A Tale of Two Meals

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times."
Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities

Much has been said and written about Coquette. Based on a recent lunch there, the restaurant still has some growing up to do if it wants to run with the big boys. The meal was a study in contrast. My basic bistro fare sung although it was not without its issues, whereas Lindsay's more refined menu just fell flat.

The space is well-located and beautiful, with large windows looking out onto bustling Magazine Street and a pressed tin ceiling. If one is looking to pick up a bored housewife from the tony Garden District, this would be the spot for you. The food however has some very major flaws. It is at times perfectly executed and at others infuriating.

Lindsay got the sunchoke soup with crabmeat and parsley puree. The soup was boring and lacked seasoning. The background flavor was that of plastic, rather than anything natural. Now admittedly, we had recently had the sunchoke soup from Iris, and compared to that fine specimen this seemed cheaper than a pair of Oakley knockoffs at the Flea Market.

I, on the other hand, had the marvelous, meticulous, well-executed fried shrimp with grapefruit, pomegranate seeds, olives, and arugula. The batter encasing the shrimp was a cross between tempura and a traditional fish 'n chips batter - light, greaseless, and crunchy. The entire dish floated between the seaside flavors of the shrimp, the pop and zing of the grapefruit, the briney olives, and the peppery arugula.

Lindsay struck out again with her main. The redfish with mushroom risotto and chow chow lacked focus. The risotto itself was textbook - well-cooked and earthy, but the redfish was greasy. The goal of the chow chow was to introduce some acid and pungency to the dish, but the force of the chow chow was like being hit in the jaw when all you needed was a tap on the shoulder.

Steak frites, while not difficult to make average, are very hard to make excellent. The steak component bordered on excellent. The hanger was well-seasoned, well-rested, tender and cooked to an exacting medium rare. The red wine demi and caramelized onions added some additional heft to the meat. The aioli had a wonderful vinegar and mustard component that paired equally well with the steak and the fries.

But the fries. They were sad, soggy, and as far as I could tell had never had the pleasure of being introduced to salt before greeting me. The fries also would have benefited from another sixty seconds in hot oil. Just by looking at the photo of the fries, you can tell they were not up to snuff. If you are going to go to the trouble or making house cut fries, which I believe these were, how could you forget to just toss them in some salt before plating?

Service started out with a bang and fizzled. As we waited for our main course to be cleared, the table next to us went through two courses. As we sat, the hostess stared off with a far away look reserved for when you don't want to make eye contact with someone from your past. Finally the waiter returned and cleared our plates. Five minutes later he came back to ask if we wanted a dessert menu, we said yes, which lead to another long wait. And so on and so forth. By the time our post lunch drinks had arrived, the lunch hour had become two.

I wish I had better things to say about Coquette, but then again, I bet they do too.

Coquette -Bogey, the bad far outweighed the good.