Recently, www.AMEXessentials.com asked me to contribute to a selection of delicious foods from around the world and I had to pick ONE dish. If you’ve experienced food in NOLA, you have to realize how difficult that is! NOLA is a just a melting pot of so many great foods. I went with a little mix of classic NOLA and French cuisine…Check out this link for my answer and several must-try worldwide dishes :
https://www.amexessentials.com/must-try-dishes-for-travellers/
Justin Devillier does it again! His original restaurant, La Petite Grocery, is a more refined restaurant with delicate, rich French flair. The new Balise is more of a communal hangout/bar type of restaurant with the same refined flavors but with more of a bold and masculine flair. There’s more of a bachelor’s hangout kind of feel, but can be laid back and romantic at the same time. The service was great. The waiters are very knowledgeable and make great recommendations!
Fancy Rose Lemonade.
Gulf Shrimp. Uni. Clam Vinaigrette. Fennel. Saffron Mayonnaise.
Chilled Roasted Beets. Sheep’s Milk Ricotta. Red Vein Sorrel and Spiced Pecans.
Crab & Camembert Gratin. Lemon and Fines Herbes.
Cauliflower Soup. Fried oysters. Black Truffle.
Cheeseburger. Sharp Cheddar. Caramelized Onions. B&B pickles. Comeback Sauce. Hand Cut Fries.
Balise’s menu is very different from La Petite Grocery in that it has more small plates on the menu. First, we ordered the Gulf Shrimp, which attracted us since there was uni, clam vinaigrette, saffron mayonnaise, and fennel. Somehow, every component and flavor profile meshed together so well. It was refreshing and interesting at the same time.
For our veg, we ordered the Chilled Beet Salad with spiced pecans and ricotta. A touch of ricotta for richness and the spiced pecans added a ton of flavor. I wish I could make this stuff at home.
I ordered the Crab & Camembert Gratin, because I can’t turn anything crabmeat down! Camembert is a type of cheese, similar to brie. It was yummy! I took the bread and topped it off with some of the crab au gratin.
Next, was the Cauliflower Soup topped with a crispy, fried oyster showered in black truffles. DE. LISH. I sometimes wonder why they give you such small portions, but due to the law of diminishing returns, small delicious bites are meant to leave you yearning for more. I can still remember those few bites of soup…
Despite our fine dining tasting menu that we created, I am always craving a burger. So we ordered the burger as our main entree. haha..It definitely hit the spot. What makes this burger is the juiciness and the sauce. They call it the Comeback Sauce. It tastes like a remoulade and a buttery aioli at the same time.
What a great meal! If you’re looking for a laid back bar with fine dining, then Balise is for you. It’s worth trying at least once, but keep it mind, it is fine dining so it may be a little on the pricier end. Our whole meal with alcoholic beverages was around $111, but we left completely satiated.
Rating: 4.5/5
Romantic setting…Great food…Excellent service…if any of these are what you’re looking for, La Petite Grocery has it all! It’s one of my top 5 restaurants in the city. My very first time was a few years ago…”the chef” and I ordered a Crawfish Ravioli app that was DElicious and ever since then, we try to go back for it…but sadly, they never have it when we go. On the other hand, the other dishes never fail to please…
Pictured here Blue Crab Beignets, Crabmeat Au Gratin, and Sweetbreads..as you can tell, we have a thing for crabmeat!
Shrimp and Grits. Love this dish…lighter and more delicate than other versions around the city.
Clams and Linguine.
Even though La Petite means small, the flavors are anything but petite! Beautifully plated dishes with a blend of elegant New Orleans and French cuisine…AND the chef, Chef Justin Devillier, just so happens to be a James Beard Award winner. What else do you need? Just go!
