I know, you’re probably thinking, “What could possibly be bougier than brunch?” and, “What is a Réveillon Dinner?” See, it’s just that bougie, because you have no idea!
The Réveillon dinner is a Creole tradition and was originally served after midnight Mass on Christmas Eve (you can read more about that here). As with many traditions, Réveillon has been modernized, and many restaurants are serving prix fixe dinners with three or more courses throughout the month of December.
I decided to take this opportunity to dine at The Country Club. The name alone sparked my interest, so I put on my velvet fur duster and sashayed my way inside this Bywater gem.
As I walked up the stairs and opened the door, I was greeted and noticed a sizable crowd at the bar already, and the place had been open for seven minutes! Needless to say, the vibe I felt was welcoming, and as I looked around, I wondered to myself what took me so long to get over here.
I took my seat in the corner so I could look around the room and immediately asked for a black napkin, a must-have for me. Now, let’s get to the important stuff, the dinner cocktails. Dinner cocktails range in price from $10-$12. Per usual, I asked for the “prettiest” drink. Let’s be honest here: it’s all about the ‘gram. I ordered the Roulaison Sour.
The Réveillon Dinner is a four-course prixe fixe menu for $60 that includes smoked popano, pissaladiere, bouillabaisse, veal blanquette and buche de noel. I could not pass up the featured “Réveillon on the Rocks” cocktail, the Winter Sour.
The Amuse Bouche was smoked pompano. As soon as this dish came out, I knew that this place would win my bougie heart with its lime crema, pressed egg, shallots and caviar.
The first course was the pissaladiere, a hand-rolled puff pastry with melted onions, roasted garlic puree, nicoise olives and Spanish anchovies. I am not a fan of anchovies, but the pastry was still tasty after I removed them.
The second course was the bouillabaisse, a French saffron stew perfect for a cold evening. It was a little spicy and full of flavorful lobster, shrimp, fish and scallops.
The third course was the veal blanquette was my kind of comfort food. A braised veal should come with truffle grits. I couldn’t even finish it all!
I had to save room for the buche de noel. It was a chocolate genoise with chestnut mousse, orange anglaise, candied hazelnuts and coffee toffee. Doesn’t that just sound bougie to you?
The service was fast, and I was even greeted by executive chef Chris Barbato. The food was really good, and the portion size was much larger than I expected. My server commented that the normal entrée size is even larger. While some diners may not like the limited options associated with prix fixe dinners, I do because it allows me to try dishes I may not order any other time.
Here are a few tips for dining at The Country Club:
– Make reservations in advance on Open Table. There is also a drag brunch every Saturday, but it’s booked until April 2019!
– It’s off-street parking so I would suggest taking an Uber or Lyft.
– All guests must be over the age of 21 with a valid ID to enter, so this may not be an option for a family dinner.
Want to find out where else to get a great Reveillon Dinner? Check out our guide here!
