J'anitas Leaving Avenue Pub

So, it's official. J'anitas, the culinary team of Craig and Kim Giesecke, will be out of the kitchen at Avenue Pub as of November 21st. The huge success of Avenue Pub and J'anitas has made it very difficult on both parties. The kitchen was too small to organize the amount of food business the Pub was seeing on weekends. Beer customers were having to wait for seats being occupied by non alcohol drinking customers who were there for the wonderful food and well, it's a beer bar not a restaurant. Both Polly and Craig made many attempts to appease customers but in the end this seemed like the most logical decision.

Here is a letter sent out last night to Mug Club members explaining the change in more detail:

After 18 months J'anitas and the Avenue Pub have decided to separate their businesses. We here at the pub have become close to Craig and Kimmie and wish them the best. We sincerely hope Craig's wonderful cooking pop up in a restaurant near us soon. They have a couple of great options they are looking at but in the meantime if anyone knows of a possible lunch and early dinner establishment please let them know. They have their own facebook page but you can always email me with the info and I'll pass it along to them. They will be in the pub until Sunday November 21st.

We know this announcement will come as a disappointment to many of our customers. Please know that as the owner I take our menu offerings and the service that accompanies it as seriously as I do the craft beer we work so hard to bring in. As we move forward into 2011 we will continue to work hard at insuring our beer is the best available anywhere in the state and that we have delicious, reasonably priced food to accompany those beers.

Transition Schedule
November 22nd the Pub kitchen will be closed for cleaning and improvements.
Evening hours (4 pm till)will resume on Tuesday November 23rd with the new menu
Daytime hours will resume on Friday November 26th with the new menu.

A little bit about our new chef Joel White.
Joel is a craft beer lover with lengthy experience in very busy commercial kitchens. We look forward to the special pub fare menu items he has created for our craft beer drinkers. His concept is upscale pub food like handmade burgers, risotto cakes and crab cakes on a bun with house made bechamel, house roast beef with horseradish aoili. Consistent with the Pub's focus this food will be the perfect accompaniment to craft beer. Old favorites like the mini tacos and cheese fries will stick around but have a little flair added from Joel. Craig's signature Buddha's Temptation( named for the Beer Buddha, a regular customer) will remain with Craig's gracious permission.

Here is a little teaser menu from Joel I also received with the email:

The Roast Beast - A "hold in one hand "sized New Orleans Classic served on a small bun with sautéed onions, roma tomatoes, and a healthy smear of garlic aioli.
Beer pairing: Stouts, Brown ales, scotch ales
 
The Crabby Patty - A six ounce New Orleans crab cake sandwiched between a Kaiser bun with a tomato-basil aioli, fried leaks, with lettuce and tomato.
Beer Pairing: Belgian wits, wheat beers, superb with Hitchino White nest ale, Blanc de chambly or Blanche de Bruxxelles
 
Green Eggs and Ham- Herb scrambled eggs wrapped around salted country ham, with a garlic cream cheese spread. It creates a nostalgia inducing pinwheel.
Beer pairings: Eggs & Belgians are just about a perfect combination, try La Fin Du Monde or any of our fabulous rotating Belgian Abby Ale taps.
 
Red Beans and Rice Wontons- Creamy spicy red beans, stuffed in to wonton wrappers and fried to golden brown perfection. Served with a rice wine and mandarin vinaigrette. New Orleans tradition just got better.
Beer Pairing: Brown ale, stout, porter or IPA. this is a dish that can hold up to a hop bomb like Moylans or Stone.
 
Cake Eater- Three delicious pan seared cakes!
Sweet Potato with brown sugar honey butter and minced andouille sausage.
Loaded Baker Cake with cheddar, bacon and chives, topped with a generous dollop of sour cream.
Risotto Cake made with a creamy feta, tomato and fennel risotto.
Beer pairings: stout, brown ale or any spiced ale.
 
To Die For Fries- Waffle fries smothered in a cheddar garlic béchamel.
Add Bacon and Jalapeños
Add Homemade Chili.
Beer pairing: Just about any beer you want but especially good with pale ales & IPA's
 
Mini Tacos- A classic SIN item. 7 tacos, smothered in cheese sauce, sour cream and chives.
Beer pairing: Just about any beer you want but espcially good with pale ales & IPA's
 
 
Pub Burger- A homemade, handformed 6oz burger, cooked to order, with PLOT and cheddar cheese.
Add Bacon and Bleu Cheese
Add Homemade Chili
Add Bacon
Beer pairing: what doesn't go with a good cheesburger? Our favorite= NOLA Hopitoulas or Bayou teche La 31.
 
Buddha’s Temptation- Bleu cheese stuffed apricots, wrapped in bacon, skewered and deep fried, served with a balsamic reduction.
 
Grown Up Grilled Cheese- Three types of artisan cheese, melted to gooey perfection, with a touch of sage, on sourdough bread.
Beer pairing: Just about anything. You can cut the richness of the cheese with a good Pale( Stone, Sierra Nevada or Moylans) ale or enhance it with a rich Belgian ale( brother theolonius, rochefort) or a nuanced belgian wit( Blanc de chambly or Blanche de Bruxxelles). Also great with a good earthy saison!
 
Artisanal cheese board to arrive soon!

rotating cheese selected to pair with our rotating beer selection

Both J'anitas and of course Avenue Pub have been wonderful to me and the rest of the New Orleans beer community. I have feeling that this break up will result in some great things for both parties. Stay tuned!

Cheers!

The Beer Buddha