La Petite Grocery in New Orleanswww.lapetitegrocery.com ORIGINAL PICTURES GENERAL REVIEW: Thi

La Petite Grocery in New Orleans
http://www.lapetitegrocery.com

ORIGINAL PICTURES

GENERAL REVIEW: This was an excellent restaurant and eating experience. The chef here, Justin Devillier, definitely knows what he is doing. We had actually previously seen him as a contestant on Top Chef, but didn’t realize he was the owner and executive chef until months after out visit. Even though in the first picture the restaurant looks as empty as Emeril’s (review posted further down), the quality of food and service was monumentally better (and it’s worth noting that we went in early January which is low season). It was a quietly elegant atmosphere and décor, which was not at all pretentious, but absolutely has the right to be. It is done is traditional New Orleans style. Fabulous place, and one of our favorite dining experiences of the trip.

Clam Gratin REVIEW:
This dish is not on the menu because it was a daily special, but it sounded good, and specials are a good way to tell whether the restaurant is still on its toes and not neglecting the quality of the food it sends out of the kitchen (*cough* *cough* EMERIL’s). This was, like everything else we had, very tasty. It was, however, our least favorite dish, but even so, it was still better than the best dish we had at Emeril’s (we hold a pretty iron clad grudge, can you tell?). I have to be completely honest, although still delicious, this was our least favorite dish, and we can’t remember the subtleties of the flavors as well as the other dishes. It was tasty (we would have remembered if it wasn’t) and quite heavy since it was baked in cream and cheese.

Blue Crab Beignets REVIEW:
Creamy, crispy, yummy. We were intrigued by the idea of a savory beignet, and this appetizer was a great way to sample some. My only negative comment would be that there could have been more crab and less cream within these fried morsels, as crab is a very delicate protein and can be easily overwhelmed by heavier items such as cream. Despite this, there was plenty of crab meat to be found, and the flavors of the malt vinegar aioli provided a needed contrast to the richness of the filling itself. These beignets were hot, crunchy and delicious balls of yumminess (for fans of Schweddy), and we would order them again.

LPG Cheeseburger REVIEW:

Best. Burger. Ever.

Not exaggerating. Not one bit.

Where do I even start. Let’s start from the inside out. The grind, seasoning, and temperature of the beef were all spot on. It just seemed to melt in your mouth. It was so hot and juicy I have to have a white girl moment and say “I can’t even”. The thick slice of Gruyere on top melted into the beef beautifully. The house made pickles were sour and tangy, but not overwhelmingly so (which can sometimes happen when one puts pickles on a burger). The aioli was also fabulous, adding a creaminess and flavor which bound the other flavors together perfectly. The arugula was also a welcome addition, even though both myself and my friend usually don’t care for it. FYI my friend ended glomming half of this burger (even though it was supposed to be my personal entrée, and I’d agreed to hand over no more than a bite when I ordered it). The bun was also freshly baked, being buttery, warm, soft and all around totally scrummy. We have never tasted a better rendition of the traditional burger, and we will be coming back to La Petite Grocery for it without a single doubt.

Thumbs up Justin, it was a win. PS Emeril, suck it, suck it, suck it.

Bittersweet Chocolate Marquise REVIEW:
This was a very satisfying finale to our meal here, despite its minuscule size. It’s about as big as a silver dollar in diameter, so make sure you don’t decide to share it like we did if you like heartier portions of sweets. It is also important to note that it is in fact very rich and delicious, so ordering one for yourself will be just enough (despite its size). The marquise itself was not too sweet since it was bittersweet and not milk chocolate which was used to make it. The mascarpone cream on top provided a welcome relief to the richness of the chocolate, and created a very decadent and elegant dessert. It was also plated very beautifully, which we also love to see despite flavor being the most important factor in any dish (in our opinion). It had the texture of a very dense mouse (like a moist truffle), which added to the heaviness. We assume this is why it is so small, as any larger for one person would become overwhelming. This dessert was very good, and undoubtedly the best dessert we had in New Orleans.

FINAL THOUGHTS: Yum. Definitely worth it and solidly in our top three favorite restaurants in NOLA. Stay tuned for the grande finale.

***** five stars