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A few months ago, Neal Swidler, the chef mastermind who came up through Emeril's ranks and also brought shortlived Asian street food fave Lucky Rooster to the CBD for the Juan's Flying Burrito dynasty, stepped in as executive chef at Broussard's. It was a bit of a chef-shuffle shocker, with Swidler—known for his fun variations on korean fried chicken, bao and more— taking over for uber-traditional French chef Guy Reinbolt, who helped relaunch Broussard's after Creole Cuisine Restaurant Concepts purchased the restaurant in 2013 and immediately gave it a million-dollar upgrade before reopening.
If you've patiently been awaiting the debut of Swidler's menu, which has promised to mingle Caribbean flavors with the restaurant's signature Creole and lighten things up a bit—ie. less cream, no ostrich— the time is now. Swidler adds a few charmers including a play on shrimp toast, crab croquettas, a satsuma and avocado salad, a tropical-inspired fish of the day, and a Cuban sandwich at brunch (also: bottomless mimosas), all of which sound like a great reason to book an evening in their famed courtyard, or nab a spot at legendary bar grump Paul Gusting's Empire Bar. Behold, Broussard's new menus:
