Wednesday, February 20, 2013.
The Intracto-Mobile. Bozo's Revisited.
Something about my car felt funny today when I drove into town. Because the first forty miles of that trip are absent any sharp turns, I didn't know what the problem was until I tried to maneuver in the parking garage. Then, as I made one sharp U-turn after another, I knew that the power steering had gone out. I'm not mechanic, but I knew this didn't make the car undrivable. At least not on the trip home, and to the mechanic tomorrow. But, still: few things upset me as much as automobile problems. On the other hand, it mustn't bother me too much, or else I wouldn't drive cars for as long as I do. This one is coming up on 175,000 miles.
To minimize the drive home, I stopped at Bozo's for dinner. It's only a half-block off my route. I haven't been there in awhile, largely because my first few meals there after Chris Vodanovich retired weren't quite up to the restaurant's standards.
That's easy to understand. When a restaurant has a change in generations, the usual goal is to keep everything as much the same as it had been. But there are pitfalls in that strategy. The first is that it's almost impossible for a new regime to do things exactly as the old one did. It was even harder in this case, because Chris was not only the owner or even the chef but the cook who made almost everything himself. Absent Chris, everything was going to change, and the regulars would notice immediately.
But tonight's visit gave reason for optimism. While the frying isn't the same as it was, it's very good. And the ingredients are as fine as ever: beautiful, big oysters, wild-caught Des Allemands catfish. They're still cooking each item separately, so the catfish doesn't taste like shrimp.
My meal was certainly good. I started with the gumbo, which was darker and heavier than I remember, but excellent regardless. The catfish and oysters were crisp and hot, right out of the fryer. And the offering of a side salad in lieu of the French fries or potato salad (neither of which ever impressed me much, even in Chris's time) is a good idea. Seems like there are a few new items on the menu, too.
I'm in the middle of the annual Seafood Survey in NOMenu, and I needed to know whether Bozo's would be in the top 33. I'm relieved to know that it will be.
On the way out, "Mr. Ed" McIntyre waved me down. If he likes Bozo's, then I'm not the only one. (Come to think of it, the whole crowd in the restaurant tonight seemed to be happier than it has been lately.) Ed said that his Kenner restaurant--where I have not yet been--is booming. It's a copy of his first place near Bucktown, and that's perfect for the Kenner location.
I didn't ask him about Cheeseburger Eddie's. I'll bet we're both glad of that.
Bozo's. Metairie: 3117 21st Street. 504-831-8666.
