GW Fins

Restaurant Review

Anecdotes & Analysis

It's not well appreciated by restaurant patrons how difficult it is for a restaurant to serve consistently top-class seafood. Even here in New Orleans, it's a challenge for a restaurant to track down the good stuff. Which makes the feats performed by Tenney Flynn incomparable. He's the chef and co-owner GW Fins. Every day, he finds and brings in some dozen different species of finfish in his cooler--to say nothing of the shellfish, of which he gets just as many varieties. Then he develops individualistic recipes for all of it. The inventory includes no junk. No tilapia, no Southeast Asian catfish or shrimp, no green-lip mussles, no mystery fish. And no frozen fish. He carries his quest forward in some astonishing ways. Lately, for example, Tenney has been known to go scuba-like spearfishing in the Gulf, coming back with the likes of lionfish--the voracious, poison-spine-bearing, invasive fish that taste pretty good after they're cleaned. Meanwhile, back on dry land, co-owner Gary Wollerman tends to the dining room, promotion, and wine list. Together the two men have created far and away the best seafood restaurant in New Orleans. [caption id="attachment_44005" align="alignnone" width="480"] Scalibut.[/caption]

Why It's Essential

GW Fins does with seafood what the prime steakhouses do with beef. The kitchen’s main task is finding top-quality finfish and shellfish wherever it is to be found. Surprisingly few restaurants put forth much effort in that direction, making any that do stand out. Fins' co-owner/chef Tenney Flynn's seafood procurement machine brings great surprises to the table every night. Right now, the restaurant is in the throes of its annual Fins Feast--their summertime promotion, with three courses for $40ish. [caption id="attachment_38553" align="alignnone" width="295"] Crab cake.[/caption]

Backstory

Owners Gary Wollerman and Tenney Flynn were the top guys in the Ruth's Chris Steak House operation nationwide until Ruth sold to the corporate guys. They left to start GW Fins in 2001. They later opened and shortly closed a French Quarter barbecue joint called Zydeque. Next came a copy of GW Fins in Charlotte, NC. That didn't fly, either. Meanwhile, GW Fins just kept getting better. [caption id="attachment_44002" align="alignnone" width="480"] GW Fins on a busy night.[/caption]

Dining Room

An old D.H. Holmes warehouse, rebuilt without completely removing all the industrial-look stuff, begat a sharp, modern dining space. Space, in fact, is the key word. Lots of it between the tables, floor to ceiling, in the bar, in the bathrooms, everywhere. The wall of windows in front allows a great view of Arnaud’s, across the street.

For Best Results

If a special menu is running, give it priority. Don't eat too many of the complimentary sweet drop biscuits they pass around at the beginning. Spend more time than usual with the menu, on the back of which is a large wine list with dozens of wines by the glass.