I‘ve been saying for a while now that Metairie doesn’t have its share of fine dining establishments, but I keep forgetting about Desi Vega’s Steakhouse at the edge of the parish. Maybe I and others don't give it its proper due because it is in an office building, but its elevation about the street offers a view….of Veteran’s Highway. Desi Vega’s also dispels a notion Tom held forever that in New Orleans, we don't patronize restaurants that are not at ground level.
Desi Vega’s Steakhouse has escaped all of Tom’s preconceived notions because it is good. It is better than good. It is excellent.
The space is not as grand as the typical steakhouse interior, but it works. It is white tablecloth, it is fine dining with an army of starched waiters executing their craft flawlessly, and it is polished food. Desi Vega’s Steakhouse is a place I wish we could visit way more frequently, but on the Southshore we have to make it “count.”
We do go more than we should, but it was the last visit that solidified my passion for the place. Lunch is the only meal we do there, and we are usually crunched for time. I never have to worry about that here, because the staff is extraordinarily well-trained, but also just innately competent. There is a tea refill before you even notice it, a bread refill before the request has left your mouth.
I have said it countless times but the amuse-bouche here is the best in town. The single “Desi’s grandmother’s” meatball in the red sauce is a restaurant signature item, and it is so beloved that a dish of them is a menu item as well as a meatball sandwich for diners like me who can never get enough.
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This little meaty tidbit is the perfect texture for a meatball, soft to the touch of a fork, and full of flavor. The accompanying sauce is that cooked-all-day rich, thick, and smooth sauce that only those with Sicilian grandmothers were privileged to experience. I am practically satisfied with just this and some of the crusty warm bread from the little loaf in the bag brought when you are seated here.
One of the post-COVID developments here broke my heart. The Louis Salad was taken off the menu. It was a salad of butter lettuce with lump crabmeat in a creamy buttermilk dressing with a hint of tarragon. This was a staple for me at lunch. I assume and understand that the price at $16 was an outstanding deal and at post-COVID prices, it would have to become $30. But post-COVID salad prices are now in that range anyway. At nice places all over town salads start at $18 and with protein add-ons you’re there.
There are still plenty of wonderful choices on this menu. We always start with the Fried Oysters Rockefeller for Tom. It’s a solid winner. And sometimes I get an app as an entree, as I did with the stuffed crab.
I was surprised by that for a few reasons. It’s rare to see an old-fashioned stuffed crab in the old West End-style, crab stuffing filling up a crab shell, mounded up just a little instead of a baseball-sized hill. But the twist on this that disappointed me was the pepper jelly glaze. Huh? I never got it again but I am clearly in the minority. It was a special then but is on the menu now.
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On this last visit, I was dazzled by another special. There was a Poblano Bisque with shrimp offered that day. On impulse I got it. Subtle poblano flavor simmered beneath the surface, mitigated by the luscious creaminess of the soup. Shrimp were plentiful, giving each bite a meaty heftiness. I could have stopped after this. Or asked for more. With crusty bread, this absolutely delighted me.
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Tom was savoring his Fried Oysters Rockefeller app. These plump juicy oysters were fried golden brown and came to the table crispy and greaseless, perched over a mound of delicious creamed spinach and topped with a perky Hollandaise. These were filling and soul-satisfying. Both these starters were so ample we really should have stopped there.
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Instead, I got the meatball sub for an entree, and Tom had a fried oyster poor boy.
When the sandwich came I was surprised. The meatballs were larger than usual and whole. I always assumed a New Orleans-style meatball sub would be smashed or sliced meatballs in surplus sauce. There was not a lot of sauce on it and the meatballs were too large. This was a disappointment but only because of my expectations. I wouldn’t get it again.
Tom’s oyster poor boy was filled with more large oysters, fresh dressings, and housemade pickles that I’m not wild about. Both of these entrees came with the housecut fries here that are great.
Amy took care of us as she always does, but she is a standout among standouts. I am mesmerized whenever we are here at how great the service staff is. Not a dud in the bunch. It is refreshing to see a place like this, where hospitality remains as good as it has always been. That is rare these days. It elevates a lofty experience even more.
Kudos to all.
