Revisiting The Réveillon Tradition

When the centuries-past practice of Réveillon dining resurfaced sometime in the 1990s it was a fun idea and a great value. As time has marched on, the value has diminished along with interest in it. At least to us, and since I know no one who has been going, I’ve concluded others feel the same.

For some reason this year I felt compelled to go to a Réveillon, and the one that stood out was Muriel’s. I’ve always thought the food at Muriel’s was delicious, and the place interesting, but we never go. I was glad to have an excuse to make the effort.

Muriel’s is the cliche New Orleans restaurant, in the most wonderful way. It could be nowhere else. The place is beautiful and decked out for the holidays even more so. It was packed when we arrived as walk-ins, and the hosts were very gracious to find us a space.

Everywhere there were families and large parties and people having a festive time. It felt so good to be part of it all. The scene was a feast for the eyes. Besides the clientele, the staff was so competent everywhere I looked it was like they were in a choreographed dance. Managers, expediters, waiters, and hosts were so plentiful I expected them to trip over each other, but they were so skilled at what they did it was like poetry in motion. I was mesmerized. This is a very well-run restaurant. Rick and Denise Gratia have been at it a long time, and it shows. To see a staff so well-trained, and so large in this climate says a lot about the owners.

The menu was large, but we were there for the $68 four-course Réveillon, which was two choices. There was also a Table d’ Hôte menu of three courses for $49.95. There were more choices on that one. I got the Réveillon and Tom got the Table d’Hôte.

I got the Oyster chowder rather than the ubiquitous gumbo. For the second course, I chose Duck Rillettes. I have always said that I love rillettes as long as I can close my eyes to eat them, but this was more like a pate. It came with a little sauce and some crostini.

For an entree, I chose the stuffed Flounder, and for dessert, the chocolate tart with pecan crumble.

Tom, meanwhile, ordered Turtle Soup as a starter, followed by the Pecan-Crusted Drum, with Bread Pudding as dessert.

Tom was predictably enthusiastic about the turtle soup, raving the entire time. My oyster chowder was thick and creamy as a chowder should be, with meaty bits of bacon and four plump oysters. I liked that this soup was different, but I liked it on its own merits too.

The rillettes were more like a pate, coming in a tiny ramekin instead of a pile of shredded meat. There were not enough crostini for the pate, but maybe I need more bread to offset the texture of the rillettes. The flavor was great, and this was quite rich.

The stuffed Flounder was an adequate amount of fish but not a whole large piece like is often served. The crabmeat stuffing was intensely flavored and took center stage from the milder fish flavor. The meat was flaky and white, and together this made for a nice mouthful. I don’t understand and certainly don't appreciate Broccolini, but the Citrus Beurre Blanc with this was very nice.

Tom was equally delighted with his Pecan-Crusted Drum, served over lentils with a Lemon Beurre Blanc. This was a large piece of fish and a lot of food.

My chocolate tart had dark chocolate ganache and a pecan crust, with Salted Caramel Chantilly. This was very rich and I was full, so I took a bite and took it for breakfast the next day. I savored it then. It was intensely chocolate with a silky mouthfeel and the crunchy crust was a good texture counter-balance.

Tom was powerfully impressed with his dense slab of bread pudding, covered with pecans and flanked by a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream.

When the meal was over I didn’t want to leave. It was easy to be swept up in the party, so many people having such a good time. I took a last look at the beautiful decorations as we left, promising myself to return before too long.