Meauxbar
Backstory
Chef Matthew Guidry (whose family roots go back to the town of Meaux in Cajun country) and partner James Conte opened Meauxbar in 2003, after running a French restaurant in Sag Harbor, New York for a few years.
Dining Room
Although there's a small bar in the center of the dining room, Meauxbar is emphatically not a drinkery but a comfortable, charming bistro. The exterior of the building is rather stark, which creates a pleasant surprise when you step through the door. The dining room's clean lines, careful lighting, and walls full of fascinating photographs make it completely charming. The antique-style bar and the colorful fabrics draped from the ceiling--contrasting with the earth tones everywhere else--complete the visual comforts.
Why It's Essential
Someday the Rampart Street edge of the French Quarter will catch up with the rest of the storied zone, and be lined with chic restaurants like this one. For the nonce, Meauxbar is a gem in the otherwise rough setting. It's the preserve of Quarterites and the other clued-in people, of which there are enough to keep the dining room nearly full most of the time. Its menu of French bistro food is as good as its low-profile allure.
Why It's Good
The menu is an assemblage of classic French bistro dishes, interspersed here and there with French-tinged essays from the bayou country. Although the menus seems familiar, a longer reading of it reveals many more ingredients than is typical for a restaurant this small. That, and the equally wide range of the kitchen's methodology makes for very stimulating dining. An imaginative list of specials is also available for the vending of seasonal French plats like cassoulet, bouillabaisse, and maybe even choucroute garni.
Most Interesting Dishes
<em><strong>Starters</strong></em><br /> »Onion soup gratinée<br /> Mixed field greens, cucumber, tomato, pine nuts, lemon truffle vinaigrette<br /> »Roasted beet salad, pears candied pecans, red onion, crumbled goat cheese<br /> »Salad Lyonnaise (frisée, bacon lardons, soft poached egg, warm bacon vinaigrette)<br /> »Oyster salad pastis (fried oysters, frisée, creamy Pernod dressing)<br /> »Steak tartare of hand-chopped strip loin, quail egg<br /> »Herbed rabbit terrine, pistachios, cornichons, mostarda<br /> »Boudin noir, sugar-cane creole mustard<br /> »Moules frites Indochine (mussels, red curry broth, coriander, fresh basil)<br /> Crab cake, sauce rémoulade, hearts of palm, frisée salad<br /> Caramelized onion tart, goat cheese, bacon lardons<br /> Ziti mac-and-cheese style, mushroom duxelle, goat cheese, gruyère, truffle oil<br /> »Ginger crawfish dumplings, sesame-soy dipping sauce<br /> »Beet ricotta ravioli, ginger-sage brown butter /<br /> »Spaghetti bolognese, red wine and basil chiffonade /<br /> <em><strong>Entrées</strong></em><br /> »Poisson en papillote “Cantonese,” satsuma, Leeks, shiitake, soy sauce, jasmine rice<br /> Sautéed rainbow trout, toasted hazelnuts, brown butter, fingerling potatoes, haricot verts<br /> Pan-roasted Scottish salmon, lentils, wilted spinach, mushroom foam<br /> Cornmeal crusted catfish, sauce rémoulade, napa cabbage slaw, frites<br /> Lobster risotto, wild mushrooms, tomato confit<br /> »Duck confit, garlic fingerling potatoes, frisée, duck jus, sherry vinegar<br /> »Roasted chicken, fines herbs, truffle mashed potatoes, caramelized baby carrots, sugar snap peas<br /> »Steak frites (New York strip, fresh-cut fries, tarragon butter, sauce au poivre or roquefort<br /> »Grilled double-cut pork chop, tarragon butter, sauce au poivre<br /> Sliced steak salad, sautéed mushrooms, mixed field greens, red onion, roasted beets, cherry tomatoes, Roquefort dressing<br /> <em><strong>Desserts</strong></em> Tarte Tatin<br /> Lemon tart<br /> Caramel custard<br /> Warm chocolate cake<br /> Homemade ice creams and sorbets<br /> Cheese plate<br /> Dessert specials<br />
Deficiencies
The dining room would feel a little better if the tables were set on the diagonal instead of square to the walls.
For Best Results
The service staff gives reliable recommendations, tinged with their personal taste: refer to that. Parking is not easy in that part of the Quarter when anything is going on at the Mahalia Jackson Theatre.
Bonus Ratings
1
Attitude
1
Environment
1
Hipness
2
Local Color
2
Service
1
Value
1
Wine
Holiday Ratings
0
Thanksgiving
2
New Year's Eve