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Inside: 4 Introduction Best New Restaurants Best Sous Chefs 12 5 Fifty 5 28 William Briand Special photo section 12 MiLa 29 Larry Herbert 20 Culinary Connoisseurs 13 Nathan’s Restaurant 29 Mike Nelson event photos 13 New City Grille Best Sommeliers Best Fine Dining Best Caterers 30 Michael Juan Establishments 14 Fleur de lis New Orleans Cuisine 30 Chris Ycaza 6 Antoine’s Restaurant 14 Food Art Aymami Cover photo by Frank 6 The Dakota Restaurant 15 Martin Wine Cellar Best Pastry Chefs 7 August 15 Patton’s Caterers 31 Beth Biundo 31 Tariq Hanna Best Casual Upscale Dining Best Owners 32 Chris Newton Published by the NOPG LLC Establishments 16 John Besh — also honored 111 Veterans Memorial Blvd., 8 Drago’s Seafood Restaurant as a Best Executive Chef Best Maitre D’s Suite 1440, Metairie, La. 70005 8 Lüke — also honored 16 Tommy Cvitanovich 33 Robin Bordelon 504-834-9292; Fax: 504-837-2258. as a Best New Restaurant 17 The Tastebuds: Greg Reggio, 33 Vedran Komazec 9 Sal & Judy’s Hans Limburg, Gary Darling 34 Sergio Lopez Publisher and president: D. Mark Singletary 9 Tommy’s Cuisine Associate Publisher: Lisa Blossman Best Executive Chefs Legends Managing Editor: Greg LaRose Best Neighborhood Dining 18 Rene Bajeux 35 Leah Chase Associate editors: Christian Moises, Autumn Giusti, Establishments 18 Kim Kringlie 35 Paul Prudhomme Renee Aragon Dolese, Deon Roberts 10 Blue Duck Café 24 Brian Landry Art director: Alex Borges, Lisa Finnan 10 Byblos Restaurant 24 Donald Link Lifetime Achievement Account Executives: Liz Baldini, Jeanne Farrell, Cassie 11 Deanie’s Seafood — Bucktown 26 Duke LoCicero 36 Shirley Anthony Foreman, Ginger Graf, Coco Evans Judd 11 Mother’s Restaurant 26 Spencer Minch 36 Marie Laborde Production manager: Julie Bernard 27 Darin Nesbit 37 Dalton Milton 27 Mike Regua 38 Shirley Rubin 28 Susan Spicer New Orleans CityBusiness August 18, 2008 3 Introduction 50 professionals make menu for 1st Culinary Connoisseurs EVERYONE LOVES TO EAT. No place is that more true than in New Orleans, with our world- famous cuisine, award-winning chefs and historic restaurants. CityBusiness realized last year that of all the industries we honor each year, one of the region’s largest — the culinary industry — was not in our lineup. According to the Louisiana Restaurant By Christian Moises Association: Associate Editor • Louisiana restaurants have an annual economic impact of $9.9 billion. • Every $1 spent in Louisiana restaurants gener- ates an additional $1.05 in sales for other indus- tries in the state. • The restaurant industry is the state’s largest pri- vate retail employer, providing jobs to 132,300 state residents and another 55,000 jobs that sup- ply the industry. These figures represent 10.4 percent of private employment in the state. • Each additional $1 million spent in restaurants generates an additional 44.5 jobs in the state. It is only fitting we raise a glass to the restau- rants and people who make that happen with the inaugural class of Culinary Connoisseurs, recog- nizing 50 top professionals and establishments in the region’s culinary industry based on cuisine, business success and community involvement. Honorees were divided into 13 categories: best fine dining establishments, best casual upscale din- ing establishments, best neighborhood dining establishments, best new restaurants, best caterers, best owners, best executive chefs, best sous chefs, best pastry chefs, best sommeliers, best maitre d’s, legends and lifetime achievement. Many people know John Besh, Leah Chase and Tommy Cvitanovich, but what about pastry chef Chris Newton, the 22-year veteran at Brigtsen’s restaurant; sous chef William Briand, who special- izes in butchering at Cochon; or caterer Marie Hasney, whose Fleur de Lis New Orleans Cuisine has catered the Jazz Fest Hospitality Tent and VIP area for the past three years. The people profiled in the following pages are the ones who make our culinary industry so famous, so successful and one of the biggest rea- sons people worldwide know and visit us. Our world-renowned restaurants not only sur- vived Hurricane Katrina but continue to provide the quality service and food they have for more than a century. In addition to countless hours of community service their staff members provide, they have also made a commitment to support our local producers by frequenting area farmer’s mar- kets and seafood suppliers. CityBusiness thanks each of them for their tasty contributions to the region and for their commit- ment to the New Orleans area. Congratulations to the 50 Culinary Connoisseurs of 2008.• 4 Culinary Connoisseurs Kendra Cavalier CANCER SURVIVOR “Fighting cancer made me stronger.” To watch Kendra play with her pet Shitzu, Max, you would never suspect you were watching someone who had endured five surgeries and is now a cancer survivor. Kendra’s doctor is one of several EJGH cancer-fighting doctors who have been credentialed by M. D. Anderson Physicians Network. Credentialed physicians give their patients access to the latest evidence-based treatment protocols developed by the nation’s leader in cancer care, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center. Through this affiliation, East Jefferson General Hospital is offering new hope for cancer care in our region. And giving Kendra more time with Max. Call 504-456-5000 or visit us online for credentialed physicians and more information. www.ejgh.org/cancercare Affiliated with East Jefferson General Hospital Because no one fights cancer alone. New Orleans CityBusiness August 18, 2008 5 Best Antoine’s Fine Dining Establishments Restaurant Interview with owner Rick Blount Executive chef: Mike Regua Community involvement: Antoine’s has tried, especially post-Katrina, to be a good citizen in our Opened: 1841 community in every way we can. We’ve participated in every festival and either donated food or services Price range: Between $50 or gift certificates to more charities and schools than and $75 per person. I can even remember because to us, it’s just so important our community gets to survive. Cuisine: Antoine’s is proud to have been one of the businesses and one of the families that helped define Most notable guests: New Orleans cuisine as we experience it today. My My great-grandfather and grandfather have collected great-great-grandfather, Antoine Alciatore, was a clas- autographs from everyone from all the presidents to sically trained chef in France when he came to the pope to Lucille Ball to Dennis Quaid. Everybody America. But when he got here, the foods he was who’s anybody has dined with us. trained to cook weren’t available. So he and many other Europeans took their craft and applied it to very Major milestones: different food groups, and the results were extraordi- We’ve had lots of tough times. The Civil War in the nary. Oysters Rockefeller, Pompano en Papillote, Eggs early days of the restaurant was not good for Sardou were all original dishes here at Antoine’s. Antoine’s. Reconstruction wasn’t exactly a lot of fun. The two world wars, Prohibition, all left the restau- Noted for: Antoine’s is the quintessential New rant with scars. And so did Hurricane Katrina. But Orleans experience; we strive to be the epitome of one of the toughest things for our business has been that. The dining rooms were all themed and built keeping the business alive and healthy through gen- many, many decades ago, some well over 100 years erations. It’s a family business and keeping the fami- ago. The menu is classic New Orleans cuisine — ly healthy is a big challenge for us.• Antoine’s server French Creole. The full service, black-tie service style, Johnny Messina we hope, is the finest in the city. — Leah Bartos serves dessert to Wendy Chatelain and Jeff Orkes. Photo by Frank Aymami Best The Dakota Fine Dining Establishments Restaurant Interview with owner Kenny LaCour Executive chef: Kim Kringlie Noted for: Creating an atmos- Notable guests: phere where people can have a Justice Antonin Scalia, Opened: 1990 good time and enjoy the kind of Archbishop Hannan — who is Louisiana food they like to a frequent guest — Kevin Price range: Guests coming come back for again and again. Costner, Diane Carroll, Samuel in may want to enjoy an adult L. Jackson, former Gov. Mike beverage or maybe just have an Community involvement: Foster, Candy Picou, the former entrée and move on to desert. We don’t contribute to and focus wife of Edwin Edwards, and In the latter example, it would on just one particular cause, but Johnnie Cochran. be somewhere in the $45 to people come and knock on our $55 range. In the former exam- door and ask for our help. We do Major milestones: Surviving ple, it would naturally be a little everything from hosting charity Katrina certainly, but also sur- more. events to setting up a table at a viving a series of different eco- particular event to donating gift nomic downturns. We went Cuisine: I have always certificates and having private through the oil downturn and referred to it as contemporary, dinners in people’s homes.