Basque master: Chef Peery's regional summer sensations
Basque-ing in the glow of summer: King Brasserie's Tour d'Azur Tasting Menu
Review by Paul Oswell
In the 25-odd years that I’ve been visiting and reviewing New Orleans restaurants, one of the most satisfying evolutions has been the diversification of its international cuisine choices. Yes, the Cajun, Creole and French institutions still do what they do with world class élan, but now folk can also plump for, say, great Honduran, Haitian and Indian food.
We’ve visited King Brasserie and Bar before, soon after they opened and were mightily impressed. The team there has run with the confidence of a great opening and begun to explore one of the more esoteric culinary regions with their Tour d'Azur: Basque tasting menu.
With each season, the culinary team at King Brasserie shift their focus to a new region in an ongoing tour of the Côte d’Azur, bringing a notably new experience to the city. “While Basque is distinctly Spanish, the French Basque Country cuisine aligns seasonally with what’s available and delicious during summer months in Louisiana, presenting a great opportunity that we couldn’t pass up,” says Executive Chef Samuel Peery.
Myself (a European) and three Americanas came to take this gastronomic jaunt to a region that was new to all of us, completely in the hands of the King Brasserie team.
I’m a sucker for anchovies, and so I was delighted to see them on the menu, especially when they’re lightly-breaded like Spanish boquerones and on a bed of lush, peppery arugula. A refreshing Gazpacho had chunks of Louisiana blue crab, with gold tomato and a kick of jalapeno. According to Chef Peery, although gazpacho’s origin is Southern Spain, they couldn’t resist putting it on the summer menu with the richness of the blue crab pairing with the sweet and umami flavors.
Second courses included a Gulf Fish that has seen different varieties of red snapper as the season progresses and came with a tangy sweet pepper & tomato stew. Seared Scallops enjoyed a flavorful addition of chorizo and potato croquettes and the Steak Frites were a classic done to perfection with a 12oz grass-fed, New York strip and pink peppercorn au poivre.
The wine and dessert selections piqued our collective interest even more. We’d shared a bottle of the ‘Hondarrabi Zuri Baskoli Getariako’, a wine from the Basque region that had crisp notes of apples, pears and citrus.
Among the summer menu stand-outs that we couldn’t miss was the the Sweet Corn Crème Brûlée with blueberries, mint, basil, roasted corn and yuzu juice, created by Pastry Chef Lanna Talley. We also shared her Basque Cheesecake, made with orange zest, vanilla bean and honey. Both were flawless, and the wine was versatile enough to see us right through the menu.
It’s exciting to see local chefs expand our city’s collective horizons with chances to explore regions that you might not think about too often. If you want to take a vacation to a new culinary destination, then the Basque country under Chefs Talley and Peery is an invitation you won’t regret taking.
More information and menus on the King Brasserie and Bar website.
Review by Paul Oswell
In the 25-odd years that I’ve been visiting and reviewing New Orleans restaurants, one of the most satisfying evolutions has been the diversification of its international cuisine choices. Yes, the Cajun, Creole and French institutions still do what they do with world class élan, but now folk can also plump for, say, great Honduran, Haitian and Indian food.
We’ve visited King Brasserie and Bar before, soon after they opened and were mightily impressed. The team there has run with the confidence of a great opening and begun to explore one of the more esoteric culinary regions with their Tour d'Azur: Basque tasting menu.
With each season, the culinary team at King Brasserie shift their focus to a new region in an ongoing tour of the Côte d’Azur, bringing a notably new experience to the city. “While Basque is distinctly Spanish, the French Basque Country cuisine aligns seasonally with what’s available and delicious during summer months in Louisiana, presenting a great opportunity that we couldn’t pass up,” says Executive Chef Samuel Peery.
Myself (a European) and three Americanas came to take this gastronomic jaunt to a region that was new to all of us, completely in the hands of the King Brasserie team.
I’m a sucker for anchovies, and so I was delighted to see them on the menu, especially when they’re lightly-breaded like Spanish boquerones and on a bed of lush, peppery arugula. A refreshing Gazpacho had chunks of Louisiana blue crab, with gold tomato and a kick of jalapeno. According to Chef Peery, although gazpacho’s origin is Southern Spain, they couldn’t resist putting it on the summer menu with the richness of the blue crab pairing with the sweet and umami flavors.
Second courses included a Gulf Fish that has seen different varieties of red snapper as the season progresses and came with a tangy sweet pepper & tomato stew. Seared Scallops enjoyed a flavorful addition of chorizo and potato croquettes and the Steak Frites were a classic done to perfection with a 12oz grass-fed, New York strip and pink peppercorn au poivre.
The wine and dessert selections piqued our collective interest even more. We’d shared a bottle of the ‘Hondarrabi Zuri Baskoli Getariako’, a wine from the Basque region that had crisp notes of apples, pears and citrus.
Among the summer menu stand-outs that we couldn’t miss was the the Sweet Corn Crème Brûlée with blueberries, mint, basil, roasted corn and yuzu juice, created by Pastry Chef Lanna Talley. We also shared her Basque Cheesecake, made with orange zest, vanilla bean and honey. Both were flawless, and the wine was versatile enough to see us right through the menu.
It’s exciting to see local chefs expand our city’s collective horizons with chances to explore regions that you might not think about too often. If you want to take a vacation to a new culinary destination, then the Basque country under Chefs Talley and Peery is an invitation you won’t regret taking.
More information and menus on the King Brasserie and Bar website.
