Diary Of Jan. 39, 2018. The Return Of Ralph's On The Park.
The restaurants near the intersection of Canal Street and Canal Boulevard had recent battle with the streets department over the recent reconstruction of the end point of the Canal streetcar. The problem was that people who need the streetcar and other transit to get around had a tough time transferring from the streetcar to the bus at the cemeteries. Crossing the street was the challenge. Now it's not. The tracks now extend across the traffic and a couple of blocks into Lakeview. It doesn't sound like a big deal. But for restaurants in the vicinity--including a few that were as much as ten blocks away--getting through the construction zone was a horrible trick. The worst part was the deplorable condition of the side streets that one needed to get through the area. It was so bad that Ralph's on the Park--a favorite restaurant of mine since it opened around 2003. The streetcar massacree forced it off my list of favorites for awhile. But the project is over, and Ralph's came to mind today. The Marys were off doing something else. And aside from the attraction of the food, a long-time pianist was in the bar playing my kind of music. I took a table next to the keyboard, and settled in for the evening. [caption id="attachment_51834" align="alignleft" width="133"]
Charlie Miller[/caption]
The eats were orchestrated by Malory, a waitress who has been at Ralph's long enough that she recognized me from past dinners--and I her. She's my kind of server: knowledgeable on the food and wine, not condescending, easy to joke around with.
All those qualities fit right into Ralph's style of cooking and service. The departments in the menu show as many appetizers as entrees, as many big appetizers as small ones, and some dishes that fit no category at all. You are free to play these flexibilities.
And I did. I began with what amounted to oysters cooked the same way chefs used to broil escargots, in the same six-pocket serving utensil. They should have bought one with bigger pockets, but otherwise it was a fine starter.
Now I have a shrimp bisque loaded with the namesake main ingredients. Not like a dark-rough crawfish bisque, but the French variety with a creamy sauce.
The entree is a variation of speckled trout. It is actually red snapper tonight, but I prefer the latter to the former. It comes out buttery, nicely seasoned, and cooked the way I like it--not dried or tough.
I get to talking with the pianist, who gave me his card a year or so ago, but I don't remember it. He has been playing both piano and wind instruments for a very long time. As in, fifty or sixty years, if I heard him right. He plays at Ralph's every now and then, on no particular schedule.
I had already too much food when I asked for a scoop of house-made ice cream.
All this took place in the bar, my preferred place ti sit at Ralph's. The main dining room is pleasant enough, but the ambient sound can be a bit much there. The only other physical problem is that in the bar it's so dark that I use my flashlight every time I dine.
But Ralph's is back in service, about which I am glad.
Ralph's On The Park. City Park Area: 900 City Park Ave. 504-488-1000.
