While sitting in John Bech's French inspired restaurant last night I could not help remembering a trip to Provence that Bobby, my husband, and I took in 2002.  Bobby and I dined in a warm and rich atmosphere similar to the delights that we experienced in Provence many years ago. This trip required an hours drive across Lake Pontchatrain rather than a trip across the Atlantic. A highlight to this trip, that we did not have in France, was the conversations with both the chef Erik Loos and John Besh.  They separately visited with each of the many guests.

I began my epicurean experience with the pumpkin cocktail. A combination of Buffalo Whiskey served in a sugary trimmed martini glass. Josh, the bartender, even wrote and delivered to our table, the recipe for the caramel simple syrup that added the sweetness that I enjoy in a beverage.

Ashley, our server, who used to work at Galatoire's Restaurant encouraged our exploration of the menu. The beet and smoked shrimp salad that I devoured was enriched by the lovely pate that sat on out table with crispy French toast points. Ordering the snapper with turnips was a leap of faith on my part.

My eyes lite up when my entree arrived. My plate looked like an under water scene from the "Little Mermaid." The green turnips were stacked into two little columns and surrounded by white 1/4 inch cubes of the turnip root. This creation was wedged between a lovely piece of scored fish and a pallet of red wine matelote sauce. There were tiny sprigs of garnish that resembled beautiful coral fans added to my underwater scene. To my delight there were gruyere malfati balls to kick up the flavor. This dish was as delicious as it was creative and playful.

Bobby had the quail gumbo which had the rice hidden in the quail stuffing. Yet another creative variation on the rich and flavorful local tradition. His sheephead fish came assembled with jumbo lump crabmeat, mushrooms, and  brown butter hollandaise.  We relished these gifts from the seas.

To end our charming evening we shared the Meyer Lemon Curd Tart with Italian meringue and preserved blackberry ice cream! A lovely combination. We sang Christmas songs as we crossed the foggy lake. Another wonderful food adventure in the city that makes eating such a gift.

Thank you John Besh for your vision and your selection of chefs.

http://www.laprovencerestaurant.com/restaurant-bar.html