Just before i bambini were due back in school, I whisked them off to New Orleans – their home away from home – for the long-awaited opening of Domenica. John Besh and his executive chef / partner Alon Shaya got it just right: cozy, relaxed but lively, and really, really good.
Anchoring the just-renovated Roosevelt Hotel a stone’s throw from the Quarter, Domenica was inspired by the bountiful Sunday feasts of the Italian countryside – hence its name, which means “Sunday” in Italian. Shaya and his team have immersed themselves in the intricacies of Italian culture over the past year, and it shows in the layers of detail that build the ambience of the restaurant, which is at the same time rustic and sophisticated. Long central communal tables underscore its warm and friendly nature; timber salvaged from a long-submerged vessel gets a second chance as flooring full of old-world character; intricate collages of Italian product labels adorn the walls, and the wooden tables wear nothing but their paper menus, which double as placemats. The white leather cushioning the wooden banquettes and the monumental modern crystal chandeliers and sleek stainless surfaces in the elevated bar area are completely contemporary, though, as is the stunning curtain of bronze chain that creates a sense of intimacy around the communal tables.
An extensive menu of Shaya’s authentically prepared estate-raised pork products vies for attention with the array of homemade pastas and toothsome risottos, braised meats, and local seafood fried to perfection or swimming in a delicate broth. My boys (as usual,) couldn’t get enough of the pizzas. But even at their tender ages, I think they sensed something special about the irresistible blistery-crusted pies baked in a 9,800 lb. wood-burning pizza oven with a rotating stone deck – the only one of its kind in this country! Head over to Domenica any day of the week from 11am ‘til 11pm, and you surely will, too…. Buon appetito!
