FWIW, I was there in late August for a few days. I ate dinners at Jacques-Imo’s, Galatoire’s and August (where they generously allowed free corkage to celebrate a friend’s significant birthday.) We also ate at Cochon Butcher for lunch and Dooky Chase’s great lunch buffet.
Four months later…and a week later…it was the memorably delicious meal at Galatoire’s…and the lunch buffet at Dooky Chase that I was thinking about…and still am.
I like “haute cuisine” fine…but…in some ways when too many ingredients are in each dish to remember what’s going on…I don’t think that’s all that great of an experience. I remember almost nothing about August at this point…and lots about the Galatoire’s.
Not to criticize August, but I do remember two things: 1) They said one could order a course off the tasting menu, and I did. It was so miniscule for the price…it was crazy. 2). For my main course I had the same thing as my college-aged son. He asked me after the dinner whether I “found” the foie gras in the dish…because he hadn’t…and I told him I wasn’t even aware that it was supposed to be in it.
Maybe I’m just not a good match for such efforts…but…“old school” and its simplicity with few and great ingredients is more impressive to me…and, obviously, memorable. The grilled pompano almandine main course, .and crabmeat appetizer at Galatoire’s…and bread pudding for dessert…still make me want to go back there (and I’ve been there a few times before).
IMO, don’t miss “old school” , especially in NOLA.
I had heard that, Mike…but my friend arranged that, so I didn’t know.
The corkage at Galatoire’s was very reasonable too.
Frankly, I wouldn’t have thought to ask or to bring wines all the way from home. But, my friend was celebrating his 60th…and was treating us at August (and went with us to Galatoire’s), and was trying to make the whole weekend memorable for his wife and daughter and for me and my son…and, above all, for himself. So…I didn’t complain. I just supplied some wines the week before, so he could carry them down with him. Very easy for me.
Funny thing is that our son, 21, and I then drove to Atlanta for him to start his year at Emory, and we drove through Biloxi and Mobile en route from NOLA…and in Mobile we went to a fish market and ordered a shrimp boil for lunch. (To be honest, I only had a vague idea of what that really was!) It really was great…and fresh wild shrimp are a treat we don’t see much up here. And, he exclaimed…“this might be the best meal we’ve had on the trip.” Though I liked it a lot, I preferred Galatoire’s/Dooky Chase…but…thought his perspective amusing…and refreshingly genuine.
I would get the Gulf Grouper “courtbouillon” over the Trout. The latter was very good the former was heavenly. In any other city August would be worth going to more than once but with only 4 nights there are too many other great places to visit.
Food on The Gulf Coast can be amazing, you drove right past a dozen or more really epic seafood joints just between NOLA & Mobile.
Hope your son enjoys Emory, 83 chemistry grad here. It can be academically quite competitive, therefore there is a fairly robust underground drug culture. Terrific intramural sports programs at Emory, visit different SEC schools during football season!
ATL is a wonderful city and he can have great exposure to food, music, golf & art. No shortage of women if your son likes the ladies.
Thanks, Glenn. I think Emory is a terrific place, albeit lacking any real sports culture (he co-hosts a weekly sports talk radio show on Emory radio…and they have nothing Emory-oriented to talk about, it seems).
Re: the route between Nola and Mobile…we stopped first to eat seafood in Biloxi, but it was early on a Sunday afternoon…and…couldn’t find what we were looking for: some pure/simply cooked Gulf shrimp/crabs…so…we decided to head to Mobile.
While you were graduating, I was getting married, I’d guess…May 1983. A long time ago…
I really liked that sausage y’all have down there. I asked my son to buy some more when he came home for the holidays this weekend. He “forgot”. Can’t buy it up here. I wanted to make a lobster boil in Maine this Xmas…in the same style…but…it will have to wait, I guess.
FWIW, we enjoyed driving around Mobile…and especially the City museum near the bayfront. Hadn’t expected to spend that much time in Mobile, but was captivated by the museum and Mobile’s surprising (and unknown to us) history during the Revolution, the limited activities in the Civil War (I had assumed the battle of Mobile Bay was only the tip of the iceberg, but…) and during the homefront effort for WW2.
Interesting and nice place. We had planned to stop briefly in Mobile and then go onto Montgomery for the rest of the day/night…and then to Atlanta. We skipped Montgomery, which my son had been to twice on civil rights history things…
Kind of figured you ended up there. Owners live across the street from us.
Our old house was located where the Union Army camped during the occupation of the city. The house they occupied still stands. Had a great re-enactment of the siege this year for the 150th anniversary. If you haven’t done the battleship and submarine, make sure you plan for that next trip through. Hopefully by your next trip the Maritime museum will also be open. Give a little notice and I’ll drop the boat in the water on the causeway and give you a tour of the delta or meet down at the Island (where I keep it most of the year) for a tour of the lower bay.
Conecuh is the sausage and is available in the ATL now. Bob Fleming can give you where to find it there. I would hate to think how many lbs of the stuff we consume. Even a food truck that cruises town called Conecuh Charlie’s. Sell sausage dogs etc.
And to get this back on topic, we’ll be eating at Commander’s this Sunday at 12:30. Then the Pelican Club Monday. Not sure where we’ll end up Tuesday night.