[title type="h5"]
Tuesday, June 23, 2015.
Nathan's.[/title]
One of the sales guys at the radio station asked me whether I would voice commercials for Nathan's in Slidell. I am unusually lucky to have veto power over which commercials are on my show. I also have total control over what I say in the spots. It's been quite some time since the last time I dined at Nathan's, and I felt I'd better take a look at the place before getting behind it again.
We arrive in Slidell at what I suspect is the worst possible time. Dinner on Tuesday is slow, especially in summer. One of the waiters knows me, but if owner/chef Ross Eirich is aware that I was in the house--and I didn't think he is--he doesn't let on until the end.
I am also fortunate in that Mary Ann, having nothing in particular to do, comes along. Neither of the Marys like going to Slidell for dinner. We wind up taking a much more interesting dinner than if I'd come alone.
This is our first time in a new dining room at Nathan's. The space used to be an open balcony, overlooking Bayou Bonfouca. Now it's completely enclosed. The view remains, by way of many large windows.
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Snapper throats at Nathan's.[/caption]
The menu has come a long way since our last time. Snapper throats is one of the new things. I haven't seen that in any local restaurant since the days of the old Beacon on South Claiborne and Napoleon Avenue. Snapper throats (also known as breasts) are the part of the fish just below and to the rear of the gills. In Europe, it's considered the best part of the fish, and if a whole fish is served without the throats, the customer has the right to shake his fist. The meat is firm, white, and good.
The throats that Chef Ross serves here are different from the Beacon's in being cooked in a skillet with a buttery, crab-meaty sauce. It's kind of a mess to eat, but worth the effort.
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Soft-shell crab martini.[/caption]
Mary Ann goes after a more elegant catch, made of a medium soft-shell crab served in a martini glass. (That, of course, make the dish a soft-shell crab martini.) A little sweet heat is going on here, and it's delicious and crisp.
The great dish of the night is a slab of cobia seared in a pan and then served with a pile of pasta Alfredo. Rich and filling.
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Short ribs at Nathan's.[/caption]
Nathan's strength is in its seafood, but they also have much else. Mary Ann found some short ribs--a favorite of hers, with fall-off-the-bone meat and a chunky brown gravy that would have made an excellent roast beef poor boy.
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Elegant bread pudding.[/caption]
We end up with a very good muffin of bread pudding. I get it all, because MA says that bread pudding has a texture problem. I wonder how much bread pudding I have consumed because of her dislike it if. I thank her for that little thing.
[title type="h5"]
Nathan's. Slidell: 36440 Old Bayou Liberty Rd. 985-643-0443. [/title]
