In the French Quarter, inventive cuisine that’s both haute and hip. Related recipe: • Three Melon Gazpacho
Located in the recently refurbished W Hotel, SoBou, which stands for “south of Bourbon Street,” is a new French Quarter hot spot offering a unique dining experience. Commander’s Palace co-owner Ti Martin is partnering with Commander’s Executive Chef Tory McPhail for the new place.
Martin notes that the concept has been in the works for more than three years. She and Commander’s Palace co-proprietor, Lally Brennan, gather a group every summer to look at future ideas to consider.
“During the summer, when things kind of slow down a bit, we get together and focus on the next new project,” she said. “During these sessions, we have a team that works on these ideas just for fun.
“We were thinking of a Louisiana street food-inspired venue, with small plates. Some like we grew up with and others that are more modern, but a play on street food and how those delightful treats go so well with cocktails,” she said.
The concept grew and was designed well before the location—the former Bacco restaurant operated by Martin’s cousin, Ralph Brennan—became available.
“Our restaurant’s brain trust, like many others, are always looking for the next big idea,” she said, “so when I told the group about the location, they all went, ‘Wow!’ The W Hotel’s vibe has always been more edgy, vibrant and, well, hip.”
Martin notes that the team learned a lot during the process of coming up with the concept and design for the new project. “I have the greatest respect for the designers,” she said. “We went to New York and met with the architectural design workshop principals and came up with a design to pay tribute to the cocktail and its historical birthplace in New Orleans.”
In addition to design details that feature glassware, bottles and lights to imbue the receptacles with optical illusions and an uncanny depth, a number of display cases house artifacts on loan from New Orleans’ Museum of the American Cocktail located inside the Southern Food and Beverage Museum.
SoBou’s lounge area features a long, curved bar with glitzy lighting and other eye-popping details. At the nearby tables, dubbed “the wine and beer garden,” guests can choose from several draft beer taps built into each table when they want a refill. The equipment automatically keeps tabs on usage.
A system of wine taps lines one of the bar walls, where customers can choose a wine from an array of offerings and serve themselves accordingly, from a one or two ounce sampling, to a six ounce pour. Commander’s “wine guy” Dan Davis created the diverse wine list as well as selected the tap wines.
Viewed as a “modern Creole saloon,” SoBou had to have some star power behind the bar. SoBou Head Bar Chef Abigail Gullo, and corporate and Swizzle Stick Bar Chef Lu Brow, put their heads together and came up with a state-of-the-art cocktail program.
A native of Hyde Park, New York, Gullo, a theater major, drama teacher, singer and actor, didn’t leave those professions far behind, because she clearly sets off some sparks when she gets behind the bar. Her endless drinks repertoire showcases a parade of well-crafted cocktails as well as the revered classics.
“The usually packed bar itself has great energy,” said Martin, “and that energy and excitement bleeds over into the dining room and creates a ‘like’ vibe. When you add the music, it’s just really fun!”
Bar snacks include pork cracklins, olives, sweet and spicy pecans, Cajun queso, blue crab mousse and yellowfin tuna tartare served in cones with basil and avocado ice cream.
Guests seem to enjoy the synergy between the cocktails, the wine and beer taps, the décor and the food, which is all by design, according to Martin.
Executive Chef Juan Carlos Gonzalez created the menu, working side-by-side with Consulting Chef Tory McPhail to taste the Creole, Cajun, southern and Caribbean influenced dishes.
“We tasted every dish,” said Gonzalez. “Tory is a great mentor and friend. We’d sit down and talk about the recipes and make it happen, bringing the dish to life.”
The Puerto Rican-born Gonzalez has been part of the Commander’s Family of Restaurants team since he served his Culinary Institute of America externship under the late Chef Jamie Shannon at Commander’s Palace in 2000.
“I learned from the best,” said, Gonzalez, who previously worked as an apprentice under Chef Eric Ripert at the renowned Le Bernardin in Manhattan.
Along with his Caribbean roots, Gonzalez drew upon his Spanish and Italian heritage and quite a bit from his decade in New Orleans to create bold flavors from fresh, seasonal ingredients.
For example, Gonzalez serves an extraordinary cochon de lait gumbo, “just the way my wife’s family in Jennings does,” says Gonzalez, “with warm potato salad.”
The three melon gazpacho is another delicious and refreshing dish, served with Creole marinated shrimp.
A beet salad with chevre, spiced pecans and arugula is sprinkled with a sugarcane vinaigrette. In addition, a muffaletta chop salad and Louisiana fig salad are offered.
Small bites include a crispy oyster taco, with pineapple ceviche, mirliton and Cajun ghost pepper caviar; molasses lacquered pork belly with dirty rice calas and ham hock stewed with Louisiana red bean purée; duck debris and butternut beignets with foie gras fondue and chicory coffee ganache; andouille and tasso boulettes; and shrimp and tasso pinchos with grilled pineapple and pickled pepper jelly.
Larger bites include a SoBou burger, foie gras burger, sofrito crusted yellowfin tuna, Cuban sandwich, crispy confit chicken legs, and grilled flank steak. For guests that want a steak or a piece of fish, an eight ounce strip and a lemon-buttered redfish are available.
A selection of sides are offered: fries with house-made cayenne ketchup, pimento cheese fondue or pickled okra mayo; boudin balls, mac n’cheese or an artisan cheese plate.
Desserts are divine. Guests can choose a chocolate coma bar, dark and stormy banana rum cake, cherries jubilee bread pudding or a sweet caprese with sugarcane soaked navel oranges, panna cotta and fresh mint.
It would appear that “hip” can also be delicious.
Details. Details. Details.
SoBou, W Hotel French Quarter
310 Chartres Street
New Orleans, La
(504) 552-4095
Open 7 days for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
