Commander's Palace

photo - Yelp, Kelsey R.

Commander's Palace, Dinner, New Orleans

July, 26, 2016

P&J:

Shrimp and Tasso Henican

Wild Louisiana white shrimp, tasso ham, pickled okra, sweet onions, 5 pepper jelly and Crystal hot sauce beurre blanc

Foie Gras Beignet Au Lait

Molten foie gras and brandy soaked blackberry beignet lollipop with honeycomb, cocoa pecan butter, croquant, cinnamon swirls and praline milk

Soups 1-1-1

A demi serving of 3 soups: Gumbo, Turtle and Soup du Jour

Commander's Crisp Romaine Salad

Hearts of Romaine, grated parmesan, pressed egg, housemade bacon, French bread croutons, shaved Gruyere and black pepper dressing

P:

Filet of Black Angus Beef

Chargrilled 8 oz tenderloin of beef with roasted mushrooms, whiskey smoked onions, French potato puree and tasso marchands de vin

Southern Style Pecan Pie

Vanilla & sugarcane infused custard pie with roasted New Roads pecans, served with house-spun vanilla bean ice cream

J:

Crispy Soft Shell Crab

A jumbo Louisiana blue crab with grilled corn, tiny tomatoes, mirliton & ripped herbs with goat cheese stone ground grits and cebollita revigote

Ponchatoula Blueberry Shortcake

Sugarcane marinated blueberries, Chantilly cream & lemon curd

Notes:

Commander's Palace has been on my list for some time, probably since high school.  This place is a New Orleans institution and the former home to such chefs as Paul Prudhomme, Emeril Lagasse, and Jamie Shannon.  I even had the cookbook at one point, but I can't say I ever used it.  Clearly, I didn't know what I was missing.

The cheerful teal and white exterior opened up to an elegant space lined with dark wood.  The host passed us off to another who would lead us to our table.  A small army of servers lined the entry; as we were led to the upstairs dining room, each greeted us with a bright smile and a friendly sentiment.  We were seated in the middle of the dining room, the walls lined with mirrors where there were no windows, making the space feel much larger than it was.  Our server greeted us right away and gave us a moment to choose our beverages.  Patrick ordered a cocktail which was served with a pair of sunglasses; I insisted he wear them for a photo op.  I ordered my absolute favorite sparkling rose champagne, which they had by the glass.  We were off to a good start.

The size of the table made me nervous.  That, along with the atmosphere, seemed ill-suited to sharing plates.  When I asked our server for advice, she was quick to suggest which dishes would be best to share, and which she'd be able to split for us.  It was an overtly accommodating move, and graciously sincere.

We started with the foie gras and the Lousiana shrimp to share.  The foie gras entirely too sweet and there was just too much going on.  Patrick felt there wasn't enough foie on the plate to consider this a foie dish, and I would agree.  The beignet lollipop was a cream ("molten foie gras"?) filled, sesame-coated pastry shell carrying little to no discernible foie gras flavor.  With an odd, chewy decoration on the plate, a giant chocolate smear underneath it all, and a vanilla milk chaser on the side, this was dessert, and not a good one.

The Shrimp Tasso Henican was amazing.  Three plump, succulent shrimp stuffed with minced tasso ham (a spicy, dried shoulder ham, specific to southern Louisiana) were pan fried until just crispy on the outside.  They were so good I ate the tails (shrimp tails are amazingly good when fried crisp).  Slightly spicy, tangy and buttery sauce (the Crystal Hot Sauce beurre blanc) clung to the shrimp, adding a richness and zing to their sweet briny flavor.  The pepper "jelly" had the consistency of honey and was a lovely balance of sweet, tangy and spicy; a smattering of pickled onions and okra kept everything balanced.  Nothing tipped too far in any direction, it was genius.  So, so good. 

We each had our own sampling of soups.  I was most excited to try these; I love gumbos and I've always wanted to try turtle soup.  The turtle soup was finished with a dash of sherry at the table.  It was a rich, brothy soup with fine bits of turtle meat, tomato, celery, and onion; herbaceous, full-flavored, and Patrick's favorite.  The soup du jour was tomato shrimp bisque, rich with shellfish flavor, small pieces of tender shrimp and a hint of cognac.  My favorite of the three, Patrick thought it teetered on the edge of too salty, though still a close second to the turtle soup for him.  The mushroom chicken gumbo was disappointing.  Its mahogany brown color spoke to a well made, very dark roux; promising, to say the least.  But while the texture was lovely, we couldn't get past the overbearing flavor of (way too much) thyme.

The romaine salad was split for us, and the portions were sizeable still, not to mention picture-perfect.  Finely cut romaine lettuce, coated just so in a creamy dressing warmed by the heat of black pepper, was generously garnished with lardons of bacon and pressed (sieved) egg.  It was a beautiful thing.  Unfortunately, it was almost inedibly salty.  The proportions were otherwise just right, but too salty can't be remedied.

Next were entrees.  My soft shell crab was a huge dish.  Rich and sturdy goat cheese polenta rested under a larger-than-anticipated blue crab coated in a thin cornmeal batter that shattered under my fork.  It was juicy, briny, meaty, and not the least bit greasy (as fried can be), the crispy little legs equally delicious.  A warm, summery relish of grilled corn, parsley leaves and cherry tomatoes offered a reprieve from the otherwise rich dish.  I couldn't stop eating it (and I should have, because my gosh, have you been paying attention to how much we've eaten already?).  

Patrick's filet was somewhat overcooked, he later commented that the hanger steak at Bacchanal was prepared more adeptly. A large pile of sweet caramelized onions and ribbons of rich, salty, sticky demi glace decorated the plate; the accompanying potato puree was rich, creamy and satisfying.  It was a good dish, but the improperly cooked steak kept it from being a true win.  

My blueberry shortcake consisted of a tender, sugar-topped biscuit with a pile of fresh blueberries tossed in a smidgen of blueberry sauce over a swath of tangy lemon curd. The whipped cream tasted of birthday cake, which I found unappealing so I avoided it.  But the dish wasn't harmonious, more a plate of components, and while tasty (save the whipped cream), this wasn't what I was looking forward to.  That said, I was happy enough to have fresh blueberries for dessert.  Patrick wasn't impressed. 

Patrick's pecan pie, on the other hand, was very, very good.  Mostly whole, tender pecans crowned a custardy filling that managed to be light and not too sweet.  Though Patrick would've preferred more pecans and chopped at that, he powered through to the end.  He did mention that the ice cream wasn't as good as he had hoped, it being house made.

The coffee was black as tar.  I typically add a generous amount of milk to my coffee and here you couldn't tell when I had.  Good, though.  Patrick was pleased with his cappucino.  It was a nice way to end the meal.

What an experience this was.  The food was hit and miss but the service was so outstanding, we didn't much mind.  Easily the most hospitable service we've ever had, it was appropriately formal and appropriately relaxed at once.  We had an amazing time and we would come back here for the service alone (and that Shrimp Henican).