Restaurants so often drive neighborhood change. Suis Generis is one of a grassroots crop of eateries that sprung up in the past few years in the Bywater. That's a sign that this red-hot real estate neighborhood is becoming a destination for visitors as well as locals. Suis Generis dishes the kind of eclectic charm and interesting fare that fits the Bywater perfectly. The cocktail specials are stellar, served in cool vintage barware and priced to fit a starving artist’s budget. WHAT’S GOOD BACK STORY Another example of owners opening their ideal notion of what a restaurant should be, Suis Generis was conceived pre-Katrina. Foundas, an attorney and local New Orleanian, met Bell, an industrial designer and the pair realized they shared a dream of opening a restaurant. After joining forced and buying the Bywater building (they live upstairs), Katrina happened. So did an eight-year span that included a re-renovation. The restaurant opened in 2012. The name Suis Generis basically means “unique,” and that’s no understatement. For you Latin scholars, the ‘s’ added to the end of ‘sui’ is a mindful misstep and a salute to the city’s French roots DINING ROOM This intimate spot had me at the go-cup ceiling. Look up, and you see the backlit insides of hundreds of red Solo plastic cups. The effect is groovy, same goes for the glass enclosed burning faux fireplace logs that cast ambient light on the booths that line one wall. A changing display of local art adds graphic eye appeal. Unselfconsciously at the intersection of quirky and eclectic, the restaurant features funky bits like salt and pepper shakers attached to toy cars and a bathroom papered with vintage vamp and Bruce Lee pin-ups. Check out the riff on the usual restroom icon – hermaphrodites welcome here. ESSENTIAL DISHES The menu changes frequently, but you get the idea. There’s a Thursday only taco menu. Menu link - http://suisgeneris.com/Menu.htm1 small dishes · scallop en brochette taquito with mirliton chimi churry sauce 6 · mirliton mushroom leek risotto 6 · mrgo salad - butter lettuce, cherry tomato, carrot ribbon, bacon & herbsaint buttermilk dressing 7.5 (no bacon option) · oyster mirliton gratin - brie, parmesan, onion, garlic, pepper, white wine, fresh herbs 8 · fabulous mezze plate: creminelli tartufo summer truffle salami; vegan bean dip; st agur double cream blue; beemster 18 month aged gouda, caper berries & exotic olives 11.5 add third cheese chef's choice + 2.5 · perky pickle plate - rotating cast of seasonal house-cured veggie pickles 4.5 bigger dishes · coq au vin - chicken, carrot, potato, shallot, onion & roast kale 14 · pan sautéed Canadian wild caught salmon, chili cinnamon rub, roasted pumpkin seeds, bok choy & shallot forbidden rice 16 · prime ribeye steak, fire grilled, with baked half acorn squash & garlic bread 18.5 · jumbo shrimp smoked mirliton pepper pasta with crystal cream sauce with garlic bread 8 for small size & 15 for entrée size · vegan paella - artichoke, zucchini, squash, mirliton, pepper, saffron, herbs & plantain chip 13 (vegan) · chicken curry arepa with sautéed spinach 14 endings · Gwenn’s fabulous southern cheesecake with fresh berries 5 · suis-g fresh house-made ice cream: piety pothole rocky road - port - chai 5 · basil coconut rice pudding with bruleed brown sugar anise topping 5 BRUNCH Saturday & Sunday · scrumptious breakfast burritos - with chorizo, cilantro mashed potatoes, house-made salsa, avocado and Honduran cheese - 6.5 or with scrambled eggs 8.5 · eggs Bahia - hear the music ad waves on the beach. over-easy eggs on a savory pillow of wilted spinach, perched on a spicy sausage patty, stacked on a grilled corn tortilla, with a bed of Brazilian black beans, topped with cheese and salsa 11.5 · be the omelet - construct your custom omelet with a choice of three fillings for 10 - and 1 per each extra filling *spinach *mushrooms *green onions *feta cheese *Mexican cheese *cheddar cheese *mashed potatoes *apple-smoked bacon *spicy sausage *Spanish salsa *sour cream" - 10 with three toppings and +1 for each extra topping · shakshuka - an Israeli favorite! minced and spiced roasted puree of tomato garlic pepper and onion with poached eggs, feta cheese and toasted pita finished in the broiler to infuse the flavors - 9.5 and with spinach 11 · pancake of the moment, served with fresh fruit and walnut maple syrup 8 Thursday Only tacos magnificos y mas!!! small dishes taquitos: 8-inch corn tortillas filled with your choice below. · patata - (potato) - 1.5 each · pollo - (chicken) - 2 each · carnitas - (pork) - 2 each · carne (beef) - 2 each chips w/ · guacamole de Azteca –whole avocado prepared to order and mixed with tempting spices, pepper and lime. feel the rainforest - 6.5 · pico de gallo - 3.5 · tomotillo salsa - 3.5 · queso blanco - 5 ensalada – fresh field green salad with tomato with house-made dressing of the day - 5 ceviche hora del dia – ask your server about our succulent daily ceviche special - $7.5 bigger dishes tacos: served in soft tortilla with Mexican slaw · pollo - (chicken) slow roasted pepper lime chicken - 2.75 · carnitas - (pork) spiced and cooked to perfection - 3 · carne asada – (beef) marinated and brazed angus beef - 3.25 · pescado – (fish) fantastic herb and spice rubbed fresh baked fish of the day - 3.5 · batawa (sweet potato) - succulent strips of sweet potato - 2.5 burrito basico - served with black beans, cheese, tomotillo salso and choice of meat · pollo - (chicken) slow roasted pepper lime chicken - 7 · carnitas - (pork) spiced and cooked to perfection - 8 · carne asada – (beef) marinated and brazed angus beef - 9 · verduras asadas – (veggies) fresh grilled vegetables - 7.5 super-chupacabra style burrito! - served with black beans, two types of cheese, guasacaca, pico de gallo, guacamole, sour cream, and choice of meat · pollo - (chicken) slow roasted pepper lime chicken - 10 · carnitas - (pork) spiced and cooked to perfection - 11 · carne asada – (beef) marinated and brazed angus beef - 12 · verduras asadas – (veggies) fresh grilled vegetables - 10.5 quesadillas: grilled tortilla with cheese - 5 and build your own with.... · red pepper; green onion; tomatillo salsa; black beans - any one for 1, two for 1.5, three for 2, or four for 2.5 · spinach - 2.5; guacamole 2.5; pollo 3; carnitas 3.5; carne 3.5; pescado 3.5. sides: · cebollitas – marinated and sautéed green onions - 2.5 · black beans & saffron rice - 4 · sour cream - 1 FOR BEST RESULTS Try as many of the smaller dishes as you can – they are always inventive and mostly delicious and portions are ample. If salmon is on the menu, order it – the kitchen cooks it perfectly. OPPORTUNITIES FOR IMPROVEMENT Our server was sweet but tended to disappear. If loud bothers you, call ahead to find out if the occasional band is playing. A recent visit found a band playing a soundtrack of surf music meets Johnny Quest that was ear splitting in the small space. The dim ambient light is generous to aging faces but makes it tricky to see your food. 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 +2 · Consistency +1 · Service -1 · Value +2 · Attitude +1 · Wine & Bar +1 · Hipness +1 · Local Color +1 SPECIAL ATTRIBUTES · Brunch Saturday and Sunday · Always closed during home Saints games during the regular season · Cheap drink specials · Kitchen stays open ‘til 1 am Fri.-Sun.
Before Katrina, owners Ernest Foundas and Adrienne Bell were looking to open their notion of what the ideal restaurant should be. Foundas is an attorney and an industrial designer, and he had plans for the Bywater building in which they live upstairs. The hurricane changed the plans, and after a re-renovation, the restaurant opened in 2012. The name Suis Generis is Latin for "in its own category," with the "s" at the end of "suis" added by mistake. It would be correct in French, which somehow seems right.
This intimate spot had me when I looked at the ceiling. Look up, and you see the backlit insides of hundreds of red Solo plastic cups. The effect is groovy. Same goes for the glass-enclosed faux fireplace, the logs appearing to burn. They cast ambient light on the booths that line one wall. A changing display of local art adds graphic eye appeal. Un-self-consciously at the intersection of quirky and eclectic, funky bits like salt and pepper shakers attached to toy cars are everywhere. The bathroom is papered with vintage vamp and Bruce Lee pinups. Check out the riff on the usual restroom icon–hermaphrodites welcome here.
Try as many of the smaller dishes as you can – they are always inventive and mostly delicious and portions are ample. If salmon is on the menu, order it – the kitchen cooks it perfectly.
| Attitude | 1 |
|---|---|
| Environment | 1 |
| Hipness | 2 |
| Local Color | 2 |
| Service | 0 |
| Value | 1 |
| Wine | 1 |
