Amuse Bouche: Bruschetta. MmMm this was delish! VERY close to my favorite bruschetta ever…

Sesame bread. Not my fav, but a good change up from what I’m used to.

Oysters Tommy: Romano cheese. Pancetta. Roasted bell pepper.

Oysters Rockefeller: Spinach. Herbs. Herbsaint.

Oysters Bienville: Crawish. Shrimp. Herbs.

Of the three choices, my favorite had to be the Oysters Bienville. It was savory and melt-in-your-mouth!

Crabmeat Maison. Iceberg lettuce. Jumbo lump crabmeat. Maison dressing.

Sweetbreads. Pan sauteéd. Beurre blanc. Capers. Eggplant. 

Duck Tchoupitoulas. Roasted crispy & deglazed duck. Raspberry reduction. Wild rice. Fresh spinach. Toasted pecans. Bacon.

The meals were a great blend of mostly Italian influence with a pinch of New Orleans and French. There was a hominess to the dishes with a touch of sophistication. Nothing too frou-frou. Loved it!

Afterwards, we stayed at the Hilton New Orleans Riverside. Good view, great food at Tommy’s right around the corner, and excellent company!

Rum Swizzle. 

Vesper. Inspired by 007 Casino Royale. A solid, strong, and sexy martini!

French Bread & Butter. One of my favorite parts of any meal!

Crispy Gulf Oysters. Bacon & Parmesan crust. Citrus & Fennel salad. Bacon Vinaigrette. Smoked Creme Fraiche.

The bacon vinaigrette was a wonderful touch on top of these crispy oysters! It was subtle, but came through smoothly.

Melon Mojito Salad. Mint & rum cured melon. Spiced Pecans. Bacon Molasses vinaigrette.

Cracklin Crusted Duck Confit. Applewood smoked bacon. Onion glazed brussel sprouts. Creamy white bean puree. Charred Jalapeno pepper jelly.

Cast Iron Baked Blue Crab Gnocchi.  Louisiana Crab & Semolina gnocchi. Roasted garlic, Exotic mushrooms. Corn-leek veloute. Lemon-Parmesan crust.

Bananas Foster Sundae. Cinnamon-dark rum ice cream. Bananas. Crispy Plantains. Ordered without Chantilly cream.

WOW..What an amazing meal! The chef and I really enjoy ordering a bunch of menu items and sharing them so when it comes down to the very last bite, we like to save our favorites. The chef enjoyed the duck as his last bite and I finished with the crab and gnocchi dish…That most definitely didn’t mean it was our favorite, because dessert came out and we were just blown away! This Sundae has to be the best we’ve ever eaten. Fried bananas foster…how can you say “no” to that?!

Jalapeno cornbread and biscuit. 

Butter. Olive Oil. Salt.

Koch Ranch Ancho Goat Albondigas. Coconut Curry Corn Sauce. Grilled Flatbread.

Plum and Miso Marinated Quail Breast. Plum and Miso Emulsion. Wilted Greens.

Rio Grande Valley Citrus Seared Scallops. Spinach Carrot Puree. Grilled Scallions. Navel Orange Supremes.

Forelle Pear Salad. Texas Wine Poached Pear. Maytag Blue Cheese. Texas Pecan Crumbs. Prosciutto Crisps. Pear-Balsamic Vinegar.

Smoked and Grilled Duck Breast. Roasted Red Bell Pepper Aioli. Sauteed Cabbage. Peppered Bacon.

German Chocolate Cheesecake. Pastry Tuile

A great meal! Very well-seasoned and thought out dishes….My favorite dishes that we ordered were the Scallops and the Pear Salad. Scallops were perfectly cooked and the Maytag Blue Cheese in the salad was the best blue cheese I’ve ever eaten. It paired so well with the pear… haha no pun intended. The entree I could have gone without was the duck..it was slightly overcooked, although the flavors were great.

As if national recognition (AAA Four Diamond Award) wasn’t enough, they support the locals…all the more to try out this great restaurant. Whether you’re on vacation or even a local, an experience is awaiting you here…

Now let’s get to the food….

Bread and Butter!

Fried Oysters.

Pork Belly Fritters.

Duck Breast. Roasted Fennel. English Peas. Citrus. 

Black Drum. Crawfish tails. Green Asparagus. Ricotta gnocchi. 

Old Fashioned Donut. Huckleberries. Oatmeal Crunch. Sour Cream Ice Cream. 

On the house treat. Some sort of jelly swirl…very light treat to a delicious meal! Don’t be fooled like I did, the cup is filled with sand and serves as a holder for the lollipops! There’s nothing edible in there…=P

Everything was delicious. Simplistic yet flavorful. Light, so you’re not overwhelmed with flavors. I don’t think I’ve seen dishes like this anywhere else in New Orleans so  their dishes are definitely original. Only disadvantage was the small portions, but I have quite the appetite so that most likely explains that! 

Amuse Bouche. Asian-inspired dish w/ Salmon Sashimi. Fresh Herbs.

Smoked Cornmeal Encrusted Louisiana Oysters. Andouille Spoon Bread. Manchego Foam.

“KFC” Korean Fried Chicken Wings. Pepper Jelly glaze. Kimchi.

Black Lacquered Duck Tortellini. Indian Orange Mascarpone. Toasted Pine Nuts. Vanilla Tapioca. Black Duck Tea.

Nice presentation! The scallops come in this vintage looking cigar box…it helps to hold the smoke in the box so the scallops absorb every bit of smokey flavor. Let’s just say..it does the job! The scallops were delicious!

Cohiba Smoked Scallops. Chorizo Dust. Carmelized Cauliflower. Fennel Choucroute.

Hanger Steak. Crispy Sweetbreads. Sweet Kumquat Bordelaise. Pommes Frites.

Sweet Corn Caramel Flan. Salted Corn and Caramel Ice Cream. Vanilla Milk Foam. “Cracker Jacks”

Strawberry Delight. Toasted Almond Cake. Smoked Black Tea Honey Crunch. Strawberry Sour Cream Ice Cream. Strawberry Gel. Fizzy Rock.

Root’s menu is extremely creative and the presentation is just superb. I love the way Chef Phillip Lopez throws together such diverse elements and combines them to build flavors that work together so well like the duck tortellini (pictured above). Vanilla tapioca and Black duck tea?? Who woulda thought? And it tastes so good! I will say that because of the design and flair in each plate, it doesn’t stuff you so order accordingly.  The other downside was the desserts…Lots of elements and full of different and interesting flavors, but I felt it was a bit “deconstructed”.

Overall, innovative dishes. Great atmosphere. So if you’re feeling like refreshing your palate with molecular gastronomy-type dishes, check out Root!

Rating: 2.5/5 spoons