Wednesday, August 3, 2011.
Dinner At Upperline. New Chef Is Leaving.
One of the first callers on today's radio show asked whether the Upperline is doing its annual Garlic Festival menu this summer. JoAnn Clevenger, the owner, sent me her summer menu, but it had nothing about garlic on it. "It's on!" she said when I called to check. "The twenty-third year. Three courses, $34." She went on to tell me that her streak of having chefs stay for a long time (in twenty-eight years, she had only four) was ending. Anthony Spizale joined the Upperline a few months ago after a long stint at the Royal Orleans Hotel. But he will be leaving shortly for a new restaurant going up somewhere in town. He would not say where.
JoAnn, however, was all too glad to run through the details of the garlic menu with me. It sounded good enough that I asked her to save me a table for dinner. I'd call my little sister Lynn to see if she wanted to join me. My little sister happened to be listening and called to r.s.v.p. I have tried to invite people to dine with me that way, but it never worked before.
She had a late client, but that gave me time to shoot the breeze with JoAnn and Anthony. And with the waiter, who advised that the great dish on the garlic menu was absolutely the bronzed black drum with garlic and herb meuniere.
A cocktail was all but dancing on the table in front of me, asking to be ordered. Not after what I saw yesterday, I wouldn't. Glass of--no, make that a bottle of Chablis. My little sister drinks more wine than Mary Ann does (which is saying nothing).
A pleasant dinner, as it always is with Lynn. I knew JoAnn would be charmed by one of Lynn's hobbies: she sings alto in the Shades of Praise, a multi-racial gospel group. Lynn had a couple of pieces of advice on how to make my life better. Women always do, don't they?
We started by splitting an order of sliced tomatoes and pesto atop a little salad on grilled rustic bread with aioli. Very good. Then the spectacular gazpacho with guacamole and toasted garlic, a standard on the garlic menu for years--and well it should be. I had the veal sweetbreads with brown butter--right up the middle with that French bistro classic.
Lynn grabbed the bronzed drum. I asked the waiter about the grillades and grits. He shook his head. "Not one of our better items," he said. I have not often found an upside to ignoring advice like this. That left--among the dishes I haven't had lately--the filet mignon with garlic demi-glace. It was a small one--just right, really--and very good. I asked the waiter why he seemed to be lukewarm about the idea. "You can get a filet anywhere," he said. Of course, he's right.
"But I already showed my adventuresome nature with the sweetbreads!" I said. He shrugged his shoulders. I think the Upperline has the closest approximation of French bistro service and attitude of any restaurant in town.
Before I left, I once again begged JoAnn to write her autobiography. It would be a great read, so many fascinating things has she done in her life. She's one of those people who make this city distinctive.
Upperline. Uptown: 1413 Upperline. 504-891-9822.
It has been over three years since a day was missed in the Dining Diary. To browse through all of the entries since 2008, go here.
