NEW ORLEANS – Most New Orleans restaurants acknowledge Bastille Day with a special and a glass of something sparkling. Le Moyne Bistro is doing considerably more than that.
On July 14, the Warehouse District bistro opens its doors at 6:30 p.m. for Bastille Day en Fête, a three-hour cocktail reception with unlimited Champagne and sparkling wine, caviar service, a Gulf oyster bar, multiple chef-driven action stations, live French jazz by Pardon My French, a Champagne sabering ceremony, and a croquembouche finale. Tickets are $150 per guest, plus tax and gratuity. Capacity is limited.
The evening starts with a French 75. Alongside it, the Gulf oyster station opens with classic accompaniments, and passed bites begin their circuit through the room: caviar and blinis, panisse, radish butter on brioche, lamb merguez sliders, and jambon and cheese gougères.
At 7 p.m., the action stations open. Chateaubriand au poivre, carved to order. Roasted whole duck served two ways: sliced breast with blackberry cognac sauce, and confit legs in crepes, suzette-style. Moules frites Provençal, with leeks, tomatoes, white wine, and butter, and fries served in cones. A seafood salad of Louisiana royal reds with rosé vinaigrette and peaches. Display tables hold a cheese and charcuterie spread, crudites with grand aïoli, a green salad with lentils, and vichyssoise with truffle.
A French jazz trio begins at 7:15 p.m., playing the repertoire that New Orleans and Paris have been passing back and forth for a century. The chanteuse performs at 8 p.m.
At 8:45 p.m., the Champagne sabering ceremony. At 9 p.m., the “Storm the Bastille” finale: a croquembouche presented at the center of the room, alongside vol-au-vent crème brülée, éclairs, a red, white, and blue tart, and madeleines.
“The menu writes itself when you start with Gulf oysters and end with a croquembouche,” said Farrell Harrison, executive chef. “Louisiana has been cooking in this tradition for three hundred years. We’re doing it all in one evening.”
Date: Tuesday, July 14
Time: 6:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.
Ticket: $150 per guest, plus tax and gratuity
Format: Cocktail-style reception; no assigned seating
Location: Le Moyne Bistro, 746 Tchoupitoulas, New Orleans, Louisiana 70130
Tickets: www.lemoynebistro.com