Number Seventeen
Middendorf's
Seafood.
River Parishes: Exit 15 off I-55, Manchac. 985-386-6666. Map.
Lunch and dinner continuously WE TH FR SA SU
Casual
AE DS MC V
Website
Say the word "catfish," and most avid New Orleans eaters (as well as those between New Orleans and Baton Rouge, and perhaps as far away as Jackson, Mississippi) think of this funny German name. Because it's been Number One for as long as it has, people are always taking shots at the place. But the goodness of its fried seafood can't be denied. It's hard to find anyplace more consistent.
All the seafood here is fresh, and it's all prepared to order. The frying is incomparable: the golden color of the cornmeal crust tells that story. The catfish is served either in small fillets or in the restaurant's signature thin-cut variety. The former is better. Also here is a full array of casual seafood platters, including rarities like whole fried flounder and whole catfish. Among the appetizers are great sleepers--notably the variations on grilled and baked oysters. Lest there by any doubt about the new owners, they kept almost the entire staff and all the old recipes. The same lady who's cut the thin catfish by hand for decades is still there, for example.
The third generation of the founding family sold Middendorf's in 2005 to Chef Horst Pfeifer and his wife Karen, who owned the superb Bella Luna in the French Market until Katrina. Although Katrina damaged Middendorf's only moderately, Hurricane Gustav in 2008 devastated Middendorf's, especially its original building. That allowed for a major restoration of that structure and its kitchen, followed by an entirely new main dining room with a look perfectly in line with the original. Also added: a large covered deck at the waterfront, which became immediately popular.
BEST SEAFOOD DISHES
»Crab or shrimp gumbo
Turtle soup
Oyster stew
»Shrimp remoulade
Boiled shrimp, crabs, and crawfish in season
»Barbecue oysters
»Italian oysters
Crawfish cakes
Entree salad of boiled shrimp topped with catfish croutons
»Fried thick- or thin-cut catfish
»Whole fried catfish
»Broiled barbecue catfish
»Fried seafood platters
»Stuffed crab
Fried or broiled frog legs
»Whole fried or broiled flounder
Fried chicken
Catfish, oyster, shrimp, or soft-shell crab poor boys
For a more detailed review, click here.
