Chef Luci Winsberg serves dips, charcuterie and small plates at Really Really Nice Wines

Chef Luci Winsberg doesn’t miss sweating over a hot stove.

As the culinary director at Really Really Nice Wines (RRNW), Winsberg has shifted from the traditional kitchen model, from cooking a la minute, to handling prep and cooking in advance. She artfully creates chef-driven plates that can work for lunch, an afternoon nibble or a tasting menu to go with a bottle of wine from the shop.

RRNW owners Darrin Ylisto and Miriam Matasar both have worked in restaurants for years. “Restaurants are really hard,” Ylisto says. They are the fourth owners of the neighborhood wine shop at 3500 Magazine St., and they focus on natural wines and small, ethical producers. The shelves are filled with wines you don’t see in supermarkets. “We didn’t want to deal with the usual pitfalls,” Ylisto says. “We weren’t sure if we were going to offer food.”

But when they saw the need, they started offering tinned fish, charcuterie and plates of Lady Nellie oysters, farmed in Grand Isle by cheesemonger-turned-oyster farmer Justin Trosclair. But as the shop got busier, they wanted to expand the food offerings.

Winsberg is a New Orleans native who lives right up the street, and she had become a regular herself. “I was kind of in between things, so it was perfect timing,” she says. Like most locals, she grew up eating traditional New Orleans homestyle cooking, and her mom also offered the family nutritious options. “I started going to the farmer’s market with her, which is where I started really falling in love with food.”

“We see our place as a restaurant alternative,” Matasar says. “Guests get high-quality food that is thoughtfully executed, but in a more relaxed setting than a restaurant. With Luci, we aren’t just unwrapping something and putting it on a plate.”

Winsberg has plenty of culinary cred. Her first job was working with Sue Zemanick at Gautreau’s. Zemanick was an important mentor for her, first there, and then when Zemanick opened Zasu with Winsberg as her sous chef.

During the pandemic, Winsberg launched a seafood pop-up named Fish Hawk and later served as chef de cuisine at the boutique sushi spot Sukeban. She also helped open Smoke & Honey in Mid-City.

Almost a year ago, she came on board at RRNW and has been ramping up the menu’s variety. She adds specials and features seasonal ingredients and local products. There are changing gilda, or skewers, with bits of savory goodness like cheese, olives, anchovies and sun-dried tomatoes. Snacks might also include tartine, duck fat popcorn dusted with curry mukrut lime spice, or anchovies on toasted bread from Bearcat Baked.

Her dips are divine, from a creamy smoked fish dip to a warm shrimp and artichoke blend served with toast or farm fresh vegetables on the side. Wild mushrooms sauteed with garlic and herbs arrive topped with a coddled egg yolk. Small sandwiches might be filled with prosciutto and blistered shishitos. There’s a rotating list of substantial salads, like a recent traditional lyonnaise salad with lardons and a soft-boiled egg.

Lady Nellie oysters, which were a hit at Jazz Fest this year, are still available, as is charcuterie featuring imported cured meats and cheeses. There always are deviled eggs, recently made with her home-made mustard and miso and topped with salmon roe. On Mondays, the chef does a weekly bean pop-up, which might be traditional red beans, a vegan coconut lentil dish or hearty white beans simmered with sausage.

“You can do a lot without generating any heat,” says the chef, who rotates between an induction burner, microwave and toaster. “I have direct interaction with our guests, which I really enjoy, actually serving them,” she says.

Matasar sees RRNW as a different type of space, with options beyond food and wine. “We have non-alcoholic beverages, some housewares and serving platters, even greeting cards,” she says. “We are in the center of a neighborhood and want to serve our community.”