Charmant is a new Mid City bistro and restaurant serving delicious brunch, lunch, and dinner with a stylish wine list to match. Located at 514 City Park Ave., in the space formerly occupied by Asian-fusion favorite MoPho, the restaurant is owned by husband-and-wife team Chef Chris and Bonnie Borges.
Borges is a New Orleans native who began his culinary career in San Francisco. Upon his return to New Orleans, he worked at the Ace Hotel and, most recently, was the Executive Chef at the Virgin Hotel. Charmant was a passion project for Borges and Bonnie, who also acts as the restaurant’s Sommelier and front-of-house manager.
In a way, Charmant’s location in this familiar Mid City neighborhood is a return home. Borges grew up here and knew that the foundation for his restaurant had to start with the right location.
“I didn’t want to open my own place just for the sake of opening it,” Borges explains. “If I had never found the right location, I was content with never having my own place. I grew up in this neighborhood and I live in this neighborhood now. This location felt right; I feel like I’ve come full circle both in my career and in life.”
Everything about Charmant is rooted in Borges’ connection to the neighborhood and family. He explains that his father always wanted a breakfast and lunch place where he could become a regular. This was Borges’ inspiration for creating a space where customers could not only sit down for a delicious dinner, but breakfast and lunch as well.
By day, Charmant is a European-style bistro offering small plates and quick bites. In the evening, the restaurant transitions into a neighborhood dinner spot.
Starting with brunch and lunch, Borges wants to set Charmant apart from other restaurants in the city.
He says, “Everything that’s brunch in New Orleans is a variation of Southern brunch. I wanted the menu here to be more of an authentic bistro type of scene. The food is contemporary due to my training in San Francisco with a lot of French, Italian, and Spanish influences.”
Some of the chef’s signature dishes include Fried Brussels Sprouts Salad, a dish that Borges served during his time at the Ace Hotel and Virgin Hotel. Served at both brunch and dinner, it’s made with lima beans, golden raisins, sourdough croutons, cardamom yogurt, and apple cider vinaigrette. Although it’s a small plate, Borges said that fans of his food come to his restaurant just for that dish.
Another brunch favorite is Croque Madam with tartufo salami, fontina, rapini, green onion soubise, pasture egg, and celeriac remoulade. One selection that has already become popular is The Phomo. An homage to MoPho, The Phomo, was a dish that Borges always dreamed of creating for his own restaurant. It’s a reworking of New Orleans grillades and grits, as deconstructed Vietnamese pho made with short rib, rice grits, bean sprouts, a sauce made with traditional pho spices like cinnamon, clove, and star anise, and it’s topped with a sunny-side-up egg.
The dish has become so popular since the restaurant opened Thanksgiving weekend, that Borges offers it on both Charmant’s brunch and dinner menus.
Other selections include Wagyu Burger with cave-aged cheddar, horseradish beer mustard, caramelized onion, pickled beet, and baby greens on brioche; Porcini Dusted Trout with celery, hazelnut, brussels sprouts, and truffle beurre blanc; and Maple Glazed Pork Loin Chop with brussels sprouts, king trumpet mushrooms, chestnuts, and chile morita.
In addition to delicious food, Charmant’s wine list, curated by Bonnie Borges, highlights approachable wines that might be a bit outside of a casual wine drinker’s comfort zone. Borges invites the diner to approach the wine list with an open mind.
“Bonnie wanted wine that is in the same family of what customers are familiar with, but might not be used to drinking,” Borges explains. “The idea is that, with the help of our staff and Bonnie talking to tables, we offer wine that is similar to what people have enjoyed in the past. We’re asking for trust on the part of the diner; we want to expose people to some of the lesser-known varietals.”
Like the food menu, the focus on the wine is fun and good tastes, minus the intimidation of a typical wine list.
Charmant is open from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., Wednesday through Monday.
