From Paris to off Poydras, Chef Ryan Pearson returns to his home state of Louisiana to merge flavors of France with the French Quarter.
Couvant—more specifically on Magazine Street in the Central Business District—has been closed for two years in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Re-opening inside the Eliza Jane Hotel on March 17, it’s a Lucky Day for New Orleans when the city gains Chef Ryan Pearson, who most recently served as sous chef of the Michelin-starred restaurant, Daniel, in New York City.
“After spending some time in New York and France, I wanted to come back and do French food but still embrace South Louisiana,” says Chef Ryan Pearson. “There’s a lot that makes [New Orleans] special that we want to embrace—it’s still very French influenced but not quite as literal.”
With a brasserie-style elegance, the Louisiana flavors are subtle and refined. Think crawfish gnocchi, Gulf Royal Red shrimp with parmesan black rice and tomato coconut bisque and a beautiful Baby Beet Salad with local Louisiana strawberries and Creole cream cheese mousse.
Upon re-opening, the buzzed-about dish at Couvant under Pearson’s culinary revamp will no doubt will be the Cochon de Lait, where they confit a whole pig, pressing duck fat into the skin to crisp it—as well as the Côte de Boeuf For Two, a pan-roasted dry aged ribeye served with potato gratin and roasted mushrooms and a black garlic bordelaise.
For the Snacks and Appetizers, think like Parisian women—masters of moderation while enjoying la belle vie (the good life)—and start with the beef tartar and a plate of Gougères, the bite-sized gruyere classic with melt-in-your-mouth truffled mornay sauce. Oui, oui!
The cocktail menu features six rotating house specialties, from the Paloma-inspired “Love Bird” with Don Julio blanco tequila and grapefruit to The Burning Season, a negroni play stirred with Rhum Barbancourt, Averna Amaro and Campari.
With such a long absence in this hotel space, the brick courtyard will be a welcome respite for neighbors and guests of the Eliza Jane alike—not to mention brunch, with omelets and Duck Confit Eggs Benedict, to excite the curiosities of locals seeking hearty hangover remedies and properly made eye-openers.
Welcome back, Couvant! With the mask mandate finally behind us, French decadence in our future feels well deserved.
It sure is good to break bread together—and butter that sourdough again.
Couvant Bar & Brasserie
317 Magazine Street at the Eliza Jane Hotel
New Orleans
