With just an hour for lunch before the show, we thought about places to eat near the studio. The answer came immediately. Restaurant August. We hadn’t been in a long time. Too long. MA was sad to think about just how long it had been. Then she realized it was Jude’s wonderfully exceptional wedding in the private room upstairs. Nearly five years ago. That’s a sobering thought. While we were there she confessed to going back to that room for a peek to remember it. Such a great evening.
It was about 2pm when we arrived, so the downstairs dining room was quiet. Which made the kind of service we experienced puzzling. Definitely not what we expected at this five star establishment.
There was a group of six millennials at the next table, and one very loud one was wearing plastic Adidas slippers with long socks. How did this happen? Mary Ann, who never notices such things, lamented about this situation, and suggested a need sometimes for dress codes. And “inside voices”, a term that used to make her sneer.
Only two other tables were occupied, one by a cute couple, and the other with a business lunch. It took a long time for anyone to acknowledge us, and an even longer time to order, despite frequent passes through the dining room from the restaurant manager.
I got a fried oyster appetizer that was very appetizing indeed. Nine hot and crispy oysters sat in a puddle of light and delicious tarragon cream sauce. On top was a garnish of microgreens and fresh dill, and the ubiquitous thin slices of pink radishes.
MA stayed busy with the Epi breads she loves. These were larger in circumference than she usually sees, but they cleared the very high bar for her bread consumption, so this was her appetizer. For an entree she got a fried chicken sandwich with housemade chips. And i got crabmeat gnocchi with truffles. John Besh was and is a master with gnocchi.
The sandwich was two small pieces of crispy fried chicken breast with coleslaw on top, and housemade pickles. MA is never a fan of housemade pickles, but she has always loved Besh’s. She was not disappointed today. She was thrilled with everything about this sandwich . The chips, not so much. Ironically, the homemade chips were the reason she went for the sandwich instead of the Ruby Red shrimp salad, her new favorite food item. These chips were very large, thin, crispy, hot, and golden brown. But they were dusted with barbecue sauce (as stated on the menu.) Since that’s not a flavoring she likes with chips, it’s a wonder that escaped her.
I was quite satisfied with my gnocchi. Besh was one of the first chefs locally to introduce gnocchi to this town, and one of the few who get it exactly right. His are light, and small, and his crabmeat gnocchi is a signature dish and standard bearer. Shards of mushrooms rounded out the dish.
There was no time for dessert and no drinks before the show. The food was perfection, the service very far from it..And it felt very good to pay a visit to a place laced with so many good memories.
My book, “Hungry Town”, starts with a post-Katrina dinner full of grateful camaraderie at Restaurant August. I will never forget how I felt when I left the restaurant that night. I knew then that, despite it all, everything would be all right.
Restaurant August
301 Tchoupitoulas St New Orleans 70130
11am-10pm Mon-Fri 5pm-10pm Saturday and Sunday
504-299-9777
restaurantaugust.com
