Articles

Capdeville

RELATED RECIPES:
Duck Confit Club
Prosciutto Wrapped Chicken

November 2010. Capdeville could be difficult to find on an initial visit.  But it’s well worth the hunt.  Located in the central business district, it’s in the middle of a one block street—Capdeville, near Lafayette Square—that runs from Camp to Magazine. The street and the place were named after a New Orleans mayor who served the city from 1900-1904.

Owners Robert LeBlanc, Matt Alleman and partner-General Manager James Eustis, envision the new club as a social gathering place that serves excellent comfort food as well as offering a comfortable space for camaraderie among guests.

The owners selected their favorite photos and posters to adorn the walls while their most well-loved albums float music from the jukebox. For serious sports stuff, two flat screen TVs come alive with sound and color on game days.

Of all the new places open thus far, Capdeville sports perhaps the most ambitious menu. That endeavor is thanks to Patois’ Sous Chef Marcus Woodham, Capdeville’s consulting chef, who wrote the menu which Executive Chef Vidak Sparr executes very nicely.

Chef Sparr, a native of Pensacola, Florida, and his able staff keep everyone happy with such treats as fritters du jour; sweet and sour bibb lettuce wrapped chicken; bloody Mary shrimp with house made cornbread; carne asada empanadas; artichoke bruschetta on ciabatta bread; and fried red bean and rice balls with pickled pork and green onion aioli.

In addition, soups such as tomato fennel with basil pistou and butternut squash bisque are available.  A recent menu featured salads that included fresh tomato with goat cheese and greens; chopped vegetable; Cobb salad and Philly cheese steak salad.

Entrée dishes include prosciutto wrapped chicken with fresh local vegetables, pork cakes over stone ground grits; fish tacos with apple-jalapeno slaw, black beans and rice; truffled mac and cheese with brown butter, sage and pancetta; Augustin’s meatloaf with potato cakes and onion Espagnole; and hanger steak with New Orleans style Bordelaise and fries.

Fries are featured on the menus in many of the new places, with Capdeville offering them with Mozzarella cheese curd and au poivre sauce; chorizo and Manchego cheese; truffle Parmesan; and build-your-own with a choice of cheeses and bacons.

Sandwiches include four different burgers, the Capdeville, Mayor, Manchego La Mancha, and black and bleu; as well as a chicken paillard, grilled cheese, and roasted turkey pita with goat cheese. The most interesting of these, however, is the duck confit club served on brioche with lettuce, tomato, roasted garlic aioli and duck cracklings—a great stand-in for the usual pork bacon.
Desserts are peanut butter pie, bread pudding and a fruit cobbler du jour.

A full bar with about a dozen wines by the glass falls into bar manager Sean Liotta’s domain, along with a slew of specialty drinks such as Hat Check, Lady in the Dark, Champagne Julep, A Proper Pimm’s, and Persephone’s Fall.

Details. Details. Details.

Capdeville
520 Capdeville Street
New Orleans, La
(504) 371-6051
Monday—Thursday:
Lunch 11 am –2 pm.
Dinner 4 pm–11 pm.
Friday: Lunch and dinner 11 am–1 am.
Sat: Lunch 10 am–2 pm.
Dinner 6 pm–1 am.
Most cards.