Copeland?s of New Orleans Scores Big (Business Lunch)
by July 8, 2002 12:00 am 55 views
Copeland’s of New Orleans
463 N. 46th St.
Rogers
five stars
Don’t expect knockoff hot wings and soggy quesadillas at this national chain. Copeland’s of New Orleans blows its multi-market Mc-eatery brethren out of the bayou.
A grand foyer gives way to Copeland’s striking bar and beer garden. We plan to spend at least one football Saturday, or season, here. But on this day our party of three included our favorite two-year-old, so we were on our best behavior.
From start to finish, the wait staff was great. We loved not having to ask for Tabasco or Louisiana Hot Sauce for our entrees, and our waitress made a pal for life by presenting the little girl with a string of Mardi Gras beads.
The restaurant’s amber-colored woodwork breaks into brass and copper sunburst designs that give the entire place a cool, yet classy, feel.
With our ears full of piped-in jazz and our mouths full of the stuffed mushrooms ($7) appetizer, we knew we had landed squarely in Northwest Arkansas’ hippest dining experience.
The fresh-fried mushroom caps were jammed with homemade Louisiana crab meat stuffing and served with horseradish-based Tiger Sauce. They didn’t last long.
Our two adult diners ordered the crawfish etouffée ($10) and andouille sausage with red beans and rice ($8).
The entrees each came with a dinner salad, and we highly recommend trying the house’s special peppercorn ranch dressing.
The crawfish was served in a dark roux-based sauce, seasoned with garlic, green onions and a sprinkling of spices that would make Cajun chef Justin Wilson jump up and holler, “Woooo-we, dem was good!”
The red beans were properly puréed, and not served whole like the Cajun-wanna-be restaurants we’ve visited before. This was the real deal, and really, really good.
Never mind the scratch biscuits, which had the consistency of wedding cake or the killer french fries we snagged off the toddler’s plate. She chowed on her children’s hamburger meal ($4) between smiles and waves to our server.
As if our entrees weren’t indulgent enough, we could not resist the Bananas Foster shortcake ($7).
This giant baked biscuit comes filled with vanilla bean ice cream, Copeland’s Bananas Foster and dusted with powdered sugar.
It was so deliciously decadent that we felt compelled to head straight for the church confessional.
On our next visit, we’re dying to try the shrimp ducky ($11) — strips of duck and sautéed shrimp bathed in a burgundy mushroom sauce and served over rice or linguini. And we might not even wait until we’re hungry.
We know from experience that lunch at Copeland’s is more than a meal. It’s a party.