[title type="h5"]Thursday, October 9, 2014.
Biz At Li'l Gem. Sampling Johnny Sanchez On Day Two.[/title]
The publishing group of which New Orleans Magazine is the flagship rolls out a new publication tonight. Biz New Orleans was in the planning stages when Katrina hit town. The management shelved the idea until it became clear just how much business news there would be to report. A great deal, as it turned out, and so here Biz iz.
I write for a competing business newspaper (CityBusiness, where have published a weekly restaurant review since its first issue in 1981), and so maybe I shouldn't have been there. On the other hand, they invited me, and the event is at the Little Gem Saloon, whose food I've always liked. (Although there wasn't much of it to eat tonight). The Yat Pack was playing, and that's enough to pull both me and Mary Ann in. They played too loud, as all bands do. What's the point of that? Isn't the reason all these people are here? I saw lots of people who wanted to talk with me and I with them, and the only way that could be done was to go outside.
One of the people we encountered was Bonnie Warren, a longtime friend and colleague. She is connected with my life in so many ways that I won't even start in on the list. We added a new way tonight. She misunderstood the functioning of the apparatus in the pay parking lot nearby, and her car was booted. In the lot? That's a little harsh. We hung out with her at this dark, deserted spot until the guy came by to release her. For ninety dollars. This strikes me as a business that could use some regulation.
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Johnny Sanchez's dining room.[/caption]
As soon as she detected departures among the party attendees, Mary Ann announced her greater interest in another opening in the neighborhood. The second location (the first is in Baltimore, of all places) of Johnny Sanchez had a soft opening yesterday. Occupying the space built out for Ste. Marie, Johnny Sanchez is a partnership of Chefs John Besh and Aaron Sanchez. They met a few years ago at some Iron Chef happening, and have talked about doing a restaurants almost since then. Both of them are now as celebrated for their television presences as they are for their restaurants.
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Ceviche at Johnny Sanchez.[/caption]
Everybody knows Besh, but Sanchez needs a bit more introduction. Before he hit the big time, he spent a good bit of time in New Orleans restaurants, notably in a stint with Chef Paul Prudhomme. So he has a sense of what we're about.
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Arroz con pollo.[/caption]
Johnny Sanchez, however, is thoroughly Mexican--although not the kind of Mexican food we are accustomed to. About the only place in its local category is Mizado, which I would say relies a good deal more on inspiration and invention than what's going on here. Johnny Sanchez's menu is much more recognizable. That isn't to call it the same old stuff, though.
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A strikingly colorful salad.[/caption]
How do I know all this, given my postulate that one shouldn't rush right into new restaurants? New phenoms are Mary Ann's favorite kind of restaurant. On our way back to her car, she stuck her head inside Johnny Sanchez and was thrilled by what she saw, both on the tables and around them. And then, there he was! John Besh himself, who Mary Ann has always adored (as do more than a few other women). He waved at us to come inside.
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An unique chocolate and fruit dessert at Johnny Sanchez.[/caption]
There was no escape. I had barely sat down when servers swooped in with margaritas, guacamole, two salsas (neither of them standard), a box of crisp dipping breads as far from tortilla chips as they are from crackers, ceviche set on fascinating crisp, cold vegetables, tacos several ways, and a truly outstanding arroz con pollo. Then John sat down with us, soon to be joined by his general manager Octavio Mantilla, and we were there for the duration. Mary Ann was ecstatic.
The 900 block of Poydras is set to become a nexus of Mexican dining. More by coincidence than design, the owners of the year-old Lucky Rooster around the corner ditched the Asian street food concept and plugged in its Juan's Flying Burrito concept. As offbeat as Juan's is, it's much more familiar in its cooking than what Johnny Sanchez is up to. That will enrich the neighborhood, setting it up for even more south-of-the border dining. About six months from now, I'll return to see what on the initial menu makes the cut.
[title type="h5"]Johnny Sanchez. CBD: 930 Poydras. 504-304-6615. [/title]
