King for an evening...the new brasserie at Kimpton Hotel Fontenot
A regal eye
King Brasserie and Bar, CBD, New Orleans
The Kimpton Hotel Fontenot made a splash with The Peacock Room, its lavish dining room, when it opened in 2021. More was to come, though, and the hotel continues to develop the historic building, recently opening 33 more guest rooms and a new brasserie called King.
The regally-named, 125-seat restaurant draws its influences from Louisiana and the French Riviera, and it sits off the lobby as you enter the hotel. It has a more classic European contemporary look than the floral maximalism of the Peacock Room, with cream walls, continental-looking, rafia-backed chairs and elegant dark wood flourishes.
There’s a great game that you can play as you eye up the menu. The walls are decked with photographic portraits of…you’ve guessed it…famous Kings, and not the palace-dwelling kind. So there’s Billy Jean, BB, Dr Martin Luther, Nat Cole, Kong…they even sneak Elvis up there (we’ll allow it). Some take more thought than others, we’ll come back to it.
The bread service is touted as something special (it’s a charged item, so expectations are high), and out come a baguette, focaccia and brioche (all sensational), with a salty caviar tapenade, high-end olive oil and whipped butter. We try not to gorge ourselves on the opening salvo but it’s not easy.
Roasted oyster appetizers are plump and well cooked, and the crawfish beignets don’t disappoint - a lot of savory beignet variations are too dry in my opinion, but not these, and the crab fat aioli is an ideal condiment. You might also have plumped for the pâté terrine or the Vidalia onion tart, but we kept things local up top.
The menu is pretty finely balanced between classics, Executive Chef Samuel Peery diving with no little flare into Creole favorites and mediterranean-leaning European fare. The King Carbonara with sea urchin and black truffle and the Parisienne Gnocchi were both tempting, but I was curious about the Wild Boar Provençale and my dining companion was craving steak.
My entree was as savory and hearty as I’d hoped for, with tomatoes and black olives, while the New York Strip came with bone marrow au poivre, a welcome flourish. Chef Peery has done a wonderful job melding the best of both regions, the menu isn’t unnecessarily overloaded with options, and the choices show off his culinary range delightfully.
So wait, that’s…Stephen King…oh, Don King…hmmm, still stuck on a couple…
Full of bread and boar, I felt like dessert might be beyond me but we struggle on, and it was absolutely the correct choice. Pastry Chef Lanna Talley is doing incredible work, with some showstopping turns. My favorite was the peaches four ways, though the caramel tort came a very close second. Also look out for the Ponchatoula Strawberry Mousse Cake and the Menton-Brest raspberry & lemon cream puff.
Chefs Peery and Talley can be proud of their opening and the menu. The Peacock is always going to be the showy one, but join the many namesakes for a meal for for a…King…wait, I know this one….Carole! (PO)
King Brasserie and Bar is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Visit their website.
King Brasserie and Bar, CBD, New Orleans
The Kimpton Hotel Fontenot made a splash with The Peacock Room, its lavish dining room, when it opened in 2021. More was to come, though, and the hotel continues to develop the historic building, recently opening 33 more guest rooms and a new brasserie called King.
The regally-named, 125-seat restaurant draws its influences from Louisiana and the French Riviera, and it sits off the lobby as you enter the hotel. It has a more classic European contemporary look than the floral maximalism of the Peacock Room, with cream walls, continental-looking, rafia-backed chairs and elegant dark wood flourishes.
There’s a great game that you can play as you eye up the menu. The walls are decked with photographic portraits of…you’ve guessed it…famous Kings, and not the palace-dwelling kind. So there’s Billy Jean, BB, Dr Martin Luther, Nat Cole, Kong…they even sneak Elvis up there (we’ll allow it). Some take more thought than others, we’ll come back to it.
The bread service is touted as something special (it’s a charged item, so expectations are high), and out come a baguette, focaccia and brioche (all sensational), with a salty caviar tapenade, high-end olive oil and whipped butter. We try not to gorge ourselves on the opening salvo but it’s not easy.
Roasted oyster appetizers are plump and well cooked, and the crawfish beignets don’t disappoint - a lot of savory beignet variations are too dry in my opinion, but not these, and the crab fat aioli is an ideal condiment. You might also have plumped for the pâté terrine or the Vidalia onion tart, but we kept things local up top.
The menu is pretty finely balanced between classics, Executive Chef Samuel Peery diving with no little flare into Creole favorites and mediterranean-leaning European fare. The King Carbonara with sea urchin and black truffle and the Parisienne Gnocchi were both tempting, but I was curious about the Wild Boar Provençale and my dining companion was craving steak.
My entree was as savory and hearty as I’d hoped for, with tomatoes and black olives, while the New York Strip came with bone marrow au poivre, a welcome flourish. Chef Peery has done a wonderful job melding the best of both regions, the menu isn’t unnecessarily overloaded with options, and the choices show off his culinary range delightfully.
So wait, that’s…Stephen King…oh, Don King…hmmm, still stuck on a couple…
Full of bread and boar, I felt like dessert might be beyond me but we struggle on, and it was absolutely the correct choice. Pastry Chef Lanna Talley is doing incredible work, with some showstopping turns. My favorite was the peaches four ways, though the caramel tort came a very close second. Also look out for the Ponchatoula Strawberry Mousse Cake and the Menton-Brest raspberry & lemon cream puff.
Chefs Peery and Talley can be proud of their opening and the menu. The Peacock is always going to be the showy one, but join the many namesakes for a meal for for a…King…wait, I know this one….Carole! (PO)
King Brasserie and Bar is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Visit their website.
