Returning To R'evolution

When the subject of R’evolution comes up on The Food Show I always joke that the best way to go to R’evolution is if someone else is paying. My favorite meal there was a few years ago when well-heeled friends from New York included us in a little party they were having. The sky was the limit. I don’t exploit such things but it was nice. Not long ago, I was on the other end. The person picking up the tab was me. It was in gratitude for a big favor done for me. A very big favor. And I adored the company.

They are hipper than me so they Uberred, making their arrival fifteen minutes later than the resy. This was a great break, because while waiting in the bar I was told that there were price breaks on “bites.” Happy Hour deals  are not as predictable as they once were. Often there are burgers only available for those evening hours, or slightly reduced prices. But any deal at R’evolution cannot be ignored.

Several of the apps on this Happy Hour menu were ones I was already interested in from the menu. We would get them for ridiculous prices. But in much smaller portions. That is the beauty of Happy Hour... to me anyway. You can try more. One person can only eat so much.

We got the Newsom’s ham board which came with perfect crostini and a jam. I would have preferred coarse mustard but this was a delicious snack. The ham was terrific with a superb flavor and heavy marbling. A great start. 

Also on the table were a short rib boudin ball and a Blue Crab beignet, as well as crab claws done in a most unusual way. They came as part of a salad, with lime and cayenne for flavor. Very intense flavor.

The crab beignet was fantastic. Light and puffy, it was filled with delicate crabmeat, and finished with a nice crust from perfect golden brown frying. It sat in a perky Remoulade sauce. This was a single bite for $5. We could have ordered several more of these, and would have, but time ran out for Happy Hour.

We moved on to the short rib boudin ball, served over horseradish cream. It came adorned with pickled onion Agrodolche and a Horseradish cream sauce. This was $4, and we could have had a few more of these as well. John Folse is the king of such things as boudin, so this was as flavorful as expected. I have become a huge fan of all things horseradish, and the sauce was a delectable pop to the intensity of the boudin.

The crab claws made the most impactful statement. They were not served in a cream sauce or garlic butter, but were tossed in a cayenne and lime vinaigrette, and served over cabbage, carrot and cucumber. It was more of a salad. A really spicy salad. And these crab claws were enormous. Not stone crab claws, just really large blue crab claws. This was a flavor assault, but a welcome one.

Before we could order anything as seconds, the clock ran out on Happy Hour and we moved into the bar. One of us had the house Red and another a French 77, which was not on sale.

I love all the dining rooms at R’evolution, but I think the main dining room is my favorite. It is very Louisiana in spirit, with bayou murals on the walls. Seating is sumptuous and everyone I’m with is always thrilled to have a stool for their handbag. There are four others, with my second favorite the food bar room. It is where you can watch things happening, even though the real kitchen is not visible. This room reminds me of a hearth. It is warm. A much smaller room off to the side is really just a long table in the salumi room, where the meats are hung. There are two other linear dining rooms that flank these larger rooms, and they have their own look and spirit. And the bar reminds me of a chalet or hunting lodge.

There was a team of servers to greet us when we sat. After the requisite exclamations about the handbag stool, we settled in to look at the very large menu. I could go there just to eat pate, but I’m sorry to say these usually disappoint. Still, I press on.

This time it was the Terrine of Beef and Pork, the “Chef’s Selection” of the evening. The two other choices for this first course were the Saison Salad, and Oysters Lafitte. And there had to be gumbo on the table. I chose the seafood. No one wanted to bother with the quail, and I had never had John Folse’s seafood gumbo. Entrees were Cajun Buttered Crab, the Visiting Fish, and I got the Fire-Roasted Short Rib. So much food!

This first course was disappointing. My streak with force meats here remains consistent. I didn’t care for this one enough to even take it home. That never happens.

The Oysters Lafitte was a hit. What could possibly be wrong with a fried oyster salad, especially one as long running as something served at Lafitte’s Landing? This had to have been updated with the now-ubiquitous kale. That was not the hip salad ‘fixin’ it is now when it first appeared on the menu at Lafitte’s Landing. That vinaigrette is always sensational.

The same is true of the house vinaigrette on The Saison Salad, a colorful pile of seasonal vegetables. The toasted and spiced Marcona almonds were enough to satisfy me all by themselves. This was a terrific salad with eclectic elements that made for an interesting whole. Carrot, radish, and cucumber shreds, heirloom tomatoes, various greens and a delicious creamy dressing made this a refreshing bite of greens that was as interesting as it was delicious. Really good.

We all enjoyed the seafood gumbo. It had a great consistency to the soup and was loaded with seafood. Exactly what I was expecting. A John Folse gumbo will always set the standard.

The “Visiting Fish” was unusual. That evening the fish was Halibut, and it was a nice slab of the usual size pan-seared but very lightly, and accompanied by potato croquettes topped with salmon roe. A little river of a sauce with a hint of tarragon ran through this. All of these extras seemed an unnecessary complication to me, and it was fine but not really special. It was also not hot at all, which annoyed my companions. I am used to food that is not hot, so that fact did not faze me at all. Sadly, it is special when it comes to the table and it is hot. 

The same was true for the Cajun Buttered Crab, an odd dish of disparate elements that included a quail egg and andouille as well as potato puree. The oddest thing about the dish was that it was King Crab rather than local crab. I don’t care how many millions of pounds of King Crab are sold at casino buffets each year, our local crab is far superior to this, and much much easier to eat. This entree was also lukewarm and was underwhelming to the person who ordered it.

The waiters took back both entrees and replaced them with new ones, making me feel guilty about waste. Such a thing pains me. And the new ones weren’t any more popular hot than they were lukewarm.

I was pleased with my short rib, which was pretty standard and not exceptional above that. It was served over a rich Demi sauce and was presented in an artful way with carrots standing on end, perched over fingerling potatoes. The two large pieces of short rib were massive, as they should be for $48, and they were tender enough, but not falling apart. This was very good. No surprise there.

There were crispy Brussels sprouts on the table as well. I don’t have much to say about this ever-present menu item. I was done with these before everyone else started ordering them. It’s not that I don’t like Brussels sprouts, but their raging popularity is mystifying to be. I have long said that Brussels sprouts were having “a moment,” but in this case it’s more like hours. It seems to me that time should have been up a long time ago. Really, it’s a bitter cruciferous vegetable deep-fried to make it more palatable. What has surprised me most is that it has outpaced that other cruciferous vegetable, the roasted cauliflower globe, and neither of them are worthy of such popularity. That said, these were a fine specimen of the tired menu item.

Because the entrees went back to the kitchen, the waiter made amends by bringing a dessert, the Maple Crème Brûlée was busy. Besides the maple custard base, there were pieces of Pain Perdu, raspberry meringue, and the whole was topped with a scoop of pistachio ice cream.

This was a hit at the table, and aside from its loveliness, the parts of this that made up the whole came together nicely. It was a nice gesture on the part of the restaurant, and it was much appreciated and enjoyed.

Extra treats came next. There was a trio of profiteroles. This dinner was between two birthdays, so they sent out a little birthday treat. Three little choux puffs filled with chocolate and topped with sprinkles all sat on scoops of vanilla ice cream. These were great, and the little Happy Birthday medallion was cute.

But my favorite part of this entire evening was the re-emergence of the jewel box. The three drawers included tiny macarons, Pâtes de Fruits, and cookies.

It was a trademark here from the beginning, and like all other niceties, disappeared with COVID. I am happy to report it is back. And while the rest of this dining experience was not what I remember from the early days of the jewel box, the familiarity with those days made me smile.