Last week ended with a dichotomy of experiences. There was a lovely lunch at Antoine’s, where we came out to discover the car had been towed. But it ended well, when we joined a group of gin enthusiasts at Katie’s for a Hendrick’s Gin dinner.
Scot Craig is a dear friend, so when he invited us to the dinner we jumped on it. Besides, Katie’s is one of our favorites. We knew it would be great. Neither of us are big drinkers, but the food at Katie’s is among our favorites in town, so the answer was easy.
After the show Mary Ann went to get the car. This grew to involve our daughter since the tow-ers don’t take American Express. By the time it was all resolved, it was time for the dinner at Katie’s. And to think our original plans were to shove a Happy Hour between the show and the dinner. That would have been so much cheaper.
We arrived upstairs at Katie’s in a charming room which we later learned was Scot’s bedroom when he lived above the restaurant. Three long tables of 16 were crammed in, leaving two spaces at the end of the first one. We made our way to the two against the wall. A quick survey of the room revealed the usual: we were the oldest of the group.
This was quickly remedied, when two more of Scot’s friends sat next to us. One of them was at Jesuit with me, and the dynamic instantly changed. I rode the bus to school with this guy, and the memories flowed. MA and his wife hit it off too, and it was a tremendous social success.
Drinks flowed even more than the conversation. In the corner of this room was the worldwide ambassador of Hendrick’s Gin. We loved his accent (he’s from France), his wit, and especially his drinks. Mary Ann even loved his drinks, which were light and refreshing. Or maybe they were a nice counterbalance to the stressful event? No, she assured me, they were good.
The first course was Katie’s seafood Beignet (pictured) and chargrilled oysters with an Orbium Martini made with Hendrick’s Orbium and Dolin Blanc. Katie’s has some of the best chargrilled oysters around and the Seafood Beignet is fantastic. It is pizza dough filled with seafood dressing and topped with a cream sauce. These flavors complement each other so well this has become one of Katie’s best sellers. The martini was quite refreshing.
The salad course had the hit drink of the night. Hendrick’s French 75 was Hendrick’s Gin, Fresh Lemon Juice, Simple Syrup, and Champagne. All these drinks went down too easy. MA was glad my Jesuit friend could drink most of hers.
A Cucumber Lemonade of Hendrick’s Gin, Cucumber Juice, Lemon Juice, and Simple Syrup was the perfect pairing to Katie’s spicy and delicious chicken and andouille gumbo.
It was hard to choose an entree. We all wanted all of them. Barbecue fanatic Mary Ann got the baby back ribs with Jalapeno/Blackberry barbecue sauce and I got the delicious fresh redfish with crabmeat. This was so fresh that it rivaled Andrea’s swimming to his door. A dusting of seasoned flour and a light saute made it a great summer dish. Mary Ann’s ribs were falling-off-the-bone tender as she likes them, and her new BFF got the Alfredo Pasta with shrimp, and was delighted with that. Her husband got the rosemary chicken breast and he liked that as well. A really delicious Mediterranean Spritz accompanied this course. It was Hendrick’s Gin , Mid-Summer Brut Rose, Giffard Pamplemousse, Grapefruit Bitters and Sparkling Mineral Water.
Grand Quininated Coffee was the dessert, complemented with Hendrick’s Orbium, Byrrh Grand Quinquina, Cold-Brew Coffee, Fever Tree Tonic Water, and Bittermens Xocolatl Mole Bitters.
We left the dinner in a completely different mood than when we arrived. And no, we weren’t drunk. All it takes is great food, swell drinks, and fun company.
Katie’s
3701 Iberville St New Orleans
504-488-6582
Mon-Th 11-9
Friday & Saturday till 10
Sunday 9-3
katiesmidcity.com
