Capdeville NOLA — v0.5

Last night was an excellent time at Capdeville! They’re self-described as an American interpretation of a British social house. We invite those craving a gourmet spin on classic bar food and cocktails to join us in an elegantly designed space featuring personalized service and a warm, alluring atmosphere.

I am sorry to say that my battery died two minutes into dinner last night at Capdeville, so, sadly, I have NO photos of my own of the lovely eats. I do, however, have this photo from the last time I was there at lunch:

So, since I do not have any other of my own photos, I will just have to tell you all about them instead … and hope that my words are enough to make you want to eat the goods. I’m including some photos from their website, and CLEARLY those belong to Capdeville. Please do not use without giving them credit. (That’s the lawyer in me, there)

I began the evening with a haircut appointment at Coloriage. Christopher Hoggatt is God’s gift to man, woman, hair, color and the whole world. He’s AMAZING. If you need a color specialist who lives and breathes and feels color, he’s your man. Seriously. Full disclosure, he is also a very dear friend, and so oftentimes I will set my appointment late (for instance, last night it was at 6) … where we open a bottle of wine (last night, a nice French Chard from Martin’s Wine Cellar on Mag) and take our time through the pampering process. By 7:45 we were sufficiently watered and on our way to Capdeville with the windows down and the music turned up!

We arrived promptly at 8, as our reservations were made in advance, and the place was a little on the “big party” empty side. The smaller tables were already enjoying the great rock and roll pumping, and glasses were clinking in the background. It felt like home.

We got a nice little table up by the bar and relaxed for a few minutes while we waited for our server to come by. One of the things I truly love about Capdeville is how laid back it is, and how not stuffy it is, even though it could easily be. Plenty of the patrons over the evening were in suits, ties and the like, but somehow, it just feels like a neighborhood joint.

Finally darling Chelsea came to greet us, and fyi, she took marvelous care of us. She staggered our orders just perfectly. Once one app was about done, the next hit the table. Once we’d run through all four (yikes!) apps, the dinners hit the table. Fine service like this is hard to find!

Upon arrival, we had to decide on a drink. After two beautiful glasses of wine, I switched to something different. I had the Persephone’s Fall (see above photo .. the drink is made with Sobieski Vodka, St. Germain Elderflower Liqueur, Pomegranate & Lemon Juice, Sugar & Organic Egg White) and my cohort had a new drink not on the online menu just yet, the Electric Ladyland (forgive me for not knowing the ingredients … there was gin, that much I know). I’m also not usually one for flowery drinks or pomegranate, but I love the Persephone’s Fall because it is light, frothy (that’s the egg white there) and is just fruity enough to feel like a “big kid drink” without the edge. The folks over at Cure helped me learn to appreciate the art of a frothy drink. In fact, come to think of it, I was with Christopher at Cure that night, too. I never was much for gin, but apparently I’m getting wiser in my old age.

Once we had a few moments to savor our drinks, sweet Chelsea came back and took our first round of orders. We demanded, in no particular order:

1. Fried Red Beans & Rice, with Green Onion Aioli & Reduced Hot Sauce
2. Ham & Cheese Fritters, Serrano Ham, Manchego, White Wine Tomato Sauce
3. Smoked Salmon Deviled Eggs, Pickled Peppers, Caper Berries and
   
4. Truffle Parmesan Fries

We’ll go through the apps one by one:

Can we say oh my god? For one, I always love the fried red beans and rice. I get them everytime. They’re like little croquets, but filled with red beans rather than cheese. They’re not so salty, and no sausage in there, but with the aioli topped with a bit of that hot sauce, it’s like a party in your mouth. I find the hot sauce they use is a cross between Worcestershire sauce and bbq tabasco. It’s an interesting taste and give the red beans the kick they need.

Unfortunately, I could not find a photo for the Fritters. They were about the same size as the fried red beans and rice, flat like crabcakes and were topped off each with a dab of the sauce, but in the middle of the plate, there was a tablespoon or so of the sauce for dipping. I especially enjoyed this because it felt like I was able to relax my tastebuds after that relatively spicy sauce on the red beans. The tomato sauce was a little chunky (cucumber, maybe?) and had a little tinge to it … a spark, shall I say. They were a nice bronze and not too crispy. I cut each piece into three, so in essence, I had 6!

Next came the Smoked Salmon Deviled Eggs, for which Christopher was incredibly excited.

Chilled just so and a tad bit salty for my taste, these were not my favorite, but then again, I’m not too big on caperberries. I like them occasionally, but that was really of no moment, because Christopher took care of those for us. Seriously. Whenever I have deviled eggs, I am transported back to my childhood. It’s one of my favorite finger foods to make!

Next came the Truffle Parmesan fries.

Clearly these are not the Truffle Parm fries, but it gives you an idea of their size and shape. They’re just long enough that to eat them you either have to fold them in half or eat them in two bites. Though I am partial to tater tots (yes, here’s childhood again), I like handcut fries because you know that someone took the time to make sure that the fries that you are eating are from fresh potatoes and are of a suitable type of potato for just this. French fries are difficult to master. They require just the right amount of salt, seasoning, soaking and flash frying. And then, of course, I love truffle oil. I would eat it on just about anything. And of course, if there is cheese, I’m totally in. The parmesan was not shaved on the fries, rather, it was kind of balled up, if you will, into baby rolls of parmesan. It was an interesting presentation. Needless to say, they didn’t last long at all.

Next came dinner. Christopher had the Duck Confit Club (topped with Duck Cracklings, Lettuce, Tomato, Roasted Garlic Aioli) and I had the Caramel Apple Salad (Romaine, Pink Lady Apples, Bacon, Point Reyes Bleu Cheese, Caramel Cider Vinaigrette) and I added Chicken to it (I know, you aren’t surprised).

I couldn’t find a photo of the Duck Confit Club, but suffice it to say that the sammich was HUGE. It looked like a triple club. The bread was thinly sliced with no edges (the crust had been cut off) and it was loaded with fixin’s. When Chelsea asked him how the sammich was, all he could do was respond with a full smile and a thumbs up. It was fun to watch.

And now my dinner, the Caramel Apple Salad topped with chicken. Let me just say now that I normally do not eat a salad for dinner. In fact, I usually only eat a salad for lunch, but I knew what I was getting myself into when I went to Capdeville. I knew there’d be fried food, and I knew I was going to have fun. I also knew that I was likely going to be looking for something a little more crisp and fresh by the end. The salad did not disappoint!

The lettuce was fresh, cold and crisp (you remember how I like this, yes?) and the toppings were just perfect. The chicken was grilled-fried like, but they were like little tenderloins. Very interesting. A little on the dry side, but actually a relatively decent addition to the wet salad. The apples were a big soggy, but they were so because they’d been soaked in that lush caramel love. The tiny bits of bacon and blue cheese underneath it all were like little gold nuggets waiting to be eaten. I also got the dressing on the side. I’m always leery of vinaigrettes, because you never know what you’re going to get. It was a clear dressing, which was surprising, but with little splashes of red and orange in there. I have no idea how they make it, nor do I care. I ate every bite of every bit. It was a perfect ending to a perfect meal.

So, all in all, this was approximately my fifth or so visit to Capdeville. Each visit is better than the last, and each visit I am surprised by something new on the menu. My one and only regret last night was not getting the Truffle Mac & Cheese. I’m wishing I had some right about now.

If you go, be sure to make reservations. The space is fairly small but the tables are big enough to spread out. Tell them we said hi, and make sure you get the soup of the day!

~ nolafoodie