Shake it off with Sazerac Rye, amaretto, pineapple, lemon, and meringue- Virgin Hotel NOLA
Commons Club, located on the ground floor of the Virgin Hotel New Orleans, was a pleasant discovery in a fabulous location. The vibe of the Virgin Hotel is artsy and intimate and great location. especially when you are heading to the Caesar’s Superdome for a night of entertainment or sports. Take time to check out all the contemporary art, room to room and wall to wall. Virgin Hotels partnered with leading local design firm, Logan Killen Interiors.
Art is everywhere at the Virgin Hotel New Orleans. Logan Killen Interiors
The hotel is rolling out the red carpet for the throngs of fans in town October 25-27 for Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour. Head Bartender Heather Blanchard has created a menu of Taylor Swift inspired cocktails like Shake it off with Sazerac Rye, amaretto, pineapple, lemon, and meringue; and Blank Space with Hendricks, St. Germain, Lillet Rose, and lemon; Cruel Summer, a frozen refresher with Reyka Vodka, butterfly pea, and lemon; and Bad Blood with Casamigos Jalapeno, kumquat, lime, and soda. The cocktails are available at both Commons Club and the rooftop Pool Club which is throwing a Taylor Swift pre-concert ticketed event.
Cruel Summer, a frozen refresher with Reyka Vodka, butterfly pea, and lemon
Commons Club is comprised of several separate spaces. Each offers a variety of eclectic areas to dine, drink and lounge. One will feel comfortable dining solo or with friends. The Kitchen at Commons Club is designed to feel like the basement of a posh English home with residential elements including a hutch with vintage plates, subway tile and blush pink wooden bannisters on the ceiling. There is a communal Chef’s Table overlooking the open kitchen. The Shag Room is an interior living room style lounge with an equestrian theme and a hidden sliding door connecting this space to The Bar, which is an Art Deco style showpiece.
The Shag Room at the Virgin Hotel New Orleans Photo: Virgin Hotels
We dined in a private alcove designed to feel like an intimate indoor garden room. This room is ideal for groups of up to eight, so we felt rather coddled, just us two. It was Restaurant Week and a summer early-in-the-week evening. We were impressed with Executive Chef Chris Borges’ creative, deft touch with spices and glazes which can turn an ordinary food into something truly flavorful. While the dishes we tried may be seasonal, they offer a good idea of the scope of Chef Borges’ talents. Portions are generous and shareable.
Starters:
Nettle toast with burrata and pine nuts, morel mushrooms and fennel pollen. Our favorite dish.
Tempura-fried asparagus with whipped green goddess ricotta and everything spice.
Mains
Wild mushroom gumbo z’herbes with spring greens, brassica and puffed rice. We hope this dish stays on the menu all the time. It is the perfect vegetarian option for traditional gumbo made with sausage, chicken and seafood. The bowl of gumbo was generous.
Roasted half chicken with pomegranate glaze, green chickpea puree, watercress, eggplant, sumac and pistachio. This chicken was fragrant and flavorful. Anything with pistachios is a hit with us.
Dessert
We shared the apricot bread pudding with hibiscus syrup, saffron and ginger. Like all New Orleans bread puddings, it was sweet and filling. The apricot gave the sweetness a fruit-forward lift. We made a note to order the pavlova from the dessert menu next visit.
Apricot bread pudding with hibiscus syrup, saffron and ginger
Here is a link to the Commons Club menu currently on OpenTable
Commons Club Bar & Restaurant – New Orleans, LA | OpenTable
Address: 550 Baronne Street, New Orleans, LA 70113.
Hours: Dinner Monday-Sunday 5pm-10pm Brunch: Thursday-Sunday 9am-2pm
Bar: Thursday 5pm-11pm, Friday & Saturday 5pm-12am, Sunday-Wednesday 5pm-10pm
Happy Hour: Monday – Friday 4pm-6pm
Enjoy this fall recipe from Commons Club Executive Chef Chris Borges
Fried Brussels sprouts, lima beans, golden raisins, cider vinaigrette, cardamom yogurt, lemon conserva, and sourdough bread.
Recipe: Fried Brussels Sprouts Salad with lima beans, golden raisins, cider vinaigrette, cardamom yogurt, lemon conserva, and sourdough bread The Commons Club
Ingredients:
- 8 cups fried Brussels sprouts (air fryer works well)
- 2 cups cooked lima beans
- 1 cup soaked golden raisins (soak in equal parts warm water, white wine, and white wine vinegar)
- 2 cups torn grilled sourdough bread
- 2 Tbsp lemon conserva (slice lemons thinly, pack in equal parts salt and sugar, and press between plastic wrap overnight)
- 1 cup cider vinaigrette (recipe follows)
- 5 cup Cardamom yogurt, recipe follows
Method:
- Combine all ingredients.
Cider Vinaigrette
Ingredients:
- 8 Tbsp brunoise shallots
- 1 Tbsp chopped thyme leaves
- 16 oz cider vinegar
- 1 qt blended oil
- ½ tsp crushed red chili flake
- 6oz honey
- 1 Tbsp salt
Method:
- Macerate shallots, thyme, and chili flake in cider vinegar.
- Add honey and salt, then whisk in blended oil.
- Vinaigrette should stay broken. Check for seasoning.
Cardamom Dressing
Ingredients:
- 1 tsp toasted/ground cardamom
- 1 qt Yogurt
- 3 oz rice wine vinegar
- 1 oz extra virgin olive oi
- 5 cups mayonaisse
- 5 oz honey
- 1 tsp salt
Method:
- Toast and grind cardamom.
- Add cardamom, yogurt, honey, rice vinegar, mayo and salt into blender.
- While blending, drizzle in extra virgin olive oil until well incorporated. Taste for seasoning.