Elegant and indulgent, novel and authentic, worldly and homespun, fine and funky: my uptown lunch at La Petite Grocery was a gourmet dream of gourmand extravagance.
Had I ever been presented with a richer, more inventive meal – even among my 18 New Orleans Eats?
Let me lay it out for you:
First off was a starter course of blue crab beignets with a sidekick of malt vinegar aioli. Following that was a heaping helping of turtle Bolognese with bucatini, dry sherry, parsley and fried soft-boiled egg. And to finish on a clean and creamy note, dessert was a scoop of homemade noyaux (peach pit) ice cream.
If reading about that bad mama jama of a meal doesn’t excite you, just stop reading now. Go away. But if it does, then you probably should move on also but only so you can start making plans to have your own feast at La Petite Grocery.
Eating there, I felt like my rapacious appetite was met with refined reward. A P-Funk soundtrack accompanied by gracious and informed service complemented my experience in this upscale restaurant set in an antiquated grocery. Chef Patron Justin Devillier and team have something special going on down there at La Petite Grocery. I hope that was not the last time I get to dig into the food at this gem of restaurant.
La Petite Grocery is located at 4238 Magazine Street, 70115. Find out more at lapetitegrocery.com.
Save room for the next post! I’ll be back soon with more in my series about New Orleans in 18 Eats.
