It’s a funny thing, eating in New Orleans. You get so caught up with eating all of the gumbo, po boys, jambalaya, praline bacon, modern Creole, traditional Cajun etc that you rarely give thought to eating at restaurants outside of this cuisine. It’s the “let no meal go wasted” mentality.
A wonderful al fresco meal on a balmy night at Baru completely changed my NOLA eating policy. I have resolved not to miss out on excellent eats just because it’s not the cuisine the city is famous for. Baru are a Latin Caribbean tapas bar in the Garden District with a head chef who hails from Colombia. They specialise in beautifully presented mini dishes, designed to be shared in a group, though they also offer more substantial plates. Interestingly, they also have a BYO wine policy.
The food and menu are probably best described via a series of gorgeous photos…
Ceviche of gulf fish with aji amarillo (a Peruvian chile pepper), cilantro, pickled onions and tortilla chips.
Arepas Con Lechon – white cornmeal cakes with pulled pork, black beans, pickled red onions and cotija.
picadillo beef filled cornmeal empanadas
Mazorca – roasted corn with salao cheese, pink sauce and potato sticks
Ostras Fritas -fried Louisiana oysters with cilantro aioli and caramelized onions
Atun tartare – raw yellowfin tuna in coconut oil with avocado
and finally to the table came this magnificent specimen:
Yup, that’s a deep fried whole fish with coconut rice, patacones (plantains), encurtido de mango (Colombian mango pickle) and grilled lime.
On a Sunday evening, Baru was a welcome change from the pace of the French Quarter. The Caribbean food seemed perfectly matched with the sub-tropical balmy Louisiana twilight.
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