With New Orleans setting off on a big culinary year ahead – Pastry World Cup & Bocuse d’Or head to NOLA & US for first time in June, Tales of the Cocktail in July, and COOLinary turning 20 in August – I wanted to make sure King Brasserie at Kimpton Hotel Fontenot was on your radar in case it’s a fit for anything you are working on or planning.
King’s Executive Chef Samuel Peery, who is also a Chef Ambassador for the city during Bocuse d’Or guiding chef judges and French culinarians around New Orleans, has built an amazing menu rooted in the style of beloved brasseries of the French Riviera region while weaving in flavors and traditions of New Orleans and sourcing seafood from nearby bayous and the Gulf. And Pastry Chef Lanna Talley‘s in-house pastry program is a thing of beauty, from desserts like caramel torte and menton-brest to King’s popular bread service (epi baguette, brioche madeleines, focaccia, Cajun caviar tapenade).
Chef Lanna’s Banana Bread is a thing of beauty (tips, recipe, image), and her Buttermilk Biscuits are also out of this world. Some the crowd favorites on the King menu are the Crawfish Beignets with a crab fat aioli and an in-house spice mixture that resembles the flavors of a crawfish boil, the Seafood Tower, and the King Carbonara with hand-cranked bigoli pasta and a sauce made from sea urchin, reduced cream and parmesan, topped with garlic fried bread crumb & bottarga and black truffle.
Kimpton Hotel Fontenot, King Brasserie, and the hotel’s other restaurant and bar, Peacock Room, are in a great spot for setting out on a cultural exploration of the city, or for those building a trip around a special sports or musical event, being near the French Quarter and Arts District and close to the Convention Center, Superdome, and the Smoothie King Center.
The hotel, King and Peacock Room always have great events and special menus throughout the year, like the Queen’s Brunch on International Women’s Day coming up on March 8. And with Jazz Appreciation Month coming up in April, the hotel will feature performances like their residency series with jazz musician and “Songbird of New Orleans” Robin Barnes and Da Lovebirds, as well as a special Jazz Brunch. The hotel is hosting Jazz Fest after shows on April 27 and May 4 with artists joining Robin Barnes. And of course, Pride Weekend in June is also a big one for the city and the hotel as one of the most LGBTQ+ friendly spots in town.
