Memories Of An Old Friend

I sat in The Garden Room at Commander's Palace channeling Tom, thinking of what it must have been like to eat alone in a dining room full of happy chatter. The table where I sat looked out into the outdoor courtyard. I specifically requested to sit somewhere other than the main dining room, because it was the second to last meal Tom ate, and it has been too soon to return there.

But the Garden Room is full of memories too. The entire place is. The restaurant was so important to Tom we spent a lot of time there. I remember a particular private New Year’s Eve dinner when we were newly married. And before that, I remember crashing one of Tom’s monthly dinners with Dick Brennan and Marcel Bienvenue when a young Emeril tried out new dishes on them. From my vantage point I could see into the dining room across the courtyard where we had an Eat Club to celebrate the 25th anniversary of The Food Show. It was a great night. I didn’t realize then it was the twilight of the show with Tom as host. And of Tom.

But the best memory I have of Commander’s Palace was the post-graduation lunch we had in the Garden Room after Mary Leigh got her diploma from Louise McGehee right down the street.  We’ve made countless trips up and down that interior staircase.

In all those years, nothing in this place has changed, fundamentally, at least. There have been beautiful renovations that made it even more glamorous, though in spirit it seems exactly as it always has been. The staff still treats you like a rock star. And the food remains a polished version of our local  dishes, with an 2025 update. (The dessert I had included miso, for example.) 

The occasion of my return to Commander’s Palace was Miss Ella’s 100th birthday menu, comprised of some version of her favorite things. It was a five-course tasting menu, which I hadn’t bothered to investigate, and when I heard it I was alarmed. Veal. Lamb. I decided to press on and enjoy the ride. I was in capable hands. 

I had already had enough garlic bread to be filled before a single thing arrived. The single thing did arrive, (the amuse,) and it was a quail boudin ball in a raspberry pepper jelly. It was a great little deep-fried nugget with the requisite boudin taste.

The description of the first dish in this tasting menu intrigued me. It was a crabmeat cheesecake, so my mind immediately went to the Dickie Brennan Palace Cafe version, with its rich, creamy decadence. What came to the table was a small tart with a darkish  color and a crust that was crunchy. Beside it were shreds of radish and dill sprigs. This tart broke what I considered to be the cardinal rule of crabmeat, which is to pretty much leave it alone. Just the lightest touch. But the Worcestershire sauce base was the overwhelming taste here. The tart shell was crushed pecans, and the crabmeat was more of a bottom layer, rather than being incorporated throughout. This was pretty, and pretty unusual.

My favorite dish of the evening came in the second course. The waitress explained that Miss Ella loved Flounder, which surprised me. Tom always said that Pompano was the king of the sea, though the waitress claimed that Ella thought it was Flounder. But the menu had Pompano on it. Since these fish are first cousins, perhaps Pompano wasn’t available this evening?  

Regardless, I loved this dish. It also had another component I have wanted to try: Pommes Anna. Pommes Anna is such an elite dish that there is even a special pan in France crafted for it. The pan is made of cast iron, and one fits inside the other with the thinly-sliced potatoes getting crispy on all sides. There is a lot of butter in this dish too. That’s really it. Simple but divine.

The plating on the dish was an Herbsaint-basil sauce underneath a layer of lemon marinated artichoke hearts topped by a piece of grilled Flounder, and at the top was a thin layer of crispy Pommes Anna. I have never run across potatoes paired thai very French way, but I really enjoyed this dish, and was happy to have the opportunity to try it. The artichoke hearts were excellent as part of this ensemble too. Great dish. 

A palate cleanser came next, called le Coup du Milieu, ("the Middle Stroke".) On the menu it was called The Saloon In The Sky, and contained Maker’s Mark. Grand Marnier, and Apple Brandy. They made mine non-alcoholic, which was a very Brennan service thing to do. They know I’m not a drinker, so there was no booze in it. Nice touch. 

We moved on to the most interesting dish of the evening. Chef Meg Bickford’s mentor Tory McPhail was always excited about his egg machine, which I first heard him explain to Tom at The Eat Club anniversary dinner I mentioned earlier. He talked of bathing an egg for hours, which sounds interesting. 

Miss Ella loved veal, so a veal demi glace that looked as rich as onion soup surrounded the egg. The egg had been spun for so long it was almost like custard. There was truffle in the dish as well. Veal Daube glacé is what it was called, but Daube glacé to me is a beef version of hogshead cheese. This had the consistency of a thick onion soup, and it was just as good. A lot of bits of beef made this soupy mass more substantial, and this had a very good flavor. 

The final savory course was the Rack of Lamb. which was stellar in every way: presentation and taste, perfect portion size. It announced itself with an subtle fragrant herbal smell of charred rosemary. This has become a common practice around town, but here it was less intense than I usually notice. Even though there was a lot more rosemary in the sprig, it was just a whiff, and that is much better. Rosemary has a strong smell and flavor and a little goes a long way.

I couldn’t believe how tender this lamb was. The perfect amount of fat was here, and the herbal crusting was perfect. I don’t usually eat lamb, but every time I do I wonder why it’s not an order in regular rotation. It is always superb, and this was one of the best. Underneath these two rib bones was sweet potato whipped with molasses to make it extra rich, and at the very bottom was a lamb jus roti. A slaw of apples, mirliton and horseradish was most interesting. The combination of textures and flavors here was exciting. Collectively it was a wonderful fall dish.

Just after my dessert landed on the table Lally Brennan came over to say hi. I have always loved Lally Brennan, and I insisted she sit so we could catch up. She was concerned I wouldn’t eat the dessert, but how could I not? Okay, it wasn’t chocolate, but it had miso in it. I used to roll my eyes whenever I saw miso on a menu but after all the health news about fermented foods, I am grateful for the opportunity to ingest it so deliciously. This apple cobbler was also complex, somehow incorporating foie gras, caramel, and miso into a dessert that just tasted like a delicious apple cobbler. That takes some skill! A local classic, Creole Cream Cheese ice cream, slowly melted into the warm cobbler.    

Lally and I verbally shared so many of the memories I had been musing about alone from my table above the courtyard, marveling together at how fast it all went. She caught me up on all the nieces and nephews my children’s age. We spent Christmas Eve every year with Dick’s family in a house bursting with people of all ages, but the kids made up a significant percentage of the attendees. The party was as glamorous as you’d expect, catered by Commander’s. But I most remember the homemade brownies Dick’s wife Lynn contributed to the spread. They were studded with Hershey’s candy bar pieces. These were the days before I was shamed out of eating “cheap chocolate.” (Regular listeners to The Food Show will chuckle at that reference.)

Lally and I also talked about Tom, the business as it is today, and her star turn with cousin Ti on Instagram. Both girls are surprised at how much fun they are having with their videos, along with everyone viewing them. I told her it was no surprise to me. People have fun watching other people have fun. Happiness is contagious.

She left me to get back to making her rounds of the dining room, chatting with guests, a trademark of the style of dining we loved so much. The Brennan family are all masters of hospitality. It was comforting to sit in that dining room watching her practice the family craft so innately as she did. I smiled realizing that not everything has changed.

That evening was another memory of this place to add to the wonderful collection.