After an extended hiatus, Couvant announced the restaurant will be reopening its doors to New Orleans on Thursday, March 17. The French brasserie is centrally located just two blocks from the French Quarter and connected to the boutique hotel The Eliza Jane. The restaurant will offer both breakfast and dinner service with plans to expand its offerings to include lunch and brunch service later this year.
Leading the charge is Executive Chef Ryan Pearson, who has recently returned to New Orleans after spending several years in New York and Paris. Inspired by his past travels, professional experiences and home state of Louisiana, Pearson describes the new menu as “elevated French cuisine infused with Southern soul.”
“I was fortunate to work under some amazing chefs at many high-level restaurants, but always knew that I would find my way back home,” says Pearson. “I feel extremely privileged to join the culinary scene of this incredible city and share my experiences through food with both locals and visitors.”
Pearson’s talent and creativity shines throughout Couvant’s new menus as dishes not only showcase his appreciation of local, fresh ingredients, but also allow him to be sustainable in his cooking by limiting waste and utilizing all parts of his proteins when possible.
Dinner menu highlights include Panisses (Crispy chickpea fries with garlic aioli), Gulf Fish Rillette (Served with pickles, toasted bread), Baby Beet Salad (Marinated baby beets, romaine spears, local strawberries and a creole cream cheese mousse), Pate en Croute (Duck and pork, dried fruit mostarda and pickles), Brioche Crusted Veal (Milk fed Veal in a crisp brioche crust, crushed potatoes, king trumpet mushrooms and sauce diable) and a show stopping Cote de Beuf for two (Pan roasted dry aged ribeye, bone marrow crusted potato gratin, roasted mushrooms and a black garlic bordelaise). While favorited breakfast dishes include Smoked Salmon and Oeufs Mayonaise (smoked Salmon with a soft boiled egg, dill caper aioli, mixed greens and toasted wheat bread), Breakfast Po boy (roast beef debris, Swiss cheese, fried eggs, fancy sauce, fried shallots served with hash browns) and a NOLA Breakfast Sandwich (Creole country andouille sausage glazed with pepper jelly, cheddar cheese, Blue Plate Mayo, a fried egg and pickled red onion served with mixed greens), plus mouth-watering sides including rosemary and garlic potatoes, pepper jelly glazed Andouille, stone ground grits and more.
Couvant’s innovative wine list showcases a variety of sustainably farmed French and European wines from small growers in classic wine regions. Two sized pours will be available for all wines at the same price – $8/4 oz. pour and $14/8 oz pour – allowing guests to try a variety of blends that are not readily available in the United States.
The restaurant’s cocktail menu is geared towards lighter spirits, cordials from generational distillers and nods towards classic traditions. Six unique house cocktails (all created by Couvant staff) will be featured and rotated monthly.
Voted ‘Most Gorgeous Restaurant of the Year’ in 2018, Couvant’s photo-worthy interior décor will remain intact with a few new enhancements planned, including updates to the restaurant’s raw bar, now serving as a semi-open kitchen; added outdoor café table seating with table service on Magazine Street plus additional indoor seating in the former restaurant reception area; expanded courtyard dining; greenery & lighting updates and more. Couvant will also introduce new artwork throughout the restaurant which will showcase pieces from a rotating group of New Orleans artists. At opening, artwork by Margaux Hymel, Steve Mercer, Zach Burbach and Lost Dog (Nathan Sitz) will dress the restaurant’s walls. All pieces will be available for purchase with 100% of proceeds going straight to the creator.
Couvant is located at 317 Magazine St, New Orleans, LA 70130 and managed by HRI Lodging, LLC. Reservations via Resy will open on Thursday, March 10. Opening hours of service: Breakfast 7am-11am and Dinner 5pm-10pm.
