I am still catching up with friends since my return from Montana a few weeks ago. Katie and Susan were my lunch companions this past Saturday afternoon. We were able to find a table outside (under an umbrella, its beautiful here in New Orleans but a girl still needs a little shade) in which to enjoy cold beer, raw oysters, and a few other delights.
Grand Isle is a beautifully put together restaurant, founded by one of New Orleans premier restaurateurs/caterers, Joel Dondis and headed by Chef Mark Falgoust. The food is consistently delicious. Simple bistro classics, some of the best hand cut French Fries in the city, fresh and easy. The service can be a bit distracted and rushed but presented in a friendly way if you make an effort to be friendly yourself.
Since Gustav, oysters were hard to find for a few weeks but those salty Louisiana beauties were so good and so missed that we finished two dozen before we even had our second cocktail.
Marinated Blue Crab Claws were delightfully spiced with crushed Red Pepper and slicked with Olive Oil, served on a very random pale leaf of Napa Cabbage and accompanied by a plastic ramekin of spicy Remoulade. These plastic ramekins really bother me, they are so wasteful and honestly just look like junk. Everything else about this restaurant is top notch, a silver timbale wouldn't be a stretch in my humble opinion.
Large salads, one topped with gorgeous chunks Jumbo Lump Crabmeat and the other with Boiled Louisiana Shrimp were dressed with Dijon Vinaigrette and the house Green Goddess dressing respectively.A great way to while away the afternoon and definitely a way to prepare ones self for a little bit of spending at Rubenstein's! (Just in case you decide to stop in, please ask for Tracey in the women's department, she's a star!)
1 comment:
Check out the website www.rawoysteralert.com. I was shocked to learn that several individuals die each year from the consumption of raw oysters that are contaminated with naturally occurring Vibrio bacteria. Some gulf states have chosen to not take action in order to make raw oysters safe for ALL consumers.
Several years ago, the state of California made a requirement that all imported raw oysters must be pasteurized and since that requirement was put into place there have been NO FURTHER DEATHS in that state.
In order to affect change, consumers need to only accept oysters that are SAFE through post harvest processing or through being cooked. Consumer demand drives the market and the industry would be forced to provide oysters that did not lead to unnecessary deaths.
The website www.rawoysteralert.com has a wealth of information available and also explains how you can help in making the consumption of oysters safe for everyone.
Post a Comment