Chef Justin Devillier Is Cooking a Dinner Straight Out of a George Rodrigue Painting

Stars will collide when James Beard Award-winning chef Justin Devillier steps into the kitchen at ‘top party host’ Alexa Pulitzer and Seth Levine’s much-photographed Bayou St. John home for an intimate dinner straight out of artist George Rodrigue’s famous painting, The Aioli Dinner, on October 5. The Aioli Dinner Supper Club, a series of pop-up dinners around Louisiana inspired by Rodrigue’s 1971 Aioli Dinner painting depicting the Creole Gourmet Societies between 1870-1920, strives to so closely resemble the painting that guests are asked to wear black and white like the diners Rodrigue portrayed, and the chef is asked to prepare French cuisine from the era of the societies with a contemporary twist.

Chef Justin Devillier is the award-winning chef and owner behind La Petite Grocery, Balise, and a forthcoming, third restaurant in the French Quarter. Artist Alexa Pulitzer is the creative force behind her eponymous line of stationary and home goods. She’s collaborated on collections for Anthropologie, Mignon Faget, and other retailers.

Moet Hennessy will pair the wines, and there will be silent and live auctions of unique artwork from the estate of George Rodrigue. Proceeds benefit Louisiana A+ Schools, a non-profit arts in education organization, which is sponsored by the George Rodrigue Foundation of the Arts. Tickets are $300 and available here.

Without further adieu, here’s Devillier’s menu:

PASSED HORS D’OEUVRES

Johnny Cakes with Louisiana Caviar & Creme Fraiche

Steak Tartare with Deviled Quail Eggs & Fine Herbs

Pickled Gulf Shrimp with Rye Toast, Aioli & Raw Vegetables

Iced Gulf Oysters on the Half Shell with Traditional Accoutrements

FIRST

Warm sweet corn and coconut soup (Lake Pontchartrain blue crab, heirloom tomatoes, and basil)

SECOND

Chilled green bean salad (feta, tarragon, dill, and green goddess dressing)

THIRD

Braised pork shoulder (root vegetables, stone ground grits, and black truffles)

FOURTH

Fig leaf panna cotta (local honey and citrus)

MORE READING

• The Creole Gourmet Society [GAMBIT]
• Who Are New Orleans' Top Party Hosts? The Salonniere 100 Strikes Again For 2017 [NOLA.COM]
• Justin Devillier and Restaurant Shaya Win Big at The James Beard Awards [ENOLA]
• The Aioli Dinner Supper Club [website]
• Crescent City Charmer: Designer Alexa Pulitzer’s Bayou Saint John house invites both lively gatherings and quiet family time [Garden & Gun]
• Chef Justin Devillier Will Open a French Quarter Restaurant [ENOLA]
• All Eventwire Coverage [ENOLA]