Extra of a neighborhood bistro than a bar, La Petite Grocery has been a fixture within the Uptown district since 2004 — and underneath its present administration since 2010. Chef Justin Devillier gained a James Beard Award in 2016 for his upscale New Orleans fare, and having spent a night right here in the course of the current Tales of the Cocktail convention, it’s simple to see why. Huge plates of Cajun delights crammed our desk — alongside mild spins on traditional cocktails, too.
I’m going to interrupt custom and discuss concerning the meals first, with which I used to be unable to seek out a lot fault. The blue crab beignets are a signature dish right here, and the two-bite delights rightfully earn their place as one in all NOLA’s most important single dishes. A brief rib appetizer bursts with beefy taste, and a merely ready redfish dish felt straight off the boat. As we had been eating on a Monday, purple beans and rice had been on the menu, a large plate served with cornbread and topped with a showstopping rooster thigh that I couldn’t put down. When you come hungry — and also you’ll must — spending an additional seven bucks on the largest bowl of French fries on the town is the perfect transfer you may make.
After all, we’re right here for the drinks, they usually didn’t disappoint. We tried 4 objects on the curated cocktail checklist (all $13 to $18), all classics made with one thing of a twist.
My favourite was a shock referred to as the Cassius Membership, made with Tito’s vodka, apricot, Steen’s syrup, lemon, and absinthe. I nearly by no means drink vodka cocktails however this refreshing and summery libation was excellent on a blazing scorching New Orleans day. The apricot pops with out being overwhelming, whereas the lemon and licorice-laced absinthe make for a seductive end.
Essentially the most distinctive cocktail within the lineup that I attempted was the Bittersweet Motel, a mixture of Novo Fogo cachaca, Tempus Fugit banana liqueur, Fernet Paesani, and Bitterman’s Xocolatl Mole Bitters. It sounds wild and it’s, and whereas our server described it as a (unfastened) riff on a Negroni, it took some psychological gymnastics to make that connection. I particularly loved this because the ice melted a bit, coaxing the banana taste from the center floor to a dominant place on the palate.
Extra conventional fare included tastes of a Bee’s Knees (Bombay gin, honey, lavender, and lemon), with understated spice and smoldering honey, and the Blood Oath, a pumped-up model of a Blood and Sand, made with Michter’s rye, Cherry Heering, falernum, orange, and lime. It was the one cocktail within the bunch that I felt is likely to be a bit too excessive, its fruit notes changing into overwhelming in the long run.
Service right here was gracious and very pleasant, our server taking time to talk by means of the historical past of the institution and a little bit of her personal journey — all managing to keep away from feeling like we had been being schooled whereas sitting in a classroom. I’ll positively be again.
4238 Journal St, New Orleans, LA 70115
lapetitegrocery.com
