Decorating a tree and baking cookies are fine Christmas traditions. But New Orleans has an especially festive — and tasty — tradition that I wish other communities would adopt. In this city where people’s love of good food is exceeded only by their love of a good party, about 50 restaurants offer the chance for both. Starting after Thanksgiving and running through December, they create fixed-price four-course menus that are too good to resist. That was certainly the case for me and my friend Patti as we enjoyed a holiday reunion earlier this month. Click here for the full Reveillon list. Families, friends, and work colleagues fill many of the tables, but visitors are warmly welcomed. If you want to really fit in, wear something sparkly and a little flamboyant. New Orleanians also love to dress up.
Lifting forks and spirits
Many restaurants serving Reveillon dinners are in the French Quarter. It’s the city’s oldest neighborhood, where the signature wrought iron balconies seem made for hanging lights and greenery.
For a literal taste of history, we started at Antoine’s Restaurant (713 St. Louis St., New Orleans, La.; 504-581-4422; antoines.com). Established in 1840, it’s the oldest restaurant in the city. With diners spread across 14 dining rooms, Antoine’s didn’t feel crowded or rushed. We sat in a deep red room with a dark wooden ceiling to savor roasted Louisiana redfish and chocolate pot de crème.
Established in 1905 in the French Quarter, Galatoire’s (209 Bourbon St., New Orleans, La.; 504-525-2021; galatoires.com) is another New Orleans gastronomic grande dame. Ceiling fans decked out with big red bows gave the dining room (at top of post) a festive air and diners had clearly come to celebrate. Several times during our meal of shrimp remoulade and roasted chicken, a server would call all the diners to attention, announce a birthday, and lead us all in song.
Elegance extends beyond the French Quarter
Fortunately, Reveillon dinners have spread throughout the city. Ralph’s on the Park (900 City Park Ave.; 504-488-1000; ralphsonthepark.com) brings a modern sensibility to the city’s traditional cuisine. The dining room with big fireplace (above) features large windows so that diners can look across the street toward the live oaks in City Park. Thousands of lights festoon the park during December’s popular “Celebration in the Oaks,” As we dined on duck and andouille gumbo and braised short rib at Ralph’s, we watched riders with brightly lit bicycles pedal into the park for a holiday spin.
They may not use quite as many lights, but many New Orleans hotels also go all out with holiday décor. Barely outside the French Quarter, the Windsor Court (300 Gravier St., New Orleans, La.; 504-523-6000; thewindsorcourt.com) places a huge tree in the lobby (right), circles it with a train carrying a miniature Santa, and surrounds it with life-size stuffed animals. From this wintry wonderland, it’s a short elevator ride to the hotel’s elegant Grill Room. From our table by the window, we watched wedding parties emerge from the hotel and pause in the lighted courtyard. Our smoked salmon and goat cheese raviolo and petit filet mignon spoke of the elegance of Reveillon. Patti and I raised glasses to courtyard celebrants and to our own holiday. Santé!