New Orleans Tuesday: Watch out for Louie

Tuesday was a lazy day of napping punctuated by forays out to eat seafood. I slept in and we headed over to Galatoires. Jean Galatoire opened the Bourbon Street restaurant in 1905. It is currently run by Melvin Rodrigue, who works closely with the grandsons of Jean Galatoire's nephews. Even though the new second floor accepts reservations, the main room is still seated on a first-come-first-serve basis and lines usually snake around the block. Since there was a lull in tourism and it wasn't lunch hour, we practically had the place to ourselves. Everything was shiny and gleaming, from the cutlery to the mirrors that line the walls.



We started our meal with the Galatoire Grand Goute, a seafood sampler of sorts. The standout was the shrimp remoulade, made with large shrimp and served cold. The crab was a little difficult to pick out, as it fell between the lettuce leaves that provided its bed. The crawfish was addictive. I could have eaten it all day.

At the server's suggestion we added a brochette of bacon-wrapped oysters. Plump, juicy, and scorchingly hot, they were coated in a fritter batter. There is perhaps no surer way to improve upon a food than to wrap it in bacon and deep-fry it.



I decided if anyone was going to make me like soft-shelled crab again it would be Galatoire's. I was on a mission. Galatoire's serves it two ways, deep-fried and sauteed in butter. Unfortunately the shell was still too thick, not paper-thin as I had hoped. It was better than Felix's, but still I think it's time to accept it. It's never the same as the first time.



Redfish in a butter sauce with crab and mushrooms was tender and delectable



The bread pudding was lovely, but we were kind of bread pudding-ed out at this point. Nothing could match the Praline Connection's version.



As we ate, a group of waiters sat barely out of earshot telling stories and laughing. I could barely make out the louder comments. I heard one say, "So this guy, he's in there all night, giving everyone grief, especially Louie. Well Louie, he just smiles and takes it and doesn't say nothing. Then after he left, the guy is walking through the alley, and Louie is standing by the back door waiting with a frying pan, and Kabaaam!!!" and they all burst into laughter.