Tom has often made the point that on any given day even the best of restaurants can break down. I have always disagreed with that thesis. If you are the best of restaurants you are immune to the vagaries that plague places of lesser status, or you should be. You are so good you can weather any unfortunate circumstances. Neither of us holds lesser restaurants to such standards, even though these “lesser” restaurants may be very good ones.
Such was the case yesterday. Tom nixed the idea of parading when we saw the crowds Uptown, so we canceled our plans to meet people at the parade route. But it was such a gorgeous day for outside, Blue Crab beckoned. I never need an excuse to go to Blue Crab. It is my Number One place to go on a beautiful day in New Orleans. Clearly I am not the only one with this thought. Because yesterday was parade Sunday, I hoped everyone might be at the parade. So wrong. Inside it was pretty empty, but the wait outside was an hour. Usually, when a hostess says this she doesn’t really mean it, but yesterday she was being kind. It was over an hour before we were seated. Had we had any place else to go I would likely have bailed.
But there is no better place than Blue Crab in my mind on a day like yesterday.
Getting seated was only the first hurdle. There were several large parties, and when I inquired about our food when I saw a party of twelve that was seated after us get food, I was told that the kitchen has its own way of doing things. Fried stuff was on a wait. Fresh cut fries, no doubt. If there is any complaint to be mustered in my mind about Blue Crab, It is that I consider it a little pricey. A diner is likely not got to make a connection like - hey, they are going the extra step to serve beautiful fresh cut fries...They are more likely to say - there are not enough fries on this plate. Even I said that yesterday and I know the extra steps here.
Tom was set to order a catfish plate and I a shrimp one, so I suggested to explore the Blue Crab platter, which for $36.95 I expected to be as much as the separate plates would be. We are not looking for just volume, or we would go to Deanie’s. We are aware of value though, and consider the value of this expensive seafood platter (pictured) to be very disappointing. First the pluses: This platter contains fried crab claws and a stuffed crab. Blue Crab has the very best stuffed crab out there today. It is served the old fashioned way, in a real crab shell, with a stuffing that is almost completely crab. This is very unusual. This does indeed up the value of it, but maybe they should have more of their fresh-cut fries underneath? I just think that when something $36.95 is delivered to a table, it should look bigger than this.
All of the oysters (maybe 6) and the shrimp (maybe 6), and the fish (probably 4) were fried perfection. The fresh-cut fries were golden brown. Nothing on this plate was the least bit greasy. It was totally crisp, of great quality, and delicious. Really hit the spot for someone craving a seafood platter. Sounds ideal, right? And it was. But perceived value is a powerful thing, and I can't determine how I feel about this.
I can figure it out on my next hundred visits to what remains one of my favorite places.
Note:
Two other places whose seafood platters have made some impression are New Orleans Food and Spirits, which will serve you a pile of crispy golden brown seafood for $19.99, and a hilarious version of this requiring 4 people can be found at Crabby Shack, Keith Young’s seafood house in Madisonville. Called the Seafood Mega Basket, it is a foot high with seafood, also crisp and full of golden deliciousness. Do not attempt this without four people. Neither of these last two goes the extra step for fresh-cut fries.
In the end though, the words of none other than Klara Cvitanovich still haunt me. And amuse me. In 2004 we walked the dark perimeter of St, Marks Square in Venice, talking seafood, European and American. She surprised me when she asked a simple question, “But really, who needs a seafood platter?”
The Blue Crab Restaurant And Oyster Bar
7900 Lakeshore Dr. New Orleans
504-284-2898
Tues-Sun 11-9
Friday & Sat till 10
thebluecrabnola.com
