Tomas Bistro

Restaurant Review

Anecdotes & Analysis

A restaurant reviewed two and a half years ago doesn't often require a new report. But reading an earlier assessment, I find that the Tomas Bistro and its neighborhood have progressed so much that it's time for another in-depth look. Four major, recent openings occurred this year so far, while a number of restaurants turned over or went dark. No restaurants thrived more obviously in the midst of all this turmoil than Tommy Andrade's two establishments on Tchoupitoulas. In the the first review of his junior outlet Tomas Bistro, I expressed much admiration, but also a fear that it wouldn't find a base of diners for its white-tablecloth dining rooms. Its new chef Jonah Nissenbaum has, in the past six months or so, brought an interesting new bag of tricks to the restaurant, resulting in one of the best sleepers in that corner of the scene. While it remains a great place to remember when the rest of the city's top-ranked restaurants are full, it has collected a cadre of regulars and a substantial private-party business.

Why It's Essential

I think there's an off-chance that "fine dining"--a category of restaurant that has fallen on hard times across America in recent years--may well be on the verge of a renaissance. I put forth Tomas Bistro as a case in point. The cooking is very hip--you will find many good dishes you never imagined before. But one need not dress to the nines, and the kitchen is so ambitious in its presentations that the whole package is quite a thrill in the eating.

Backstory

[caption id="attachment_43245" align="alignnone" width="480"] Bouillabaisse.[/caption] In the magnificent age of the Sazerac restaurant in the 1970s, Tommy Andrade established himself as the ne plus ultra of maitres d'hotel. When the Sazerac went into decline, he co-opened Irene's Cuisine with Irene. He left to open Tommy's Cuisine just as its neighborhood (Emeril's was across the street) was becoming a major restaurant nexus. It did so well that Andrade bought the building across the street, using parts of it for private party space and other parts for parking. That left a nice corner space to be turned into the new Tomas (sic; pronounced "toe-MAHSS) Bistro. After a couple of years of French-inflected food there, Tommy brought in a sharp new chef, Jonah Nissenbaum, to bring the menu into current times.

Dining Room

It's a mild understatement to call this a bistro. A handsome, comfortable dining room sports full napery, baskets of bread, and other articles from the more elaborate days of New Orleans dining. The music is quite entertaining, being a collection of French jazz and cabaret music from the 1920s and 1930s. Tommy Andrade staffs the place with the old (and younger) servers from among the hundreds he's hired over the decades. The wine cellar stocks includes more superb bottles of wine than you might find on the list. Good drinks, too. [caption id="attachment_43092" align="alignnone" width="480"] Cornish hen at Tomas Bistro.[/caption]

For Best Results

This kind of dining predates the age of spare plates with more empty space than actual food. So a four-course dinner here might be a bit much. This is a very good restaurants for all-appetizer meals.