If everything goes according to plan, the city’s first ham and oyster bar, ~HOG & ROCKS~ will be opening on Sunday July 4th. The project is from chef Scott Youkilis of Maverick, partner Dave Esler, and Eric Rubin of Tres Agaves Tequila, who helped to develop the overall concept. The menu will include a variety of oysters, artisanal ham (including country ham, Serrano, domestic, and Italian prosciutto), and hearty comfort fare from chef de cuisine Ray England. Other sample dishes include chicken wing confit with Youk’s Hot Sauce and buffalo wing garnish ($10); oysters in a blanket with herb salad ($11); and crab and artichoke on sourdough toast ($8).
The 86-seat bar is meant to feel casual and lively, with dark wood, concrete floors, and a “minimalist modern meets vintage” design. It’s designed to be a place where you just swing by (no reservations for parties fewer than six), and can get lit on classic cocktails by the pitcher (very curious—and very dangerous), wine (four on tap, more by the bottle), and beer (in cans, bottles, and on draught). In a nice move, for every Hurricane sold (the signature house drink made according to the original recipe from Pat O’Brien’s), $1 will be donated by the bar to the Greater New Orleans Foundation’s Gulf Coast Oil Spill Fund. Open daily; snacks and sips from the bar menu available daily beginning at 3pm; full menu from 5pm-1am.
