Revisit recess, the best time about your earliest school days -- because that's what the owners of Recess were precisely going for! The ceiling is designed with the elements of the periodic table, the walls lined with blackboards, and the menu filled with clever names for their food and drinks. It's like being in a really cool school where getting Detention means having Bourbon with lemon and orange juice. And instead of generic cafeteria food, you've got Chef Chris's stuff. Chef Chris is the guy behind the ORIGINAL panizza, or pizzas that you roll up with arugula and other greens. It is arguably still the best panizza around, rivaled only by his other restaurants (My Kitchen in Paco and C'Italian Dining). All the other imitations are good only because he started it.
On the occasions I've eaten at Recess by Chef Chris, I made it a point to try new things. From the signature panizzas, my favorites have gone from Gold AU 79 (a celebration of the Hawaiian pizza, in my opinion, with better things like Angus beef AND bacon, pineapple, and tomato-infused cheese sauce!) to BeTa (beef tapa on a pizza, holyyy). I did not think the Creole-style Catfish would live up to its Louisiana origins, but my boyfriend (who lived in NOLA) tried it and was not disappointed. I just thought it was reaaally good; a lot of texture and flavor for a fish I was so familiar with, in some delicious mystery batter. I would definitely go back for that. The Carolina-style Lamb, too, doesn't lay shame on its label and rocks a barbecue mustard sauce and tender meat. read more