The Seafood Sacrifice

As another Lent rolls around, any thinking New Orleanian must be filled with gratitude that there is no penance to be had on Fridays. In other places, they are eating fish sticks, and here we don’t have to deviate at all from our regular delicious options.

We are so privileged to have such an incredible bounty of glorious seafood, it was hard to narrow down all these choices to come up with A Dozen Best seafood dishes around town to savor this Lenten season. These are in no particular order, because I can’t place one before the other. They have already made it to the top from a thousand options around town.

But if I had to choose a particular seafood meal it would be at Galatoire’s, the only restaurant with two of the twelve dishes. I would start with the Galatoire’s Goute, which could be my favorite meal in the city, coupled with some crusty French Bread from the little signature bag, warm enough to melt the butter.

The Goute eliminates a problem for me. I don’t have to choose between Crabmeat Maison and Shrimp Remoulade. 

Both seafoods get different treatments from remoulade. One is white and mayo-based, the other a more traditional red remoulade sauce. They come side-by-side on a bed of shredded lettuce. This appetizer is served at two other Grande Dames: Antoine’s and Arnaud’s, but it is the best at Galatoire’s.

I would follow this fantastic New Orleans meal with an entree of Trout Amandine, also at Galatoire’s. This classic New Orleans dish doesn’t get better than the Galatoire’s version anywhere. The slab of fish is huge and hangs off the plate, fried crispy golden brown, and buried in toasted slivers of almonds under a generous drenching of brown butter.

The 2024 crawfish season looks to be a stinker, but you can still eat crawfish delectably. The Crawfish Pie at Trenasse is cloaked in a flaky and buttery pastry crust, oozing creamy and very spicy goodness full of meaty crawfish tails. While you’re there, start with the chargrilled oyster board.

I’m not usually a lobster fan, but the lobster bisque at Pardo’s on the Northshore is utterly divine. I first fell in love with it when Chef Ryan Gall was in the kitchen at Tchefuncte’s. The word for this soup is luscious. It is also beautiful with its drizzled oils and foam. 

It’s not often that I think about something I have eaten long after I have eaten it, but the Palace Cafe’s crabmeat cheesecake is a happy exception. This slice of seafood heaven comes to the table sitting in a puddle of seasoned brown butter, and the smell grabs you immediately. Garnished on top with crab claws and microgreens, this savory version of cheesecake is as decadent as any of the sweet varieties anywhere.

A less gourmet version of our delectable crabmeat is a long-time local favorite rarely seen anymore. Too bad. New Orleans stuffed crabs in the shell have given way to “crab cakes” a misnomer that annoys me. The crab patty of crabmeat stuffing breaded and deep fried is much more common on menus now than a good version of the old West End favorite. There are bad versions aplenty, where there is little crabmeat and what is there is a shred. Breading is the main ingredient in these versions, which is formed into a mound that explodes out of the shell or the aluminum foil fake shell. Sometimes the whole thing is deep-fried after that, adding insult to insult.

The stuffed crab at Blue Crab really does harken back to the ones from the old West End. A normal amount of perfectly seasoned crab with a dusting of breadcrumbs sits properly in the shell, and it is so good you will want to dig it out of all the crannies in the shell. Bonus: it comes with housecut fries! And jalapēno hush puppies!

Sticking with the crabcake controversy, an actual Baltimore-style crabcake that lives up to its name is the one at Boulevard. I am not wont to lavish praise on this local chain, but their crabcake can hang with the A-listers, and for a much more affordable price. This is by far the best thing on the menu at Boulevard, and it is worth a visit just to have it.

Another local gift of these waters is oysters. Having observed Tom eats thousands of them over the years, a few have emerged as don’t misses. The Oysters Oreganato at Filippo is better than Oysters Mosca and the pan roast at Pascal’s Manale. These come in a metal dish where they are baked with Parmesan Cheese, breadcrumbs, and copious amounts of olive oil and herbs to make for an irresistible marriage of Italian flavors.

And speaking of Pascal Manale’s, the food under the Dickie Brennan era is just one of the obvious improvements. The fried oysters with Bordelaise sauce is an appetizer to thrill any oyster lover. Tom was crazy about this plate of large, plump, juicy oysters fried to golden brown crispy perfection. Topped with a favorite New Orleans sauce, it only elevates the experience.

Getting into the less pricey of our delectable sea creatures, the BBQ shrimp at Pat’s Rest-A-While on the Mandeville Lakefront is hard to beat. This is not something I usually get in restaurants, but seeing it go to other tables over many visits caused me to finally try it myself. Six large shrimp come in a lake of herbaceous and slightly thick sauce in the Worcestershire-based barbecue shrimp universe. These are served with a jalapēno biscuit that lifts the whole thing to memorable in a local world replete with great BBQ shrimp dishes.

And now we get into the less gourmet ways to deliciously consume our local treasures…frying it up!

Starting with shrimp, it is hard to beat the fried seafood poor boy at Parkway. It explodes with shrimp that are crispy and just the right size, for me anyway. Dressed on toasted French bread with piles of fresh dressings and the proper condiments, this is what N’awlins is about.

Another North Shore restaurant makes the list for crispy thin fried catfish, but it is not Middendorf’s. Keith Young’s Steakhouse has a lot more than steak on the menu. On the lunch menu only, there is a gigantic pile of thin-fried perfect golden brown, and crispy catfish served alongside a seafood stuffed bell pepper. The tartar sauce is, in fact, a sauce here, and the whole of it is fantastic.

It’s hard to pick a favorite seafood from this embarrassment of riches, but there is no need to. And with such offerings as these, adhering to Catholic custom for Fridays in Lent is pleasure rather than pain. We'll have to find some other way to suffer.