Grand Dames & Prostitutes

Galatoire’s Restaurant, located at 209 Bourbon Street in New Orleans, is, as their website states, a “grand dame” of New Orleans cuisine.  If that title reminds you of the persnickety and somewhat crotchety Dowager Countess on Downton Abbey, you wouldn’t be far off in some ways.

Until recently, Galatoire’s did not take reservations, and men must still wear jackets after 5 p.m.  For my daughter’s 21^st birthday, we stood in line for over an hour on a week night for, I’m sorry to say, a very overpriced and mediocre meal served by an overly imperious waiter.   But the meal did come with a wonderful sense of tradition and history.

Recently, Galatoire’s opened a restaurant in Baton Rouge, Galatoire’s Bistro, located at 3535 Perkins Road.

Actually this is the second incarnation of the "grand dame's" heir.  We never ate at the first Galatoire's in Baton Rouge, but this new
establishment seems to be well-received especially by the "ladies who lunch" crowd.

I've eaten lunch twice here, and their $19.05 (the price reflects the year the original Galatoire's opened) three-course lunch is a tasty bargain. But while the  "snob" factor is missing here--it is a bistro, after all--there are aspects of the atmosphere which are very off-putting.

It’s clear that the décor of Galatoire’s Bistro is intended to replicate the Old World atmosphere of its New Orleans counterpart with its huge dining room, mirrored walls and floor covered in one-inch white octagonal tiles.  The result, however, is a light, bright acoustic nightmare. 

Eating outside in their courtyard, weather permitting, is more conducive to conversation, but I can’t for the life of me figure out why they put this al fresco space in front of the restaurant on busy Perkins Road instead of in the quieter back portion of the restaurant’s lot.

That being said, the food is quite good.  Recently, my husband and I had dinner at Galatoire’s.  While we were hard-pressed to find a bottle of wine under $40 dollars, my husband loved his veal liver.

And I had perhaps one of the best fish dishes I've had in years—the Grilled Gulf Provençal.  This was mahi mahi served over roasted roma tomatoes, red onion, kalamata olives, capers, and fresh basil.

As an added bonus to this great meal, we were actually able to hear ourselves talk because it wasn’t very crowded on this weekday night.

Here is a dish that comes close to the dish I had at Galatoire's Bistro.  “Alla Puttanesca” literally means “in the style of a whore.”  My guess is that ladies of the evening didn't have a lot of time to attend to a slow-cooked spaghetti sauce.

Tilapia alla Puttanesca

Source:  adapted from a Better Homes & Gardens recipe

Yield:  4 servings

1 lb. fresh or frozen skinless tilapia fillets

1 onion, halved lengthwise, and sliced into thin slices crosswise

1 T. olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 (14.5-oz.) can diced tomatoes, undrained

½ c. chicken broth

1 T. tomato paste

½ t. each of dried oregano, basil and thyme, crushed

¼ t. crushed red pepper

½ c. chopped pitted Kalamata olives

1 T. capers, drained

2 T. coarsely chopped fresh Italian parsley or basil

Thaw fish, if frozen.  Rinse; pat dry with paper towels.  Set aside.

In a large skillet, cook onion in olive oil over low heat 20-30 minutes or until tender and deeply caramelized.  Stir in garlic, and cook for 30 seconds.    Add tomatoes, chicken broth, tomato paste, herbs and crushed red pepper.  Bring to boiling; reduce heat.  Simmer, uncovered, 5 minutes.

Add olives and capers to sauce.  Top with tilapia fillets.  Return  sauce to boiling; reduce heat.  Cook, covered, 6 to 10 minutes or until fish flakes when tested with fork.  Remove fish.  Simmer sauce, uncovered, 1 to 2 minutes more to thicken. 

To serve, spoon sauce over fish.  Sprinkle with parsley or basil.  Serve with rice, pasta, couscous or quinoa.