“In Vino Veritas."

    In wine there is truth. 

“Wine is one of the most civilized things in the world and one of the most natural things of the world that has been brought to the greatest perfection, and it offers a greater range for enjoyment and appreciation than, possibly, any other purely sensory thing.”- Ernest Hemingway

Here at LPK our philosophy on wine is congruently the same as that of our dear friend Ernest Hemingway. We love wine, love hearing the stories of the vineyard owners, love tasting the variations from all over the world and love pairing a perfectly chilled glass of wine with a hot plate of Creole-Italian fare. We view wine and food as having a symbiotic relationship – each increasing the quality and flavor of the other. 

Being the perfectionists (and slight over-achievers) that we are, we couldn’t rest at night without knowing that we are providing our guests with the best wine experience possible. We take great pride in our selection and the way in which we serve and preserve the wines we offer. For a small restaurant with only 58 seats we offer nearly twice that in wine varietals (105 by the bottle and 24 by the glass options). We offer wines from all over the world but hold a special focus on Mediterranean wines from Southern France, Spain and Italy.  We use a system called a WineKeeper to preserve our wines by the glass and ensure they are served at precisely the recommend temperature for enhanced flavor. We also serve all of our wines in Riedel Glassware, ".. designed in shape according to the character of each wine" (Perhaps over-achieving was an understatement).

We love seeing our hard work pay off, we've been the proud recipient of the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence for the past three years, 2010-2012 (the 2013 winners have yet to be announced).

Okay.. It all sounds good but.. Are you ready to hear the best part?!?

 All of our wines are offered at an affordable rate, which means you get to indulge yourself in perfectly chilled bottles of wine for less :)

Here’s a peak at our WineKeeper System:

How it works: It’s a dispenser designed to preserve wines, keeping them as fresh as the moment they are first uncorked for several weeks. They store wines at appropriately cool temperatures, and keep oxygen from coming in contact with the liquid inside the bottle by using nitrogen to push out all oxygen, leaving you with deliciously crisp wine.

Why it’s Cool:  It allows us to serve 24 wines by the glass and keep them fresh! Anytime of the week you can come in and enjoy anything from a perfectly chilled Cotes du Rhone to a sparkling Rose.

Each of our 24 wines by the glass that we offer have been tasted and selected by our staff. Weekly wine tastings are held each Thursday. This allows our staff to have confidence in the quality of the wines they are selling. Although all of our wines are awesome, we've listed a few of our Summer favorites below. To see our full wine list, venture on down to LPK and give us a visit. Also, be sure to follow our blog, we will be featuring more of our great selection in the future! 

2012 Copain Rose Wine  “Tous Ensemble” Anderson Valley, CA; Pinot Noir
Taste:  Dry, vibrant, and refreshing with hints of cherry blossoms, watermelon and strawberry 

2012 Bodegas Vina Nora Peitan Albarino, Rias Baixas, Spain

Taste: Crisp, Clean and well-balanced with a hints of lemon and pear, tropical fruit with a spicy finish

2011 Seghesio Family Vineyards Zinfandel, Sonoma County, CA
Taste: Rich, spicy and bold with hints of dark cherry and sage with a medium finish

Written by Sasha Bledsoe

“Butta la pasta!”

   Throw in the pasta!
  
   Many may find it peculiar that a restaurant with the word Pizza in the name would begin it's blogging adventure on the topic of Pasta. However, at the Louisiana Pizza Kitchen we couldn't find this topic more appropriate. Yes, we pride ourselves in serving up some of the most delicious pizzas most people have ever consumed (not to toot our own horns) but we also take great pride in offering superb pastas, salads and desserts. So, to shake things up a bit this week, Pasta shall be the topic of our conversation.

Louisiana Pizza Kitchen is a family owned restaurant, with a focus not only on serving delicious meals but also using the best ingredients and processes of preparation possible. We are always looking for companies to partner with and purchase from that foster the same values and quality standards we hold.  We found just what we were looking for in Rustichello D'Abruzzo Pasta.

Their story: In the1920's a man by the name of Gaetano Sergiacomo began making pasta using durum wheat he found at local farms within his hometown of Abruzzo, Italy. His pasta was made with such care and quality that by 1924 he had began producing it for trade to his neighbors and friends out of his home. It wasn't until 1980 that the family-owned pasta company began sharing their tasteful secret with small, local restaurants and specialty shops in Italy. Word traveled quickly and today, Geatano's pasta has made it out of Abruzzo, Italy and onto our plates here at the Louisiana Pizza Kitchen in the French Quarter of New Orleans.

Why we like them: Despite increasing popularity and demand for their products, Rustichello D'Abruzzo refuses to sacrifice quality or tradition for supply and demand. They continue to make their pastas in the same manner that Gaetano Sergiacomo did almost 100 years ago and still use only the highest quality durum wheat from their hometown of Abruzzo, Italy. They continue to work by the motto "Primo Grano": Pasta's quality starts with its wheat. 

Here at the Louisiana Pizza Kitchen we believe the same is true for our pasta dishes: Great pasta dishes begin with great pasta, which is why we our proud to make each dish we serve with pasta from Rustichello D'Abruzzo. 

  SHHHHH Don’t Tell……

Since we’re sharing family stories, we’ve decided to also share one of our family secrets - Our Louisiana Pizza Kitchen recipe for our Savory Herb Spaghetti with hand-rolled meatballs made of beef, pork and veal.  

Savory Herb Spaghetti with Meatballs

The Meatballs:

½ lb Niman Ranch Ground Chuck

½ lb Niman Ranch Ground Pork

½ lb Niman Ranch Ground Veal

2 cloves Minced Garlic

2 tsp onion powder

Salt and Ground Black Pepper, to taste

½ tsp Di Stefano 100% Pure Olive Oil

In large frying pan, add oil and heat over medium flame. Combine all of the ingredients together in a large bowl. Shape the mixture into balls of your preferred size. Place the balls in the pan over a medium heat and cook them. Be sure to turn the meatballs frequently so that they don’t stick to the pan before being thoroughly cooked. When the meatballs are very brown and slightly crisp remove from the heat and drain on a paper towel.

The Sauce:        

2 tbsp Di Stefano 100% Pure Olive Oil

¼ cup onion, chopped

1 tsp Minced Garlic

28 oz Cento San Marzano Italian Tomatoes, hand crushed

Salt and Ground Black Pepper, to taste

1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped

In medium saucepan, heat oil over medium flame. Add onion; sauté until onion is translucent, approximately 1 minute. Add garlic; gently brown for 1 minute. Pour in tomatoes and season with salt and pepper to your liking; stir well. Cover and let simmer for 20 minutes or until desired thickness is achieved. Remove from heat and let cool.

The Pasta: Bring a large pot of water to boil and add the Rustichello D'Abruzzo spaghetti. While the spaghetti is cooking add a couple drops of Di Stefano 100% Pure Olive Oil to prevent sticking. As soon as the spaghetti is cooked al dente, drain it and dress with the sauce and meatballs. Cover with grated cheese and garnish with basil leaves (if you’re feeling fancy).

A few of the base ingredients

It always helps to start any recipe off with an awesome Chef! Mrs. B is one of LPK's favorites!
She's been with us for almost 10 years!

Adding the Spaghetti

Stirring the pasta to make sure it doesn't stick

This pasta is soo good, we were tempted to eat it all by itself!

Savory Herb Spaghetti ~ Delicious!!

bon appetit!

Once any awesome feast is complete, it's time to do the dishes. Mr. Keith is more like a family member
than an employee. He's been hanging out around LPK and making us smile since 1991 (thats 22 years!)

Written by Sasha Bledsoe