cocktails

A French 75 at French 75

When all else fails, have a cocktail.

If the city of New Orleans ever needed a new tagline, that could be a strong contender. Appropriate for a place where there are daiquiri bars with drive-thru windows. A city known for it’s passion of the never-ending party has an equally impressive number of bars, restaurants and signature drinks to indulge in.

Ever striving for the quintessential experience, I try and hit Crescent City landmarks on every annual trip with my mom. Thanks to the He Said/She Said NOLA blog, I can now cross #30 off the Only in New Orleans: The 100 Essential Experiences list.

Following a long day of shopping on Magazine street, po’boys at Parasols and a heart wrenching Saints football game at Pat O’Briens, we were dragging our feet but didn’t quite want to call it a day just yet. Meandering away from the loud, neon noise of Bourbon street we ducked down a dark street in search of a cocktail.

Adjacent to Arnaud’s restaurant, French 75 bar is the perfect quiet side-stop to sip on it’s namesake drink, the French 75. Having no knowledge of the actual ingredients,  it includes champagne which is all I needed to hear. It was delightful, bubbly and just sweet enough topped by a twist of lemon.

There are two window tables, mirrors lining the walls and a very polished, classy bar feel. We slowly savored our drinks with a cone of salty, warm gougères. The cocktails aren’t cheap, but in lieu of a beer on Bourbon I’d take a French 75 at French 75 any day.

To learn more about the French 75 cocktail, read the articles below:

• French 75 history and recipe: Esquire
• French 75, a little history and basic recipe: Gourmet magazine
• French 75 recipe: Epicurious

French 75
next to Arnaud’s restaurant
813 Rue Bienvilles
New Orleans, LA 70112
Phone 504-523-5433
http://www.arnaudsrestaurant.com/french-75/

Parlor Market

Forget diamonds, dessert is a girl’s best friend.

I’m the kind of girl who prefers experiences over objects. If given the choice between jewelry or a meal out, I’d wholeheartedly pick the meal every single time. For this milestone birthday, my husband spoiled me with both earrings and dinner. And not just any dinner. I was turning 30, we had a Living Social deal and a free evening before I left for Las Vegas. The perfect conditions to eat at Parlor Market had aligned.

On a Friday night we cruised downtown in the El Camino, parked near the King Edward Hotel and stepped into Parlor Market. Upon entering, there are exceptionally close tables on the left and a bar on the right, luckily we were led to the back in full view of the kitchen action. Immediately, a bowl of pimento cheese appeared our table.

The Cooking Bride posted Parlor Market’s pimento cheese recipe after they converted her into a fan. Identifying with her dismay of the alarming neon glow of most versions, I was intrigued to try it myself. Pimento cheese is Only in the South and an unknown phenomenon to most Northerners.

Put your fears aside because this Pimento Cheese is salty, smokey, slightly spicy and a natural color. My Southern born and bred husband exclaimed it’s the best he’s ever had. It involves a lot of bacon and was generously slathered on crostini rounds.

As a preview of the acts to come, we received a spoonful of velvety blueberry puree dotted with lemon scented ricotta cheese. While deliberating over the menu we spread sorghum butter (molded like a beehive) on mini cornbread muffins.

Known for their unique Prohibition-era cocktails, I savored a Front Porch while Ben ventured to the Pre-Prohibition menu for a Corpse Reviver #2. Mine had sweet tea vodka, lemonade and mint served in a mason jar, his included ingredients I’ve never heard of and absinthe. (Remember, I’m not much of a drinker.)

For starters, we decided on the Crab Duo appetizer and a dozen raw oysters.

The Crab Duo paired a light crab salad heaped into a zucchini boat and soft-shell crab tempura. Although nearly everything was fried golden brown, it was a delightful contrast of crisp salty batter and sweet succulent crab meat. The zucchini was still firm, the crab salad delicate and the soft-shell crab extended off the plate. Due to my losing record battling raw oysters, I declined to partake of the platter which Ben happily slurped down on his own.

In seamless synchronization, our entrees were presented while empty plates were whisked away. For the main event we chose Pan Seared Halibut and the Duck Breast special.

A large portion of halibut was placed on top of a cheese laden corn maque choux, nestled next to a lobster tail and garnished with pieces of whole fried okra. The fish had a nice crust and tender center, but could have benefited being taken off the heat one minute earlier. The separate parts were well-executed but the dish didn’t feel as cohesive when compared to the duck. Ben devoured his apple glazed duck breast, haricot verts, polenta and tiger melon which he graciously let me taste. The flavors were bright and more sharply paired. He left no morsel behind.

As a grand finale we requested Cookies + Cream and to my surprise it came lovingly plated besides Walk Down Memory Lane. I was thrilled because it’s more of a struggle to select dessert, than it was to decide on a university.

A trio of ice creams in homemade cones sat perched on cookies, and I’m guessing the flavor combinations were vanilla (hint of mint)/brown sugar cookie, chocolate (hint of cinnamon)/chocolate chip cookie and pistachio/sugar cookie.

Opening the lid of the tin lunchbox I discovered a key lime push-up pop, chocolate pudding cup, moon pie, oatmeal cream pie and brown sugar rice krispie treats. The push-up pop was irresistable, refreshingly tart and creamy. I could only muster a bite of the rest of the items before I threw in the towel. Walk Down Memory Lane is the most playful and creative dessert I’ve ever experienced.

It was a pricey evening made less painful by the Living Social deal (repeat please), but even so, we’ve had such meals before and left much less satisfied. They do have a happy hour, reasonable lunch menu and brunch on the weekends.

We could have lingered much longer in our cozy spot, watching candles illuminate the dark wood accents and exposed brick, entertained by the flurry of activity. Evident by the flawless service and constant need for reservations, Parlor Market is a well-oiled machine, successfully putting their own twist on traditional regional dishes.

I adore everything about Parlor Market. The location, the concept, the glassware, the light fixtures, heck, even the logo. I’ll be back as much as possible (anniversary in October!) and hope to see you there.

Parlor Market
115 West Capitol Street
Jackson, MS 39201
Phone 601-360-0090
http://www.parlormarket.com

Read my Thirtieth Birthday posts

• Gidget Turns Thirty
• While I’ve Been Gone
• Table 100