On the outskirts of New Orleans, Gris-Gris offers refined southern, Cajun or Creole cuisine and very attentive service.
For this last meal in New Orleans, my friends having left in the morning, I allowed myself to choose a restaurant a little more upmarket than the previous ones, no longer having to deal with everyone’s legitimate financial constraints. After some research, I chose Gris-Gris, which offers a slightly more refined local cuisine without being on the pretentious side.
You will find the summary of the articles on this trip to Boston, New York and New Orleans at the bottom of the page.
The concept
Gris Gris offers southern cuisine, combining Creole and Cajun, more refined than average and having received several awards. If I had to venture a comparison, it’s a bit like the bistronomic side of local cuisine.
The setting
The restaurant is located in an old traditional house.
It offers tables on the ground floor terrace and on the balcony upstairs.
The interior is in the same style, with a predominance of dark wood, very warm but not very bright.
The menu
The meal
When I arrived, the waitress informed me that there was a risk of rain and asked me if I would prefer to eat inside, but I would stay on the balcony, where I would be protected from the rain.
Once again, the welcome is very warm and it’s difficult to make a choice because there are so many dishes that appeal to me.
I ask the waitress for some advice and start with an Old Fashioned while I make my choice.
The waitress takes a little while to come and take my order, but finally the meal begins.
For starters, I had the Crevettes Flambeaux (crispy Gulf shrimp with crystal honey sauce, carrot, parsnip and yellow melon salad with Cajun caviar sauce).
The honey brings a sweet and savory balance because it doesn’t overpower and it’s quite diluted, and the vegetables bring a touch of freshness.
The shrimp are excellent, although I’m not convinced that they would be any less good if they weren’t fried.
Caviar? You mean those little black things that are scattered around sparingly? Of no interest whatsoever.
Then I had the grilled swordfish and prawns (swordfish with stewed green beans, tomatoes, caramelized onions and grilled lemon). A waitress placed the plate on the table even though the starter had not yet been cleared away, but the waitress who had been looking after me from the start came back to apologize and put things back in order.
Really well presented.
The fish is melt-in-the-mouth and cooked to perfection: it looks huge but slides right off the plate.
The prawns are excellent and I think the starter should have been cooked in the same way.
The sauce is very good with a very slightly spicy aftertaste.
Certainly the best dish of the trip!
Finally, for dessert: lemon ice cream tart with Luxardo liqueur sauce.
Fresh and light, and I even think the whipped cream is homemade.
However, they don’t make espresso (ah…the USA…) so I will finish with a cup of tea.
Final bill of 107 dollars, excluding service.
The atmosphere
Very calm and pleasant, but I ate outside. I think it was noisier inside.
The service
Very friendly and good at relationships, perhaps a little less so when it comes to rigor.
Bottom line
Certainly my best meal in New Orleans, but it comes at a price: 107 dollars without service, almost 130 in total. Is it worth it? With my Parisian outlook, absolutely not, but given the prices charged in the country, it’s the price to pay.
The articles about this trip to Boston, New York and New Orleans
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