More of a neighborhood bistro than a bar, La Petite Grocery has been a fixture in the Uptown district since 2004 — and under its current management since 2010. Chef Justin Devillier won a James Beard Award in 2016 for his upscale New Orleans fare, and having spent an evening here during the recent Tales of the Cocktail conference, it’s easy to see why. Massive plates of Cajun delights filled our table — alongside gentle spins on classic cocktails, too.
I’m going to break tradition and talk about the food first, with which I was unable to find much fault. The blue crab beignets are a signature dish here, and the two-bite delights rightfully earn their place as one of NOLA’s most essential single dishes. A short rib appetizer bursts with beefy flavor, and a simply prepared redfish dish felt straight off the boat. As we were dining on a Monday, red beans and rice were on the menu, a massive plate served with cornbread and topped with a showstopping chicken thigh that I couldn’t put down. If you come hungry — and you’ll need to — spending an extra seven bucks on the biggest bowl of French fries in town is the best move you can make.
Of course, we’re here for the drinks, and they didn’t disappoint. We tried four items on the curated cocktail list (all $13 to $18), all classics made with something of a twist.
My favorite was a surprise called the Cassius Club, made with Tito’s vodka, apricot, Steen’s syrup, lemon, and absinthe. I almost never drink vodka cocktails but this refreshing and summery libation was perfect on a blazing hot New Orleans day. The apricot pops without being overwhelming, while the lemon and licorice-laced absinthe make for a seductive finish.
The most unique cocktail in the lineup that I tried was the Bittersweet Motel, a mix of Novo Fogo cachaca, Tempus Fugit banana liqueur, Fernet Paesani, and Bitterman’s Xocolatl Mole Bitters. It sounds wild and it is, and while our server described it as a (loose) riff on a Negroni, it took some mental gymnastics to make that connection. I especially enjoyed this as the ice melted a bit, coaxing the banana flavor from the middle ground to a dominant position on the palate.
More traditional fare included tastes of a Bee’s Knees (Bombay gin, honey, lavender, and lemon), with understated spice and smoldering honey, and the Blood Oath, a pumped-up version of a Blood and Sand, made with Michter’s rye, Cherry Heering, falernum, orange, and lime. It was the only cocktail in the bunch that I felt might be a bit too over the top, its fruit notes becoming overwhelming in the end.
Service here was gracious and extremely friendly, our server taking time to chat through the history of the establishment and a bit of her own journey — all managing to avoid feeling like we were being schooled while sitting in a classroom. I’ll definitely be back.
4238 Magazine St, New Orleans, LA 70115
lapetitegrocery.com
