The Spot
Local New Orleans celebrity chef Donald Link has created a number of restaurants around the warehouse district over the past ten years, Cochon has been serving up southern cooking since 2007, and was nominated for New Orleans’s best new restaurant in that same year. Cochon is a simple, rustic wood panelled room that serves up simple and delicious classic southern cuisine. The smell of barbecue entices one to venture inside from Tchoupitoulas Street, affectionately called “Chop Street” in these parts.

What’s Really Good?
Chef Link’s restaurant offers a number of classic Cajun southern dishes, a style of cooking and food which he has worked at professionally since the tender age of 15. The attention to detail in these slow foods and cooking really shows. A fantastic selection of bourbon and local craft beers from Abita and NOLA really pair with, and elevate Link’s cuisine.
As for the menu, the fried alligator with chili garlic aioli seems like an appropriate start to any southern meal. The breading is light, the flavour of the alligator quite rich, and the aioli is a welcome accoutrement for those looking for a hint of spice. The paneed pork cheeks with roasted corn grits and tomato salad are awesomely succulent and tender; the pork cheeks pull apart with your fork to create a smoky, salty and rich dish.

You’ll Wanna Know
Though the menu changes seasonally, and frequently, there is sure to be a classic southern dish to all tastes which can be enjoyed. Classic southern cuisine can take a long time to prepare, to braise, to smoke, and Chef Donald Link’s Cochon truly shows an attention to detail of mastering the art of this traditional and loved American Cuisine.

The Details