#meauxbar

[aquatramp]

Chicken liver paté Pork belly Pineapple chutney #eatrepeat #foodjournal #tableforone #aquatramp #nola #meauxbar (at Meauxbar)

[darrylthornton]

Lemon Tort #meauxbar (at Meauxbar)

[tsgneworleanslouisiana]

Meet Robért LeBlanc of LeBLANC+SMITH

Robért Leblanc has owned many of NOLA’s best restaurants, bars and nightclubs over the years. And now he brings us LeBLANC+SMITH, a boutique collection of restaurants and bars that just happens to include some of my old (and new) favorite spots in town! Included in this portfolio is Sylvain, Meauxbar, Cavan and Barrel Proof. 

If you read this blog regularly, you’ll know that Sylvain and Meauxbar (smoked peaches and cream frozen cocktail anyone?) are old favorites of mine. Lately, my friends and I have been spending a lot of time at Cavan and Barrel Proof, too. Cavan is the perfect spot for an early happy hour (and a late night drink, I might add) with its cozy, neighborhood vibe. And if you haven’t tried it yet, you simply must go to Barrel Proof for an old fashioned. I was thrilled to get a chance to chat briefly with Robert LeBlanc about his newest enterprise (and ask him what I should be ordering off the menus at his restaurants).

TM: How did LeBLANC+SMITH come about?

RL: This hospitality group actually began as a record label, which I started just after college with my best friend.

TM: Where did the name come from?

RL: LeBLANC+SMITH is so named for both the French and Irish influences on our brand of hospitality and community, as well as both sides of my family. One is a little more gregarious, the other a little more reserved. But when you meld their personalities and cultural traditions together, it is perfection. 

TM: You have four restaurants in your repertoire. Can you tell us the favorite thing on the menu at each?

RL: Chili Roasted Almonds at Sylvain, Oyster Toast at Cavan, Chicken and Boudin Cassoulet at Meauxbar, Old Fashioned at Barrel Proof.

TM: What’s one tip about your the restaurant business that not everyone knows?

RL:  It’s not as hard as it is made out to be!

TM: Yes, but give yourself a bit of credit. It takes a lot of skill and flexibility to create the type of atmosphere at a restaurant where you invite guests for happy hour, ask them to stay for dinner and then convince them that the night is still young and you must hang out at the bar. You are so great at making guests feel like they are at home enjoying one of the best nights you have had in a long time! The LeBLANC + SMITH experience is not one to miss. 

CAVAN | MEAUXBAR | BARRELL PROOF | SYLVAIN

TELL THEM SCOUT SENT YOU!

—TAYLOR

[noladrinks]

New Post has been published on http://noladrinks.com/broadcast/noladrinks-1-26-17-restaurant-business/

NOLADrinks - 1-26-17 - Restaurant Business

NOLADrinks – 1-26-17

On this edition of the NOLADrinks Show, we talk about the state of the restaurant business with a particular focus on New Orleans and independent sit-down operations. We welcome Robért LeBlanc of LeBlanc+Smith Restaurant Group and Sean Joseph, proprietor of Kenton’s.

Pictured above from left – Bryan Dias of NOLADrinks, Sean Joseph of Kenton’s, and Robért LeBlanc of LeBlanc+Smith.

NOLADrinks – 1-26-17 – Restaurant Business

We kick-off the show rambling (and, I mean, “rambling” – maybe the couple Sazeracs at Tujague’s – the historic second oldest restaurant in town – before the show had something to do with it…) through several topics. We talk about the passing of Mary Tyler Moore, cocktail and culinary tours in NOLA, and the newly proposed safety measures in the city.

This includes, as a part of funding from US Homeland Security, a concept that will force all bars in the city to close their doors at 3 am (not close for business or stop serving, but literally having to keep their doors closed), more security cameras, and police “sweeps” after 3 am to “encourage” patrons to be inside. We talk a bit about how this can be seen as a threat to the culture of the service industry and the city as well as how much more clarity is needed on these proposals.

About 42 minutes into the show, Sean Joseph of Kenton’s – recent winner of Best New Restaurant in New Orleans recognition by both New Orleans Magazine and NOLA.com/The Times Picayune – and Robért LeBlanc of LeBlanc+Smith Restaurant Group. That group, which operates Sylvain, Cavan, Meauxbar, and Barrel Proof is also highly-touted locally and nationally for their spots. We talk about the many threats to the restaurant business in NOLA with many implications applicable elsewhere.

Sean shares some of his experiences owning and operating spots in New York before opening Kenton’s. Similarly, Robért talks about some of the lumps he has taken in the business. It’s a very honest conversation and discussion where we touch on ideas of saturation/over-saturation, copycat restaurant concepts, the tradition of hospitality and food culture in town, the effects of the post-Katrina environment in the business here, and much more.

  It’s a fascinating conversation about the restaurant business. Of course, it is a complex topic that demands further exploration. This is something we will certainly do in the very near future. In fact, we made a gentlemen’s agreement to do so over a bottle of Jack during the show! Stay tuned…

Below the map that shows the spots discussed in the show, you can stream, download, and subscribe to the NOLADrinks Show podcast. Tell a friend!

Cheers, You All!

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[infamouslyjohnny]

Molten Dulce de Leche Cake - Signature Dinner in Mt. Pleasant tonight. Chef Kristen Essig of Meaux Bar did her thing! 👍🏾👏🏾🙌🏾🍴😎 #CHSWFF #cocktailbandits #cake #dessert #posthousemtp #chswineandfood #meauxbar #banancurd #blackberryjam #buttermilkicecream #africanrunnerpeanuts @chswineandfood @cocktailbandits (at Old Village Post House Inn)

[noramcgunnigle]

Most hours spent in New Orleans are happy -- these particularly so.

[tsgneworleanslouisiana]

Free Cocktails This Week!

The Scout Guide New Orleans & Meauxbar invite you to SIP & SCOUT Meauxbar. Over a year ago, Meauxbar opened under new ownership and a new chef, Robert LeBlanc and Chef Kristen Essig, respectively. The interior changed some, the menu too, and the bar has now become an early evening hangout. In celebration of Be a Tourist in Your Own Hometown, we invite you for a free cocktail at Meauxbar this week only. Tell Meauxbar SCOUT sent you, and your first drink is on us!

TEASER ALERT

Illustrious Barman CB on Smoked Peaches & Cream at Meauxbar:

When I was growing up in Chalmette every summer my Pops would open up a Snowball stand on Judge Perez Drive. I couldn't wait for school to let out so I could work part-time at the stand and whip up snowballs down the parish.

As any Chalmation will tell you, regardless of flavor, no Snowball is complete without condensed milk. After moving back to NOLA and sweating through my 'first' summer, all I wanted was a Snowball- albeit a boozy one.

Smoked Peaches & Cream: Bourbon, Peach Shrub, Cynar, Smoked Peach Pit Tincture, Condensed Milk.

Make one last toast to summer with TSG and Meauxbar! Who said nothing in life is free? Cheers!

MEAUXBAR | 942 N. RAMPART | FRENCH QUARTER | INSTAGRAM | FACEBOOK

TELL THEM SCOUT SENT YOU!

—TAYLOR

[tsgneworleanslouisiana]

Food & Wine Magazine has named Meauxbar’s chef Kristen Essig a nominee for People’s Best New Chef for Gulf Coast. Tomorrow, April 8th, is the last day to vote so we would strongly encourage you to cast your vote here. 

TSG loves the new Meauxbar because owner Robert LeBlanc reinvented a classic New Orleans neighborhood restaurant when he bought it last year from its previous owners and made Kristen Executive Chef. Together, they have infused new energy into the restaurant design and menu, and they do everything they can to create great food, great drinks and great times without any pressure or pretentiousness. Watch this video and you’ll understand how  Meauxbar will soon become the backdrop of your fondest memories!

Kristen recognizes this honor does not come without the support of the team. This week on Facebook, you will find many shoutouts to the people who she cannot live without including Roger Eyles and John Bel. 

Food & Wine shares their vote of confidence on Kristen: 

Why She's Amazing: Because, with mentors like Anne Kearney and Emeril Lagasse, she’s garnering well-deserved attention for her enlightened bistro-inspired dishes, such as beef tartare finished with cacao and chipotle-spiked marinade.

Background: Sainte Marie, Peristyle, Emeril’s (New Orleans)

Quintessential Dish: Louisiana Gulf fish amandine with rice pilaf haricots verts Commitment to Sustainability: “I work with the Gulf Restoration Network and the Audubon Lasting Fisheries Chef Council in New Orleans to make sure the Gulf is healthy and that we’re working with sustainable fish. I don’t use any farmed fish anywhere on my menus.”

Located on the edge of the French Quarter, Meauxbar is only steps away from the Saenger Theatre and Mahalia Jackson, so it is a fantastic place for pre or post theatre dinner. On Fridays and Saturdays, they stay open late to accommodate those who prefer to wine and dine after the show. Visit the new Meauxbar at 942 N. Rampart Street and vote for Kristen here. 

TELL THEM SCOUT SENT YOU!

--TAYLOR

Photo by Sara Essex Bradley