The exciting culinary developments in New Orleans’ Bywater neighborhood reached a crest of sorts when the much anticipated Mariza–Ian Schnoebelen and Laurie Casebonne’s new casual, Italian inspired bistro—opened several months ago.
Casebonne holds dual roles as co-owner with husband Ian and general manager of both Iris, their highly regarded upscale French Quarter restaurant, and Mariza. Co-owner Schnoebelen, who was named a Food & Wine 2006 Best New Chef, serves as executive chef of both Iris and Mariza.
The couple are especially happy to see Mariza come to fruition because, while they often bike to Iris in the French Quarter, they can now walk the eight blocks to Mariza in their own booming Bywater neighborhood.
“We have seen many changes in Bywater over the past ten years,” said Casebonne. “It didn’t have the hip, cool image that exists today. There are more young families moving in, more of a mixture of different age groups, races. It’s really developing in a good way, with many more businesses and restaurants.”
The buzz on Bywater’s status as a divine dining destination began even before last year’s Maurepas Foods opening, the Pizza Delicious pop-up (now a full-fledged eatery), The Joint’s relocation from the fringe to the heart of the hood, Booty’s Street Food—and now Mariza.
Located in the architecturally acclaimed Rice Mill Lofts development, Mariza appears to be a perfect fit for its spacious corner venue fronting Chartres street.
The converted industrial warehouse was repurposed into sixty-nine studio and residential units with rooftop terraces and panoramic river views.
Dating back to 1892, the 108,000 square foot, five-story building known as the National Rice Milling Company was at one time the largest rice processing plant in the country. Over much of the twentieth century, the building was vacant and fell into disrepair.
However, the sturdy construction and craftsmanship withstood the elements, the reported rave parties, and even the retro grafitti which remains and is now viewed as part of the building’s artistic charm.
The space occupied by Mariza showcases the exposed brick walls and seventeen-foot ceilings supported by the original, time-worn timbered posts.
Casebonne first heard about the project when Sean Cummings, who redeveloped the building, mentioned it to her one night about two years ago while dining at Iris.
“He asked us to come over and take a look at the property,” said Casebonne. “Since we live in the neighborhood and we’re interested in architecture and all things regarding Bywater, we went.
“When he was showing us around, we learned that he was offering us an opportunity to open a restaurant in the space.”
That was the day before Laurie and Ian left on a vacation to Italy.
The couple talked about it as they sipped vino at Roman enotecas, tasted tagliatelle at Venezian tavernas and ate antipasti at Tuscan aperitivo bars.
The cafes and bars would open at about 5 pm post siesta for cocktails and snacks before dinner, said Casebonne. “We had great nibbles everywhere we went,” she added.
The more the duo travelled around and talked about the prospect of opening the new restaurant, the more they thought it should be Italian. They enjoyed the food, absorbed the culture, and embraced the casual style during their experiences on that fortuitous, eventful excursion.
“It seemed like every enoteca and trattoria reminded us of the Rice Mills space, which has a very old world vibe about it,” said Casebonne. The restaurant’s concept was born on that Italian trip, she noted.
“We were looking for something more casual,” she noted. “We knew it would be important to keep the concept and design aligned, to marry the bar and restaurant together.
“We envisioned how we wanted things and the builders let us have our say on the arrangements,” said Casebonne. “We requested an open kitchen but we’d never seen one with a bar in front of it!”
Casebonne and Schnoebelen decided on extensive bar seating that appears to be floating out from the bar into the restaurant.
“Our idea was an open feeling, something that wasn’t so structured,” she said. “Everyone’s night is different. If guests feel like staying and having more drinks and snacks, that’s fine. The way we see the dining trend is that people are getting away from the more stiff and structured dinners.
“Ian constructed the menu intentionally so that there aren’t as many main courses, but many small courses and small or large portions on some dishes if people want to share,” she continued.
Chef Schnoebelen dry-cures and ages all the Italian style meats. The bread and pasta are made in house, too, except for the rigatoni which is prepared by Three Muses’ Chef Dan Esses.
On the broad, dropped light fixture which surrounds the bar, colorful quart-size jars are displayed with preserved fruits and pickled vegetables plucked during prime season—beets, onions, carrots, blood oranges, Meyer lemons and peppers.
“We preserve tomatoes during the season to use all year,” he said. “We use all the stuff in the jars. The pickled vegetables are used in salads and on salumi boards. The tomatoes go in pasta sauces, lasagna and soups. The blood oranges become part of a dessert, the Meyer lemons are used as a sweet and sour vinaigrette for chicken,” he added.
Just about every major ingredient is sourced from local farms and purveyors. “All of our meat, fish and vegetables are one hundred percent local,” said Schnoebelen. The cheeses are Italian and supplied by St. James Cheese Company.
The menu offers a raw bar, a feature that the couple found very inviting in Italian trattorias. At Mariza, the bar features oysters on the half shell, yellowfin tuna carpaccio, red snapper crudo, and raw vegetables and Pecorino Romano.
Daily cured meat platters and cheese plates are offered along with a variety of salads and other appetizing treats. A burrata crostini and tomatoes is paired with basil pesto, shoots and sprouts. A goat ricotta bruschetta arrives with kale and balsamico. Pepperoni soup encompasses house made salumi and vegetables in an herbal broth.
Pasta and pizza are available in both small and large sizes. Some notable dishes are short ribs rigatoni with wild mushrooms and olive mascarpone; black linguini with shrimp and crab, tomato, garlic and wine; a duck ragout pappardelle with slivered smoked duck breast and a duck liver mousse crostini; and lamb meatballs with a poached egg.
Main courses feature additional interesting dishes such as a hanger steak with tapenade, pesto and bruschetta; braised lamb belly with polenta and tomato; whole fish of the day served with fennel salad and lemon vinaigrette; duck leg confit with local vegetables, prosciutto and grilled beets; vegetable lasagna; and quail and pancetta with red onion and butter lettuce.
Desserts offered may vary with the season but a recent menu included strawberry panna cotta, chocolate terrine and blueberry vanilla sorbet.
The eclectic and extensive wine list provides an abundance of Italian wines as well as a wide spectrum from regions throughout the wine world.
Innovative cocktails are the bar’s main attraction and the realm of talented bartender Nik Moon, who crafts them from fresh seasonal ingredients.
Already a Bywater institution, manager Anthony Donado keeps the whole place rolling as local foodies flock to one of “the moment’s” most in-demand dining spots. Besides being a neighborhood and New Orleans sensation, Mariza is attracting the attention of art aficionados, historians and food lovers from around the country.
The well-planned 2011 trip to Italy prefigured yet another Italian adventure for Schnoebelen and Casebonne, this time in their own backyard.
Details. Details. Details.
Mariza 2900 Chartres Street New Orleans, LA (504) 598-5700 marizaneworleans.com
