We recently had Mark Latter, owner of Tujague’s, on the show to tell us about the Tujague’s Rosé All Day Brunch to celebrate the “end of summer.” If only it was! But last Friday, August 25th, which might indeed wrap up summer in other places, was as painfully hot as it has been the rest of the summer. No matter, inside was cool and festive.
I absolutely love what they have done with the place. The new Tujague’s is comfortable, spacious, and glamorous, while somehow retaining the spirit of the old joint. The signature dark green is everywhere, from banquettes to the stone walls. And the miniature booze bottle cases line the walls, strategically placed.
Tables for the brunch were festively decorated with pink ribbons and pretty napkins, with flowers of varying shades of pink and pink heart sunglasses as favors. Such fun!
Most of the Rosé offerings were only bottles because most of the diners were parties of at least six (women, with few exceptions. )I chose an NV Flor Brut Prosecco that was nice.
The menu was simple and ample. The first course was a choice of either chicken andouille gumbo or a house salad. Tom had the salad and I had the gumbo. His salad was pretty and fresh and interesting, with a cane sugar vinaigrette that was too sweet for me, but just great for him.
The gumbo was not great, but not bad either. I wouldn’t get it again but I ate it all. I have had much better versions of the local classic, and I’ve had far far worse. There was chunky tomato in it and popcorn rice, which always elevates any dish in which it is served.
Tom got the Gulf Fish Almandine, spelled as a hybrid of the old way and the new. There was a filet on the menu which I really wanted, but I chose the BBQ Shrimp and Grits since I’m collecting versions of that for a future piece.
When the entrees arrived I knew immediately that Tom chose better, even though his fish was not prepared the classic way. There was a small but adequate amount of sliced and toasted almonds over a grilled fish. The sauce beneath was a lemon butter sauce, and a nice pile of perfectly cooked haricot verts rounded out this plate. I stole a bite of the fish and it was exceptionally good. I was expecting a classic preparation of this, and I think this was maybe better. This Pompano proves what Tom has maintained since I have known him: Pompano is the king of Gulf fish. Delicious!
The shrimp and grits were also fine for what they were. The grits were plentiful and creamy. But not cheesy, just how I like them. Six grilled shrimp were placed atop the grits, covering the entire area, The BBQ sauce puddled around the edges of the shrimp and the dish. These shrimp were grilled nicely and weren’t too big, which is usually a problem for me. If shrimp need a knife to cut them into bite-sized pieces, that’s too big. These were just right, to my taste anyway.
There were two dessert choices on the menu, bread pudding, and crème brûlée. These are both favorites for Tom, so I let him have mine too. He started with the bread pudding, which was simply and beautifully done, with a few banana slices and a generous puddle of sauce.
The crème brûleé was a small but adequate portion with a nice torched glaze and a few blueberries. Tom thought the bread pudding was sensational, and he ate the crème brûleé too.
All around us were parties of girls having s great time I think they might really have had Rosé all day. And why not? There are plenty of worse ways to while away a day. Mark your calendar for next year.
