Short Order Reviews

In today's edition of Short Order Reviews, we take a look at a Creole-Italian classic, one of the Marigny's most popular restaurants, and the creator of the New Orleans style steak served sizzling in butter.

Tommy's - Tommy's has always offered impeccable service, and this night was no different. But even though this was a group dinner for about 40 people, I was quite disappointed with the food. Everyone began with a trio of baked oysters, all of which were overcooked (although that is not surprising during simultaneous service for such a large group). The Oysters Tommy was the best by far – baked with romano cheese, roasted red pepper, and pancetta. The Bienvilles and Rockefellers were poor, withered examples of what a baked oyster should be. The salad course was forgettable. For entrees, we had two choices: an overcooked filet or Veal Sorrentina which just looked sad on the plate with its taut blanket of mozzarella protecting a rubbery piece of veal layered with prosciutto and eggplant all sitting in a pool of tepid mushroom marsala. Meanwhile, I filled up on an entire loaf of the complimentary braided sesame loaf on the table. Not a good sign. Bogey.

Sukho Thai - The Marigny location was slammed on a recent Saturday night, and although our appetizers came out quickly, the kitchen was running slow when it came to expediting the entrees, as was the front of the house with regard to getting the check to the table. We decided to break away from our usual orders and try a few new dishes. We started with the "special" dumplings, whose filling tasted identical to that in a classic pot sticker, but the presentation was open faced and upright. Nothing extraordinary about those. The Drunken Noodles were less than impressive, with a cloyingly sweet sauce and a ddisproportionate chicken/noodle to vegetable ratio. The Folk Singer was equally disappointed with her Bathing Rama, which included overcooked beef and a mild, bland peanut sauce. Next time we will stick to Dirty Noodles and Panang Duck Curry. Bogey.

Crescent City Steakhouse - A men's dinner was called to order recently, and what better place to hold court than the steakhouse who invented the signature New Orleans style steak served sizzling in butter. The charm of Crescent City Steakhouse is in its longevity and timelessness. This place has character. From the waitresses who can be heard singing along to the tunes playing from the classic jukebox to Quint Davis waltzing in like he owns the place and then disappearing into one of the curtained booths. Start with the garlic bread and fantastic onion rings, but skip the Crescent City Martini, which leans a little too far on the sweet side. Our table shared a a mammoth porterhouse for 3 which is carved up by the kitchen and left attached to the bone. It's neither the most tender nor the most flavorful cut of beef, but it's good eating. The sides were another story. Spinach au gratin tasted like uncooked flour and the mushrooms were sadly underseasoned. We finished with a Z pie for dessert, of course, a homely combination of vanilla ice cream and whipped cream in a chocolate cookie crust. For those of you who like to say farewell to Mardi Gras with a juicy steak, remember that Crescent City opens at 10:00am on Fat Tuesday. Food: Par. Ambience: Birdie.

Winesday

Rene: Bright, fresh wine which tastes like biting into a melon with a little bit of citrus as well. This wine could go with a lot of dishes, but ceviche from a place like Rio Mar, a Soft Shell Crab Po Boy from The Galley, or the Shredded Pork Szechuan Style from Jung's Golden Dragon would all be contenders. 

 

Peter: Not my favorite wine, but I'm sure it has its place. Pretty dry. Not much fizz or effervescence on the tongue. Thinking a dish with lots of spice to compliment. Panang Curry with duck from Sukho Thai or maybe deep fat fried hogshead cheese from Cochon.

Joe the Wine Guy: 2009 San Telmo Torrontes from the Mendoza appellation in Argentina. This wine begins with delightful floral and orange peel notes which gives way to crisp orange, grapefruit and tropical fruit flavors and just a touch of jasmine. Pair this wine with lighter fare like smoked trout appetizers, seafood salads, and grilled white fish or chicken breasts. You can find this wine at Byblos, Tomasitos, and Dorignac's, where it retails for $10.

Sukho Thai

Located in the Marigny just four blocks from our publisher's home office, Sukho Thai is a relatively well kept secret for local Thai fanatics. No one is more addicted to curry than I am, but when at Sukho Thai I usually branch out beyond the typical pad thai and curry menu items. If I am downtown and in the mood for some spice during lunch, I go the extra step and drive out to Sukho Thai rather than settle for Singha Thai on Carondelet.

There. I said it. Singha Thai is not good. It's really not. If you don't feel like driving, fine. I understand. Walk over to Panasia in the bottom of the Place St. Charles Hotel. But why so many people go to Singha Thai, I will never understand.

Anyway, here a few photos from Sukho Thai, courtesy of The Folk Singer.

I almost always start a Thai meal with the spicy chicken and coconut milk soup that is Tom Kha. Sukho Thai's version has a more pronounced lemongrass flavor than others.

This is the Appetizer Sampler (from top to bottom): the signature "Shrimp in a Pouch" with plum dipping sauce, deep fried vegetable spring rolls, and the (not-so-Thai) Ahi Katsu Roll - sushi grade tuna coated in bread crumbs and flash fried. The Katsu Roll is innovative for a Thai restaurant, but something seems wrong with deep frying such high quality tuna. On the other hand, I could eat about a dozen of those pouches.

Waterfall Beef is probably the second most popular item on the menu. It's a cold dish of seared beef flavored with the tartness lime juice and the sweetness of Thai basil.

One more thing you should know: Sukho Thai is BYOB. So don't forget to bring along a bottle of wine or an ice chest full of Singha beer. We won't judge.

Finally, don't forget that the New York Season of Top Chef premieres tonight.