NEW ORLEANS -- It's a great time to explore Mid-City. There are new places to get out of the sun, kick up your heels and see a different side of the neighborhood. All are new additions that have opened in the past few months alone and make good stops on the way home.
Bayou Wine Garden
315 N. Rendon St., New Orleans, 504-826-2925
Since opening over the winter this new wine bar and eatery has caught on quick. The interior sheathed in weathered wood and brick, the bar resembles a giant wine vat and the wine garden outside has its own walk-up bar and a patio setting. The wine list is impressive and also approachable. The kitchen specializes in cheese boards and house-made charcuterie, alongside sandwiches, salads and creative bar snacks (like “popcorn escargot”). It adjoins the related Bayou Beer Garden, a somewhat more casual spot for cold pints and burgers.
Bevi Seafood Co.
236 Carrollton Ave., 504-488-7503
Bevi took over the old River Pond seafood in Metairie, and upped its game considerably. Now it’s doubled down at the former K-Jean’s Seafood in Mid-City. It’s part seafood market, part deli, with boiled seafood (the crawfish are rolling now) and first-rate po-boys. The frying is just right, and the kitchen makes some distinctive house po-boys that are go-to options now (see the smoky oyster or shrimp remoulade and fried green tomato).
Tana at Treo
3835 Tulane Ave., New Orleans, 504-304-4878
The Mid-City restaurant MoPho is chef Mike Gulotta’s modern, original take on Vietnamese cuisine. For Tana, his new project, he takes on Italian cooking. It’s inside Treo, the bar and gallery space on Tulane Avenue, and it serves dishes intended for shared, social meals in this casual lounge setting. Pastas made in house, grilled flatbreads, charred vegetables with chiles and citrus and grilled fish are lighter than typical local Italian dishes but are full of flavor.
Blue Oak BBQ
900 N. Carrollton Ave., New Orleans, 504-621-9837
Blue Oak BBQ just opened during Jazz Fest time, though it already had a following thanks to a multi-year run serving up barbecue at a few local bars. The address is the former Fellini’s Café, and it’s been thoroughly redone with a rustic, smokehouse look and a refurbished patio under strings of lights outside. As before, the barbecue
is smoky, the sauces are classic and the sides and sandwiches are always worth close consideration. The smoked wings are especially good.
