Check out these Coolinary summer restaurant deals in New Orleans, from steak to Champagne

The annual Coolinary program returns in August, bringing summer dining deals at a wide range of restaurants.

The format has expanded this year. The deals run longer than before, from Aug. 1 to Sept. 15.

This year, Coolinary restaurants offer two-course lunches for $28 or less, and three-course dinners and brunches for $58 or less.

More than 130 restaurants are taking part in Coolinary, a mix of top names and neighborhood gems, upscale destinations and casual joints, and many of these show how creative they can get with the “or less” pricing tactics.

You can find the special menus at coolinaryneworleans.com, and check the details and restrictions (some menus are offered on select days).

It’s interesting to see how different restaurants interpret the framework of Coolinary for their own concepts, clienteles and normal price ranges, and this year brings a great deal of variety.

Below, I’m giving ideas for a few different ways to cut into it all, based on a review of the menus available at this writing (some of these come in later than others) and on previous experience at these places.

New to Coolinary

This year’s Coolinary list is full of first-timers to Coolinary that I’m thrilled to see on the list.

One is La Boca, the Argentinian steakhouse, where the $50 dinner deal conforms closely to the way I order here anyway, always starting with the provoletta (a molten skillet of cheese), a skirt steak or maybe the hanger steak, the fabulous fries and dessert. Add a bottle of house red for another $40.

Another is Effervescence. The French Quarter’s temple to bubbly gets characteristically playful for its menu: a glass of Champagne with fancy popcorn (both constitute one course), oysters on the half shell and fries for $40 at dinner or brunch.

Station 6 has in the past made up its own summer special around an island tour theme with different Caribbean-inspired dishes. But the restaurant, which got new owners last year, this time is part of the Coolinary fold, one of the few Metairie restaurants taking part. Its menu (three courses for $58) is still very much islandy, with a mofongo with shrimp and pork belly as one of the entrees, and rum coconut tres leches to finish.

And if Coolinary is finally the nudge you need to check out one of my favorite neighborhood joints, the joyful island restaurant Queen Trini Lisa in Mid-City, then you can thank me later. The barbecue jerk chicken and turmeric flatbread doubles are not to be missed (menu price pending at this writing).

New and renewed

Coolinary at Gautreau’s could be your cue to try this Uptown classic in its latest chapter, since new owners took over last fall.

The new chef, Rob Mistry, has his own global style, with a strong influence from his family roots in India. See the goat entrée with makhani sauce (the base for butter chicken) as one option on an extensive Coolinary menu ($58) that goes through three savory courses, omitting dessert (the chicken cracklin’ Johnny cakes and peach and shishito gazpacho are intriguing options, too).

BABs, the Bywater restaurant from chef Nina Compton, had a redo earlier this year, putting its focus more squarely on Italian flavors. You can give the new version of this upscale neighborhood spot a spin with a Coolinary menu, maybe with the fired snapper collar, chicken saltimbocca and tiramisu for $58. BABs’ upriver sister Compere Lapin is also a Coolinary restaurant this year. 

And Audubon Clubhouse has been around for years, but in the past year since Dickie Brennan’s company took over it has become much more of a full-fledged restaurant (rather than venue and golf course amenity). The brunch ($38), lunch ($25) and dinner ($38) menus are all casual, and you can add a $12 wine pairing at brunch and dinner. The porch still works just fine in the summer for happy hour hangs too.

Many restaurants, different choices

There are some restaurants that stand out for particular dishes and approaches to Coolinary this year.

Do some restaurants immediately make you think of dessert? The one-of-a-kind banana curry ice cream at Palm & Pine always does it for me. It’s an option on the Coolinary menu ($50), after dishes like crab claw cocktail, Vietnamese-style catfish and grilled jerk quail. Sign me up!

Some restaurants just consistently master the Coolinary mode. Brigtsen’s always goes big, with a large number of choices across three courses ($58). Based on rave responses in the past, that once again includes vegan dishes in each category. Me? I’m going for the shrimp bisque, grilled redfish and one of the best pecan pies around.

Good Catch, the new Thai seafood restaurant downtown from the family behind Pomelo, has a Coolinary dinner menu that packaged four different multi-course tasting tours based on different regions of Thailand, at $38 each.

The enticing elegance of French Quarter French brasserie Justine may seem to gleam a little brighter with a $58 dinner that can run through escargot, a hanger steak au poivre with frites and a dark chocolate ice cream sundae.

If any local restaurant has earned a summer assist, it’s Toups’ Meatery, which since June has been marshaling thousands of free meals each week to support food-insecure families in New Orleans. The modern Cajun restaurant’s robust approach continues through Coolinary menus at lunch ($28) and brunch and dinner (each $58).

I find it strange how often I’m asked to recommend a restaurant serving beef Wellington … in New Orleans, even in the summer. Coolinary finally brings an answer, with this hearty English specialty anchoring the special menu at Dickie Brennan’s Steakhouse (three courses, $55). Huzzah to that.