Laural Oak Restaurant serves Southern-meets-French cooking in Magnolia Hotel | Food and drink | Gambit Weekly

There is a sense of fun and creativeness on Laurel Oak Restaurant’s flavor-packed menu. The burrata “pimento” variations up typical Southern pimento cheese by subbing creamy dwelling-made burrata for the standard cheddar, accompanied by smoked paprika aioli, pickled onions and a pimiento puree.

Government chef Bryan Johnson and his workforce at the restaurant in the Magnolia Resort have crafted a menu of Southern-satisfies-French fashion that brings a lot of taste to the plate. Just after some disruptions from Covid and Hurricane Ida, the cafe is up and functioning yet again.

Johnson, 37, and New Orleans indigenous Ahmah “Slim” Thomas, 34, have invested considerably of a decade doing the job in sync in the identical kitchens. They satisfied at the Uptown Italian restaurant Avo, then cooked jointly all around town before landing — twice — at Laurel Oak Cafe as executive chef and sous chef, respectively. Formerly the Omni Royal Crescent Hotel, the 100-room Magnolia Lodge was acquired by a Denver-based hospitality team, which renovated the historic circa-1863 developing in 2019. It opened just in time for the March 2020 pandemic shutdown. Now less than new management, with manager Chris Keith, formerly the typical supervisor at the Elysian Bar, the distinctive 60-seat, storefront restaurant at the corner of Gravier and Camp reopened a next time in December.

A chef who enjoys collaboration, Johnson is a consensus builder who depends closely on Thomas in the kitchen.

“We’ve labored together so extended, it just will come obviously,” he says.

Also on the group is Jalal Prout, a young chef properly trained at Cafe Hope in Gretna.

Johnson was born in Missouri and wasn’t planning on a occupation in the culinary arts. He studied electrical engineering in advance of shifting gears and heading to culinary school in St. Louis. He was raised in farm country, all over downhome convenience meals, and that even now informs his tactic to cooking. “I commenced operating and understood I was learning way additional than at university, so I dropped out.” An executive chef by 27, he hardly ever appeared again. “Cooking is way a lot more fun than engineering.”

Laurel Oak’s menu is divided into sections of modest plates, greens, entrees and sides, and there are enough vegetarian selections. Tuna crudo pairs cuts of fish with bits of watermelon, chopped avocado, a drizzle of pureed mint and the slight warmth of Fresno chilies. Maitake mushrooms get a Mediterranean remedy, dusted with za’tar spice and served with hummus with bright notes of preserved lemon.

Then there is the barbecue shrimp, a New Orleans vintage that has anything extra: an elusive umami that normally takes the dish to an additional stage. “It’s beer in the inventory and about a teaspoon of fermented shrimp paste,” Johnson suggests. “But we commence earning the stock with shrimp heads, then puree the inventory so it has layers of flavor.” The glossy double-strained sauce is finest sopped up with grilled bread, or just spooned straight into a greedy mouth.

There is a daily Gulf fish preparing served with gremolata, and slabs of tender jerk-spiced duck are served atop a swoosh of cauliflower soubise and flavorful smoky white beans. The menu also includes a hanger steak served with duck extra fat fries, a fried hen sandwich and a cheeseburger topped with bacon, arugula and roasted garlic aioli. For dessert, zeppole, ethereal balls of succulent fried dough swabbed with espresso product, are basically an Italian version of a beignet.

From the bar, there’s a lineup of area and imported beers and craft cocktails from basic to sassy. Keith is changing the wine list.

“We nonetheless have a ton of function to do, but we’re obtaining there,” Johnson suggests. “We’ve received a wonderful team in position. We are all just so energized to be last but not least open up.”