Although I’ve reviewed Roux before, I don’t think I did it justice. Mike Robertshaw, the head chef, is headed to Arkansas on a new adventure, which meant we had to get into the restaurant one last time before he left. Although the Black Knight and I didn’t see him behind the counter that night, Roux served still served some amazing dishes.
beet salad – with endives, pomegranate, puffed rice, and blood oranges; sweet, tangy, crunchy and full of beets! this is probably one of the more original beet salads that I’ve had (note, there’s no cheese paired with the beets)
jalapeno hush puppy – with honey; the lone one left that I managed to get a picture of, because we devoured these as soon as they arrived; these are without a doubt, the BEST hush puppies on earth; slightly crunchy on the outside, moist on the inside with bits of corn meal coated in a hint of spice and kissed with the sweetness of honey – I’d come here just for this dish
fried chicken – with pickled okra and spicy maple bourbon syrup; they said this would blow our minds, but this is a very good fried chicken; the meat inside is so flavorful, as if it has been injected with spices and the outside is double fried, so it’s extra hearty crunch, though the batter can be a bit heavy handed in places, but slather it with a bit of the dipping sauce and you won’t think twice about eating just the batter.
beignets – pillows the size of my hand (i’m kind of tiny though) and covered in a mountain of powered sugar; fluffy in the middle and straight out of the fryer – do not burn yourself or you will regret it; do not blow on the beignets to cool them down either – your neighbors and dining partner will not appreciate the snow drifts in their faces; quite possibly the best beignets in town
There’s also a foie gras on the menu, which I have yet to try. I know, considering that I always order foie, that just speaks to how much the other dishes capture my attention. Although Chef Robertshaw is moving, I can’t wait to see what else Roux comes up with. Roux has been one of my favorite restaurants and I hope it continues to amaze with it delicious southern specialties.
SUMMARY
Overall: happily ever after
Highlights: hush puppies, fried chicken, beignets
Footnotes: make sure you have a reservation – otherwise, it’s about an hour wait; sit at the kitchen counter for the best seat in the house; you can order beignets to go – lots of tables were doing this; the fried chicken and the ribs are limited in quantity each night
