Helpful Dining

After Hurricane Helene in North Carolina and before the wildfires in California a need arose right here in New Orleans when a man in a truck plowed into revelers on Bourbon Street in the first few hours of 2025. It wasn’t long before local chefs sprung into action as part of the LRA’s fundraiser, called Fleur du Coeur, to benefit The New Year’s Day Tragedy Fund, and restaurants quickly signed on to help. 

This particular fundraiser was hardly a sacrifice. Whenever you get to eat well and the money you spend eating well goes to the cause, it’s a win-win. At participating restaurants there was a single dish that was part of the plan. If it was ordered usually 100% of the value of the dish went to the fund.

In this case, the dishes on the list are some of the all-stars around town: The Crabmeat Cheesecake at The Palace Cafe is arguably the most delicious dish in town. It is obscenely rich, with that dense texture and luscious mouthfeel, and delicate but sublime crabmeat taste. It is topped with a brown butter sauce  that cascades down the sides into a surrounding puddle, and it is garnished with a few buttery crab claws. Things this good are usually illegal.

Dickie Brennan’s group had a few delectable dishes in this fundraiser to entice participation. Another was at the Steakhouse, where the crab cake belongs in that elite group, the ones that sit high, are perfectly pan-seared, and have little or no filler. There are only a handful of these around town, and this is one of the best.

Right down the street is another Dickie Brennan Group participant in this charitable culinary indulgence. The Bourbon House offered their chargrilled oysters as part of this list. Sitting in the Bourbon House bar beside large windows with views of the bustling French Quarter is a nice way to experience the Quarter, and Dickie’s Food. The oysters are top notch, in keeping with the standards of this restaurant and the wider group.

Chargrilled oysters were also offered next door at Acme Oyster House, with $2 a dozen going to the cause. Acme has always had good oysters but it was a no-brainer to have them next door at The Bourbon House where the total amount went to the fund, and the plate of oysters was a little less mass-produced. 

And Felix’s across the street from Acme chose not to do chargrilled oysters, aiming a little higher with BBQ shrimp.

Another starter on this list was the Shrimp Remoulade at Galatoire’s. We prefer the Galatoire’s Goute (pictured), which has the Crabmeat Maison to offset the original and pungent red version of Shrimp Remoulade. The Goute is a trio that includes crawfish and is a stellar dish offering more of all these cold seafood apps we love, but no one needs to ask me twice if I want the Shrimp Remoulade.

Merely a block away, Brennan cousin Ralph Brennan’s Redfish Grill offered their eponymous dish, the Wood-Grilled Redfish, with the entire value going to the fund. He did the same thing at Brennan’s with their Eggs Benedict.

More Brennan cousins got into the act with a modern classic: Shrimp Henican at Commander’s Palace. A bit more casual but no less lofty than the iconic dishes, this one has been a crowd pleaser for decades. And over in Houston, Brennan cousin Brad Bridgeman offered a 3- course prix fixe menu for a week at Brennan's in Houston with proceeds that went to the fund.

Broussard’s entered the roundup with, the now-classic New Orleans dish of crispy fried oysters over creamed spinach. These also include bacon and Herbsaint in the spinach, and they are finished with a spicy aioli. Oysters Broussard are a gourmet version of one of our favorites at Boulevard (pictured.)

I wish it was easier for us to visit R’evolution, because we would have had the Scallops Yakamein there. It was a unique and dichotomous pairing of these two ingredients: the humble green gumbo and gourmet seared scallops. Would have been interesting.

Who would have guessed that lobster would become a classic New Orleans dish? But GW Fins has made it so, with their delectable Lobster Dumplings. This restaurant has only been around twenty-plus years, but it was an instant favorite with its wider-than-local scope of seafood, and the Lobster Dumplings have been a star dish since Day One.

The Rib Room had Aged Gouda Savory Beignets, and Deanie’s Seafood brought a more humble classic to the mix of options with their Shrimp Etouffee.

Leading the dessert options was Antoine’s who offered their Pecan Bread Pudding. 

And New Orleans School Of Cooking added boxed pralines to the dessert options, with 100% of the proceeds going to the fund.

There was plenty to drink here as well. Arnaud’s French 75, Hurricanes from Rizzo’s Bar, but not Pat O'Brien's (they had a Rye Whiskey Cocktail.) Other bars that participated were Patrick’s Bar Vin, 21st Ammendment, Bourbon St. Drinkery, The Frat House, The Beach, and The Swamp.

Even unlikely places like Krystal got into the action, offering beignets, and Voodoo Chicken served up tenders and fries for the cause.

Things like this prove once again that we are big-hearted people always looking to help. And we’re always ready to eat well. A happy combination.