Spanish.
French Quarter: 912 N Peters. 504-585-1400. Map.
Dinner Tuesday-Sunday. Sunday brunch.
Nice Casual.
AE DC DS MC V
Website
WHY IT'S NOTEWORTHY
Galvez is a Spanish restaurant, the latest in a growing number of local Iberian restaurants specializing in tapas, paella, and lots of lusty dishes involving chicken, garlic, chorizo, garlic, serrano ham, seafood, and garlic. There's a tiny bit of New Orleans food on the menu, probably put there for the benefit of the many out-of-towners who find it. But New Orleans food has more than a little Spanish heritage, and the Spanish dishes fit right in with Creole flavors.
WHY IT'S GOOD
Chef Laura cooks up all the familiar classics of Spanish cuisine, but she doesn't stop there. Even devotees of that style of cooking will find unusual new Spanish dishes here. All of it is made with first-class groceries and served with polish. The elegance of the food is very much up to that of the surroundings. The only customers who might be disappointed will be those who equate Spanish food with cheap, peasant eating. The cuisine deserves all the attention it gets here.
BACKSTORY
The restaurant is named for Bernardo de Galvez, the first Spanish governor of the vast Louisiana colony that Spain had just won from the French in 1777. (Same guy Galvez Street and Galveston are named for.) It opened in 2009 under the management of Laura and Cesar Cedillo, who moved here after operating a restaurant in New York City. It was the first restaurant to open in this space since Bella Luna closed as a result of Katrina damage. The building is a new part of the French Market, constructed in the late 1970s and originally built for Jimmy Moran's Riverside.
DINING ROOM
Galvez inherited its dining rooms from the extinct Bella Luna. The view--from the second floor of a building right next to the floodwall--is of the bend of the Mississippi River where New Orleans was founded. Streetcars pass by on the tracks downstairs. This is arguably the best possible view in town. The room is long and spacious, with tables spread almost too far apart. The decor is not quite as handsome as it was in the Bella Luna days, but it still may be the most stunning place to dine in these parts.
ESSENTIAL DISHES
Clams or mussels marinara
Pan seared crab cakes
Patatas bravas (roasted potatoes with garlic and tomato sauce)
Fried calamari with saffron aioli
Empanadas (baked half-moon pies, different fillngs daily)
Tortilla a la espanola (a thick potato omelet)
Fried potato croquettes with manchego cheese
Pollo con ajo (chicken with garlic and oregano)
Shrimp with chorizo and garlic
Shrimp ceviche with cilantro and plantain chips
Albondigas (beef and pork meatballs with tomato sauce)
Pinchitos (skewers) of shrimp with onions and pepper
New Orleans barbecue shrimp
Daily soups
Paella with seafood or seafood with chicken and chorizo
Scallops with potato cakes, asparagus, and serrano ham
Bouillabaisse
Seared red snapper with avocado and olives
Pan-seared local fish with grits cake, crab cake, and cream sauce
Bistec espanola (sirloin strip with romesco sauce)
Rack of lamb with garlic and mushrooms
Pork chops with tomatoes, garlic, and mushrooms
Flan with figs
FOR BEST RESULTS
A meal made entirely of tapas would not be a bad idea, if only because of the great variety of small plates on the menu. Start with sangria, each glass of which is made to order. The wine list is rich with the many fine Spanish bottles we've come to enjoy lately.
OPPORTUNITIES FOR IMPROVEMENT
The most unsettling aspect of this restaurant is that it is usually very sparsely occupied. The second most unsettling is that it's tucked away on Dutch Alley, behind the main French Market buildings. Dutch Alley is uncomfortably isolated at night. I don't think it's unsafe, but it would reassure patrons if the French Market had a visible security guy out there. When Chef Laura isn't there, the food goes down noticeably (but not terribly). The service staff could use more education about service. All of these problems would be solved if the place were busier.
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 +3
- Consistency
- Service +1
- Value +1
- Attitude +1
- Wine and Bar +2
- Hipness +1
- Local Color +3
SPECIAL ATTRIBUTES
- Live music some nights
- Courtyard or deck dining
- Romantic
- Good view
- Good for business meetings
- Many private rooms
- Open Sunday lunch
- Historic
- Easy, nearby parking
- Reservations honored promptly
This review was updated with new information on 5/18/2010.
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