Chef Brian Landry and the Rhythms of Bayou Bar

Chef Brian Landry is crafting a grilled pompano dish with broken romesco sauce at the Pontchartrain Hotel. This dish integrates Spanish influences and is featured in the cookbook Rhythm & Roux. The chef shares these recipes alongside stories of music at Bayou Bar, a venue where music and food intertwine.

The Pontchartrain Hotel’s Rich Legacy

The Pontchartrain Hotel, housing Bayou Bar, boasts a rich history with notable guests such as Truman Capote and Frank Sinatra. It is also known for announcing the introduction of the New Orleans Saints. In 2016, Chef Landry revived the space by introducing music and collaborating with bassist Peter Harris, music director at Bayou Bar.

Reimagining Creole Cuisine

Landry’s cookbook reflects on the cultural mosaic of New Orleans through food. He uses ingredients like Spanish-influenced romesco sauce, paired with Gulf pompano, to showcase Creole diversity. Other recipes include:

• Crab au Gratin Croquetas: Featuring Spanish and French influences.
• Turkey Necks: A soulful Southern preparation emphasizing humble ingredients.
• Black-Eyed Pea Salad: Tied to historical connections between West Africa and the American South.
• Braised Oxtails: A staple in Caribbean home cooking.

Recipes are enriched with stories from musicians like drummer Herlin Riley and saxophonist Branford Marsalis, contributing to a unique dining experience.

Music and Culinary Fusion

The bond between Landry and Harris, childhood friends from New Orleans, is evident at Bayou Bar. Harris likens assembling musicians to combining dish ingredients, emphasizing the harmony between music and food. Their cookbook Rhythm & Roux celebrates New Orleans’ culinary and musical legacy, recognizing contributions from Black Americans.

“High-level drink, high-level food, and high-level musicianship don’t often happen in the same room. When they do, the experience deepens.” – Landry

A Shared Experience

With camaraderie at its core, Bayou Bar hosts local musicians and friends who often perform impromptu sets. Between performances, the band enjoys family dinners, savoring dishes like pompano and crab meat pasta. This scene embodies the spirit of New Orleans, where culinary influences are praised through dishes like gumbo, with heritages spanning from Spanish seafood to Haitian traditions.

Bayou Bar creates an immersive environment where music and food coexist, offering moments that blend improvisation and familiarity to create magic.

Recipe: Pompano with Broken Romesco

Serves 6

Broken Romesco

1. Toast 1 cup blanched hazelnuts and 1 cup Marcona almonds at 400°F for 6 to 8 minutes.
2. Sweat 3 tablespoons shallots, 1 tablespoon garlic, and ½ teaspoon chili flakes in a saucepan.
3. Deglaze with ½ cup sherry vinegar, add 1 cup piquillo peppers, 2 teaspoons kosher salt, and 1 teaspoon sugar.
4. Simmer, gradually adding 1½ cups extra virgin olive oil, 2 cups cherry tomatoes, and 3 tablespoons Italian parsley.
5. Stir in toasted nuts.

Pompano

1. Season 6 pompano fillets and grill at 500°F until well-cooked.
2. Serve with croutons tossed in broken romesco sauce.