Compere Lapin at Intersect by Lexus

[Sneakeater]

I thought the shrimp were the best dish, too.

[Neocon maudit]

My elders here can no doubt correct me, but I seem to recall that New York restaurants, particularly of the Francophile variety, were perfectly capable of cooking duck breast properly not too many years ago. I also read somewhere [in a review?] that a certain kitchen was preparing duck breast in the current fashion, which caused me to wonder, agahst, 'They're doing this on purpose?'

[Steve R.]

Wilf's just a victim of karma, since he got the duck leg that Ginny should have received at Le Croc.

[joethefoodie]

I’m going somewhere else now.

[Neocon maudit]

Jah, I dunno if I can recommend this particular iteration of Intersect [mind you, Chef Comtpon was not visible during my dinner]. Orik's observations seemed fairly accurate to my mind.

I can't say I'm a fan of pig ears, chicken feet, etc, but quite a few of the Compère Lapin photos I've seen decpicted them as long and thin pork rinds, and that's pretty much how they tasted. Maybe we should have applied the lime and chilli powder?

Overall I wouldn't say it was a negative experience. I don't think this is a style of cooking particularly in tune with my own aesthetic inclinations, but it would have been a pleasant meal justifiable at a lower price point. That said, I don't know how much meals should cost in the post-pandemic environment. I do suspect we would have preferred Fradei [who never, ever wrote me back].

Drank the Gimonnet Champagne, a Huet demi-sec Vouvray, and a glass of the Sauternes.

[joethefoodie]

Maybe it's one of the Intersect places which you wonder if it's gonna get better as they go along. Or get worse.

Any number of places we haven't been where it sounds like we can put together a better meal.

(And leave the duck to Wu's).

[Evelyn]

She was in New Orleans this weekend cooking for Emeril's big charity event-Carnivale du Vin.

[Sneakeater]

Intersect visiting chefs stay only for the first week of their restaurant's residency.

[Diancecht]

we visited nola in 2018 and this meal was one of the more memorable ones. since adding photos to a post from my phone doesn’t allow me to add captions right away, i’ll edit them in a minute.

 

conch fritters, pickled pineapple tartar sauce

hamachi tartare, guava, papaya

spiced chocolate mousse, lemongrass, caramel

roasted banana zeppole, caramel sauce 

[StephanieL]

So is it worth going to the mothership then?  I'm going to be fairly close to there when I'm in NOLA later this week.

[Sneakeater]

Evelyn loves the Mothership.  And I thought THIS was good.

[Sneakeater]

Isn't this getting ridiculous?  A lot of people don't like a residency in New York and now we're deciding that this famous, universally respected restaurant in New Orleans must be bad?

[Sneakeater]

(If I wasn't pretty sure Orik went during the first week, I'd almost recommend that people stay away from Intersect after the guest chef has left.)

[Evelyn]

Yes, Stephanie, you should go to the Mothership.

 

As a friend who is a well known chef said to me about these residencies and guest chef dinners when I was contemplating going to one featuring a European Michelin 3* chef at a very well known restaurant in Southern California...never expect to get a meal comparable to what you would get at the actual restaurant. There are way to many variables for the visiting chef and their (usually partial) team. And sometimes conflicts with the hosting chef and his/her staff. Ingredient availability etc. If you are okay with that, then go. You may have a good experience. Or it may be a total bust. If you are okay with accepting that, go. Otherwise, hang on to the cash and put it towards a trip to the real restaurant (or some place you love where you are most likely going to have a very good meal).

Smart man. I passed on the dinner that spurred the conversation. Friends (who were regulars at the hosting chef's restaurant) decided to go anyway. It was, according to them, an absolute shit show. The guest chef could not have been less interested in anything other than trying to hook up with some of the very attractive servers over the course of his visit. The food was at best mediocre. Certainly nothing like what one would have gotten at the real restaurant. I saved more than $400. And I put it towards a meal at his restaurant 😋.

[voyager]

I had a prof at school who, when I asked a question repeatedly replied, "That, Miss X, should be intuitively obvious."   Well,. it wasn't to me, nor is Evelyn's sage advise.   We continue to assume that the improbable is not only possible but indicated.