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First Time In Three Years
Bacco's White Truffle Dinner Returns

It's been a few years since Bacco offered its white truffle dinner. Before the hurricane, it was an annual tradition. Problem: the quality of white truffles from Italy have been poor, and the prices have been incredibly high. Things are a shade better this year. Ralph Brennan, the proprietor of Bacco, says that the price is around $2000 a pound, up from about $800 when he first began doing these dinners in the late 1990s.

But so many people ask him when he'd offer the truffle dinner again that he gave in. The truffle dinner starts tonight and goes through December 23, replacing Bacco's Reveillon dinner at about the same price. The three-course repast ranges from $45 to $65, depending on the entree. Here's the menu:

Roasted Acorn Squash Soup
Warm spices, black truffles, homemade crème fraiche, shaved Alba white truffles
~or~
Truffled Honey & Pomegranate Salad
Baby greens, Taleggio cheese, toasted walnuts, shaved Alba white truffles
~or~
Bacco Truffled Egg
Grilled ciabbata, rosemary gorgonzola cream, black truffles, shaved Alba white truffles
* * * * * * * * * *
Veal Osso Buco $65
Risotto Milanese, veal reduction, gremolata, shaved Alba white truffles
~or~
Seared Duck Breast $55
Black truffle butter, pumpkin gnocchi, housemade guanciale, shaved Alba white truffles
~or~
Black Truffle Fettuccini $45
Fresh pasta, truffle mushroom puree, Parmigiano Reggiano, shaved Alba white truffles
* * * * * * * * * *
Toffee Pecan Bread Pudding
Chocolate chunks, bourbon toffee sauce, candied pecans
~or~
Miele Di Acacia Ricotta Cheesecake
Fresh ricotta, artisanal Italian honey, caramelized honey and Louisiana Satsuma sauce

*** Bacco. French Quarter: 310 Chartres. 504-522-2426.