The September Hit List: Lufu NOLA, Compère Lapin, Criollo, and More

From pop-up (Let us Feed U) to a food stall in a bustling culinary market, and finally, to a stylish, full time brick and mortar, 20-something chefs Sachin Darade, Aman Kota, and Sarthak Samantray are on a stratospheric trajectory. New Orleans has seen an explosion in Indian restaurants in recent years and, since its July opening, Lufu has levitated to the top of its class.

The trio of chef-partners are cooking dishes from their respective regions of India, so the menu is packed with regional specialties that rise above the expected with a selection of several chaats (including one finished with puffed lotus seeds); dahi ke kebab, a mind-blowing Mughlai specialty of fried yogurt dumplings, cashews, fennel seeds, and tomato chutney; and Tandoori Lamb Burra with hang curd and saffron; and whole pompano cooked in banana leaves. Lunch brings sandwiches made with naan and vibrant tandoori salads. Cocktails are bright, fresh, inventive, and pair beautifully with the exciting cuisine. Darjeeling old fashioned, anyone? 

In early July restaurateur John Michael Rowland and wife/partner Winnie Rubin opened Pigeon and Whale, a lavish new seafood destination that transports diners to the shores of New England. The interior of the Freret Street restaurant mimics that of a ship, complete with porthole “windows.”  Instead of traditional Gulf specimens, chef Jeremy Latimer’s menu features Maine lobster poached in butter and tarragon and served in a soft, squishy roll, and chargrilled PEI mussels. A hefty octopus tenacle is served grilled and steamed Atlantic clams arrive in a curry broth. The offerings of raw oysters at the bar change daily and may include Bright Sides from Grande Isle (a nod to Louisiana), Murder Points from Alabama, Moonstones from Rhode Island, and the like.

Rubin, a pastry chef, continues the nautical theme with creations like chocolate mousse served in a pink bathtub with a whale tail cookie and yellow, duck-shaped candy; and lemon cheesecake with a white chocolate shell styled to look like a lemons, a la 1990s.

Known for its deep veranda and verdant gardens, Columns is hosting Greetings from Havana: A Cuban Pig Roast with Alexey Marti on September 3 at 7 p.m. Marti, a New Orleans musician from Cuba, will roast the pig himself before taking the veranda with fellow musicians Yusa and Victor Campbell. The spread includes lechon asado (roasted pork), a family style array of sides, and a welcome Cuban cocktail. Wear your white linen and your dancing shoes.

Buy tickets here. Or, if lechon isn’t calling you, reserve a table, and come for the regular American-ish menu and historic Uptown vibe.

On September 18, chef Myisha “Maya” Masterson continues her on-going pop-up SOUL dinner series, this one in the stunning cathedral at Hotel Peter and Paul beginning at 6 p.m. The theme for the dinner is La Alma (Spanish for soul) and Afro-Cuban culture, cuisine, and music will be the focus.

Ticket sales end on September 13, so get right on it here.

As it celebrates its 15^th anniversary change is coming to Coquette, chef Mike Stoltzfus’ elegant, chandeliered pan-Southern bistro, known for its array of tasting menus. The James Beard Award nominee will transition the restaurant to an exclusively à la carte format with an expanded menu while moving his tasting menu concept to an as-yet-unnamed restaurant to open in the spring in the Lower Garden District. Fearing the loss of those set menus? Make your Resy quick! On September 24, Coquette will close for a short break before reopening on the 28th, with the new à la carte in place.

Steamy Sundays call for brunch, a ritual chef Nina Compton recently reintroduced at the nationally recognized Compère. (After all, Food & Wine lauded it as one of the “40 Most Important Restaurants of the Past 40 Years.”) Compton’s Caribbean-meets-Louisiana cuisine is never the same old — with starters like tater tots with crème fraiche and caviar, and her celebrated buttermilk biscuits with jam and whipped ricotta. Fried chicken and biscuits are slathered with hot honey; shrimp in a Caribbean-kissed Creole sauce are ladled over creamy grits; and French toast arrives with Chantilly cream and rum caramel.  Boozy brunch offerings like Last Stag (mezcal, amaro, maraschino liqueur, and lime) and It Takes 2 to Mango (built around Sichuan peppercorn-infused rum), and a bottomless brunch punch will send you teetering back home to your air conditioner.

Located in the gracious, historic Hotel Monteleone, through the end of the month Criollo beckons with a summertime lunch special that unlocks exclusive access to the hotel’s rooftop pool. Guests who visit Criollo for lunch on weekdays and order the Three-Course Artichoke prix fixe menu will receive exclusive access to the pool, which is typically only accessible by hotel guests. Tack on $1 lunch martinis and kick it at the pool with a smile.

Here’s a cool way to smash the heat on the cheap: Through the end of this month, chef Donald Link is flexing the oyster strengths of Chemin à la Mer at the Four Seasons Hotel with oyster hour every day from 3 to 5 p.m. at the Oyster Bar, in the Purple Grackle Bar, and on the terrace on the fifth floor the hotel overlooking the Mississippi River. Link is offering a rotating variety of $2 oysters, including farmed Murder Points from Bayou La Batre, Ala., paired with $10 glasses of wine and spritzes selected by sommelier Emily Kitzmiller. There’s also an all-day raw bar menu featuring tuna crudo with snow peas, mint and sauce chien; peel and eat steamed Gulf shrimp; and salmon ceviche.

Keep up with Chemin à la Mer on Instagram.

Chef Sophina Uong and husband/partner William Greenwell turned a ho-hum former corner store into a tropical roadhouse before opening in late July 2021. It has become a go-to spot for “inauthentic” global cuisine from Uong and killer craft cocktails from Greenwell. Sunday brunch brings an array of creative options, which change frequently so you never get bored. Dishes from Chuckwagon (the roving cart) include the fierce Kashmiri chile fried chicken with black salt lime cream. The ginger salad is packed with peanuts, crunchy bits and seeds, currants, serrano pepper, and a sour sauce made with tamarind. A smoky bacon scramble is a tangle of scallion, ginger, and provolone; and Gulf shrimp dumplings are served with Thai red curry, chile oil, and arugula. Greenwell’s shakers rattle with brunch libations like the Walk of Shame (vodka, passionfruit, rose water and lemon); and Daddy Issues, built around bourbon and amaro. 

Every other week through the end of this month Garden District Book Shop and The Chicory House will host the Pop Upstairs Summer Dinner Series with visiting chef Clare Leavy. Each dinner features a thematic three-course prix fixe menu with optional pairings in the new under-construction event space located upstairs from the bookstore in The Rink.

Tickets and more information are available here.