By Jimmy Mehiel
Maurepas Foods Review – Unpretentious New Orleans Brunch
I woke up alone. My surrounds told me that I was in my own bed, and my body told me that my blood alcohol level was dipping dangerously low. It was close to noon, and I called my friend, Chef Damon. Fortunately, he was in a similar predicament. We assembled ourselves into the most presentable state we could manage and proceeded to drag our whiskey soaked livers over to Maurepas Foods for brunch.
Maurepas Foods is located on Burgundy and Louisa in the Bywater neighborhood. Their window logo boasts their robust cuisine, but the first order of business was alcohol, which for me meant the Bloody Mary. It’s not featured on the brunch drink menu, but that’s only because you’re kind of a jackass if you don’t already know you can order a Bloody Mary. We are in New Orleans after all. The only thing we need more than Bloody Marys is air conditioning in the summertime.
Chef Damon orders a “Shoot the Puncheon,” which he describes as the perfect summer drink. We’re talkin Pimm’s no. 1, lime, mint and such. He seemed to recover a bit of life force. My Bloody Mary was perfect. I spoke with the guy who runs the bar, and he told me they had recently retooled their mix. For me, it’s a perfectly balanced classic style Bloody. The last thing I need as I face my hangover is to battle through an overly peppery, stupidly hot beverage. I’m not attempting to prove anything at this point in the day, I just want to enjoy the vehicle for the alcohol, and the Bloody at Maurepas Foods is first on my list in town. They use whatever’s fresh in the kitchen as a veggie topper, and I lucked out because, while I usually get a bit disappointed if I don’t have a stick of celery in my bloody, the pickled carrot was exactly the right compliment.
Chef Damon and I were fully engaged with our hedonistic spirit, so we ordered the Tacos and the Donuts as starters. I highly recommend this move. The two dishes work as a perfect contrast to each other. The Potato Taco is the perfect thing if you get stuck eating with a vegetarian. And I’m a nice guy, so I like to know if what to recommend to veggie friends if need be, but the Goat Taco is not awesome just because it’s a goat taco (with a healthy dose of goat involved), it’s just a solid win. The real star of the tacos at Maurepas has got to be the Chorizo Taco with peach salsa. After biting into the pure excellence that is that taco, I’ve been obsessed with finding out if it’s actually possible to find a better taco in New Orleans. Without doubt, there isn’t a better taco in the Bywater.
The Cinnamon and Cocoa Donuts are served with a little extra glaze on the side, and when you’re looking for that extra indulgent bite it’s a nice bonus, but you don’t need it. They’re the perfect size (one or two bites) and the perfect sweet answer to those savory tacos.
I probably could have walked away happy at this point, but when you see the main event placed on your table, your eyes light up and your taste buds start begging with the anticipation only a lost and starving hiker should know.
Chef Damon ordered the Pork Shoulder and Eggs, which comes with fried oysters, a biscuit and a lot of Hollandaise sauce, which is exactly the right amount for the dish. The pork is the thickness you want, and it’s seared just right so that it does that thing in your mouth that makes you say shit like, “Food really is better than sex.” It’s an incredible amount of food, and to have it cooked with such skill for the price is absurd, and I desperately hope it stays that way forever.
I got the cheapest thing on the menu, but not because I’m a cheap, broke ass who doesn’t know how to do brunch right… I got it because my weak spot in the breakfast world is crab, and this Fancy Toast was creme fraiche, sweet elderberry jam and delicious crabmeat on a beautiful piece of brioche. And guess what… it was phenomenal. The dish doesn’t always come with crabmeat, so you have to get a little lucky if that’s what you’re after, but the good news about that is, if you do get the chance, you know it’s fresh.
Maurepas Foods really knocks it out of the park when it comes to brunch. Every dish I’ve had there is packed with flavor and exceptionally balanced, and the presentation is done with so much style that the dishes could be petrified and hung un-ironically in a gallery. And the thing that really makes the place a solid hit is that, even while having all the makings of, and let’s face it, every right to be, a pretentious restaurant, it ain’t. It’s classy but without the stick up the ass of the wait staff. Our waiter was knowledgable, helpful, and even funny. They’re glad to have you and you should be overjoyed that the place exists. If you’re in New Orleans, you have to go.
