Contemporary Creole.
Uptown: 1728 Soniat.. 504-899-7397. Map.
Dinner Monday-Saturday.
Dressy
AE MC V
Website
WHY IT'S NOTEWORTHY
Always in the top rank of Uptown gourmet bistros, Gautreau's has always had a style all its own. Its chefs have made it a habit to achieve national recognition during their tenures, and the management allows them to innovate. Excepting only a few signature dishes (the duck confit, the scallops, the filet), the menu is ever in flux. Yet a dinner at Gautreau's now would be in spirit and style much like the one you had in 1985. Perhaps for that reason, it enjoys a dedicated following of regulars.
WHY IT'S GOOD
The food here is better described as Contemporary American than New Orleans. That even includes the foodstuffs themselves. The chef has a liking for exotic seafood, for example. She seems to have a thing (and a gift) for halibut. And scallops. Despite that, the flavors are as big as in any of the nouvelle Creole bistros, and different enough from that common palette to make Gautreau's food stand out.
BACKSTORY
Gautreau's was one of the first of the Uptown gourmet bistros that redefined the dining scene in the 1980s. Ann Russell opened it in 1982 and kept it good until she sold it to a cadre of dedicated customers in 1995. Over the years, the ownership devolved upon Patrick Singley, who runs it in more or less the same style now. Gautreau's was closed for over a year after Katrina, but picked up right where it left off. Including the same chef, Susan Zemanick, who has gained a good deal of celebrity in the past couple of years.
DINING ROOM
Finding the restaurant the first time isn't easy. It's in a residential Uptown block, and is well camouflaged. The small main dining room, in a century-old building, was once an antique pharmacy, from which some relics remain. A slight expansion after the hurricane enhanced its roominess significantly. Although the acoustics are better than in the ear-splitting early days, it's still on the noisy side. There's more room upstairs, but they don't use it every night. The service staff is more knowledgeable than most, and given to boldly-stated opinions that are worth following. The customers contribute a lot to the scene. Go there four or five times, and you'll see a lot of the same faces.
ESSENTIAL DISHES
The preparations for many dishes changes often, which is why items marked with * sound generic.
Duck confit with mustard and sage.
Seared sea scallops.
Crabmeat with gnocchi, chanterelles and peas.
Foie gras torchon with pear.
Daily soups.
Fish entrees, especially halibut.*
Roasted chicken.*
Roast squab with bittersweet chocolate and gremolata.
Seared filet mignon.*
Seared tuna with roasted artichokes and brown butter.
Caramelized banana split.
Creme brulee.
Flourless chocolate cake with Grand Marnier sauce.
FOR BEST RESULTS
Make a reservation and show up with the right number of people on time. This is a small restaurant, and can't accommodate surprises well.
OPPORTUNITIES FOR IMPROVEMENT
It's always seemed to me that the menu needs one more appetizer and one more entree. And that certain items recur in more than one dish, further limiting variety.
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 +1
- Consistency +2
- Service +2
- Value +1
- Attitude +2
- Wine and Bar +2
- Hipness +2
- Local Color +2
SPECIAL ATTRIBUTES
- Romantic
- Medium private room
- Open Monday dinner
- Historic
- Free valet parking
- Reservations recommended
ANECDOTES AND ANALYSIS
Deep in an Uptown residential neighborhood, Gautreau's many regulars (they're the only ones who can find the place) have come to expect a certain style of contemporary cooking. And that it will be very good. The abbreviated menu has one of just about everything, whipped up with only light touches of both innovation and Creole taste. The best dishes tend to be the least exotic: the filet mignon and roast chicken, to name two such. Service has a rather chummy style about it; the servers give frank opinions about everything. It's difficult to get a table here on short notice, and there's no comfortable place to wait. The one small dining room was once an antique pharmacy, from which some relics remain.
This review was updated with new information on 3/5/2010..
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