On the corner of Magazine and Washington in the New Orleans Garden District is a beautiful building from the 1880′s. Over its history, it has been many different things, a private home, a grocery store, a car parts store and more. In more recent times, it was one of those seemingly cursed buildings. You know, a building in a great location that just can’t hold a tenant. It seemed that on an almost daily basis something new was setting up shop on that busy corner. Until December 2008, when Coquette moved in. There are still daily changes on that corner, only now they occur on Coquette’s menu.
As tasty as it looks! (photo credit: Coquette)
Coquette’s rising star, chef and owner Michael Stoltzfus, subscribes to the theory that fresh, seasonal and local ingredients are key to a great meal. As a result, the menu “evolves” daily depending on the season and what looks best. Unfortunately, this means that if you are going to Coquette for brunch, lunch or dinner, the menus available online can only give you a hint of what awaits and not a true preview. Of course I find the anticipation of what the meal might hold adds a little something extra to the meal, not that this unique dining experience needs it.
Coquette's bar pushes out fantastic wine and tasty drinks (photo credit: Coquette)
A beautifully restored space entices you from the moment you walk in the door. This New Orleans uptown eatery features a deep, house length bar warmly welcomes you for a pre-dinner specialty cocktail, some housemade infused liquors, terrific craft beers or carefully chosen wines. The Coquette Collins, the Jackson and the Sazerac all have our stamp of approval, especially when leading into pork rillette or veal meatball appetizers. Even though you could choose to eat at the bar or admire the exposed brick wall from a table in the dining room, in these few weeks of near perfect weather I recommend that you try to score some of the coveted outdoor seating. Due to the ever evolving menu, I can’t tell you what Chef Stoltzfus will have up his sleeve for your main course, but I can guarantee you’ll want to save enough room so the table can at least share one of the desserts. Dessert on every visit has proved to be a formidable compliment to a stellar meal. Just beware that planning on sharing a dessert may result in fights over the last bite!
What’s your favorite Coquette dish? Let us know in the comments!
Coquette
2800 Magazine Street
Lunch-Wednesday through Saturday
Dinner-Monday through Saturday
Brunch-Sundays
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