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A sample of the Sunday supper dishes served by the Eckroshes. (Photo courtesy Isabel Eckrosh)
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A sample of the Sunday supper dishes served by the Eckroshes. (Photo courtesy Isabel Eckrosh)
When you hear that the folks who’ve been manifesting beautifully crafted monthly “Sunday suppers”— four-course meals with drink pairings and vibrant, seasonal décor — are opening a restaurant, you make plans to be first in line. Another bonus: How can you resist telling everyone that you’re headed to something called The Dog and Pig Show? The name comes from an early conversation about Chinese astrology in the now-fully-realized romance of Isabel and James Eckrosh (designer and chef, respectively), and it will be up in lights at 314 N. 25th St. in Church Hill very soon. Opening day is slotted for mid-October.
The plan is to offer a curated breakfast and lunch menu that riffs off the original Dog and Pig Show concept: perfecting a handful of items at a time and serving them at a good price. “We’ll also have cookies, pastries, homemade drinks and a coffee selection,” Isabel adds. “And we don’t want you to leave and feel like you spent too much. We live here, too; we moved from New Orleans and chose Church Hill because we love the older homes and the ambiance. It’s a great neighborhood. With the restaurant, we’re aiming for a unifying kind of place.”
James’ New Orleans culinary background includes Southern Creole (of course); he was the executive chef at Surrey’s Uptown for two years, and he cooked at Olivier’s, Stella and other spots. He’s been putting some smart, complementary spins on Creole dishes for Sunday supper: shrimp and grits with kimchi bacon butter, tempura soft shell crab Benedict with cherry wood-smoked pulled pork, sous vide egg, kimchi hollandaise, and beet-and-braised fennel slaw. The new breakfast/lunch menu will feature shrimp and grits as well; you can also expect a couple of time-perfected sandwiches and perhaps a piquant, Asian-inspired salad to pop up. James also recognizes that kids need to eat lunch, too, but the care he puts into his grilled cheese will satisfy pretty much anybody.
Haven’t gotten to a Sunday supper? No worries, they’ll still be happening alongside the progression of the new permanent spot. (See the related story below, "The Communal Table," to read about Brandon Fox's visit.) They might fill up quite a bit faster, though, as word spreads about James’ food and Isabel’s magic touches; you might want to go ahead and get your tickets to the Show now.
