A new cookbook pays tribute to two New Orleans staples 'Rhythm & Roux'

Chef Brian Landry prepares a grilled pompano dish with broken romesco sauce in the kitchen at the Pontchartrain Hotel, explaining its Spanish influences.It's among the recipes in the cookbook Rythm & Roux.

Catie Dull/NPR hide caption New Orleans — Music and food are inseparable at Bayou Bar, a dark and intimate venue along the streetcar line on St.Charles Ave.

It's where bassist Peter Harris leads a jazz combo most nights of the week, while chef Brian Landry serves up a seasonal menu of delicious food to those lucky enough to nab a table."Every night, there are the best musicians in the city playing in this room," Landry says."There's really almost no separation between the bandstand and the room, so it almost feels like they're actually playing in your living room while you have dinner."The Pontchartrain Hotel, which houses Bayou Bar, is a venue with a storied history.

Notable guests include Truman Capote, Frank Sinatra and Tennessee Williams, around the time he was writing A Streetcar Named Desire."The Doors broke up in front of the Pontchartrain Hotel," says Landry.

It's also where, in 1966, the then-NFL commissioner announced that the city would be getting its own professional football team, the New Orleans Saints."This room is special," Landry says.

Bandleader and bassist Peter Harris (right) plays with drummer Herlin Riley (left) at Bayou Bar in New Orleans.Catie Dull/NPR hide caption The space fills up at night and not just for dinner.

It's standing room only by the bar, as locals and tourists crowd in to listen to Peter Harris' jazz band.But back in 2016, when chef Landry took over the food at the hotel, which also includes the restaurant Jack Rose and the rooftop bar Hot Tin, there wa...