It may seem a little odd that the first restaurant recap by The Baton Rouge Eater is not about a restaurant in Baton Rouge, but Mobile, Alabama. But, hey, I take my good meals wherever, whenever I find them.
But before I begin--why “recap” and not “review”? Apart from the fact that I don’t have the “creds” to be a food critic, frankly I don’t want the responsibility of reviewing an entire restaurant. I just want to present a “snapshot” of my meal, for, as the French say, “Chacun à son gout” (roughly, “Let taste be individual”).
On to NoJa!
Located at 6 North Jackson Street in historic downtown Mobile, NoJa‘s exterior features a dramatic canopy over the front door. The detailed ironwork on the second-floor balconies and the lush courtyard at the back of the restaurant are reminiscent of the New Orleans French Quarter.
Inside, brick walls, a dark wood bar, and stylish pendant lighting create an upscale, but not stuffy, atmosphere. On the left side of the restaurant, a large window allows diners to watch the kitchen staff in action.
This was actually our second visit to NoJa, and both times we were blessed with a waiter who described items on and off the menu knowledgeably and not condescendingly. A good food-talker is worth his or her weight in gold—or at least a really good tip.
My husband and I shared two appetizers. The first was “Escargotioli” which were seven small snail-filled ravioli topped with a roasted garlic, parmesan, and lemon cream sauce The second was an appetizer special that night of pan-fired sweetbreads served with small pickled onions in a bacon-broth reduction. The appetizers were presented in unusual white dishes that had oversized rims and undersized bowls and showcased the food nicely.
Both of our starters were a little on the small side, and the ravioli had neither the taste nor the “bite” of snails. The sweetbreads, however, were prepped (labor-intensive!) and cooked perfectly and had a wonderful German sweet-sour sauce—definitely “sop-worthy.”
As my entrée I chose the panko-crusted fish of the day which was tigerfish. The fish was presented on a trio of vegetable sides that comprised an attractive and tasty spectrum of green: the bright green of the shelled edamame, the dark green of the seared Swiss chard (a little over-salted), and the, well, avocado green of the avocado mousse.
The fish was topped with a watermelon-miso froth which was tasteless and looked like (sorry) pink spit. To me froths and foams are in the same category as skinny jeans—trends I don’t get and wish would go away.
The fish itself, however, was outstanding. Coated in well-seasoned bread crumbs and pan-fried, the fish was thin-cut, mildly flavored, and cooked perfectly
My husband had the Kobe beef hanger steak which was served on polenta with grilled spring onions and a roasted onion glaze. The fact that he only shared one small bite of his steak with me and that he ate every last morsel leads me to conclude that his meal was also excellent.
For a description of the fantastic ginger donut dessert we shared, see “Donut Memories” (June, 2009).
Chef and owner Chakli Diggs describes his NoJa cuisine as “Mediterasian,” but the menu also has a strong Gulf Coast vibe to it. And Diggs is clearly a hands-on chef as he visited our table and others’ to ask how our meals were. And since I am a total “chef groupie,” this was a special treat.
NoJa may not be a destination restaurant worth a three-hour drive from Baton Rouge, but if you find yourself in Mobile, I recommend it highly. By the way, Mobile itself is a great weekend vacation spot with several fine hotels, museums and eating establishments within walking distance of each other in the downtown district.
But before I begin--why “recap” and not “review”? Apart from the fact that I don’t have the “creds” to be a food critic, frankly I don’t want the responsibility of reviewing an entire restaurant. I just want to present a “snapshot” of my meal, for, as the French say, “Chacun à son gout” (roughly, “Let taste be individual”).
On to NoJa!
Located at 6 North Jackson Street in historic downtown Mobile, NoJa‘s exterior features a dramatic canopy over the front door. The detailed ironwork on the second-floor balconies and the lush courtyard at the back of the restaurant are reminiscent of the New Orleans French Quarter.
Inside, brick walls, a dark wood bar, and stylish pendant lighting create an upscale, but not stuffy, atmosphere. On the left side of the restaurant, a large window allows diners to watch the kitchen staff in action.
This was actually our second visit to NoJa, and both times we were blessed with a waiter who described items on and off the menu knowledgeably and not condescendingly. A good food-talker is worth his or her weight in gold—or at least a really good tip.
My husband and I shared two appetizers. The first was “Escargotioli” which were seven small snail-filled ravioli topped with a roasted garlic, parmesan, and lemon cream sauce The second was an appetizer special that night of pan-fired sweetbreads served with small pickled onions in a bacon-broth reduction. The appetizers were presented in unusual white dishes that had oversized rims and undersized bowls and showcased the food nicely.
Both of our starters were a little on the small side, and the ravioli had neither the taste nor the “bite” of snails. The sweetbreads, however, were prepped (labor-intensive!) and cooked perfectly and had a wonderful German sweet-sour sauce—definitely “sop-worthy.”
As my entrée I chose the panko-crusted fish of the day which was tigerfish. The fish was presented on a trio of vegetable sides that comprised an attractive and tasty spectrum of green: the bright green of the shelled edamame, the dark green of the seared Swiss chard (a little over-salted), and the, well, avocado green of the avocado mousse.
The fish was topped with a watermelon-miso froth which was tasteless and looked like (sorry) pink spit. To me froths and foams are in the same category as skinny jeans—trends I don’t get and wish would go away.
The fish itself, however, was outstanding. Coated in well-seasoned bread crumbs and pan-fried, the fish was thin-cut, mildly flavored, and cooked perfectly
My husband had the Kobe beef hanger steak which was served on polenta with grilled spring onions and a roasted onion glaze. The fact that he only shared one small bite of his steak with me and that he ate every last morsel leads me to conclude that his meal was also excellent.
For a description of the fantastic ginger donut dessert we shared, see “Donut Memories” (June, 2009).
Chef and owner Chakli Diggs describes his NoJa cuisine as “Mediterasian,” but the menu also has a strong Gulf Coast vibe to it. And Diggs is clearly a hands-on chef as he visited our table and others’ to ask how our meals were. And since I am a total “chef groupie,” this was a special treat.
NoJa may not be a destination restaurant worth a three-hour drive from Baton Rouge, but if you find yourself in Mobile, I recommend it highly. By the way, Mobile itself is a great weekend vacation spot with several fine hotels, museums and eating establishments within walking distance of each other in the downtown district.
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