A Feast for Réveillon | Listen

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In a city known for its long-standing traditions, Réveillon is a holiday standout

Réveillon, for Catholics, especially in New Orleans, is a meal that was traditionally served on Christmas Eve after midnight mass. It originated in France, and it still happens in countries throughout Europe, but it’s something that we hold very dear as a tradition in New Orleans. Originally, it was a feast that started after midnight, maybe one o’clock in the morning—and went all night. It was really popular in the 1800s, and then it fell out of style for a little while. But it made its way back starting in the 1990s and became a tradition at New Orleans’ restaurants, outside of people’s homes. Obviously, it was not starting at one or two in the morning then, but a lot of restaurants began offering a Réveillon menu for the month of December to celebrate the tradition of the feast. It’s something New Orleans does that you don’t find many other places

I’ve always enjoyed going out to eat Réveillon around town—Commander’s Palace has always been top of my list. It’s a fun, celebratory night out. And I started paying attention to the menus, since the event is a chance to delve into older recipes and traditions. When we opened Miss River, my goal was for it to be considered a classic New Orleans restaurant—one day. (I think it has the bones to do that—we just need about 97 more years.) It’s built to be a place for celebration. So, when we opened, I decided to formally offer a Réveillon menu every December.

I’m Jewish, so I celebrate Hanukkah, but I celebrate Christmas in a lot of ways, too, especially the traditions around the food of Christmas. It’s been a big part of my life as a chef—I’ve cooked many Christmas dinners. I think that’s the beauty of holidays—you can gather around the big table and celebrate each other’s traditions.

wine being poured for the Réveillon feast

I was really embraced by the city of New Orleans when I moved and started cooking here in 2003. I started making Passover Seder meals here in 2009, and I noticed that a number of Catholic priests would come have Seder with us at our restaurant. I got to know a lot of them, and it really helped me understand, culinarily, the bridge between Catholicism and Judaism, as well as the backgrounds of each faith. Having Réveillon at the restaurant is a way for me to give back a little bit through my own creativity. And while it is fun and delicious, it’s also very meaningful and important to me.

December is an extremely festive time at Miss River. Every Friday during lunch, we do what we call a Festive Friday, which is when a lot of locals and visitors come in and get dressed up for a big meal out. There’s live music and it turns into a big party. During December, those Friday lunches run right into Réveillon, so there’s always a really good energy.

And it’s a pretty rich feast, too. There’s usually a turtle soup, gumbo, a lot of oysters, and always an over-the-top dessert, like a gorgeous banana rum cake with white chocolate. I like to make stuffed crab shells—they’re very popular with my family during the holidays. The table is full of all these beautiful, traditional dishes, and really fun drinks, like our flaming espresso martini. At Miss River, we lean into the tradition—it’s the one time of year that you can come and do this.

Each year, my wife, Emily, and I get a group of our friends together to book a table, and we’ll sit and enjoy a glass of wine with them to be part of the celebration. It’s one of our favorite times of year. And it’s very New Orleans.