Three Muses Awards

Three Muses Restaurant Review:

You can find great food on Frenchmen Street, and great music can always be found. But to encounter both in the same establishment is pure gold. Three Muses is a collaborative work of chef Daniel Esses and musician Sophie Lee. The tiny stage just inside the front door is the focal point of the long, narrow room. The tight quarters make the place feel intimate, rather than crowded. And once the sun goes down, the interior takes on a soothing patina that makes you want to linger. On that stage, from early in the evening (sometimes as early as 6 p.m.), local jazz musicians draw a crowd at a time when most nearby competitors haven’t quite fired up yet. Esses turns out such small plates as lamb sliders with tomato chutney, duck pastrami pizza, beer-braised pork belly with scallion pancakes, and sugarcane shrimp with chilled noodle salad. For dessert, there’s coconut pie with caramel sauce and a real standout: peanut butter ecstasy pie. Stop in for a cocktail after being anywhere else. There’s a brief wine list, too. Be sure to make a joyful noise --- that’s what this place is all about.