Mention the name Brocato in New Orleans and, of course, people will think of the gelato and cannoli from this old-fashioned Sicilian dessert joint in Mid-City.
Troy Brocato has no connection to the Brocato Ice Cream family, but he and his family have made a name for themselves with their food: They were vendors at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival and now own a restaurant in Mid-City.
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Brocato's Kitchen, located near the courthouse at Tulane and Broad Streets, is a new restaurant with a classic New Orleans feel, serving po'boys, value plate lunches, and gumbo with a Cajun country flavor in the roux.
Roast beef is the first thing any new po'boy place is evaluated on, and Brocato's meets that standard.
You'll taste the rich flavors that come from slow-cooking the roast over high heat, and the marriage of beef stock and fat that gives the gravy its shine and juiciness. There might be a slice of garlic in there, and its presence is immediately obvious: John Gendusa Bakery's po'boy buns have very little garlic left by the end.
Cozy new home
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Brocato's Kitchen is in the low-rise South Broad restaurant space that was until recently home to Ethiopian restaurant Sammy's, and before that it was another Ethiopian restaurant, Addis NOLA, which has since moved to a larger location near Bayou Road.
The Brocato family did a test run in April while also preparing for their larger-scale presence at the Jazz Festival. In addition to running the food booths (they're known for their barbecue, buffalo oyster dishes, and New Orleans street corn), the family also catered meals for the Jazz Festival staff, a job that takes weeks of set-up and tear-down. Now that this huge undertaking is complete, the family is fully open to the public at Brocato Kitchen.
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I've followed their story for years. Troy Brocato's great-uncle was the late Paul Prudhomme, who cooked at K-Paul's Louisiana Kitchen in his youth. Shortly after Hurricane Katrina, he opened Brocato's Eat Dat in East New Orleans. In a windowless building off Crowder Boulevard, he created incredible lunch plates with distinctive Cajun flavors. Despite its short tenure, it was one of my favorite hidden gems.
The Brocato family's first jazz festival appearance will be in 2022. Don't expect the same menu for the festival-goers and weekday lunch crowds, as they'll be serving different dishes. But the family said they might bring some of their festival hits to the restaurant, including a vegan gumbo, which will taste different and have appeal beyond just being vegan.
Plate lunch, gumbo
The menu features a tomato Caprese po'boy, but otherwise sticks to tradition, with plate lunch specials for each day of the week, from red bean dishes on Mondays to seafood on Fridays.
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On Tuesdays, a plate of smoky pork chops was a no-brainer for me. I know how this family cooks, so you can't go wrong with anything smoky coming out of their kitchen.
The pork chop's gravy was peppered with a touch of garlic and a whole bay leaf, giving immediate evidence of the slow cooking that characterizes this Acadiana-inspired Louisiana plate lunch. The creamy mashed potatoes, piles of fried okra, and green salad with housemade ranch dressing were downright green and fresh, making this a great value treat at $13.
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The housemade gumbo (nothing to do with being vegan) is rich and smoky, with thick slices of andouille sourced from Kelly's Country Meat Block, a fantastic traditional Cajun smokehouse in Opelousas.
The Jazz Festival isn't the only festival the Brocato family attends: They also take part in the Oak Street Po'Boy Festival in the fall, and the creative impulse from that event is apparent in this menu.
The “Hot Broad” is a sandwich (on a bun) that combines a thin smashburger-style beef patty with a hot sausage patty and pepper jack. The NOLA Special is a po'boy with fried shrimp on top of a hot sausage patty, and the crispy shrimp and spicy meat combine in one bite for a truly exquisite combination.
The neighborhood has been in need of a proper po'boy spot since the heartbreaking closure of the excellent Avery's on Tulane Avenue during the pandemic, and while it'll be a tough void to fill, Brocato's Kitchen certainly delivers.
Brocato's Kitchen
422 S. Broad St., 504-354-9661
Lunch Monday to Friday 10:30am to 4pm
Catering and meeting space available
