…isn’t something I do that often, mainly because I guess I’m not a wine connoisseur. I know what I like, sort of. So last night I attended one of the WYES “Wine Pairings” dinner at Le Meritage, the restaurant at the Maison Dupuy in the French Quarter. Had been invited by by my friend Marci, so we could celebrate her upcoming birthday. It was my first time at Le Meritage, and I must say I was quite impressed. Even though our meal was banquet-style, the service and presentation was impeccable, and well thought through. The wines perfectly complemented the food, which consisted of five courses of the restaurant’s “small plates”: a scrumptious crab cake; silky-smooth very flavorful corn and crab chowder; roasted beet, goat cheese and toasted pistachio nut salad (much better than it sounds, even if you’re not a beet lover); pork tenderloin with a fig compote and braised frisee, and finally superb frozen cafe au lait. The full menu looks great: I’d much rather have the option of ordering a lot of small dishes with a recommended wine pairing. That way one could sample even more of Le Meritage’s cuisine. It’s a great addition to the New Orleans restaurant scene. Kudos to the chef, the wine purveyors (Republic) and WYES for turning me on to Le Meritage.