MiLa
817 Common Street
New Orleans, LA 70112
504-412-2580
Lunch: Monday-Friday 11:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Dinner: Monday-Saturday 5:30 -10 p.m.
www.milaneworleans.com
By Jane Feehan
The cuisines of Mississippi and Louisiana, as interpreted by married chefs Slade Rushing and Allsion Vines Rushing, are presented at their New Orleans restaurant, MiLa, across the street from the Roosevelt Hotel.
With an accent on fresh ingredients – direct from a nearby farm – the chefs successfully blend their home states’ cookery with a French touch. There’s something for any palate - rack of lamb, pan roasted grouper, New Orleans barbequed lobster, crispy skinned red snapper, sweet potato pappardelle and more. I chose cream of parsnip soup as a starter. While I was enjoying that, the server brought, complimentary from the chefs, the “Muse Trio,” of the evening. This night it was three pieces of shrimp, one wrapped in a basil leaf, another dipped in a light tempura and the third in a mild sauce. The salad, with roasted sunflower seeds, was delicately flavored with a hint of lemon, perfect for most any entrée. My choice for a main course was Roasted Young French Chicken, with pickled chantrelles (a wild mushroom), fingerling potato, cabbage, and Foie Gras emulsion. I don’t remember ever eating food this good in Mississippi … nor anywhere in the Louisiana countryside.
Take two parts creativity, mix with three parts fresh ingredients and you get MiLa, a deliciously sophisticated dining experience. Service: excellent. Good selection of wines and single malt scotches.
