THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Table One Brasserie

THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Table One Brasserie Restaurant Review:

Chef Gerard Maras was one of the first to bring an obsession with fresh, locally sourced ingredients to New Orleans. Today, he’s among the most admired chefs in the city. It’s surprising, then, that his restaurant, Table One Brasserie, has not created more buzz. The beautifully restored corner building in Uptown, with plenty of polished wood and brass, was first a high-end steakhouse. After the storm, Maras, who had been the chef at Ralph’s on the Park, took over the stylish spot and built a menu that hits all the hallmarks of his style: classical techniques, light preparations and carefully selected produce. Who else would include on one menu a torchon of foie gras, cured salmon gravlax, carpaccio and a duck galantine? No one in the city pays as much attention to salads; for example, the limestone Bibb lettuce with roasted beets is carefully and creatively dressed with orange blossom vinaigrette. The fish is pristine and the meats carry fine pedigrees like Niman Ranch or Kurobuta. The kitchen occasionally fails to execute the food perfectly, a problem that’s more obvious with ingredient-driven cooking like this. One gets the feeling that Maras is not pushing himself in new directions. Even solid food from Maras, however, is better than most chefs’ efforts. And often, the food at Table One is first-rate. A large globally sourced wine list accommodates patrons by offering many fine choices by the glass and half bottle.