For Lunch Today...

Our last installment of this series. I think our next series will be Are you Hungover? Or perhaps I ate Chinese food 2 hours ago and now I am starving.

But here you go. I had a discussion recently with a colleague about the ultimate Steakhouse experience in New Orleans. I think this question has two parts. The first is which place is a steakhouse and exudes that testosterone driven, abundance of meat, seared rare, in a tux with wood paneling, ready to rip a phone book feeling. The second is what steak dish is the best in town?

First, a historical note about the ambiance in steakhouses (have to use my European History degree someway). Once Trans-Atlantic shipping became an effective, safe way to ship beef, the Europeans (and especially the Germans and British) sought a way to continue to control the cattle industry in Europe. One way in which they did that was to portray American Beef as cowboy, wild, and less refined than the Continental breeds. And if there is anything the Germans are known for it is asserting their superiority.

What does this have to do with anything. Well, this legacy is apparent even today. Places like Outback, OK Corral, and Ryan's Steakhouse bring to mind cowboy imagery, frontier associations, and generally the feeling of cheap steak. Contrast that with a place like Smith and Wollensky: dark woods, greens and blues, paintings of red jacketed men on horses chasing hounds pursuing foxes on the wall, coat racks, waiters in tuxedos or butcher's coats and one immediately sees this marketing decision is still evident today. Luckily for us the people behind boy bands have had less long term success.

Ok, back to the discussion at hand. Best steakhouse experience in New Orleans? Dickie Brennan's, Ruth's (old Ruths), Mr. John's, La Boca, Charlie's, Crescent City? An extremely persuasive argument for each has sufficient merit. I think personally I would lead towards La Boca, but Dickie Brennan's is 1B.

But the best overall steak I have ever had in New Orleans is clear. It was a 14 ounce rib eye with maitre d'hotel butter. The steak had just the right amount of marbling to give it flavor without destroying the texture. Mr. Copland, strike up the band.

So where did I have this steak? Emeril's. Now, many people have many thoughts on Emeril. Here is mine. I think NOLA is not very good, but I recognize it is likely a first stop in the Emeril Empire. I find Delmonico's classic, but too pricey for the food. I have never had anything less than stellar meals at Emeril's. Including the aforementioned steak, amazing frog's legs, a great pork chop, and, when they have it, the DESSERT: peanut butter pie.

He built an empire, based it out of New Orleans, brought tons of attention to New Orleans, and makes damn good food. Is his show annoying to some, I could see that; but, did his show arguably bring hundreds of thousands of people to the Food Network? In turn did those Americans become more food conscious which gave a greater market for farmer's markets, speciality foods, and ultimately the desire for better food? I think so.

And if you don't eat meat, I want you to know your brain is shrinking.