Recently we had a guest on the show who is chef at Public Service, the restaurant in the NOPSI Hotel. He wanted to tell people about the restaurant in the hopes of getting some locals in. Public Service is aptly named, because NOPSI is the acronym for New Orleans Public Service, the power company for most of the 20th century. People went in there to pay their bills, and remnants of this history are a charming addition to this hotel's renovation. It seemed fitting to remember this historic practice by naming the restaurant Public Service.
Public Service has always been an enigma to me. The hotel is too, but that doesn’t concern me. The renovation of this old historic space is beautiful, but not my vibe. I’m not into even a hint of vintage, though I realize I am an outlier.
The hotel restaurant is handsome, with its airy space, wood tones and exposed brick. An open kitchen resembles a hearth, though there isn’t much action there. And that is a pity. It’s a lovely spot in the CBD where lots of young people are working. It ought to be busier. I wouldn’t make it a destination restaurant like Trenasse (where the food is superb,) but it is credible as a lunch spot on a rotation. When the chef was on the show I looked at the menu and was excited to try all the local dishes they offered. It must have been the dinner menu, though, because the lunch menu was missing a few things I remembered.
We started with the duck gumbo, crabmeat au gratin, and boudin bites. And for an entree we split a hamburger,
The gumbo would have made a nice meal as a bowl. It hit all the right notes, and was loaded with tender duck meat. This was very good.
The boudin bites were unusual, though tasty. I guess with everyone doing boudin balls you have to try and stand out. These were smaller than usual and squared? They were fried just fine and weren’t dark or anything. I was missing the rice inside. It was more like just the other “stuff” in boudin. But the taste was there, and I loved the Creole Remoulade served with it. The ubiquitous arugula was underneath these little bites. I made a small salad out of the greens and sauce and enjoyed it all.
The crabmeat au gratin was grossly overpriced for what came to the table. It was large but a hunt was required to find the crabmeat, and these were not very lumpy “lumps.” There was no bubbling crust on top, and the entire sauce was puzzling. There were a few slices of nicely toasted French bread, buttery and dusted with Creole seasoning. I’m sure I’ve never said this before but the best thing about this dish was the bread served with it. They were too soft for crostini, but I liked the flavor. The central part of this dish needs reworking
For the entree we split a hamburger. I remember the burger being good and that’s my default dish to order, though I wish I had ordered the meatball sub which was the chef’s grandmother’s recipe. It’s not that the burger wasn’t good but the sub would have been different and he was very proud of it. Next time.
The burger was very nice. It was classic except for the American cheese. I asked to swap American cheese for cheddar and that was okayed. It came with a thin slice of purple onion, pickles that were not housemade and lettuce and tomato. I have come around to housemade pickles though they are definitely not my preference. Regular dill from the jar suits me fine. As a purist the classic of everything is better, with raw sliced onion as part of the dressings, and maybe a condiment, though that’s not necessary if the ingredients are of high quality.
I also like a bit of a sheen from beef fat to coat the bun. This burger was very appealing when it came to the table. It looked juicy, with melted cheese oozing just a bit from the sides. We asked for it to be medium and there was no pink, but I still liked it very well. It checked all the burger boxes, though I was not overly impressed. It was a very good burger. And it was served with fries that were ordinary but fine. Battered and crispy.
Public Service is definitely not a destination restaurant but it is perfectly fine as a stop for lunch on a work day, and maybe even a nice dinner spot if you’re looking for something different. The food isn’t different than a regular casual restaurant, but it is a new place to add to your experiences. Start the evening in the bar. I have liked that space from the first time I saw it on opening night. It’s a comfortable space in the center of it all
