McNulty & Gold Find Fusion at St. Lawrence, Kingfish

Ian McNulty reviews French Quarter late night pub food favorite St. Lawrence this week. McNulty finds that "quality sourcing, original dishes and drinks," and those all-fresh frozen daiquiris, make this gastropub a welcome respite in the land of "just-good-enough-if-you're-drunk" businesses that crowd the upper Quarter. Per McNulty:

Those daiquiri machines churn a frozen riff on the Pimm's Cup and a strawberry number with Sailor Jerry rum that's actually the color of mashed strawberries instead of lipstick...Chicken and waffles gets a Chinese makeover, done with duck confit and hoisin syrup.

The kitchen is run by Caleb Cook, a Mondo alum, who still shows his Susan Spicer/fusion training in his current menu, a mix of "chef-driven food" from turducken burgers to poached oysters atop bread pudding, with earthy mushrooms and artichokes. Service industry flock to the bar for late night eats, but be warned, the food here can be just as expensive as you'd imagine a gastropub in the Quarter would be. [Gambit]

The Advocate's resident carnivore Scott Gold reviews Kingfish this week, finding a wealth of international flavors from Chef Greg Sonnier. Sonnier honed his skills under Paul Prudhomme, Frank Brigtsen, and at his beloved restaurant Gabrielle that never returned after Katrina (though Sonnier tried at the Uptowner), and now he's rocking the kitchen at Kingfish with what Gold calls the chef's "homage to Louisiana traditions, while simultaneously inflecting the menu with a worldly accent." And for diners longing for a taste of days gone by, says Gold:

Sonnier's famous duck, a favorite at Gabrielle that the chef has been evolving over the years. At Kingfish, the "Duck a la Saulnier" ($30) is an intriguing new take on the dish with a decidedly Asian flair, pairing the honey-crab boiled, slowly roasted boneless duck with roasted peppers, mushrooms, and an orange sauce with, of all things, ramen noodles. Garnished with a crispy wedge of fried duck skin, it's an intriguing and fun play on one of Sonnier's staples.

Accompanying the cuisine are a slew of pre-prohibition classics from legendary barman Chris McMillian, as well as a few modern twists, which seems to be the name of the game for Kingfish... as Gold puts it, "both traditional and novel." [Advocate]

· Review: St. Lawrence
· Chef Greg Sonnier Marries International Flavors with Louisiana Cuisine [Advocate]
· All Week In Reviews [-ENOLA-]

[Photo: Nikki Mayeux]