Bouillabaisse @ Bistro Daisy
Bouillabaisse has never had a strong hold on the menus of New Orleans. Its popularity swells and then ebbs, such that it becomes a rarity at times. We are in one of those low points on the graph, and left with only a few versions to choose from. That's necessary, because among the most interesting aspects of this semi-soup, demi-stew dish is that it's made differently by almost each chef that takes a shot at it. Right now, Bistro Daisy has one of the most reliable versions. Their version is unique in that it employs only local seafood--shrimp, oysters, crabmeat, and a variety of finfish of varying colors and textures. It's on Bistro Daisy's menu almost as long as the restaurant itself has existed. Chef Anton Schulte--who passed through the extinct masterpiece Peristyle and Le Petit Grocery en route to his own restaurant--turns out a full menu of polished bistro eats.