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ROUX LOUISIANA KITCHEN CELEBRATES THE BIG EASY
The Spirit of the French Quarter Arrives at Santana Row

SAN JOSE, March 2008 – Roux Louisiana Kitchen, which celebrates its opening on March 13, 2008, transports the festive spirit, soulful jazz and bold flavors of New Orleans to San Jose’s Santana Row. The 240-seat restaurant showcases the boldly flavored, multifaceted cuisines of Louisiana, including many of the Creole, Cajun and Soul Food specialties that have made the Pelican State a Mecca for food lovers. Roux Louisiana Kitchen also boasts another New Orleans signature—the soulful rhythm of live jazz—that makes it feel like Mardi Gras every day. As they say in the Big Easy, Laissez les bons temps rouler!

Traditional Louisiana Cuisine
Roux refers to the classic flavor-filled base used in many traditional Louisiana dishes, including the state’s quintessential specialty, gumbo. During its history, Louisiana has been influenced by many cultures (e.g. French, Spanish, African and Caribbean), resulting in three major culinary traditions that harmonize like good jazz in New Orleans: Cajun, Creole and Soul. All are represented on Roux Louisiana Kitchen’s menu, which has been created by Executive Chef Rocío Gomez. Her wide-ranging experience includes studies at the Culinary Institute of America and Le Cordon Bleu, gold medals in international competition and cooking for celebrities and world leaders. Chef Rocío has spent a great deal of time in New Orleans studying with prominent local chefs to perfect recipes for Roux Louisiana Kitchen. Although Resmex owners Sylvia and Eduardo Rallo hail from Cuernavaca, Mexico, they have a particular appreciation for Louisiana cooking. “We believe it is the best regional American cuisine,” says Sylvia, adding “Its bold flavors and assertive spices remind us of our own cuisine, which shares its Spanish and French influences.”

The appetizers at Roux Louisiana Kitchen include New Orleans favorites such as BBQ Shrimp; Bacon-Wrapped Oysters served atop creamy grits with lemon beurre blanc; Sautéed Crab Cakes with roasted pepper aioli, Shrimp Rémoulade with Fried Green Tomatoes; Seafood Gumbo; and Cajun Crawfish in season. Spinach Salad with candied pecans and Creole mustard-Bourbon vinaigrette; and Abita Beer-Battered Fried Chicken Salad are also offered. Breakfast is a popular affair at Roux Louisiana Kitchen, when folks tuck into traditional dishes like Pain Perdu (French toast) with Steen’s cane syrup and powdered sugar; Savory Pain Perdu with sautéed shrimp topped with crabmeat hollandaise; Eggs Benedict with pulled pork or crab meat; and traditional Grits & Grillades. At lunch, classic Po’ Boy Sandwiches—Oyster, Shrimp, Brisket, Pulled Pork, Debris—are among the favorites.

Among main dishes, representing the finest traditions of the Crescent City, are Blacked Red Fish, Southern Fried Chicken, Jambalaya with andouille sausage, chicken and shrimp; Smoky Roasted Brisket with Homemade BBQ Sauce; and Filet Mignon. Classic sides include Red Beans & Rice; Creamy Grits; Corn and Okra Succotash; and Southern-Style Braised Greens. For dessert, Mixed Berry Cobbler; Bananas Foster Bread Pudding; and Creole Cream Cheese Cake with Praline Sauce satisfy the crowds. Dinner prices range from $8 to $12 for appetizers and $14 to $25 for entrées.

Naturally, there are a wide range of specialty New Orleans-style cocktails prepared at the bar, including the famous Hurricane, a potent combination of rum and fruit juices, as well as the quintessential Sazerac, the popular Mint Julep and the recently devilified Absinthe. Local beers, such as Dixie and Abita, are on hand, as well as signature coffee drinks and a wide selection of wines from Europe and the Americas.

Genuine New Orleans Setting
Roux Louisiana Kitchen’s design evokes the unique experience of wandering through New Orleans’ fabled French Quarter. San Francisco-based Arcanum Architecture (Santana Row’s Tanglewood and Sausalito’s Poggio are among its high profile restaurant projects) brought the project alive, with assistance from prominent interior designer Catherine Gonzales of Casa Adobe, Inc., who has contributed to Resmex Group restaurants Consuelo, Colibrí, Thea and El Jardin. She was instrumental in developing the Roux Louisiana Kitchen concept, traveling to New Orleans to purchase furniture, original folk art, photographs and other authentic Big Easy artifacts that enhance the environment. The architects and designer successfully blended stately French Colonial architecture with the well-worn casual spirit of New Orleans to bring out divergent aspects of the city’s vibrant personality. Arcanum Principal-in-Charge Anthony Fish explains, “We tried to recreate a genuine New Orleans spirit through the use of rich textures and traditional elements that evoke the flavors of Mardi Gras.” The firm succeeded by layering festive, casual elements over more classic New Orleans architectural features, thereby balancing the grandiosity and informality that are the city’s trademarks. Guests approach the entrance through a glass-covered canopy accented with wrought iron ornamentation typical of the French Quarter, only to discover a weather-worn façade behind it. Upon entering, one’s attention is drawn ahead to a stunning 35-seat elliptical copper-topped bar beneath a massive, dramatically illuminated ceiling sculpture suggesting the image of feathered Mardi Gras mask, the room’s striking signature. That colorful design theme continues in another part of the room with a less abstract expression of a mask. Guests sip Dixie Beer and Hurricane cocktails while snacking on crawfish or crab cakes at comfortable seating in the lounge, while tables spill out onto the sidewalk that, with a little imagination, feels a bit like Bourbon Street.

To the left of the entrance, a jazz band provides the sultry sounds that are essential to any Big Easy experience. The designers have imbued the dining room with an entirely different personality than the bar, employing an illusion that the space was originally the ballroom of an elegant Louisiana plantation. Now, the once-grand room has been transformed into a family-friendly New Orleans diner with endearingly mismatched chairs, family-style dining and Southern home cooking. Only its spectacular chandeliers and a grand fireplace hint of its lavish history. Tea-stained plaster columns are juxtaposed with vibrant red walls, a vintage-style tin-stamped ceiling and chandeliers crafted from wrought iron and crystal—a fusion of Old World elegance and contemporary spirit. Another focal point in the dining room is a massive fireplace mantel with formidable mirror, complemented by banquettes and booths that create the feel of a Southern living room, reinforcing the comfortable, laid-back theme. Outdoor dining is offered in a courtyard, providing one of the best al fresco dining opportunities in the South Bay.

Soulful Sounds
The soul of the city of New Orleans is as much about music as it is about food, and Roux Louisiana Kitchen perpetuates that delightful marriage at Santana Row. The restaurant’s commitment to music is so strong that it is destined to become one of the top jazz venues in the Bay Area. Management works closely with the San Jose Jazz Society to ensure that prominent visiting artists and local talent alike have opportunities to perform at Roux Louisiana Kitchen. The soulful sounds of jazz—the perfect complement to heartwarming gumbo and jambalaya—are offered every night at the restaurant, and jazz brunches at Roux Louisiana Kitchen are likely to become a beloved South Bay tradition.

Roux Louisiana Kitchen is owned and operated by Sylvia and Eduardo Rallo’s Resmex, the owner-operators of San Francisco’s successful Colibrí Mexican Bistro and Zazil, the popular Consuelo, El Jardin and Thea Mediterranean restaurant in San Jose’s Santana Row, and Amaranta in Southern California. Located at 3055 Olin Avenue, Suite 1005, Roux Louisiana Kitchen is open every day. For more information and to make reservations, please call Roux Louisiana Kitchen at 415.249.8000 or visit our website at www.rouxkitchen.com.

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