Louisiana Pizza Kitchen. Riverbend: 615 S Carrollton Ave. 504-866-5900.

Written by Tom Fitzmorris June 19, 2014 10:01 in

3 Fleur
Average check per person $15-$25
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Louisiana Pizza Kitchen

Riverbend: 615 S Carrollton Ave. 504-866-5900. Map.
Casual
AE DC DS MC V
Website

WHY IT'S NOTEWORTHY
Pizza prepared in the style of the French Riviera: very thin, almost crackerlike crusts, baked in a wood-burning oven, more often spread with olive oil than tomato sauce, topped not with layers but piles of cheese, vegetables, meats, and seafood. Pasta is prepared in the same spirit, lighter than in the standard local Italian restaurant. Salads, sandwiches, and daily specials continue these themes. Prices are a great value.

WHAT'S GOOD
Few local pizzerias put as much into the making of their pies than this place does. The mozzarella is whole-milk. The vegetables are all fresh (even the spinach). Unbleached flour for the crusts. Free-range veal and chicken. And a wood-burning brick oven. What throws some customers is the thinness of the crust and its crispness: this is not a standard pizza. The pastas and sandwiches and the remainder of the menu are good, but not in the same class with the pizza.

BACKSTORY
Louisiana Pizza Kitchen opened its first restaurant in the triangular building on Esplanade (where CC's is now) in the mid-1980s. It was the first wood-burning, stone-surface pizza oven New Orleans had ever seen. The place also pioneered other now-common ideas, like the bottles of herbed olive oil on the table to go with the bread. They expanded in the 1990s to the French Market and the Riverbend, closing the Esplanade location. For awhile there was a third LPK in Gretna. The two in New Orleans operate independently, but the differences in their menus and recipes are slight. .

DINING ROOM
The French Market location has the feeling of a trattoria in Venice or Rome, with low lighting, bustling servers, and a major sidewalk scene going on outside the many windowed doors. The Uptown edition is more like a standard American pizzeria, and more casual. Service is a little indifferent, and the place can get maddeningly busy, especially on weekends. In the French Market edition, they like to open all the doors here and the temperature can get a little warm.

ONLINE MENU LOCATION

ESSENTIAL DISHES
starters Tomato & basil soup »Soup of the day Fried wild mushroom ravioli »Fried eggplant, marinara & parmesan cheese Grilled andouille, caramelized onions, dijon mustard Bell pepper stuffed with andouille, shrimp & ground beef »Pesto gnocchi Spinach & artichoke melt Fried calamari »Bruschetta of tomatoes, mushrooms, spinach, garlic toast Garlic bread Pocket bread ~ Salads »Caesar salad Chicken & tomato Caesar Shrimp & sun-dried tomato Caesar Smoked salmon Caesar Spinach salad Goat cheese & pecan salad Fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, red onions, fresh basil & olive oil Feta cheese salad Warm duck salad, balsamic vinegar & walnut oil, mixed greens ~ Pasta Primavera (vegetables) »Mediterranean (tomatoes, feta cheese, fresh basil, kalamata olives) »Artichoke ravioli Eggplant parmesan Spinach, mushroom & tomato ravioli »Tomato gnocchi Shrimp florentine Shrimp scampi Fettuccine Alfredo Pasta marinara, meatballs »Pasta bolognese »Pesto cream over fettuccine Chicken marsala Chicken roulade (with shrimp & andouille) »Goat cheese chicken pasta, artichokes, lemon & butter sauce Rosemary marinated chicken breast, pasta marinara »Thai chicken pasta Tuscan pork chops Bell pepper stuffed with andouille, shrimp & ground beef with pasta Chicken scaloppine Chicken parmesan »Roasted salmon fillet, pesto, veggies, penne pasta marinara ~ »Pizza and calzone, as you like it or house specials ~ »Pita wraps(many fillings)

FOR BEST RESULTS
Don't order your normal pepperoni pizza here. Try one of the specialties, and open your mind to the different, very thin style of crust.

OPPORTUNITIES FOR IMPROVEMENT
Both locations have inconsistencies in the food. Service can be indifferent and slow when the place is busy. They like to open all the doors in the French Market location, and the temperature can get a little warm.

FACTORS OTHER THAN FOOD
Up to three points, positive or negative, for these characteristics. Absence of points denotes average performance in the matter.

  • Dining Environment +1
  • Consistency -1
  • Service-1
  • Value +2
  • Attitude
  • Wine & Bar +1
  • Hipness +1
  • Local Color +2

 

SPECIAL ATTRIBUTES
  • Good for children