Crossposting from the Travel Forum just because the food was so good I felt it deserved its own thread in case anyone just searches here.
August was the highlight of my New Orleans trip foodwise. The Gulf Grouper “courtbouillon” was the best fish I’ve had in a long time and the breaded trout Poncharterain wasn’t too far behind. The amuse bouche was a perfect mix of lightness and richness leaving you satisified after the portion. potato crips P&J oysters (oysters breaded with potato) was also delicious. Only slight disappointment was the grilled octopus and wild boar sausage salad. Personally I wouldn’t have ordered a non-local fish like octopus when you have so much wonderful Gulf seafood available but Arnold loves octopus. You can get better any number of places in NYC these days (Though I’m old enough to remember when the only option for grilled octopus outside of Astoria was Periyali).
I couldn’t stop laughing as I ate the incredibly delicious banana pudding. The flavors were like a delightful joke reminding me of a peanut butter and banana sandwich that someone’s fairy godmother waved a wand over and made into something magic. The meyer lemon souffle tart was excellent and tart but the gingersnap ice cream accompanying it was heavenly.
The sommelier deserves special praise, both for the service and for the wine list she’s put together. Where Stella was rigorously up to date with “in” wines (most of which I love) August’s list was full of familiar gems. Where Stella has Peter Lauer and Equipo Navazos August has JJ Prum and 2012 Luneau Papin L d’Or Muscadet by the glass. Who can’t love a list that is sensible enough to serve great Muscadet alongside a seafood centric menu?
There is also the BYO option there but it seems a shame not to order at least something off this very well chosen list.
When a vintage on the list turned out to be slightly out of date (the half bottle of 2011 JJ Prum WS Spatlese turned out to be a 2012) due to all the business they’ve been doing lately the sommelier was very apologetic and brought us 2 complimentary (and complementary) sweet wines with dessert. The Bera Moscato d’Asti (she must be psychic to know that it’s one of Arnold’s favorite wines) and a luxurious BA made from Sylvaner.
A truly fine meal and a fitting conclusion for dining in New Orleans.
Did they have the crabmeat gnocchi as an amuse? Besh’s gnocchi are like air, never had any like them and a great carrier for the crab. Also like the shirred egg with local caviar that appears frequently.
Nice write up Jay. We were there on my birthday in December and it was an equally excellent meal. That trout dish was exquisite. We brought wine - a 1979 “Y” and the sommelier was like a little girl exclaiming over it. She hadn’t know there was a dry wine from Yquem.
I would just add to your review that we found the service in general to be very good. Though the captain was a little overbearingly sweet, the other waitstaff were top notch, including the fellow who specifically wanted to let us know that the trout was much more special than the menu description conveyed. He was right - we hadn’t been interested until he described it to us, and then it was one of our favorite dishes.
No, I didn’t write it down but it was a layered dish in an eggshell where one layer was a seafood mousse that was light as air but intensely flavorful. I had a number of good meals in NOLA but that was unquestionably the best.
LOL, when I read your note I immediately saw that huge grin in front of me. But yes, excellent service. I’d describe the overall atmosphere as cheerfully elegant or maybe cheerfully and relaxedly formal if that makes sense.
Arnold was exclaiming over how good the trout and how it was the best thing he’d eaten so far in New Orleans until we switched midway through and I handed him the grouper and we agreed it was even better.
Now that I have a better feel for the restaurant I may bring BYO plus ordering something from their wines by the glass next time. It’s hard since Arnold can’t drink much and really prefers wines that are lower in alcohol as a result.
Or maybe try to coordinate when other wine people are visiting. There were people from this board in NOLA the week before I was there and next week. An offline at August could be incredible.
Have done a couple of mini-offlines there over the years. I think we were the first people to ever BYO there and helped the original somm become comfortable with the idea. We started eating there a few weeks after they opened. Had great tours of the kitchen and Besh used to stop by the table frequently. Really a fun guy and very focused on delivering a good experience. Been in there several times when he was entertaining family at the restaurant.
Last small one was before a big offline in town with Ron Kramer, David Glasser, Dave Cochran Tom whole bunch of the old *P gang.
Thanks for the write up, Jay. I’ll be heading there in a few weeks and will be sure to make a reservation. The Trout dish has me very curious (and interested).
I’ve got 4 nights, is this the kind of place that’s so good it’s worth visiting more than once during the trip?
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