A Gretna Institution

The Red Maple is an old Gretna institution, and I have been fascinated by the place for years. Tom and I went many years ago. He was a fan. I remembered it being a good old-fashioned place to have a meal of familiar things that would be pleasing. I have been wondering how the place was faring these days. It was totally off my radar until I discovered old Gretna a year or two ago, and my curiosity was rekindled. I finally made it back to The Red Maple, and found the place exactly as I remembered it.

The Red Maple looks like an institution. It has sort of a Tudor look inside, with exposed beams and brick throughout the maze of dining rooms. The dining rooms steadily filled up throughout our lunch there. It is a familiar local clientele.

The service was friendly even though we did not know anyone there, unlike all the other tables. The menu was large and there were a number of specials. I had already ordered two things from the menu when a special caught my ear, and I ordered that too. One of the reasons I went was to try the Spinalis steak, a rarely seen desirable cut of steak also known as the end cap. It’s a really special part of the ribeye, with characteristics of tenderloin with ribeye flavor. I have had this steak only once before and loved it, so when I saw the menu online, I resolved to have it.

We started with Crabmeat au Gratin and I had to get the Spinach and Artichoke dip too. And then the waiter mentioned a special appetizer. There was a beef empanada with mushrooms that I also had to add to the list of starters. My dining companion had a hamburger and I ordered the steak. Everything was a la carte, so I asked about adding the fries, which on the menu were labeled “hand cut.”

I asked the waiter if they were cutting the potatoes in the kitchen and he said no. I showed him the verbiage on the menu and he went back to the kitchen to ask, returning with an affirmation. My friend reminded me that the burger came with fries, so I asked for the Lyonnaise potatoes instead. I never see Lyonnaise potatoes anymore on menus, but since this was an old-fashioned place I thought they might be as I remembered the dish.

The spinach and artichoke dip came first and I could tell on sight that this would be ordinary at best. It came with deep-fried pita chips that were thick and unappealing. My friend was not as critical, reassuring me that they were okay. They were okay, and the spin dip was okay, but that was the high-water mark for this dish.

While they were toasting the baguette that came with the Crabmeat au Gratin the empanada was delivered to the table. This was an order of two large hand pies that were flaky on the outside and inside filled with ground beef and potatoes, as well as mushrooms. A beautiful and rich cream sauce was served with these, and it was excellent. This mushroom cream sauce was the best thing of the meal. Because these empanadas included vegetables as well as meat, they  reminded me more of a Cornish Pasty, (i.e., a workman's hand pie filled with potatoes and other vegetables too.)

The next thing that arrived at the table was the Crabmeat au Gratin. It was accompanied by a large piece of French bread that was sliced but not all the way through. It was toasted perfectly.

The crab meat in this dip was lump but not jumbo lump, and the cream and cheese was just right. It was DayGlo yellow Cheddar, which was fine with me. We both enjoyed this rich appetizer.

I am not a fan of hamburgers that are ground too fine. This was an ordinary burger with a nice patty that was about an inch thick, but the grind was so fine it reminded me of a hot dog grind. This was also unappealing on sight, but the flavor was actually very good. It was dressed the old-fashioned way with a handful of iceberg lettuce and a slice of tomato. A thin purple onion slice topped it all, and there were pickles underneath. 

A classic burger, but we both agreed that the grind of the meat was a deal breaker. A burger should be coarser. The allegedly hand cut fries were battered. Who would do that? We have our doubts about those fries.

My Spinalis cut of steak was beautiful. It came as two pieces of thick cut steak with butter. I asked for it cooked medium and that was perfect too. I liked this steak very much. It was a nice piece of beef.

The Lyonnaise potatoes were a real disappointment. They were dark and uninteresting, and I completely missed the traits that made it Lyonnaise, like the onions and peppers. One bite of these was enough for me. 

My friend got an order of the famous brisket to bring home, and this bill was $185. That hurts. Last week I spent $100 on a salad and fish & chips all by myself at The Polo Lounge in Beverly Hills, and I was happy to pay it. This $185 for all this ordinary food pained me.

As Tom always said about me, I order the wrong things. But Crabmeat au Gratin (which was good) is a rather basic thing to order in restaurants here, as is spin dip. A lot of people get burgers, and steaks are a popular menu item too. I think The Red Maple is an institution that does things the old-fashioned way and their customers are happy with that. There is nothing wrong with this place. I just don’t need to drive across town to eat here. I am sure the neighbors are thrilled to eat there, as they have been for so many years.