When chef Rob Mistry and his partner Katie Adams visit New York City this summer, seeing the John Singer Sargent exhibit, “Sargent & Paris,” at the Metropolitan Museum of Art is at the top of their list of things to do. The couple have more than a passing interest in Sargent’s portraits, which provide some inspiration at Gautreau’s.
Mistry became the chef and Adams the general manager at Gautreau’s after it changed ownership in late 2023, when proprietor Patrick Singley sold it to a local investor group led by Bill Kearney and Jay Adams, Katie’s father. Mistry and Adams also are running the newly opened Avegno lounge, next door to the restaurant.
Kearney bought the building at 1726 Soniat St. in late 2023, using the back for a residence and letting Mistry and Adams define the space, which had sat empty for years. The proximity to Gautreau’s screamed for a complementary concept.
Anne Avegno Russell opened Gautreau’s in 1982 and named the restaurant for Virginie Amélie Avegno Gautreau, a member of the Avegno side of her family.
Gautreau was born in New Orleans right before the Civil War and moved to Paris with her family when she was 8. She is famous as a Parisian socialite who also was Sargent’s mistress and the subject of his controversial “Madame X” portrait, which is on display at the Met. So is the work “Madame Gautreau Drinking a Toast,” which was recreated by local artist Ann Marie Auricchio as a mural covering an entire wall of the lounge at Avegno.
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Avegno is an elegant space. The understated bar has a whisper of Parisian style, with its scattering of cafe tables and bentwood chairs, retro French advertising poster art and globe pendant lights. Both Mistry’s menu and the wine list from beverage director Ross Barrilleaux, another Commander’s Palace veteran, celebrate Gallic flavors.
Here Mistry has the chance to move away from Gautreau’s formality, instead focusing on satisfying bar snacks, caviar service, raw oysters and small plates that pair with Barrilleaux’s wine list. If it’s just a nibble that’s needed, the cheddar cheese straws dusted with Kashmiri chili powder or a dish of warm herbed nuts fill the bill. There also are plates of silky Bayonne ham from French Basque country served with crunchy cornichons and a swipe of whole grain mustard. It pairs well with a half-bottle of gorgeous Sancerre rose, just one of a handful of half-bottle options perfect for the thirsty solo diner.
The bubbling Alpine cheese fondue is a fun and retro option. Onion dip gets a big upgrade with shaved Perigord black truffles, served with chips, crackers and crostini. Avegno is the place to have a glass of bubbles and a perfect shrimp cocktail and chilled Gulf oysters. A heftier option is the grilled link of boudin noir served over buttery potato puree in a puddle of beefy gravy.
The French onion soup, made with rich veal stock, is topped with nutty melted Gruyere. Then there’s the macaroni au gratin, made with long noodles, Swiss and cheddar cheeses and cream.
For dessert, there’s chocolate mousse along with cookies du jour from the kitchen. Or better yet, finish a meal with one of Barrilleaux’s fine cocktails, a Madame X old fashioned with an Herbsaint rinse.
The lounge doesn’t take reservations but welcomes walk-ins from 4:30 to 10:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.
Avegno
What
Avegno
Where
1726 Soniat St.; @avegnoneworleans on Instagram
When
dinner Tue.-Sat.
How
Dine-in
Check it out
Refined fare at a lounge adjoining Gautreau’s
Mistry and Adams met when he was a sous chef at Commander’s Palace and she was a line cook. After attending Ole Miss — her family is originally from Oxford, Mississippi — Adams trained at the International Culinary Center in Manhattan. She worked at the Michelin-starred Carbone in Greenwich Village until the pandemic brought her home. Mistry, who grew up in Charlotte, trained at Johnson & Wales and staged at the Michelin-starred Alinea in Chicago.
“With Avegno, we’re doing something new, a concept that complements Gautreau’s but has its own personality,” Mistry says. “We both feel very lucky.”
Gautreau’s never had a bar, but now it does. It’s next door, but still a perfect spot for a pre- or post-dinner bite or drink, or just to pop in after a stroll in this pretty Uptown neighborhood.