Ian McNulty Hits Up Wayfare, Scott Gold Gets Lucky

This week Gambit's Ian McNulty reviews Wayfare, the "distinctive deli" on Freret Street, where he's "come to rely on the unexpected." Singling out a torta gazpacho soup/sandwich combo, McNulty says the unique Dali-esque meal is emblematic of Wayfare, which has a hefty list of frequently changing specials, most of which dazzle. McNulty gives props to "seasoned" chef Kevin White, who turns out charcturie, small plates, a few straightforward sandwiches, like a Rueben. But it's the more inventive fare, like a sky-high roast beef 'Knuckle Sandwich' on a pretzel bun and that mindblowing torta and gazpacho that McNulty can't stop talking about:

The torta is a pressed, Mexican-style bolillo loaf with red peppers, cucumber and manchego. It's sliced and both pieces are stuck upright like stubby towers in a shallow moat of white gazpacho, a velvety pottage with flavors of almonds and green grapes that worked like a chilled dip for the crusty, plump sandwich.

Overall, this "modern deli with a creative flair" is worth your lunch money, whether or not it's actually lunch time. [Gambit]

The Advocates resident carnivore Scott Gold heads to Lucky Rooster, the newly opened best-of Asian street food restaurant in the CBD, where "the cuisine and atmosphere all derive from" fun, fun, and more fun. While the dishes are not entirely authentic, says Gold: "If painstakingly authentic Japanese cuisine is a beautiful performance of traditional kabuki theater, Lucky Rooster is a Godzilla flick: loud, uninhibited? and a hell of a lot of fun." Chef Neil Swidler turns out an array of made-from-scratch dishes, including the "handpulled udon and soba noodles," but it's the Korean fried chicken that truly shines here:

The dish quickly became a customer favorite, and for good reason. The heavily sauced wings pack a punch, though one will definitely make good use of the provided moist towelettes afterwards.

The sauce isn't liquid fun-crack, but a Korean fermented sweet chili paste called gochujang, that Swidler then mixes with "garlic and spicy notes" to round out the insanely delicious wings. Gold suggest saving room for dessert, mind you, with his favorite being the "Kung Pao Cocoa Pot, a delectable combination of spicy peanut butter mousse with crispy chocolate wafers and peanuts" for just $5. [Advocate]

· Review: Wayfare [Gambit]
· Lucky Rooster Riffs on Asian Fare in New Orleans' CBD [Advocate]
· All Week In Reviews [-ENOLA-]

Wayfare [Photo: Josh Brasted]