ChefsGirl

Monthly Archives: March 2015

Wayfare (Uptown, New Orleans, LA)

Posted on by

Wayfare is nice and swanky little sandwich located on the up and poppin’ Freret Street, not too far from The Company Burger. I’ve been here twice, once for a girl’s lunch and once for takeout.

IMG_7852e

Bruschetta. Hummus with Red and Gold Beets. Blue Cheese & Honey. Tomato Confit.

 

IMG_7853e

Porchetta. Pork loin wrapped in Kurobuta pork belly. Carmelized Onions. Salsa Verde. Arugula. Fennel aioli. Hoagie.

 

IMG_7854e

Kurobuta Mac & Cheese. 

 

IMG_0639e

The Reuben. Corned beef. Sauerkraut. Swiss Cheese. “2k” Island Dressing on rye.

 

IMG_0644e

The Wayfare. Fresh house-cut mozzarella. Grape tomato. Kalamata olives. Orange segments. Romaine. Red Wine Vinaigrette. Blood orange infused olive oil.

 

IMG_0642e

Pulled Chicken Dijon. Basil puree. Dijon Vinaigrette. Tomato Confit. Kalamata olives. Diced house-made bread. Butter Pickles. Arugula. Shaved red onion. Dijon mustard on sesame seed kaiser roll.

 

The restaurant isn’t quite hidden, but the sign is hard to find and I’ve almost missed it twice. I went to lunch with my friend on a Wednesday afternoon and there were plenty of tables. There’s a daily menu so some menu items may change daily.

The bruschettas: The Hummus with Red and Gold Beets and Blue Cheese & Honey were my favorite. There wasn’t anything special with the Tomato Confit.

The Porchetta sandwich was sooo good. My friend is still speaking of it til this day. We shared it, but I think I could’ve definitely eaten the whole thing. It was filled with moist, savory pork with a slightly crisped hoagie bun. The only downside was the chips, which were burnt tasting and unsalted (or not enough salt) and I found that to be the same at the restaurant and when I ordered takeout.

The Mac & Cheese was super cheesy and perfectly textured. They use the Cavatappi macaroni…the elongated macaroni noodle. The pasta was perfectly al dente and cheesy, just the way I like it.

When we ordered takeout, the Reuben was so delicious. It was still slightly crispy on the outside even by the time I got home. The Pulled Chicken Dijon had good flavor, however, was a bit dry and I actually took off one of the buns and created my own open-faced sandwich, because the bread was a bit overwhelming.

Wayfare is a little taste of everything. They have great appetizers and a solid selection of our favorite sandwiches. Their drinks were pretty good too! If you’re looking for a great after work hangout or daytime deli, Wayfare is the place!

spoonspoonspoonspoon

Rating: 4/5 spoons
Wayfare on Urbanspoon



Doris Metropolitan (French Quarter, New Orleans)

Posted on by

During my birth”month” (it’s an all month thing..a day just doesn’t do it!), I was craving steak. I craved steak so much that I went to 3 different restaurants that week! One of them was Doris Metropolitan, who specializes in meats and even offers butchering services from their fine selection of beef that are dry-aged for at least 21 days.

 

IMG_0105e.jpg

Bar seating. 

 

IMG_0115e

Bread Foccacia White Spongebread. White Sourdough. Butters: White Truffle Oil, Wasabi, and Saffron.

 

IMG_0117e

Sweetbreads. Demi-glace. Roasted poblano yogurt sphere. Pearl Onion. Truffle Oil.

 

IMG_0118e

Endive Salad. Fennel. Carrots. Shallots. Walnuts. Asparagus. Gorgonzola. Balsamic Pearls. Black Garlic. Ginger Vinaigrette.

 

IMG_0125e

34 oz Porterhouse. 

 

 

 

IMG_0131e

Truffle Fries. 

 

IMG_0137e

Foie Gras. 

 

IMG_0139e

Chocolate Semifreddo. 

 

The restaurant has a very clean, modern look. There’s a mixed crowd of businessmen, couples, and large groups, which was refreshing because some restaurants tend to attract a certain demographic, but there was a good mix of everyone.

The food:

1. The Sweetbreads were large, tender, and juicy. I do wish there was a light crisp on the outside, but overall the sauce was sweet yet savory.

2. The Endive Salad had many components and the endives were perfect for scooping like a dip. Not very lady-like, but it works!

3. The 34 oz Porterhouse steak is perfect for sharing. I love that you get some tenderloin on one side of the bone and strip steak on the other side. Not to mention the perfectly cooked med-rare steak. One disappointment had to be when I requested more truffle butter that came with our bread plate to eat with my steak, the waiter decided to suggest foie gras instead without mentioning the $25 upcharge. And after eating the foie gras, I still wished I had the truffle butter instead. OK, it’s not the healthiest dipping for steak, but it was so good!

4. The truffle fries were delicious! Perfectly thinly cut fries with just enough truffle oil. I hate how some places claim to have “truffle fries” but they have not a bit of truffle oil.

5. Chocolate Semifreddo was delicious, but I found it a little too dainty for my taste. I prefer a simple dessert that I can take a bite and and just feel like I had a piece of heaven.

Great job on creativity, but I will say that as delicious and juicy the steak was I didn’t find it “special” or worth $82 considering it was mostly a big chunk of bone. The appetizer dishes balanced the meal very well and I loved the small touches of molecular gastronomic “pearls” in many of the appetizer dishes. Overall, it was an enjoyable birthday meal with good service, but the price is definitely a little steep.

spoonspoonspoonspoon

Rating: 4/5 spoons
Doris Metropolitan on Urbanspoon