Bacchanal Wine - Gourmet Supper Club October '13 outing

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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Galvez Restaurant - Gourmet Supper Club September '13 outing

One night last December, a group of friends were sitting around enjoying a wonderful evening...eating, drinking, laughing, drinking, laughing, drinking....you get the picture...hiccup.

We began to lament the fact that we're blessed to live in a city with so many wonderful dining options, but so little time to try them all.  

Well, one drink thing led to another and we decided to form the "Gourmet Supper Club".  We each put the names of restaurants we'd like to try in a bowl and picked 11 of them, and once a month we go together to these wonderful restaurants.  Why 11 you ask when a calendar clearly has 12 months?  No, it was not the alcohol....we saved our December outing for a special Reveillon Dinner to be determined at a later date.

During my absence from blogland, we tried quite a few wonderful restaurants....too many for me to go back and review, so I'll just start with September's outing....Galvez Restaurant.

The restaurant is on the 2nd floor and offers amazing views of the river and railways below.  As we dined and the sun set, the Crescent City Connection bridge lights came on and lit up the night sky and steamships and locomotives went about their daily business adding a wonderful soundtrack to our evening.  

It's a gorgeous restaurant in a quiet area of the French Quarter.  I am always fascinated with the statuary in the area. Apparently, so is our friend Mike....to avoid confusion....Mike's the one on the left.

But back to Galvez.  The restaurant is really beautiful and completely appropriate for special occasions or just a quiet dinner with friends.

We started our evening with a few pitchers of Sangria.  While it was very tasty, I have to admit I wasn't a huge fan of the fruit with rinds still on it. Just not my thing. Please peel the fruit...thank you.

I started my meal with the Manchego Bombas appetizer (a traditional Spanish dish of potato croquettes stuffed with manchego cheese, deep fried and served with quince sauce) This was okay....eh....kinda like fried cheese....overpriced fried cheese.  I wish I'd taken pics of everyone else's food, but I didn't want to be "that person"...ya know?  Our friend, Thorkil, had the seafood gumbo and it was delicious.  I think we all wished we would've gotten that.   

I figured if you're at a Spanish restaurant, ya gotta eat paella, so I went with the Paella Valenciana as my entree (served with mussels, shrimp, chorizo and chicken).  Again, I was underwhelmed.  On the plus side, it's a healthy portion and when I reheated it the next day for lunch it was much tastier than I remembered...seemed more flavorful.  

...and of course, I had to have dessert, so I got the Flan Estilo Galvez (classic Spanish custard with Caramel sauce topped with figs).  This was your basic flan....not bad....just basic flan.  

...and as I said, the view....well, it's hard to beat this.  

All in all, I'd give Galvez Restaurant a "C".  The food was just okay, but the views and atmosphere are "A+".  Some of our Supper Club group gives this a higher grade, and some a lower grade, so the reviews were mixed.

If I ever return, maybe I'd request a table outside on the 2nd floor balcony and just order tapas and drinks and enjoy a quiet, beautiful night in the French Quarter.

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