Iris
Contemporary American. French. Eclectic.
French Quarter: 321 North Peters . 504-299-3944. Map.
Lunch Thursday-Friday. Dinner Monday and Wednesday-Saturday. (Closed Tuesday and Sunday.)
Nice Casual.
AE DC DS MC V
Website
WHY IT'S NOTEWORTHY
French Quarter restaurants have so different a style from those elsewhere in the city that when restaurants relocate, they almost never cross Canal Street. Iris--a gourmet bistro decidedly in the Uptown style--defied that divide early in 2009. It moved from cramped quarters in Carrollton to Decatur Street. The food of owner/chef Ian Schnoebelin is distinctive enough that Iris held onto enough local regulars, and filled the other seats with visitors intrigued by the menu. That menu is unusual in paying little heed to the local cuisine. French, new American, Hawaiian, and other influences mix into a coherent and distinctive collection of food.
WHY IT'S GOOD
This is a restaurant for the jaded palate. While none of the dishes test the scary outer zones of culinary exploration, they involve many ingredients little seen around New Orleans. Beyond that, the menu is reprinted daily, with enough turnover in the selections that the one I saw in November was at least fifty percent different from the last one I sampled in Carrollton. The first-class foodstuffs come together in attractive, imaginative plates.
BACKSTORY
Iris opened as soon in 2006 as Hurricane Katrina would allow. It was one of the first gourmet eateries to premiere after the disaster, and it added proof to the proposition that locals not only wanted but needed more than subsistence grub from their restaurants. Co-owners Ian Schnoebelin (chef) and Laurie Casebonne (dining room and wine boss) opened Iris after working together at the French-tinged Lilette. Their food began to evolve immediately, and that process continues. In early 2009, they moved from a middle-of-the-block Carrollton cottage (it had serious space problems) to the disused restaurant in the Bienville House Hotel. Many restaurants have opened and closed there--notably Greg and Mary Sonnier's Gamay and Andrea Apuzzo's Anacapri. Parking is an issue.
DINING ROOM
The restaurant stretches from Decatur all the way to North Peters Street, across a narrow triangular block. The larger dining room has a bar on one side and big windows on the other side of which is the hotel's little-used swimming pool. Another dining room on the Decatur side is smaller and feels out of the action.
ESSENTIAL DISHES
The menu changes by about a quarter every night, but some dishes have become standards. Not all of these will be there when you go.
Veal cheek ravioli.
Smoked duck confit salad with beets and local greens.
Veal sweetbreads with wild mushroom risotto.
Chilpotle-rubbed tuna with shaved fennel.
Chilled shrimp with papaya and Vietnamese herbs.
Mussels with white wine and black fettuccine.
Ballottine of foie gras.
Gnocchi with oxtail ragout.
Daily soups.
Redfish with coconut broth, chanterelles, and Thai basil.
Sea scallops with grapefruit butter.
Poussin (baby chicken) with exotic vegetables and mushrooms.
Bacon-wrapped pork tenderloin.
Lamb loin with goat cheese tortelloni and finely-chopped ratatouille.
New York strip steak, foie gras and marrow butter, with parmesan fries.
Doughnuts with fruit compote and zabaglione.
Desserts are daily creations.
FOR BEST RESULTS
On most nights, the best dinner will be assembled from the specials.
OPPORTUNITIES FOR IMPROVEMENT
The restaurant is invisible to most locals. There's no obvious sign on the outside. Parking is supplied by the hotel, but it's inconvenient.
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 +3
- Service +2
- Value +2
- Attitude +1
- Wine and Bar +1
- Hipness +3
- Local Color +1
SPECIAL ATTRIBUTES
- Romantic
- Good view
- Good for business meetings
- Small private room
- Open Monday dinner
- Free valet parking
- Reservations honored promptly
ANECDOTES AND ANALYSIS
I called this the best new restaurant of 2006, and that hasn't embarrassed me. But the move to the French Quarter stuck me as strange. It changed the character of the dining room more than the food. Many of the diners were hotel guests, judging by snippets of conversation I overheard. But regulars from the old location find a welcome, with a familiar dining room staff and Chef Ian's distinctive personal cuisine.
I talked with the Chef Ian, who feels good about his new situation. But where are the local crowds that used to keep him full? The French Quarter brings in lots of business, but there are August and September to consider. He assured me that things were going according to plan. The lunch they serve on Thursdays and Fridays is good to remember as we approach Christmas and its packed houses on those days.
This review was updated with new information on 12/2/2009.
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