Capdeville's Soup of the Day
One of the things I miss most about working downtown is being only a few block from Capdeville. Now that I work more Uptown, it’s harder for me to make an excuse to jet over to Capdeville for lunch or after hour drinks or for Truffled Mac and Cheese (you read that right).
Capdeville bills itself as “an American interpretation of a British social house.” I would agree with their self-image. But I know what I, and most likely you, care about — the food and drinks.
Ninety-nine percent of the time, I start with the Fried Red Beans and Rice. It’s just as unexpectedly delicious as it sounds. But frying anything in the South is usually a recipe for success, and coating red beans and rice in a fried shell is a major success.
The Smoked Salmon Deviled Eggs are also a great choice for an appetizer. I’m a sucker for deviled eggs though so I’m easy to please on that front.
Capdeville's Chorizo and Manchego Fries
If salads are your thing, Capdeville has one of the best Cobb salads in New Orleans. Surprisingly, a good Cobb salad is difficult to find in this city. But I would give a strong nod to Stein’s Deli and Capdeville for their versions. I’m also a big fan of the Caramel Apple Salad. It’s fresh and not as sweet as it sounds, but I always get it with the grilled chicken to make it a little more substantial.
One of Capdeville’s biggest strengths is its fries. My favorite are the Manchego and Chorizo fries. If you’re willing to explore, you can build your own based on a variety of meats and cheeses.
Earlier, I mentioned the Truffled Mac and Cheese. It is quite possible the best thing on the menu. The dish is comprised of elbow macaroni in truffle oil, parmesan, brown butter, sage, pancetta and peas. It’s rich, but it’s a rare dish that covers all your tastebuds. Even the Umami part.
Capdeville's Brekky Burger
Capdeville is also well-known for the burgers. I have to admit, I’m not a fan. The components are there, but there seems to be an issue with the grill. I always order my burger medium, and Capdeville always cooks them medium-well or worse (as on my last visit) well done. Why anyone would be ok with destroying a piece of meat like that is beyond me. That said, I’ve come to rely more on the Duck Confit Club than the burgers.
The Duck Confit Club is layers of duck cracklings, lettuce, tomato and roasted garlic ailoi between slices of bread. This is one tall sandwich.
If you’re looking for less of a mouthful, I would highly recommend the B.L.F.T. It’s a BLT that uses fried green tomatoes in place of red tomatoes. That’s a tradeoff I 100% agree with. The pumpernickel bread is also a nice touch.
When you need to wash down your sandwich, mac and cheese and fried red beans and rice, I would go with the blackberry mojito. I’m sure it’s a pain in the ass to make, so much so it isn’t on the drink menu, but it’s one of my favorite drinks in New Orleans. Anything with whiskey involved is also a solid choice at Capdeville.
Capdeville's Truffled Mac and Cheese
Overall, Capdeville is a cool place with food that backs up the concept succesfully. It may be a little off the CBD’s beaten path, but it’s worth the visit for lunch, dinner or just drinks.
Capdeville is located at 520 Capdville St and open Monday through Thursday for lunch from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and dinner from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. They’re open from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and closed all day on Sundays.
Po' Boy Livin' Rich 