It is the third week of Lent and I have been fasting each Friday instead of chasing Fish Frys as I have the last five years. And then I saw the IG post from Shaya about a fried flounder Friday Lenten special. It is well-known on The Food Show that I am highly susceptible to suggestion, (aka a sucker) as my daughter always reminds me. I headed over there right after the show.
The place was booked solid, and I came with no reservation, preparing to sit at the bar, but the bar was full too. I asked the very nice hostess how long it might be for a table. She told me 20 minutes to sit outside, which is where I would want to sit anyway. Then an adorable little family asked for something outside and I immediately deferred to them. Kids don't wait for tables. Perhaps it was my gesture but she seemed very intent on finding me a place, which is something I never see a front "greeter" do. Kudos to the Besh group for wanting to serve all potential customers that come through the door, and for training their people to achieve that end. After a bit of searching the charts, she was able to seat me, just as other front desk people around town could do with a bit of effort.
The food was a tad slow in coming, but it was an interesting scene to observe. I snacked a bit on the much-ballyhooed pita, which came with za’atar-seasoned oil.
When the food came, it was, as expected, a different POV from the traditional New Orleans Lenten Fish Fry. Here was a crispy slab of fried flounder over a bed of raw arugula. The accompanying sauce was caramelized tahini infused with citrus and Lebanese herbs. It was a thick sauce that was a very nice smooth contrasting texture to the crispy fish.
Alongside this was a potato salad that was very unlike what we are used to thinking about potato salad. It had no mayo, but instead was mixed with a good olive oil and it was studded with big and little pieces of mixed olives. The goodness of potatoes and olives cannot be disputed. This was good.
What I realized during this meal is something I have been thinking a lot: maybe I don’t really like fish. My personal fish “rules” heretofore have been that fish should have a crust and big flakes, or if those traits don't apply, it should be thin. I love crusty salmon because its flakes are large and firm. Cod and halibut are fish with large white flakes, with cod softer than halibut. A square of crusted halibut is sublime to my taste. And I like a thin trout, fried wirh a brown butter and lots of almonds. Again, a hard contrast to the meat. This flounder reminded me of fried flounder at the old West End, which I thought I remembered fondly. This was fine but too thick for my taste and too mushy in texture. The crust was crispy and well-seasoned. A person who genuinely loves flounder would love this flounder. Collectively, it was a fine meal, but a little pricey for a slab of fried fish. This meal was $45 including tip, with no drinks. I continue to marvel at these prices around town, but here we are.
I think I’ll return to fasting next week. Healthier for the body, and certainly for the spirit.
