Jul
1
Seasoned with style – go inside the Kitchen of one of New Orleans Best Chef – Michael Farrell of
Le Meritage
New Orleans Homes & Lifestyle Magazine
Posted in Accolades, FQWF, Le Meritage, Maison Dupuy, Press
Jun
3
For some reason, and I don’t have the answer, the relatively tiny community of New Orleans attracts creative and talented chefs who desire to practice their craft in a place filled with equally talented and creative masters of cuisine.
New Orleans has a new rising star who is not from our midst. Chef Michael Farrell has not only brought innovation to the dining room at Le Meritage in the Maison Dupuy Hotel, but he has completely taken the concept of a menu and wine pairing and stood it on its head. Wines are paired with dishes, then decisions about both are fully placed in the hands of the diner.
Desire bigger portions of both wines and the accompanying dish? Do it. Want more of one, less of another? Not the first dish but the second; not the second wine but the first? It’s all up to the diner. The heavy work has been done exquisitely. The wines are superb, and Chef Farrell’s creations are innovative and so very tasty.
Our beautiful City lives beyond its means in the richness of our culture, our architecture, our history and our music. Now we have another talent, adding to the plethora of those riches, sending forth from the kitchen and the wine cellar feasts for the senses.
Tim McNally
Host The Wine Show
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Chef Michael blends his national experience with our local seafood to create wonderful treasures. His crabcakes are the best.
Morton Katz
Attorney at Law
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Morty:
We truly cannot thank you enough for the dinner last night. I think that may very well have been the best meal we have had in New Orleans to date. And believe me, that is saying more than you know considering the source. There was not one item that was served to us last night that was not cooked to perfection. The presentation was astounding, sometimes almost too good to eat … almost. I wisely chose to let the chef serve me his best offerings via the tasting menu. To say it was delicious would be a gross understatement. And that was due in no small part to the expertly paired wines – one of which we enjoyed so much we insisted on buying a bottle to bring home.
Your attention to detail was impressive: the sparkling and still water containers; the monogrammed butter dish; the black linens; even the salt and pepper containers were amazing! And your staff deserves to be commended. Emma did an absolutely fantastic job waiting on us throughout the evening. She has a bubbly personality that was the most wonderful accompaniment to the meal. Your wine list it to be commended as well. Such a fine selection of wines I have not seen outside of California wine country, even in the most respected restaurants in New Orleans. You can rest assured I have already recommended your restaurant to several of my friends and family, and we will most certainly be coming back for more!
I doubt that I could ever repay you for making our 7th anniversary so memorable.
Best wishes and with most sincere gratitude,
Kristin & Gene Durand
Posted in Accolades, FQWF, Le Meritage, Maison Dupuy, Press
Jun
2
This is a wine-themed menu with all dishes available as half or full portions. Dishes are listed by how their flavors correspond with wine characteristics, from “sparklers” (fried oysters, smoked salmon) to “robust reds” (lamb chops, beef short ribs). Wine pairings for each are printed along the margin, and they are offered in full and half pours.
It’s a tribute to chef Michael Farrell that initial skepticism about this concept fell away when his beautifully composed, vividly flavorful dishes began to arrive. On subsequent visits, we both played along with the wine pairings and stuck with one wine throughout, but all the dinners were memorable and exciting.
Farrell uses lots of local seafood, and all we tried were assertive. The red drum was roasted with a thick sheath of crinkly skin, as was the black grouper, giving a solid crunch outside firm flesh. Plenty of restaurants brag about their crab cakes, but this one really did live up to our waiter’s glowing praise. Huge knuckles of sweet white meat and a smattering of crawfish tails were held together by not much more than mutual affection.
Many people who dine here opt for a parade of small plates, but don’t confuse this with tapas. Even the small dishes at Le Meritage are usually complete and elaborate compositions with all the balance of a full-fledged entree, just miniaturized.
The perfectly grilled and greaseless quail was one example of big flavors writ small, plated with a salad of earthy greens and a tiny pile of wild rice. Another was the duck, one of the best dishes I sampled. It came on a long, narrow plate anchored on one end by slices of seared breast with fig compote and on the other by a few silken slabs of foie gras scored to catch a mellow, honeyed sauce, with a border between them made of buttery roasted potatoes and, as if a centerpiece, a purple iris blossom.
I regretted not ordering the large portion of the excellent rabbit tenderloin wrapped in pancetta over tagliatelle, but I was glad the excessively chewy and disappointing flatiron steak took only a small bite from both my appetite and wallet.
Posted in Accolades, FQWF, Le Meritage, Maison Dupuy, Press
