Martin Wine Cellar - New Orleans

Martin Wine Cellar
3500 Magazine Street
New Orleans, LA
504-899-7411
1-800-298-4274
Call for hours – open some Sundays during the holidays
www.martinwine.com

By Jane Feehan

On a recent visit to the Roosevelt Hotel in New Orleans I tried what is disputably “America’s first cocktail,” the Sazerac. Thought to be named by John Schiller in 1859 this drink was made famous by the Roosevelt and Fairmont hotels (same location, different ownership over the years). If not America’s first cocktail, it could certainly be considered the New Orleans cocktail. The Roosevelt uses the Sazerac Rye brand and was kind enough to mention where they buy it. They hooked me up to Martin Wine Cellar by phone (how's that for service) to make sure it was in stock. It was and I made my way there.

Martin Wine Cellar has a wonderful selection of wines, champagnes, whiskeys, including Sazerac Rye (about $20) – and a vast array of adult beverages. In addition to the rye, I also looked for one of my favorite red wines, a Jumilla (pronounced hue-MILL-ah) from southwest Spain between LaMancha and the Mediterranean. Martin had a couple, which made the trip from Biloxi entirely worth it. A good Jumilla is next to impossible to find along the Mississippi Coast.

Martin Wine Cellar also carries a nice selection of cheeses, gourmet food gift baskets, crackers and cookies – goodies not permitted in Mississippi’s state-controlled liquor stores. Martin has four locations – Magazine Street, New Orleans, Mandeville, Metairie and Baton Rouge. The staff is eager to assist and they know their inventory.

The Roosevelt Hotel recipe for the Sazerac: (http://therooseveltneworleans.com/blog/category/sazerac-bar/ )
Sazerac
1 cube sugar
1 1/2oz rye whiskey
1/4oz Herbsaint
3 dashes Peychaud’s bitters
lemon peel, for garnish

Pack an Old-Fashioned glass with ice. In a second Old-Fashioned glass place the sugar cube and add the Peychaud’s Bitters to it, then crush the sugar cube. Add the rye whiskey to the second glass containing the Peychaud’s Bitters and sugar. Empty the ice from the first glass and coat the glass with the Herbsaint, then discard the remaining Herbsaint. Empty the whiskey/bitters/sugar mixture from the second glass into the first glass and garnish with lemon peel.

White Cap Seafood Restaurant, Gulfport, Mississippi

White Cap Seafood Restaurant
560 Beach Blvd. (new location since Hurricane Katrina)
Gulfport, Mississippi 39507
Tuesday-Thursday 11:30 a.m.-9 p.m.
Friday and Saturday 11:30 a.m.-9:30 p.m.
228-604-4444 (Note: phone seems to be infrequently answered)


UPDATE JUNE, 2017: What happened? So disappointing.

White Cap Seafood Restaurant was as much a treat the second time as it was on my first visit (see August 16, 2009 post).

Eight of us sat down to lunch and most everyone raved about their meal except for one who ordered red beans and rice with sausage – something I wouldn’t consider at a well-known seafood spot.

Shrimp Po’ Boys ($8.95), served dressed and pressed, came with a generous portion of French fries and exceptionally good slaw. Two diners ordered Crawfish Anthony ($7.45), a delicious pasta dish with a white sauce loaded with crawfish. It came with a great salad and a hushpuppy – still the best I’ve had on the Coast. There was plenty of food and enough for some to bring home for a second meal.

White Cap makes their own cheesecakes - in several flavors - but none of us could eat anything more. That alone would justify another visit.

Other items on the menu include Spicy Shrimp Creole ($9.95), Gumbo, Red Fish (about $15), fried seafood platters ($18.95), Shrimp Scampi ($12.95), oysters, scallops ($14.95), steaks (USDA Choice) and chicken dishes ($9.95-10.95). A “Little Matey’s” menu is available for children 12 and under.

Consistently good food and a great view of the Mississippi Sound will keep the crowds coming to the White Cap. Full bar. Lounge area tables recommended. © 2009 All rights reserved.

Kenny Ward's - Ocean Springs, Mississippi

Kenny Ward’s
1594 Government Street
Ocean Springs, MS 39564
228-818-4505
Monday-Thursday: 5 p.m.-9 p.m.
Friday-Saturday: 5 p.m.-10 p.m.
Closed Sundays


By Jane Feehan

Kenny Ward gets into the details at his place, whether it’s cooking, putting up Christmas decorations or personally greeting diners as they come through the door. His is a friendly little bistro, and the food definitely reflects that of a chef who takes pride in what he serves.

His lump crab cakes ($24) were excellent: mostly crab meat, no fillers, and barely any breadcrumbs. I also enjoyed a side order of sautéed spinach with just the right amount of garlic and a good house salad. My only complaint would be the main course portions are small, whether crab cakes or steak. Steaks are a popular choice at Kenny Ward’s and he serves some of those USDA Prime beauties in bubbling Maytag blue cheese sauce.

I finished the meal with a strawberry shortcake variation topped with fresh whipped cream and wonderfully sweet strawberries – something not commonly found in December.

Fresh fish, shrimp, poultry and other meat entrees make up the menu in this quietly sophisticated spot. A word about the martini bar: it’s set up the way a bar should be – a small square affair – conducive to socializing if one is so inclined.
Service: excellent. Moderately expensive. © 2009 All rights reserved.

Half Shell Oyster House - Gulfport, Mississippi

Half Shell Oyster House
2500 13th Street
Gulfport, MS 39501
228-867-7001
Dining Room – Monday-Saturday: 11 a.m. – 10 p.m.; Sunday: 11 a.m.- 9 p.m.
Oyster Bar: Monday-Saturday: 11 a.m.- until; Sunday 11 a.m.-9 p.m.

www.halfshelloysterhouse.com

By Jane Feehan

Opened in August by the same folks who own High Cotton Grill, Half Shell Oyster House is a welcome addition to Gulfport’s short list of good restaurants. It’s a notch or two – maybe three – above High Cotton and – wow – the oysters are great. So is the atmosphere in this renovated early 20th-century downtown Gulfport building.

I dined on charbroiled oysters in drawn butter and they threw in another – a barbequed variety – a recent menu addition; they were fresh and delicious. I also ordered Chicken Half Shell, grilled and topped with an Alfredo sauce accented with sun-dried tomatoes, capers and artichoke hearts; this sauce was light and supercharged with flavor. I can’t remember as tender a chicken breast. The meal came with an excellent side salad and better-than-average Balsamic dressing on a chilled plate.

Half Shell’s menu is extensive featuring, other than oysters, fresh fish, shrimp, chicken, steak, veal and pasta entrees. They also serve burgers, Po Boys and sandwiches – and seafood gumbo. Desserts include Cinnamon Roll Bread Pudding and Bananas Foster Cheesecake.

This is a busy place, even on a Saturday afternoon – a solid endorsement of its good food. Full bar. Service: excellent. Moderate prices. ©2009 All rights reserved.

Gombo (Gumbo) - La Cuisine Creole, 1885 - First Creole Cookbook

By Lafcadio Hearn, 1850-1904

("Gombo" is Hearn's spelling of Gumbo)
2 pounds cold roasted chicken, turkey, game or any other meat
salt and pepper
1 gallon boiling water to every 2 pounds meat and bones
½ pound of ham or less of (Canadian) bacon
1 quart sliced okra or a coffee-cupful (use 1 ½ tablespoons) of gombo filée, for every gallon of water
Optional: oysters, crabs or shrimp; tomatoes, green corn, other vegetables

This is a most excellent form of soup, and is an economical way of using up the remains of any cold roasted chicken, turkey, game or other meats. Cut up and season the chicken, meat or other material to make the soup; fry to a light brown in a pot, and add boiling water in proportion to your meat. Two pounds of meat or chicken (bones and all), with ½ pound of ham, or less of breakfast (Canadian) bacon, will flavor a gallon of soup, which, when boiled down, will make gombo for 6 people. When the boiling water is added to the meat, let it simmer for at least 2 hours. Take the large bones from the pot, and add okra or a preparation of dried and pounded sassafras leaves, called filée. This makes the difference in gombo. For gombo for six people use 1 quart of sliced okra; if filée be used, put in a coffee-cupful. Either gives the smoothness so desirable in this soup. Oysters, crabs and shrimp may be added when in season, as all improve the gombo. Never strain gombo. Add green corn, tomatoes, etc., if desired. Serve gombo with plain boiled rice.


Tags: Lafcadio Hearn, first New Orleans cookbook

Crazy Fish Grill - Ocean Springs, Mississippi

Crazy Fish Grill
1618 Bienville Blvd.(Hwy 90)
Ocean Springs, MS 39565
228-872-4901
Monday-Thursday – 11 a.m.-9 p.m.
Friday-Saturday – 11 a.m. – 10 p.m.


By Jane Feehan

Crazy Fish is more about its bar business than its food. This fish place is for the birds – and lounge lizards.

The tables in the main dining room were empty (a clue) so I walked into the lounge where all the action seemed to be. The bar was full and the female bartenders were nearly stumbling over each other serving drinks and a meal here and there. Two good barkeeps should have been able to handle it; there were fewer than 20 people seated and no other parties at tables. At one time there were four behind the bar – plus one of the owners as stern observer.

He should pay more attention to the food than the bartenders.

I ordered mahi mahi with a house salad and a baked potato. The salad was covered in unappetizing reconstituted bacon bits and the dressing was tasteless. The fish was thin – and frozen, not fresh. That did it for me; I’ll not be back.

They serve Po’ Boys, pasta, a variety of fish and shrimp dishes and landlubber fare.

Crazy Fish, located in an attractive Ocean Springs strip center, attracts a motley crowd, including one character, when I was there, who was placing bets with his bookie by phone. © 2009 All rights reserved.

Commanding the pack, Commander's Palace, New Orleans

Commander’s Palace
1403 Washington Avenue (Garden District)
New Orleans, LA 70112
504-648-1200
RESERVATIONS REQUIRED/DRESS CODE
Lunch – Monday –Friday: 11:30 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Dinner – Monday-Sunday: 6:30 – 10 p.m.
Jazz Brunch – Saturday: 11:30-1 p.m.
Jazz Brunch – Sunday:10:30-1:30
www.commanderspalace.com

By Jane Feehan

The Brennans, owners of Commander’s Palace, advertise this dining landmark as being “like a well-run party given by old friends.” It can’t be said better.

A recent visit to a Saturday Jazz Brunch was just as much about the experience as the food. Arriving at the opening, we were greeted by a line of enthusiastic, smiling wait staff each ready to escort their assigned party into a cheerful dining room decked out with festive balloons.

Within minutes the party started. A trio of musicians struck up the chords of familiar – and not so familiar - New Orleans jazz tunes. They wended their way through the dining rooms (downstairs and upstairs) to each table. Chords from guitar, bass and trumpet were accompanied at times by some darn good singing from the trio.

Then came the food.

Brunch is a sit down order- off- the-menu affair. Choices (around $37) include an appetizer or salad, main course and dessert. I ordered the Spinach and Pressed Sugar Cane salad dotted with candied walnuts and bits of blue cheese – delicious. My dining companion ordered a shrimp soup of the day, which was tasty but light on the shrimp. Drinks, such as Bloody Marys and Mimosas, are available at an additional charge.

Main course selections included Eggs Couchon De Lait, Tournedos of Black Angus Beef, Griddle Seared Gulf Fish (Pompano that day), Hickory Smoked Tenderloin of Pork, Pecan Crusted Black Drum fish, Blueberry and Buttermilk Pancakes - and more.

We both chose the Pecan Crusted fish entrée, delivered in ceremonial unison by two waiters. Well-dressed with pecans and a wonderfully light and mildly spiced sauce, this entrée proved to be a good choice. We finished off the meal with Creole Bread Pudding Soufflé with a whisky sauce added table side, and an order of Lemon Flan. Memorable - both deserts.

With authentic Creole fare in a quintessential New Orleans setting, Commander’s Palace should be high on anyone’s list of New Orleans restaurants to visit.Dress code: jackets for men. © 2009 All rights reserved.

Tags: New Orleans best restaurants, New Orleans restaurant reviews

Christmas at the Roosevelt Hotel New Orleans

Roosevelt Hotel at Christmas
123 Baronne Street
New Orleans, Louisiana 70112
504-648-1200
www.therooseveltneworleans.com

By Jane Feehan

If you’re in New Orleans in December, stop by for the eye feast at the Roosevelt Hotel. Re-opened this summer after many years under different ownership and name, the Roosevelt dressed up their lobby in magnificent lights for their first Christmas holiday season.

The Roosevelt Hotel encourages visitors to stop by to have a look and take photos, to visit their gift shop or to sip on one of their signature Sazerac cocktails from a mini bar set up for the holidays in the lobby. If you have time, visit the lively (even in mid-afternoon) Sazerac Bar, or dine at Domenica, which is open for lunch and dinner (fabulous).

For those with children, a stop at Teddy’s Café is a must to view the model trains display replete with a beautiful gingerbread and candy village. While there, sample one of their wonderful sweets or coffees.

If nothing else will get you in the holiday mood, a visit to the Roosevelt will. TIP: park in one of the two public garages nearby rather than using the valet service at the hotel if you’re not going to be there more than two hours. The Roosevelt charges $15 for the day, nothing less, while the public garages charge $4 for the first hour. © 2009 All rights reserved.

Tags: New Orleans hotels, Roosevelt Hotel, Waldorf Hotels