Back in the (Hey) Day
The CRYSTAL ROOM steaks its claim to elegant dining.
|
|
|
PASTRY CHEF PAT ARMANT SINGS FOR YOUR BUFFET AT LE PAVILLON'S CRYSTAL ROOM.
|
WHAT: Crystal Room
CUISINE: Continental
WHEN: Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily
WHERE: Le Pavillon Hotel, Poydras at Baronne, 581-3111
CARDS: Major
Now that Smith & Wollensky has moved into town and steakhouses are hip
again, Poydras Street is starting to buzz again with deal makers and trend
setters doing lunch over big beef and big cocktails. With the transformation of
the 100-year-old Maylie's restaurant into an elegant steakhouse, Poydras is
starting to feel like the good old days, when power lunchers ruled the day and
the seat of government was just down the street.
Nearby on Poydras, Le Pavillon Hotel has been drawing more and more locals as
well, partly due to increased foot traffic, partly because of the creative
food-and-beverage director, Morty Vallejudi, and largely because of the
executive chef, Lisa Hanson, who formerly was a chef at the Windsor Court Grill
Room with Kevin Graham, who is putting out some great food these days.
Patrons appear regularly during the work week for lunch in Le Pavillon's
elegant Crystal Room. They go for the buffet that includes an exceptional salad
bar, an extensive pasta station and the added allure of talented pastry chef
Pat Armant who sings loudly for crowds when in the mood. During the summer,
Vallejudi introduced a sushi bar menu, which certainly got my attention.
Dinner in the Crystal Room is a far more opulent affair, with superior steaks
ranging from a 10-oz. Black Angus filet of beef to a 16-oz., thick New York
strip accompanied by roasted garlic and leek mashed potatoes and fresh steamed
veggies. Make no mistake about it, this is first-rate beef, fellas, and it's
cooked just right. Vallejudi says that a new menu soon will be introduced
(which includes chateaubriand served tableside), and the servers will be
attired in Victorian costumes that reflect the Crystal Room's elegant period
decor.
On Friday night, the swing-dance set pops up at the Crystal Room in vintage
1930s, '40s and '50s outfits to tear up the dance floor with music by Johnny
Angel and the Swingin' Demons. The swing-dance night was created by Vallejudi,
who also opened up a swing-dance venue in Austin, Texas. A smooth operator, the
food-and-beverage director has a creative touch and vision that is working well
for Le Pavillon, a historic property and a national landmark since 1907.
Although popular among visitors, the four-diamond hotel long was considered out
of the mainstream by the local cognoscenti. But revival is in the air. The
Crystal Room is becoming way cool.
Each time I have driven by Le Pavillon, I have marveled at its beauty. It's a
great place to take visitors for dinner on Friday night, and reminds me very
much of the Blue Room in its heyday. Soft candlelight, tall columns, opulent
chandeliers and fine paintings grace the majestic Crystal Room, which is
centered by a large dance floor. Service is impeccable, and the wine list is
impressive. In the lobby, enormous crystal chandeliers from Czechoslovakia,
marble floors from several locations around the continent, and marble railings
from the lobby of the Grand Hotel in Paris create a palatial aura, while
spectacular Italian columns on the exterior welcome guests to the stately
entrance.
As well-heeled dinner guests await the action and entertainment of the stage
and dance floor, they are treated to a basket of assorted, freshly baked breads
and herbal butter imprinted with a horse-and-buggy design on top. Not everybody
there is having dinner, of course. If you want to see the show without eating,
there's a modest $5 cover and the drinks can flow all night long.
First-course offerings recently included one of the finest crawfish cakes I've
ever tasted, laced with a warm Creole mustard sauce, and some marvelous salads,
the best of which was topped with duck confit and bathed in a light walnut
balsamic dressing. I sampled a delicious, juicy 14-oz. ribeye, and a 12-oz.
double-cut pork chop with plum and apple compote (a house specialty). But my
favorite entrees so far have been the grilled salmon with a pesto crust and a
raspberry beurre blanc -- a truly luscious fish -- and the grilled tuna, a
large fillet served medium rare in a smooth and tangy lemon caper sauce. A la
carte dinner entrees range from $15 to $25 for the double-cut pork chops.
The desserts here are other-worldly. Some of my favorites have included
strawberry shortcake with a white chocolate frosting, and the sinfully rich
chocolate brownie cheesecake. For a hotel, this is an excellent fine dining
venue, and one certainly worth experiencing. The Crystal Room is making a
comeback, and reflects the revival of the fine dining/supper club era
popularized in the '50s.
|
