Friday, November 11, 2016
Andrea's Again?
For the second time this week, Chef Andrea Apuzzo told me something that made me curious--enough for me to return to his restaurant for dinner. Among the musicians in Andrea's Capri Blu bar on weekends is a lady singer who goes only by her first name Margarita. Hers is a very fine soprano voice, accompanied by karaoke music. Although I know many singers who sing to recorded tracks--I do it myself often enough--there's something missing. The background musicians can't respond to the live singer, so it's not quite right. I hope I get to hear this lady sing with a live pianist one day.
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Fries in need of more frying.[/caption]
I begin my supper with a Negroni cocktail and an order of fries. I can't remember seeing fries on Andrea's menu before, and I wanted to get the word to Mary Ann, our official Fries Editor. These were made with fresh-cut potatoes, but they lacked something in crispness. A little oily, a little soft. A quick second fry at about 400 degrees would have made them perfect--but the kitchen would need a fry station at that temperature.
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Seared scallops @ ANdrea's.[/caption]
I have two appetizers in lieu of an entree. The better one is a lineup of big scallops, served with a brown butter. That was just right. I ask for a small dish of angel hair pasta bordelaise (or aglio olio, for those who prefer Italian momenclature. (Tossed with olive oil, herbs, crushed red pepper, parsley and garlic.) It's very good, but I am served three times too much of it.
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Italian baked oysters.[/caption]
The other demi-entree is Italian-style baked oysters. Too much water issued from the oysters and the bread crumbs descended into a slurry. This may be the result of having too many oysters in there. A paradox.
Andrea disappears for a long time, which means that he has a private party in the banquet rooms. I am getting itchy to leave. When Margarita takes a break, I drop a tip in her jar, and ask her what such a warbler as she is doing in a place like this. She ought to sing in the Symphony Chorus or something.
Meanwhile, on the home front, Mary Ann left early this morning with her ultimate goal being Washington, D.C. There she will pick up our daughter and her stuff and move it all back to New Orleans. MA at first was considering making the drive from N.O. to D.C. in one shot, but she changes her mind and goes to Charleston, SC instead. She has a hard time finding a hotel there, and when she does it's very expensive. But she falls in love with Charleston, as I did a few months ago. We try to assemble an Eat Club trip there. I'd love to do it by train, but the logistics aren't good. Oh, well. MA would not want to hear of trains in any case.
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Saturday, November 12, 2016.
Too Much Fancy-Eggs Breakfast. Far Too Much Mexican Dinner.
I'm up a bit early, and wonder whether the Fat Spoon is open for breakfast at eight. Long gone are the crack-of-dawn breakfast hours that used to obtain when the North Shore was largely rural.
It occurs to me that the resurrection of Brennan's on Royal Street might not be as remunerative as it once was. If I can go to the Fat Spoon for eggs Sardou--a dish created at Antoine's and popularized by breakfast at Brennan's--does that gainsay the Brennan's specialness and brunch prices? Can Brennan's add enough verve to its famous egg dishes to keep people from having such thoughts as these?
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Eggs Sardou @ Fat Spoon.[/caption]
In fact, I have eggs Sardou this morning, for $12. Two eggs with an artichoke bottom at the bottom (where else?) of a mound of spinach-artichoke dip topped with hollandaise fill a boat-shaped plate. It rests in a bigger plate that bears five half-slices of thick, toasted whole-wheat bread and about half-cup of fried potato cubes. Even though the farmers and ranchers are not to be seen, I have just as much food as they were reputed to devour.
Is it just me, or are the dining room staffs of many more restaurants coming at us with more cheer than, say, a year ago. The servers at the Fat Spoon are almost too friendly.
After breakfast, I go shopping for shirts. For some reason (probably, it's because I buy most of my stock of oxford button-downs from the same source (LLBean) at the same time (five or six years ago for the current supply). I have bought the same kinds of shirts since I was in high school (when the brand was Gant), and I know how to keep them whole.
Today, I buy other kinds of shirts. I will get the verdict on the new ones from the Marys when they come back home next Wednesday.
My WWL radio show is only an hour long, what with LSU playing football. My time comes and goes quickly. I consider cutting the grass, but I think it can wait. I take a five-lap, ninety-minute walk around the Cool Water Ranch.
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A new menu item called Vaqueros on Habaneros's menu.[/caption]
To dinner at Habaneros, which continues to show itself to be the best Mexican restaurant on the North Shore. The menu is exciting and new--I have three shrimp tacos with a barbecue sauce and bacon wrapping the big shrimp. Also on that plate are guacamole and a cup of bean soup. Before that comes, I have queso with chorizo--enough for four people. All of this is not only vividly delicious and bold in the pepper levels, but the platters are presented handsomely.
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Habaneros's queso fundido.[/caption]
I think there may be some family connection between the guys at Habeneros and the people who own La Carreta. The salsas and a few other dishes, seem to have elements in common. It might be my imagination, but I don't think so. The Habaneros people also own a place Uptown called Rosa Mezcal. (Uptown: 1814 Magazine St. 504-304-7063).
Through dinner, I drink a frozen, tall glass of Modelo Negro Mexican cerveza. It is very welcome when so many highly-spiced forkfuls are heading my way. For dessert, I have a nine plop of flan with a brilliant, clear caramel sauce.
I have eaten far too much food today, in both meals.
Fat Spoon Cafe. Covington: 2807 N US Highway 190. 985-893-5111.
Habaneros. Covington: 69305 LA Hwy 21. 985-871-8760.
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