| By ANNETTE SISCO | Staff writer |
Greetings, New Orleans food fans! This week, we find Thai and Creole flavors intersecting at the family restaurant Thai NOLA in New Orleans East. The Metairie landmark Riccobono's Peppermill has closed after 47 years. Chef Alex Harrell takes over the kitchen at Covington's Southern Hotel, while in Uptown New Orleans the Chinese Kitchen Club has opened in the space formerly occupied by Blue Giant. Wine dinners cap off the summer at three local restaurants. And Ian McNulty reports on Louisiana small-ranch beef growers and their pasture-to-plate philosophy. Finally, you have to try Karen Martin's incredibly moist Asian Crusted Chicken. 1. Family recipe? At Thai NOLA, orders for Thai specialties like aromatic, basil-strewn stir fry pad ga pow and tangy tom yum soup keep Benji Butler’s kitchen humming all week. But the busiest day by far at the New Orleans East restaurant is gumbo Friday. 2. Last call at the Peppermill. For nearly half a century, Riccobono's Peppermill has been a rock-solid part of the Metairie dining scene, a family-run restaurant ingrained in the routines of local families. Now it's closed as the owners step away. 3. Wait! There's more. Chef Alex Harrell has taken over the kitchen at the Southern Hotel in Covington, and his style is on-brand. The Chinese Kitchen Club brings a familiar spicy vibe to the former location of Blue Giant. Three restaurants are offering seasonal dinner menus paired with wines to crown the summer. And grass-fed, small-ranch beef is showing up at some fine Louisiana restaurants. 4. Filled with flavor. The secret incredient in delicious, moist Asian Crusted Chicken is right in your kitchen: Good ol' mayonnaise. Find Karen Martin's chicken recipe here. That's it for the food newsletter, but in New Orleans, the food news never stops. Keep up with all the inside info at Where NOLA Eats. P.S.: Want to support local journalism that matters? Subscribe here. It's our best deal! | 