RioMar
Backstory
RioMar opened in 2000 as the first in which Chef Adolfo Garcia was an owner. An Orleanian with Panamanian roots, he cheffed a series of unusual and excellent restaurants, none of which were much like RioMar. In 2012, Adolfo moved on to other projects and his business partner Nick Bazan (his background is Argentina) took over sole control. He also owns La Boca, the Argentine steakhouse two blocks away. Miles Prescott, who has made a wide tour of the kitchens in the better local bistros, is now chef and co-owner.
Dining Room
The restaurant is in a converted warehouse, with concrete floors and stucco walls decorated with wrought ironwork art. The open kitchen usually has the chef working on the line. A new bar with a cooler style serves tapas every evening and offers wine tastings most Wednesdays. When the weather is tolerable, they throw open big windows.
Why It's Essential
RioMar proved two important things. First, that a seafood restaurant could be credible in New Orleans without letting the deep fryer take over the menu. And second, that an exciting, successful restaurant could be built around Spanish cuisine. Despite our city's Spanish heritage, the food of Spain hasn't had much luck around New Orleans. Maybe the missing ingredient was the seafood all along.
Why It's Good
The name RioMar means RiverSea, with good reason. The main theme is seafood. But it's not New Orleans-style seafood. Almost nothing is fried, and the flavors are those of Central America and Spain. This brings four or more distinct preparations of ceviche to the table, for starters. Unique treatments of familiar local fish and shellfish--particularly oysters and shrimp--make great starters. But the chef also likes to play with uncommon seafood. A few meat entrees appear, but this is a place to go when you have an appetite for seafood. All of the lunch menu and much of the dinner menu is structured as tapas, which makes eating here with friends who like to share even more fun than usual.
Most Interesting Dishes
<em><strong>Starters</strong></em><br /> »Spanish-style garlic soup<br /> Caldo Gallego (white bean soup)<br /> »Ceviches, available as a tasting or individually):<br /> »Aji amarillo (yellow pepper sauce)<br /> »Ecuadorian (shrimp, tomato and citrus juices)<br /> »Panamanian (fish, habañero peppers, lime)<br /> »Mixto (shrimp, squid, fish, charred peppers)<br /> House salad, sherry vinaigrette, Manchego cheese<br /> »Oyster salad, grilled corn, Serrano ham<br /> »Roasted beet salad, Cabrales cheese, pistachios, satsuma vinaigrette<br /> »Garlic steamed mussels with chorizo<br /> »Stuffed Piquillo peppers with shrimp<br /> »Oysters RioMar (baked, chorizo and spinach)<br /> Bacalaítos Spanish cod fritters<br /> Empanadas with albacore tuna and olives<br /> Assorted tapas plate<br /> »Grilled octopus, potatoes, pimentón oil<br /> <em><strong>Entrees</strong></em><br /> Arroz (short-grain Spanish rice) Gulf shrimp, garlic, saffron<br /> »Arroz with littleneck clams and chorizo<br /> »Arroz Negro Costa Brava (octopus, squid, shrimp and squid ink)<br /> <em><strong>Entrees</strong></em><br /> »Serrano ham-wrapped yellowfin tuna, chickpea puree, romesco sauce<br /> »Zarzuela de mariscos (seafood in a saffron broth)<br /> »Pan-roasted black drum, steamed clams, curried chickpeas, peach compote<br /> Escabeche of Gulf fish, peppers, olives, caper relish<br /> »Flounder, crispy ham, fried oysters, sweet garlic cloves<br /> »Unilateral salmon filet, citrus relish, root vegetables<br /> »Grilled hanger steak, fried yuca, Argentine chimichurri<br /> »Five hour roast pork, rice and beans, avocado and plantains<br /> Bacalao (salt cod, sweet and sour tomato sauce, raisins and almonds<br /> <em><strong>Desserts</strong></em><br /> »Tres leches de coco<br /> Margarita’s fabulous flan<br /> »Warm banana empanada with ice cream<br /> »Guava cheesecake<br /> El gran chocolate, dulce de leche cream<br />
Deficiencies
The dining room never seems warm enough on chilly, windy nights.
For Best Results
Order four tapas per person at lunch and pass them around. They run special wine and tapas events in the bar with some frequency, but not on a reliable schedule; these are delicious and fun.
Bonus Ratings
1
Attitude
1
Environment
2
Hipness
2
Local Color
1
Service
1
Value
2
Wine