Breakfast in New Orleans

Morning Glory

Start the day in the Best of Taste at Lüke and Domenica

No matter what your feelings about waking in the morning – whether you bound out of bed to greet the day, or groan and hit the snooze button – there’s no denying that the right breakfast or weekend brunch can set you up and send you off full of vim and vinegar.

If you’re lucky enough to be waking in New Orleans, two restaurants should command your attention: Lüke (adjacent to the Hilton St. Charles,) in the tradition of the great old Franco-German brasseries of New Orleans’ past; and Domenica (in the historic Roosevelt Hotel,) serving bountiful rustic Italian cuisine. Both are creations of acclaimed chef John Besh and offer morning fare that you’ll wish were available all day….

At Lüke (starting at 7am seven days a week,) if you fancy a bit of everything, you can’t go wrong with the St. Charles Buffet for $18.50, which includes scrambled organic eggs, cane syrup sausage, maple sausage, Allen Benton’s smoked bacon, McEwen and Sons grits, artisan cheeses, Bittersweet Plantation’s yogurt, and seasonal fruit and muesli. Or perhaps go for a dish of your choosing: Chicken and Waffles featuring Buttermilk Fried Chicken, Benton’s Bacon Gravy, House-Made Waffles and Local Mayhaw Syrup; Louisiana Shrimp and Grits with Poche’s Andouille is a home-town favorite; and the Cochon and Eggs on Stewed Greens with Cornichons and Hollandaise brings ham ‘n eggs to a whole new level. Classic breakfast items are always an option for the business executive that wishes to have the most important meal of the day within 30 minutes. A la carte prices range from $9-$22.

Feeling Italian? On weekends, Domenica offers up a hearty yet delectable brunch menu. Each dish evokes the Italian countryside absorbed in a centuries’ worth of culinary tradition: try the Frittata with Goat Cheese, Olives, Roasted Peppers and Spinach; or the Scrambled Egg and White Truffle Bruschetta with Crispy Guanciale – an especially rich and flavorful jowl bacon lovingly cured in the restaurant itself. And while preparing yourself for a “magnifico” meal, why not whet your appetite with one of Domenica’s signature Bellini cocktails: Classic Peach; Pomegranate Molasses; Spiced Apple; and Satsuma Ginger. They’ll leave you sighing for the old country…

There really is no excuse now for mediocrity at breakfast: start the day right, in the best of taste -- and with a distinctly Continental flair.

Lüke- 333 St. Charles Ave., New Orleans, LA 70130, www.lukerestaurant.com, 504.378.2840
Domenica-123 Baronne St., New Orleans, LA70112, www.domenicarestaurant.com, 504.648.6020


From Simone Rathle