Food News
by Sara RoahenCafe Reconcile (1631 Oretha Castle Haley Blvd.) announces another Celebrity Chef Night. This Thursday, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., chefs from Chateau Sonesta (800 Iberville St., 586-0800) and Royal Sonesta (300 Bourbon St., 586-0300) hotels, along with volunteers from the corporate training team of Sonesta Hotel International, are donating time and food to make the event possible. The dinner costs $50, which benefits the cafe. Cafe Reconcile is a lunch-only restaurant that provides on-the-job training and hospitality education for at-risk youth. Call Jennifer Page at 568-1157 for reservations or more information.
Boxing Bacchanal
The Saturday wine tastings at Bacchanal (600 Poland Ave., 948-9111) are
official. Drop in anytime on Saturday, Sept. 21, to sample Italian wines with
Bacchanal owner Chris Rudge and KC Cornell of Artisan Fine
Wine. George Brown of Brown Purveyors of Fine Wine will be
there on Saturday, Sept. 28, pouring Bordeaux, and Gina Warren of Glazer
will bring the Burgundy on Saturday, Oct. 1. At the moment, Rudge is particularly
excited about his latest acquisition (brace yourself): French wine in a box.
Domaine de Fontavin packages the equivalent of 13.3 bottles of red and white
Cotes du Rhone in $65 boxes. That computes to less than $5/bottle. I can vouch
for the red, which is the kind of light, easy wine that would be perfect for
parties of budget oenophiles who appreciate easy access. The wine allegedly
maintains a just-uncorked freshness for six weeks after the box is tapped. Bacchanal
is now open from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday.
Through the Grapevine
Mr. John's Steakhouse (2111 St. Charles Ave., 679-7697) is holding an open
house-style wine tasting from 4:30 to 7 p.m. this Thursday. The $15 cost includes
finger food and samples of eight Zinfandel wines. Beginning at 6 p.m. Thursday,
Sept. 26, Mr. John's is throwing a full-fledged Ravenswood County Series wine
dinner for $60. Call for details.
Brew Cue
In
brew news, Crescent City Brewhouse's (527 Decatur St., 522-0571) 10th
annual Louisiana Beer Festival is this weekend (Sept. 20-22) and next (Sept.
27-29). You'll find beers produced around Louisiana, Bavarian-inspired foods
and live jazz daily.
Hold the Turf
Consider Chateaubriand Steakhouse
(310 N. Carrollton Ave., 207-0016) for this month's Festival du Homard (lobster).
Three-course dinners for $39.75 include entree options of grilled lobster, steamed
lobster and lobster a l'Americaine (cooked with white wine, shallots and tomato).
