King Brasserie and Bar opened at the Kimpton Hotel Fontenot in March 2023. The restaurant serves breakfast and dinner seven days a week and lunch three days a week.

Executive Chef of King Brasserie is Samuel Peery, a Tennessee native who previously served as Chef de Cuisine of Restaurant R’evolution under Chef John Folse. Peery earned a Bachelor of Science in marketing and communications from East Tennessee State University, a culinary arts degree from Cook Street School of Fine Cooking in Denver, and an advanced culinary arts degree from the Accademia Italiana Della Cucina in Piedmont, Italy. His menu at King Brasserie reflects Southern, Creole, Italian, and French tastes.

Peery is also a level 1 Sommelier.

Director of Food and Beverage Jessica Retif is a New Orleans native with over 15 years in the hospitality industry. According to the King Brasserie website, Retif previously worked as a beverage consultant with Pomegranate Hospitality for the Four Seasons New Orleans and developed the opening cocktail and zero-proof programs for Miss River and Chandelier Bar. She also worked with Chef Alon Shaya developing the cocktail program for Shaya at the time of their James Beard Award nomination and win.

When putting the menu together for King Brasserie, Peery wanted to create a selection that was French with Mediterranean influences.

Grilled Octopus. Photo courtesy of King Brasserie.

He said, “We wanted to focus on the French Riviera because it didn’t feel like too many restaurants in New Orleans were doing that. We take advantage of the Gulf of Mexico producing so much that we use.”

The housemade bread service is served in a linen canvas bag, a style that Peery first saw in St. Tropez. A baguette is served with focaccia, brioche, choupique caviar tapenade, olive oil and whipped butter on the side.

Menu highlights include Steak Frites, a 14-ounce New York strip with bone marrow au poivre; Shellfish Tower made with Murder Point oysters, mussels, Gulf shrimp, and blue crab claws; Crawfish Beignets with crab fat aioli, and cayenne; and Lobster Bouillabaisse served with shrimp, mussels, fennel, potato, saffron.

One menu standout is King Brasserie’s carbonara dish to which Peery adds his own special touches.

He explained, “Our carbonara sets itself apart. Region-wise, most people make carbonara with egg yolk, black pepper, and bacon. Our version is made with sea urchin and bottarga, which is cured mullet roe. We shave it over the top of sea urchin and carbonara and top the dish with shaved black truffle. We use a Torchi press to make handmade bigoli pasta for that dish.”

Octopus for the Grilled Octopus dish is sourced from the Mediterranean and served with Benton’s bacon, sweet potato and vadouvan curry.

“The spice of the vadouvan intensifies the flavors of the sweet potato and balances well with the grilled octopus,” Peery explained.

Finally, Wild Boar Provençale with tomato, fennel, and black olive is Peery’s ode to Louisiana being a sportsman’s paradise.

“In the Rivieras at the foothills of the Alps I would see elk on the menu, which I thought was interesting,” he said. “We do a rack of Texas Wild Boar and the flavors of Provence, which has been really well received.”

King Brasserie also serves breakfast with highlights such as King Breakfast, eggs your way, red bliss potatoes, chicken apple sausage, applewood bacon, a buttermilk biscuit, and fresh fruit preserves; Quiche Lorraine, Benton’s bacon, gruyere, salad vert, and citrus; Pain Perdu, white chocolate bread pudding, with apricot cane syrup; and Croque Monsieur—croissant, local ham, sauce mornay, and salad vert.

Surprisingly, one of the most popular breakfast dishes here is Oatmeal Orleans. A play on Bananas Foster, Oatmeal Orleans is served with banana brûlée, rum raisins, and brown sugar butter.

Oatmeal Orleans. Photo courtesy of King Brasserie.

“I’ve never sold so much oatmeal as I have at King Brasserie,” Peery said.

The cocktail program includes such selections as Bijou made with St. George gin, green Chartreuse, and Dubonnet Rouge; Pomme Eau De Seltz made with Young Calvados, Rancio Sec, Mediterranean tonic, and thyme; and Avec Grand-Mere made with Bombay Sapphire Gin, Lillet Blanc, and Grand Marnier.

For Father’s Day, King will be partnering with Uncle Nearest Whiskey. Old Fashioned cocktails will be offered with one dollar from each sale donated to Black universities.

King Brassiere, 521 Tchoupitoulas St. (504) 324-3000. Hours: Breakfast daily 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. Lunch: Friday through Sunday 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Dinner: Sunday through Thursday 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.