Smorgasbord

April 4, 2008

Still in recovery from last week’s fury of dining – 15 restaurants in three 3 days on the Northshore – I’m serving up a smorgasbord of information from a lunch on Magazine Street to the cupcake craze and more…dig in.

Mayas Restaurant and Bar, a “Latin American Experience” on lower Magazine Street had a rather wobbly opening several months ago – patrons arrived for a party to find the doors locked, the hours of operation were a mystery, the menu seemed to go through weekly shifts and the local buzz on this place was quite a rollercoaster ride.  All the fracas appears to have settled down…somewhat.  The décor is glossy, slick, designer chic – Pier One on steroids.  The smooth service is attentive, almost to a fault and on two occasions, the check arrived before we’d decided (or were asked) whether to choose a dessert or have a cup of coffee.  There are some who decry Mayas prices as “high,” but there is a way to eat lunch at Maya without breaking the bank.  Portion sizes are huge, easily enough to feed two, so it’s possible to share an appetizer and an entrée, have an iced tea and plunk down $10 per person.  It is also possible to spend $30 a head and feel the sticker shock.  Something’s got to give – lunch specials would be a good start.

The restaurant bills itself as a Latin American restaurant with Caribbean influences, a fair but not entirely accurate assessment of the foods they offer.  The list of starters is broad and includes lots of things the big and starchy.  The torpedo shaped Yucca Rellena stuffed with seasoned ground beef, deep fried and slicked with a sticky sweet-spicy sauce, was more than ample to feed three.   Silky, bright green guacamole was freshly made and artistically presented with a row of triangle-shaped fried flour tortillas sticking out from its depth is a good choice as is the delicious Tamal Criollo packed with heady masa (corn) flavor, loads of shredded roasted pork and a tangle of “escabeche” (pickled) onions.  The Maya Sampler has a bit of everything and everything has that sweet-spicy sauce on it and a ramekin is filled with the sauce in case you need more; you don’t.  Completely confounding is the platter’s ramekins of honey-mustard and ranch salad dressings for dips and the decidedly Asian flare of the food with tempura shrimp and vegetable spring rolls.  Skip the mushy-interior Chicken Croquetas, fried an appetizing deep brown; no sauce can redeem them. 

The entrees are large but require a bolder hand in the kitchen when it comes to seasoning; every dish needed a stiff shake of salt.  Large shreds of tender beef comprise the Cuban Ropa Vieja, slow cooked in a tomato rich, red wine and garlic sauce, served atop a healthy amount of white rice and accompanied by sweet plantains sautéed dark, caramelized brown; “mantequilla” (a loose buttery sour cream) alongside for dipping.  The oddly named Lechon-Roasted Pork (roasted pork-roasted pork?) is a giant hunk of roasted pork, tender and flavorful, tangy with the bright flavors of mojo (bitter orange juice, garlic and onions) over bland black beans and copious amounts of rice.  The meat rocked, the beans did not.  The hit of the lunch entrees for those who like coconut-curry is Coconut Curry Shrimp.  Creamy, spicy and filling, 7 or so medium shrimp, lightly grilled surround a mound of rice and a slurry of sauce tinged with green curry and the barest biting hint of ginger.  This excellent dish is a grateful hold-over from the chef’s previous restaurant menu at the former Azul in the Ambassador Hotel.   Sandwiches are another good choice and $9 will get you a pretty snappy Cubano or the Maya’s Sandwich a Cubano made with shredded chicken in lieu of pork.  Tres Leches, flan, or a Bananas Foster-like dish called Bananas en Gloria round out the desserts and are all quite nice.  The Margaritas and Sangria are excellent. 

Muffins Are Ugly…Cupcakes are cute and at long last, they make a more dynamic appearance on our food scene.  The Kupcake Factory in Kenner bakes up 12 flavors daily – chocolate on chocolate, vanilla on chocolate, lemon, carrot, etc.  Big crumbly-moist cupcakes with a hefty swirl of frosting are pretty to look at and super sweet, delicious.  Now if we can get this place to open before noon…Meantime, Cake Café & Bakery has their more reasonable-sized cupcakes in sedate, but well-crafted flavors. Red Velvet is a big hit with the masses, but it’s the Wedding Cake (white cake) with its superlative, gently almond flavored icing and that blew me away.  For a long time anyone who knows anything about pralines has been a fan of Pralines by Jean on St. Charles Avenue, but there was recent buzz about her cupcake flavors.  Even more petite than the others, size-wise, there is a concentration of flavor that stuns.  Sitting in the case next to the dense and cocoa-laden Red Velvet, was the outstanding caramel sweet and pecan studded praline and next to that was Strawberry with Strawberry cupcakes.  Playing off seasonality with lush, fresh strawberries is a pink cake with tender crumb, a thin swipe of smooth strawberry icing is topped by a fat strawberry slice to garnish.  Recently Jean had an Irish Whisky cupcake in the case.  Booze-soaked cake is more than a good thing.
For those who crave the latest in food jewelry, I spied a pendant necklace with a hand-wrought, delicate, and adorable metal cupcake.  Made by Maria Fomich (one of Tom Mann’s in-house artisans) and sold at Magazine Metals, the small, delicious pendant certainly saves on calories while sweetly decorating your neck.

Do Something Delicious… In case you still don’t know, the owner of Bacchanal and his wife were in a serious auto accident but despite debilitating injuries, are on the mend.  Nonetheless, they need our help and it’s heartwarming to see all the generosity flowing from friends and fans.  L'art Noir New Orleans is coordinating a fundraiser tentatively to take place on Saturday, April 19th at the Backyard Ballroom with bands, performances, art and other goods/services auction, etc. To help with the fundraiser, play at the fundraiser and/or donate art, goods, services or other items for the auction, contact Andrea via email at