Bourbon House

Operated by Dickie Brennan of the legendary Brennan family, the Bourbon House brings fine bourbon to the legendary street that bears the name of the spirit.

Seafood, naturally, is the star of the menu. “If it’s not in season, you won’t find it on the menu,” says Brennan.

Enjoy the complete French Quarter experience by slurping down a few fresh oysters, sipping a signature fine bourbon and digging into some perfectly cooked seafood in a dining room overlooking the tableau of Bourbon Street. Listen to the raucous strains of a street band near the restaurant’s handcrafted wrought iron and custom millwork.

The Brennan family, who operate Commander’s Palace and Brennan’s, are such culinary gods in New Orleans that the family was honored by The Culinary Institute of America for their commitment to outstanding food, caring service and efforts to secure New Orleans' position as a global culinary Mecca.

New Orleans CityBusiness magazine proclaimed the Bourbon House’s fried seafood platter “the best in town and beautiful to behold. The pieces are large, golden brown, hot, fresh, fried to order and seasoned nicely. The stuffed deviled crab is the best of its kind.”

Dickie Brennan shares ownership of the restaurant with his sister Lauren Brennan Brower and managing partner Steve Pettu. Brennan, who also operates the Palace Café and Dickie Brennan’s Steakhouse, is on the James Beard Foundation Board of Trustees and is Chairman of the Board for the Southern Food & Beverage Museum.

After laboring for years in New Orleans best restaurants, executive chef Darin Nesbit took over the Bourbon House after Darin’s success in rebuilding his team after Hurricane Katrina, Under Darin’s direction, the restaurant uses the best local produce to create seasonal, contemporary and classic Creole dishes. All stocks, soups and sauces are made on site; ducks are dry-aged and bacon is cured in-house. All specialty breads and desserts are made from scratch.

The menu is based on classic New Orleans dishes with new favorites. You can order your Louisiana oysters on the half shell straight up, or eat them as Dickie Brennan does, topped with champagne mignonette and local caviar. The Plateaux de Fruits de Mer is a masterpiece of shucked oysters, Gulf shrimp, seasonal seafood salads and marinated crab fingers. Ask for extra napkins and order the New Orleans-style Barbeque Shrimp. During hot months, they offer a temperature lunch special: one dish is priced at the high temperature of the day before.

The Bourbon House proudly proclaims itself to be the home of the city’s best American Whiskey collection, boasting an impressive selection of small batch and single barrel bourbons and a delicious Frozen Bourbon Milk Punch. For those serious about their spirits, the restaurant regularly hosts whiskey and bourbon tastings led by American Whiskey luminaries. Seal your love of the authentic American spirit with a free membership to the New Orleans Bourbon Society (NOBS), hosted by the Bourbon House. Visit www.bourbonhouse.com for more information.
 

Bourbon House Dinner Menu

- by Diane Loupe, New Orleans Reporter for HelloMetro  (Click to leave a message)

Diane Loupe

A resident of Decatur, Ga., and a native of New Orleans, Diane has a M.A. in Journalism from the University of Missouri. She has worked for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the Associated Press, the New Orleans Times-Picayune and Yale Medical School. A freelance writer and editor, her work has appeared in The Sunday Paper, Women's eNews, the Agnes Scott College alumni magazine, eSchool News, and PTO Today.