Archived Article By Tom Fitzmorris Originally published July 9, 2007 31 Restaurants Offer Summer Special Menus The restaurants are in the dead zone now, and the fact that it happens every year and they know it's coming doesn't help. What does help, though, is the patronage of local diners. Who, in turn, know that the latter two-thirds of summer is a great time to sample the city's most famous restaurant. Especially those in the French Quarter. A friend once told me that he loved August in New Orleans, because you could stand on the corner of Royal and St. Louis at seven in the veening, without reservations, and walk into any restaurant you wanted: Antoine's, Brennan's, K-Paul's, the Rib Room, Nola, Broussard's--and those are just the ones within a block or so. In order to fill some of the empty spaces that make that true, French Quarter restaurants (and others) create special menus at this time of year with exceptionally attractive prices. For the past few years, that promotion has become coordinated. The New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau encouraged restaurants to develop complete dinners for $30.07. Some of the restaurant also have a special complete lunch menu for $20.07. They call this COOLinary New Orleans. No prize for the name. (Although I do think we should start a campaign to let people know that New Orleans is the best air-conditioned town in America.) Thirty-one restaurants have signed on to this program. Every day, I'll post one of these menus for your perusal. You can also see the entire list of restaurants, with their special menus, by clicking here. 7 On Fulton. 701 Convention Center Blvd. 525-7555. Breakfast, lunch and dinner seven days. COOLinary Three-Course Dinner Menu $30.07 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Mixed Greens with Creole Mustard Vinaigrette and Pickled Red Onions -or- White Bean Vichyssoise, Red Curry Oil and Basil Oil -or- Marinated Creole Tomatoes, with Balsamic Reduction ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ House Made Bow Tie Pasta with Asparagus, Shitakes, Tomato Confit, and Reggiano Foam -or- Golden Fish with Tomato Saffron Jus and Fennel Confit -or- Grilled Pork Chop With Spinach, Bacon, Sunchokes, Whole Grain Mustard Sauce ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Crepe with Chocolate Mousse and Strawberries -or- Lemon Buttermilk Crème Brulee with Fresh Berries -or- Chocolate Mousse Baked Alaska Flambee The restaurant also has a three-course COOLinary lunch menu for $20.07. © 2007 Tom Fitzmorris. All rights reserved. news@nomenu.com