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Tom Fitzmorris in CityBusiness thinks you should try out the reborn Santa Fe, formerly of the Marigny but located on Esplanade in the Faubourg St John since 2009. After throwing some sass at those regulars of the earlier incarnation who are angry at the restaurant's changes?"their commentary is not to be taken seriously"?Fitzmorris notes that Santa Fe is just not like other Mexican restaurants in town (or elsewhere for that matter):
Although you can get a Dos XX, a basket of chips and salsa and a platter of enchiladas, tamales and tacos, that strategy will leave all the best food here unordered. The collection of chef’s entrees and the daily specials reveal a gourmet-level bistro with a Mexican flavor.What, then, is the best food here? It's the bistro fare, mussels, calamari and the like. Fitzmorris' list of the ten essential dishes at Santa Fe includes about half Mexican inspired dishes and half not. [CB]
The Gambit went to Cafe Atchafalaya, another restaurant that was reborn (kind of) in 2009, when it was taken over by new owners attempting to stop its decline. (In August, Gambit writer Lauren Laborde also went to Atchafalaya, where she witnessed a drunk brunch patron throwing up in the bushes.) Ian McNulty notes that the cafe "now comfortably occupies a desirable yet nebulous culinary niche, one considerably above the neighborhood restaurant but decidedly below the top tier." And the food? Mostly hits, with a few misses. [Gambit]
And in the blogs, Lee Rudin of New OrLEEns Eats says locally owned St Charles Avenue steakhouse, Mr John's, "offered up the best steak I’ve enjoyed in the city." In The Hungry Heretic, jenny Sklar celebrates the Muppet Movie by "eating Miss Piggy" at Cochon Butcher: "I think everyone needs to go to Cochon Butcher and indulge in some of the best cured pig you will ever encounter." And Dining in NoLa went to Crescent Pie and Sausage Company and says, "This place was great!"
[Photo: Facebook]
