MiLa
Backstory
Proprietors Slade Rushing and Allison Vines-Rushing are both chefs, and married to each other. They grew up in different rural areas around New Orleans, and met while working together at Gerard's Downtown, the short-lived bistro run by Gerard Maras in the early 2000s. After stints at Mr. B's and Brennan's, the Rushings left to work in New York City--impressively enough that Allison won a James Beard Award there. They returned to this area shortly after Hurricane Katrina to take over the former Artesia in Abita Springs. Their food at the renamed Longbranch was excellent but over the heads of the customer base. They shut it down after less than two years in favor of a deal with the Renaissance Pere Marquette Hotel. In 2007, they took over the former Rene Bistrot (the former home of Chef Rene Bajeux), renamed it MiLa (for the first and last letters in Mississippi and Louisiana) and opened with a promise of food with a rustic Southern quality.
Dining Room
Like the rest of the hotel's lobby level, MiLa is unambiguously forward in design, colorful and sharp-edged. Still, it reminds me of the Four Seasons in New York, in miniature. Small, multicolored tiles cover the columns and walls. Tall, all-encompassing windows are shaded by thin curtains. In lieu of tablecloths, placemats top the sleek wood tables. Big lamps floating near the ceiling add a soft playfulness to the otherwise geometric room. Very modern--but in a 1950s kind of way.
Most Interesting Dishes
Benjamin Sarrat spent 20 years working in kitchens in and around the city. Learning the trade and rising through the ranks, he spent the past five years as Executive Sous Chef at Lacote and René's Bistrot before rising to his current position of Executive Chef at MiLa, located inside the Renaissance New Orleans Pere Marquette Hotel near the city's renowned French Quarter. A native of New Orleans, Sarrat discovered a love of cooking early on in life. Fishing and hunting trips with his father would often result in a decision to "let Ben cook it." The young Sarrat slowly but surely made his way into the world of food despite coming from what he admits was not a particularly cooking-inclined family. What makes New Orleans such a great food city for Sarrat? "All the different flavors, the melting pot that reflects the city's history. We have influences from West Africa, from France and Spain, and this is directly reflected in the food just as it is in the architecture." With the New Orleans culinary scene growing by leaps and bounds in the past decade, Sarrat continues to find inspiration in his surroundings, letting it season his own work.
Deficiencies
They need to do something to attract larger numbers at dinner. There aren't enough cerebral gourmets in New Orleans to fill the dining room all the time.
For Best Results
The tasting menu is the best possible meal here, and a bargain at $65. For a few more dollars, they'll do an inspired wine pairing all the way through. No matter what, make sure some of the truffled grits come to the table. The deconstructed oysters Rockefeller is a clever dish (all the flavor element are there, but rearranged), but will not remind you much of the original.
Bonus Ratings
1
Attitude
2
Environment
3
Hipness
1
Local Color
1
Service
2
Wine