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 When it comes to fine dining, The New Orleans Grill located at the Windsor Court Hotel sets the standards.
When it comes to fine dining, The New Orleans Grill located at the Windsor Court Hotel, www.windsorcourthotel.com, 300 Gravier Street, New Orleans sets the standard. The Windsor Court Hotel, part of the Orient-Express properties, www.orient-express.com, is an absolutely gorgeous hotel with a stunning restaurant. Having dined at the restaurant a few years ago, we were thrilled to find the same great service, and outstanding cuisine on this visit. Pre-eminent Executive Chef Jonathan Wright presides over the elegant restaurant like a maestro directing an orchestra. Décor is tasteful, with original oil paintings, trayed ceilings, recessed lighting and chandeliers, sensuous tobacco suede and brocade banquettes, and tables are spaced to allow for privacy. It is a rarefied atmosphere, where strains of piano music gently drift in from the adjacent Polo Lounge. Tables are dressed in exquisite linens and on the night Edward Nesta and I dined there in August, each table had a cut-crystal bowl with a candle, and a small bouquet of my favorite orange roses and hypericum berries in a silver vase.
Fernando Arango, MaÃtre d’ Hotel, welcomed us to the restaurant, and started us off with a glass of Tattinger champagne. We explored the menu and decided on the Louisiana Jumbo Lump Crabmeat Ravioli with a Stew of Curried Mussels in Tarragon Cream, and the Ravioli of Summer Truffles with Hazelnut Cream and Sautéed Louisiana Chanterelles with Cappuccino Chanterelles as appetizers.  For entrees, we selected the Roasted Halibut and Warm Tartar of Gulf Shrimp with Tapenade Crust and Braised Fennel, and the Slow Cooked Berkshire Pork Rib in Salt with Apple Jam, Boudin Noir, Confit Shallots, Sautéed Snails and Parsley Puree. While we were waiting, David our waiter brought us an Amuse Bouche of fois gras truffles with homemade thin croutons, Parmesan cheese “lollipops”, and thin anchovy straws. Monica, our Sommelier, helped us select a Domaine du Chêne St. Joseph 1998, a 100% syrah, with deep rich color, strong spicy cassis fruits en bouche, and a great finish. The Amuse Bouche left us wanting more, always a good sign. The delicate Crabmeat Ravioli was delightful with the stronger flavor of tarragon and curried mussels, and the ravioli of summer truffles on a bed of thinly sliced truffles surrounded by tiny chanterelles was also well matched. Chef Jonathan thought we really had to sample his Study of Harmony Farm Tomatoes, and sent it to our table. It was a beautiful presentation of locally grown tomatoes prepared as a tomato-saffron sorbet, a tomato jelly, a diced yellow tomato with vinaigrette, and a layered tomato with tapenade in the middle. He is truly an artist and uses his personally selected plates much as an artist would a canvas.  He “painted” the plate with sauces and candied lemon for the Roasted Halibut and Warm Tartar of Gulf Shrimp with Tapenade Crust and Braised Fennel, and used the 4 corners of the plate to present the Berkshire Pork. We had to sample Executive Pastry Chef Daniel Benjamin’s fabulous dessert creations, and chocoholics that we are; we selected the Warm Chocolate Fondant Cake with Caramelized Bananas, Milk Confit Ice Cream and Cayenne Marshmallow, and the Trio of Apricots. The chocolate fondant cake was deliciously rich but a little heavy for our late August dinner, but the Trio of Apricots was absolutely perfect with Apricot Pain Perdu with Apricot Sorbet, Apricot Pistachio Tart with Apricot Ice Cream and Grilled Apricot with Apricot Honey Granite. Dinner was a remarkably experience, and certainly one that we will want to repeat on future visits to New Orleans.
We returned to The New Orleans Grill for breakfast, and sat in a bright bay window looking out onto the courtyard, for one last taste of New Orleans before heading to the airport. We had a healthy start with freshly squeezed orange and grapefruit juices. We then savored every bite of Eggs Windsor Court: two mushroom stuffed brioches with smoked salmon, poached eggs, sauce Choron and caviar, Belgian Waffles with Mascarpone and Fresh Berries, Sautéed Potatoes and Windsor Court Hash Brown Potatoes. We lingered over Windsor Court Blend coffee before taking one last walk through the French Quarter – at least for this visit.
Please read the article in Chefs' Recipes for my interview with Executive Chef Jonathan Wright, as well as a few of his recipes.
To read more articles on New Orleans please read our articles in Hotels & Resorts, Restaurants, Chefs’ Recipes, Events, Liquor Cabinet, Music Scene and Art & Antiques. For information on New Orleans, please visit www.neworleanscvb.com.
The New Orleans Grill
300 Gravier Street
New Orleans, Louisiana 70130
United States
www.windsorcourthotel.com
1-800-262-2662
1-504-525-8449
© October 2004. Luxury Experience www.luxuryexperience.com. All rights reserved.
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