Commons sense: the Half Chicken by Chef Borges at the Commons Club (photo by Kat Kimball)
Commons sense summer dining: The Summer Menu at the Virgin Hotel
Review by Paul Oswell
I’ve long been a fan of the Commons Club restaurant at the Virgin Hotel New Orleans. For locals to go to hotel restaurants, they have to stand out a little at least. At Commons Club, there’s an infectious bonhomie that generates as you walk through the bar area and buzzing lounges that just creates a social energy as you sit down. You feel like you’re joining a party that’s just getting into full swing.
Since last year (2023), the culinary reasons for visiting have also come to the fore, with the appointment of Executive Chef Chris Borges. Born and raised in New Orleans, Borges spent his childhood learning about local flavors and ingredients, but refined his skills in California, bringing influences to his kitchen from both the West Coast and the Mediterranean.
When we interviewed Chef Chris recently, he told us that, “I spent the first 25 years of my career in the San Francisco Bay Area, but the food is inspired by the food that I grew up eating at home in New Orleans, so it is very personal. I'd say it's less 'New Orleans classics', and more of the specific dishes that I grew up eating in a house and family full of cooks.”
With a new summer menu being rolled out, I was keen to see how this philosophy translated to the plate. Creating food for New Orleans summers requires a seasonal sensitivity to ingredients and the sensibilities of diners who are under, well, let’s say meteorological duress. Hot and humid days demand a deft hand to complement the conditions.
One immediate remedy, and one I didn’t even have to think about, was the Summer Tomato Salad. A selection of tomatoes, bursting with flavor and enlivened further with cucumber, summer squash, a black garlic vinaigrette, and mint all in the mix. My friend went for some tangy BBQ shrimp, which boasted a zesty jolt of lemon bottarga (a kind of fish roe) crumble. The summer-friendly grilled peaches and blue crab salad were also tempting.
Lamb might not sound like a go-to summer entree, but served as grillades with rice grits, peas and a creamy zucchini masala cilantro yogurt kept it light enough to really work on a warm July night. So too with the Pork Porterhouse, which basked in flavor with its tasso ham cherry pepper ragout as an accompaniment. A roasted half chicken in a sherry glaze and a Striped Bass with eggplant and fennel were also close contenders.
If you’re a dessert aficionado, the Pavlova looks incredible, but my friend and I are big fans of the sorbet and ice cream selections and so we dove into our own summer comfort foods. A couple of glasses of sparkling rose kept us hydrated, although there’s of course a full and impressive selection of cocktails from the Commons Club bar.
Chef Borges is turning out great seasonal menus that, for locals, make a trip out to the CBD at least every few months well worth it, just to see what has inspired him and his team. Thoughts of that tomato salad will at least keep me distracted as the summer days turn up the heat - consider the Commons Club as a solid summertime oasis.
Commons Club website
Interview: Chris Borges
Review by Paul Oswell
I’ve long been a fan of the Commons Club restaurant at the Virgin Hotel New Orleans. For locals to go to hotel restaurants, they have to stand out a little at least. At Commons Club, there’s an infectious bonhomie that generates as you walk through the bar area and buzzing lounges that just creates a social energy as you sit down. You feel like you’re joining a party that’s just getting into full swing.
Since last year (2023), the culinary reasons for visiting have also come to the fore, with the appointment of Executive Chef Chris Borges. Born and raised in New Orleans, Borges spent his childhood learning about local flavors and ingredients, but refined his skills in California, bringing influences to his kitchen from both the West Coast and the Mediterranean.
When we interviewed Chef Chris recently, he told us that, “I spent the first 25 years of my career in the San Francisco Bay Area, but the food is inspired by the food that I grew up eating at home in New Orleans, so it is very personal. I'd say it's less 'New Orleans classics', and more of the specific dishes that I grew up eating in a house and family full of cooks.”
With a new summer menu being rolled out, I was keen to see how this philosophy translated to the plate. Creating food for New Orleans summers requires a seasonal sensitivity to ingredients and the sensibilities of diners who are under, well, let’s say meteorological duress. Hot and humid days demand a deft hand to complement the conditions.
One immediate remedy, and one I didn’t even have to think about, was the Summer Tomato Salad. A selection of tomatoes, bursting with flavor and enlivened further with cucumber, summer squash, a black garlic vinaigrette, and mint all in the mix. My friend went for some tangy BBQ shrimp, which boasted a zesty jolt of lemon bottarga (a kind of fish roe) crumble. The summer-friendly grilled peaches and blue crab salad were also tempting.
Lamb might not sound like a go-to summer entree, but served as grillades with rice grits, peas and a creamy zucchini masala cilantro yogurt kept it light enough to really work on a warm July night. So too with the Pork Porterhouse, which basked in flavor with its tasso ham cherry pepper ragout as an accompaniment. A roasted half chicken in a sherry glaze and a Striped Bass with eggplant and fennel were also close contenders.
If you’re a dessert aficionado, the Pavlova looks incredible, but my friend and I are big fans of the sorbet and ice cream selections and so we dove into our own summer comfort foods. A couple of glasses of sparkling rose kept us hydrated, although there’s of course a full and impressive selection of cocktails from the Commons Club bar.
Chef Borges is turning out great seasonal menus that, for locals, make a trip out to the CBD at least every few months well worth it, just to see what has inspired him and his team. Thoughts of that tomato salad will at least keep me distracted as the summer days turn up the heat - consider the Commons Club as a solid summertime oasis.
Commons Club website
Interview: Chris Borges
