bacchanal and would go back. I might even go back just for the wine and cheese...on a warmer night so we can sit outside and enjoy the live music (they do provide bug spray).
One word of warning, we all parked across the street in front of an abandoned building....fence up, overgrown weeds. When we left, we all had parking tickets...$40. It seriously put a damper on our wonderful evening. Apparently people have been parking here for ages (there's not a "No Parking" sign in sight) and it's only recently become a problem. Hopefully they can get this straightened out with the city soon, because parking is a real issue here. It's a shame, because this is really a place worth visiting.
Give Bacchanal a try....great for a lazy night with friends...great place to bring out of town visitors to so they can get a real taste of NOLA....great place for live music that's not so loud you can't hear yourself think....just an all around great find. Cheers....and Who Loves Ya Baby?
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