The Pelican Club has always been one of Tom’s favorite restaurants. Five stars from Day One. We have had many enjoyable meals there in the 34 years since it opened. They have always been the best COOLinary in town, offering the entire menu to diners instead of limiting choices to two or three things from the menu. With such limitations it ceases to be a deal.
Now other restaurants are adopting the Pelican Club COOLinary philosophy, but theirs is still the best, and we proved that again just last night.
We sat right inside the front door in the bar because that was easiest for us. But it has always been my favorite of the three completely different dining rooms. The bar is the smallest of the three rooms, and it is the airiest. The next room reminds me of a steakhouse with dark paneled walls. It is handsome and masculine. The third room is the largest. It is completely different from the first two, but I have always liked this space too.
We started to order the usual things, and then I decided to not do the usual things. There is so much that is excellent on this menu, that we had to branch out. Instead of Tom's requisite baked oysters everywhere, we got him the scallops and artichoke, and I made a quick swap to the Vietnamese spring rolls from my usual seafood cocktail. There are nine delicious appetizer choices. Why not switch it up a little?
For entrees Tom and I ordered from different categories. I chose from four entrees in the $59 entree section, and Tom selected one of four choices from the most expensive group at $69. Tom had the Herb Crusted Rack of Lamb and I had the Paneed Gulf Fish (Black Drum) with crabmeat on top. Each tier of entree includes an appetizer from the entire appetizer section of the menu and one dessert selected from the entire dessert menu. No limitations here.
For dessert, we chose from five different options. Tom had the Crème Brûlée and I chose the Chocolate Decadence Cake.
Adding a soup for $8 is an option and we also ordered the bread service, which is a housemade focaccia. We ordered these as an afterthought and they arrived after the appetizers. I was still delighted to have them.
Tom’s scallops were beautiful, each placed in an artichoke leaf, all surrounding an artichoke bottom. All of this was drizzled with a lemon beurre blanc. There were bits of garlic and peppers throughout. The leaves that were the base for the scallops were tender enough to eat. The scallops were not oversized, but they were beautifully seared outside. Tom was crazy about this, and the taste I had was terrific. The sauce that covered all leaves and scallops and artichoke bottom was perky with lemon and it had a smooth and rich consistency. Delicious!
The Vietnamese spring rolls were such a beautiful presentation! I just wanted to savor it as a feast for the eyes. The garnish that nested atop these rolls was so fresh it was a study in green. Each piece of the elongated slice of spring roll was placed inside a leaf of baby Romaine. These were plated in a line and covered with jalapēno slices and piles of cilantro and mint. A clear Asian nuoc cham dipping sauce accompanied this. It was all so enjoyable I could have made a meal of these little rolls.
The focaccia arrived somewhere in here, along with the Shrimp Bisque. I have never met a focaccia I liked, even though a lot of places serve it, and all think theirs is the best. I was skeptical even seeing the word on a menu. When it came to the table I was happily surprised. It came in a basket with butter, but this cloud of baked goodness needed nothing. It was light and airy and tall and soft with a dusting of kosher salt on top. It had a nice crumb, just a hint of rosemary, and no imperfections I could see. Beautiful.
The shrimp bisque was lava hot, so it took a few minutes to eat it. This gave me a chance to notice big shrimp in it. The soup was dense but not too thick, and had a perfect shrimp flavor. This was good enough to make an entire meal with the focaccia.
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The entrees were even better. I am not a lamb eater, but owner/chef Richard Hughes’s rack of lamb was so tender and so full of herb flavor and demi richness that I could have eaten this by myself. (But it was Tom's entree.) I always say I need a lamb gateway dish like the ground lamb hummus around town, but this could make me a lamb fan any time. I couldn’t get over how great this was. It was impossibly tender and each bite was encrusted with the herb mixture. It was roasted just so, with a char to the bones. And there were lots of bones because this was a generous portion. The demi sauce underneath was perfection. Also on the plate was a pile of creamy delicious mashed potatoes and two spears of asparagus. This was a terrific dish.
I chose a safe and boring entre of Paneed Black Drum with Jalapēno Hollandaise, served with roasted new potatoes and Haricot Verts. This was a very nice piece of fish, topped with a generous mound of big lumps of crabmeat. A light butter Meuniere sauce was underneath, and the spicy Hollandaise gave this dish a bit of a kick. The little potato wedges were great and I love green beans done this way: cooked to the sweet spot with butter coating each piece.
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We have had several of the Pelican Club desserts, and all are wonderful. Just saying that I have had them is a powerful statement, since I always pass on the course. But Richard's Bourbon Pecan Pie is terrific, though that is not the one that tempts me every time. There is a coconut cream pie here that is outstanding. When I raved about it to Richard he brought me one, even though I had already ordered the Chocolate Decadence Cake.
The Chocolate Decadence Cake was itself outstanding, and now I can rave about that one too. It was served with some fresh berries and a caramel drizzle on top. A dollop of perfectly whipped cream sat beside it, sporting a sprig of mint.
Tom devoured his Crème Brûlée, equally enthusiastic about it.
It was nice to be back in that world, watching Tom exclaim with delight as his palate awakened to this familiar level of culinary excellence. There are times in this journey when returning to this world is simply impossible, but it currently is doable and we will be making the effort.
For everyone else, an evening at The Pelican Club is a no-brainer. Yes, the French Quarter is a bit more challenging these days, but Chef/owner Richard Hughes is validating parking right across the street at The Monteleone Garage for $5!
Treat yourself.
