Thursday, January 3, 2013.
Maurepas Food, Its Vegetables, And Seventies Nostalgia.
I don't know what the Marys and The Boyfriend are up to this week. Whatever it is doesn't include me. But I had plenty enough to do.
One of the most talked-about new restaurants of the year just ended was Maurepas Foods. A large part of that is because of where it is and what it looks like. Deep in the Bywater section, where the streets are narrower than in any part of town outside the French Quarter, and where the large stock of historic, interesting homes and commercial structures is getting a lot of attention from progressive types, any credible restaurant that opens will be perceived as forward-looking and inspired.
Maurepas is in a corner building that looks as if it once was a neighborhood grocery. Whoever performed the renovation did a fine job of it. The management speaks the language of the people who are likely to wind up here. "Our menu is a revolving door based on the available meats and produce of our purveyors," says a page on their website. "We are a neighborhood restaurant that believes in keeping things simple, while keeping an eye on the details," it goes on. "We serve soups, salads, sandwiches and hot plates--just not always in that order." These are not exactly revolutionary statements, but the way they're put forward resonates with a lot of the customers.
What Maurepas doesn't come right out and say--but I will--is that a lot of the menu abandons the idea that major dishes always have a mix of protein and vegetables. A lot of dishes here are vegetarian. Well made, with excellent product from the local markets, mind you. No complaint from me. But it's probably smart that they don't try to make a theme of that.
The main buzz about Maurepas in its first year was how difficult it is to get a table. With the help of the after-holiday doldrums and the cold weather, I was able to walk in and sit right down at seven. It was a terrible table, but it was far away from the front door and its drafts. And I like terrible tables when dining alone. (Makes me feel as if I'm not space-greedy.)
I started with a glass of St. Emilion and a bowl of ribollita--a hearty Tuscan bean soup with a variety of leafy vegetables. Perfect for a night like this, and very filling. Almost not really a soup, come to think of it. I stopped two-thirds of the way through so I wouldn't run out of hunger.
Next came a dish dominated by cauliflower. Not white, but purple. Not steamed, but pan-seared. Not soft, but crunchy. If there were any protein in here, I didn't notice it--which I could also say about the first course. So I am eating very healthy so far.
Now a soup made of a dark-brown broth, the color of chicken gumbo made in the old style. The flavor was different, though. Quite peppery, in an Asian way. Pieces of kimchee pickles floated around with the shrimp, adding further sharpness. Pieces of andouille, too, but deep in the background. It was a good taste but required attention. In the middle of the bowl was a homemade baking-powder biscuit, trying to float but not baked well enough for that. I rescued it from the bowl before it could sink. I took one bite, and asked for French bread.
On the side, but nearly as expensive, was a plate of gnocchetti. Small gnocchi? Yes, said the server, and they're made all with flour--no potato. Not for that reason, I didn't think much of these, which had a glutinous aspect I never get used to in some pastas.
The best dish of the night was dessert: pumpkin pot de creme. Sort of a custard, very easy on the egg (if any). The main body of the work was wonderful to begin with, and the sweetly-coated kettle corn added a neat textural contrast.
Dining here made me nostalgic for my twenties. Several tables were engaged in deep conversations about politics and economics. They even looked like the people I used to have such discussions with when I was callow. I didn't hear enough of it to catch the drift, but quite a few people here seemed to know exactly what's wrong with the world, and how everything should be.
Maurepas Foods. Bywater/Downtown: 3200 Burgundy St. 504-267-0072.
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