This is a great find in the Garden District of New Orleans. On a corner in the super hipster neighborhood of Magazine Street lies a restaurant that needs lots of accolades. It’s just that great. There is a big huge outside patio area and a little mini dining room. In the rare 90-degree beginning of October, I opted to sit inside, in the cool air conditioning. Just what the doctor ordered, comfort inside and out.
Noah was my server, as well as bartender. He was cordial and knew lots about this historic area, he really made my experience at Bordeaux very memorable.
Dining next to me was local Mike Fylnn, who lives near by. He had a great quote: “New Orleans is an easy city to earn a living, but a hard city to be successful in.” He had lots to say about his fair city, as well as his favorite restaurants and Bordeaux being one of them.
The preparation by Chef Dominic McKlette was remarkable, using fresh sustainable ingredients, and adding his French touch of creativity and elegance.
Here’s What I Had:
Cocktails:
Five Minutes to Midnight, coconut-infused Rhum Agricole, Lime 1 Demerara Sugar, refreshing and potent, this cocktail packs a punch.
Sacra Bleu Vodka, Lemon, Elderflower, Egg White, so delightful, with an umbrella and blue, just loved it.
The Pipeline Bitter Orange Infused Vodka, Aperal, and passion fruit. This was also pretty strong, but for me, because I am a vodka lover, it did the trick.
Frozen Rose, like a slush, with other ingredients, and it comes out of a machine, a must- try.
Appetizer:
Jumbo Lump Crabmeat Green papaya Slaw with Remoulade. Just the perfect amount of fresh gulf crab in this amazing appetizer.
Local Red Fish and Octopus Ceviche Corn Shaved Onion, Cilantro, and Leche De Tigre. A bit on the acidic side for me, but great nontheless.
Fresh Burrata and Creole Tomato Salad, with Crispy Vidalia onion, Balsamic Dijon Vinaigrette. This is colorful and super tasty, but an amazing menu item.
Whole Wheat Flatbread Artisan Cheese, Prosciutto, Truffle Oil. You can taste the truffle oil in every bit, a super nice flatbread.
Entrée:
Sautéed Soft Shell Crab Saffron Basmati Rice Pilaf, Green Papaya Slaw, and Spiced Citrus Vinaigrette. Wow, wow, wow, terrific.
Rotisserie of Key West Spiny Lobster Quinoa, Creole Tomato with Citrus Mojo. This is a huge lobster ad so fresh and delicious, by far my favorite thing I tried here tonight.
Rotisserie, Maple Leaf Duck, nice meaty duck with super delicious rotisserie flavors, I loved it.
Desserts:
Red Berry Pavlova, very much like a meringue, with nice luscious fruit, simply delicious.
Warm Frangipagne, Pear Tart, the crust made this desert, it is buttery with nice flavor, a must have.
Wine:
Chardonnay, La Chevaliere, this is a wine to drink with shell fish, the carb or the lobster.
Chardonnay Macon Peronne, a great pair with the Barratta salad, it just had hints of lemon that added to the overall flavor of the lovely dressing.
Cabernet Sauvignon, Substance, hands down the wine to drink with the rotisserie duck, smoky, robust nuances that helped my taste buds feel the glory of the delicious duck.
Malbec, Catena, Vista Flores, a wonderful wine with the prosciutto flatbread.
They also have a nice pre-fix lunch that is relatively inexpensive and looks amazing, a nice way to enjoy a lunchtime meal.
About Chef Dominique Macquet: He has led his fair share of kitchens in New Orleans including Tamarind, Dominique’s, and Saveur, is opening a new restaurant this month after a two-year hiatus from professional kitchens.
NOLA.com reports that the French bistro is called Bordeaux, and will feature an imported rotisserie that Macquet will use to cook “whole lambs, goats and suckling pigs.” Bordeaux, which will seat 90 and has a large front patio, is at the corner of Magazine and Bordeaux Streets in a building that most recently held a dog daycare.
The first iteration of Macquet’s namesake restaurant, Dominique’s, was at the Maison Dupuy Hotel, operating from 1996 to 2008. Macquet then reopened and quickly left its next incarnation on Magazine Street (now Apolline), to open the now-shuttered Tamarind in the Hotel Modern. He then reopened Dominique’s for a third time in early 2013, at the location that now houses Shaya, but left once again for Saveur, another now-closed restaurant that was located on Magazine Street. Macquet is teaming up with Bruno Rizzo, who founded the original version of bakery La Boulangerie with his brother in 2000, to run Bordeaux’s dining room. The pair plans to open the bistro at the end of January.
Bordeaux Restaurant derives its heritage from southwestern France, the area known internationally for its outstanding wine and cuisine. Located among the beautiful oak trees at the intersection of Magazine and Bordeaux streets, the restaurant’s aroma emanating from the outdoor rotisserie entices the appetite daily. Award-winning executive chef Dominique Macquet and sommelier Bruno Rizzo meticulously pair menu items and wines to create imaginative dining experiences. Sous Chef Martin Fennelly brings an experienced hand in crafting the ultimate dining experience. Bordeaux chooses the fresh catch from local fishermen, and the produce from regional farmers to provide fresh, inviting and sustainable dishes. The cuisine is both contemporary French as well as south Louisiana Creole/Cajun. Menu treats such as lamb, suckling pig; goat, pheasant, quail and duck have their turn on the custom-built outdoor French rotisserie. Another treat: wines paired with specialty meats and cheeses on their charcuterie boards. Desserts, including cotton candy, are created in-house. Enjoy freshly shucked Louisiana gulf oysters at the outdoor oyster bar while enjoying a specialty cocktail created by the talented mixologist Lynn Burgett. The outdoor patio is the perfect place to relax on a lazy afternoon with a fresh fruit daiquiri or one of our many other delicious drinks such as our signature cocktail, the Sacre Bleu. Traditional weekend brunch, often with live jazz music, is served on the patio in classic New Orleans style with bottomless mimosas and specialty Bloody Marys.
As you would expect from a restaurant named Bordeaux, they offer a wide variety of wines personally selected by sommelier Bruno Rizzo. Afternoon children cooking classes, led by chef Bruno are a fun afternoon teaching the young about healthy food while parents will enjoy wine tastings by Bruno.
One of my favorite tastings of my trip, everything was unique and individual, no repeat performance, just all new and different. I loved their concept, and the rotisserie of things you would not expect to be rotisserie. In California, we only ever do this with a whole chicken. The concept of putting a whole spiny lobster on a rotisserie made me very excited, and it did not disappoint. I would highly recommend trying Bordeaux. The other more important thing about this restaurant is that it’s not the usual heavy fried Southern food, it lends itself to being somewhat healthy and wholesome, so you feel really good when you’re done.
Bordeaux
4734 Magazine Street
New Orleans
504.273.5747
bordeauxnola.com
Dinner | Tuesday-Thursday 530-10 | Friday + Saturday 530-11
Lunch | Wednesday-Thursday1130-230 | Friday 11-3
* Note some content was taken off of their website.
