Danny Millan has a long, illustrious history in top-end New Orleans restaurants, having spent years at Brennan's, the grand 1980s era of the Sazerac, Restaurant August, and other restaurants of that caliber. Most recently, he was the key person in making Le Foret the five-star restaurant it is.
Danny's dream of owning his own restaurant comes true tonight. After two years of construction and planning, Cava opens in Lakeview, in the building that once was Landry's, and the first Drago's before that. That location will resonate with the neighbors as a casual sort of place. That is indeed what Danny has planned, although the menu seems a bit higher-flown than most such places. On the other hand, the prices sound low to me. And Lakeview is upscale enough that a restaurant in the same category as the extinct Lakeview standby La Cuisine would be welcomed.
[caption id="attachment_41943" align="alignright" width="300"]
Danny Millan, on my radio show.[/caption]
The name "Cava" refers to the sparkling wines of Spain, whose reputation as an affordable, fun, Champagne-style bubbly is right in line with the other ideas for the new place.
Here's the opening menu:
Starters
Caramelized onion soup 6
Chicken and andouille gumbo 7
Cava house salad 6
Kale and oyster salad 11
Pork belly salad 10
Crab cake trio 12
Crispin apple mussels 9
Island shrimp 10
Braised rabbit remoulade 11
Big easy boudin 10
Seafood-stuffed mirliton medley 12
Entrees
Fish du jour
Bbq salmon 18
Seared sea scallops 22
Creole mustard and herb-roasted lamb chops 26
Traditional duck breast 23
Roasted chicken breast 16
Veal osso bucco 28
Crawfish meatball pasta 18
Filet mignon 27
Lobster and wild mushroom risotto 25
Buffalo sirloin, sauce chasseur 28
Cava is open for dinner only Tuesday-Saturday, plus Sunday brunch.
Cava
Lakeview: 789 Harrison Ave. 504-304-9034.
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