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Started By
Message
The 'Underground Gourmet' and lost N.O. restaurants
Posted on 9/30/08 at 3:26 am
Posted on 9/30/08 at 3:26 am
Anybody remember the book The New Orleans Underground Gourmet by Richard Collin?
First published in 1970. I came across the paperback revision sometime in the mid 80s. IIRC, Collin was a professor at UNO. The book was a collection of restaurant reviews he'd written. In those pre-internet days, it was a very valuable resource, especially for N.O. hole-in-the-walls and the more out-of-way places in Cajun country.
I spent a number of weekends one year searching Cajunland for the perfect fried shrimp. I finally found a place that came close -- but I forgot where it was!
Apparently the book's quite a collector's item, as some guy on eBay is asking 50 bucks for a copy:
LINK
I don't know if Collin is still alive, but in 2001 he apparently appeared in a WYES documentary (which I have not seen) called "Lost Restaurants of New Orleans":
LINK
This page mentions LeRuth's, which I recall (from Collin's book; I never went there) as a very fancy French place. It was one of two NO restaurants to get Collin's highest rating, the other was a legendary Italian place on the West Bank called Mosca's. I never went there either, and it may have closed before I even got hold of the book. I know second-hand it was a big deal in the 70s, and supposedly was a popular hangout for NO mafia types.
Anybody else remember some great, now closed restaurants? Doesn't have to be NO, can be BR, Acadiana, wherever...
I'll start -- anybody remember the Hummingbird Grill?
First published in 1970. I came across the paperback revision sometime in the mid 80s. IIRC, Collin was a professor at UNO. The book was a collection of restaurant reviews he'd written. In those pre-internet days, it was a very valuable resource, especially for N.O. hole-in-the-walls and the more out-of-way places in Cajun country.
I spent a number of weekends one year searching Cajunland for the perfect fried shrimp. I finally found a place that came close -- but I forgot where it was!
Apparently the book's quite a collector's item, as some guy on eBay is asking 50 bucks for a copy:
LINK
quote:
Here for your delectation is the SPECTACULAR & RARE---------------THE NEW ORLEANS UNDERGROUND GOURMET by Richard H. Collin.
Due to the tragedy of Hurricane Katrina, this ironically titled classic guidebook has taken on collectible status!!
It qualifies as the funniest restaurant review guide ever written. It was written in the 1970's so, other than the famous Brennans, Galatoires, etc., it would be dated now. However, the sections where Collin describes the mediocre and downright terrible places are absolutely side-splitting. He describes one place ("The Paul Gross Chicken Coop") as "quite possibly the foulest smelling restaurant in the city." Another is condemned for the total ineptitude of its' staff (one waiter accidently set his own apron on fire while at Collins' table). One sandwich shop serves "watery Northern coffee." This is wonderful.
I don't know if Collin is still alive, but in 2001 he apparently appeared in a WYES documentary (which I have not seen) called "Lost Restaurants of New Orleans":
LINK
This page mentions LeRuth's, which I recall (from Collin's book; I never went there) as a very fancy French place. It was one of two NO restaurants to get Collin's highest rating, the other was a legendary Italian place on the West Bank called Mosca's. I never went there either, and it may have closed before I even got hold of the book. I know second-hand it was a big deal in the 70s, and supposedly was a popular hangout for NO mafia types.
Anybody else remember some great, now closed restaurants? Doesn't have to be NO, can be BR, Acadiana, wherever...
I'll start -- anybody remember the Hummingbird Grill?
5
Posted on 9/30/08 at 5:43 am to Kafka
quote:Heard recently on Tom Fitzmorris' show that it is still open, and that they did not close for the summer as they customarily do.
a legendary Italian place on the West Bank called Mosca's
Posted on 9/30/08 at 9:16 am to Ice Cold
Mosca's is good, but not as good as used to be...still worth a trip for the experience.
A few recent closures that come to mind from Katrina: Bruning's, Christian's, Mandich's, Ugelisich's (closed before the storm), Sbisa's, and Manuel's (
).
A few recent closures that come to mind from Katrina: Bruning's, Christian's, Mandich's, Ugelisich's (closed before the storm), Sbisa's, and Manuel's (
).
Posted on 9/30/08 at 9:17 am to Kafka
quote:
anybody remember the Hummingbird Grill?
Saw the last Comus parade from a booth, there. It was surreal, to say the least.
That's a great book. Love whenever he describes something as a "platonic" dish.
Posted on 9/30/08 at 9:21 am to Kafka
Lost Restaurants was a good show...I really wish I could have eaten at Bali Hi (sp), The Rockery, and LeRuth's.
We are VERY lucky though that NOLA has very few good lost restaurants due to the loyal support to our restaurants. The fact that there are 100 more restaurants post-Katrina according to Fitzmorris is a quite interesting.
We are VERY lucky though that NOLA has very few good lost restaurants due to the loyal support to our restaurants. The fact that there are 100 more restaurants post-Katrina according to Fitzmorris is a quite interesting.
Posted on 9/30/08 at 11:39 am to Kafka
I used to read his articles as a teenager in New Orleans. I have a cookbook that he wrote called "The New Orleans Cookbook." It is excellent.
As for LeRuth's, in its heyday it was the best restaurant in New Orleans IMO. My wife and I ate there many times and to this day I tell people that the best meals I ever had were at LeRuth's. The best bottle of wine I ever had was there as well: A 1985 Chateau Montrachet.
They did an appetizer with crab called Crabmeat St. Francis that was transcendent. I found the recipe on the internet once (I believe it was on a Tom Fitzmorris page) so it must still be out there.
FYI, when Warren LeRuth retired he turned the restaurant over to his two sons. One of them, the head chef, committed suicide a couple of years later and the restaurant closed after that.
As I said, in its heyday it was in a class by itself.
As for LeRuth's, in its heyday it was the best restaurant in New Orleans IMO. My wife and I ate there many times and to this day I tell people that the best meals I ever had were at LeRuth's. The best bottle of wine I ever had was there as well: A 1985 Chateau Montrachet.
They did an appetizer with crab called Crabmeat St. Francis that was transcendent. I found the recipe on the internet once (I believe it was on a Tom Fitzmorris page) so it must still be out there.
FYI, when Warren LeRuth retired he turned the restaurant over to his two sons. One of them, the head chef, committed suicide a couple of years later and the restaurant closed after that.
As I said, in its heyday it was in a class by itself.
Posted on 9/30/08 at 11:49 am to Tiger Attorney
quote:
Ugelisich's (closed before the storm),
One of the biggest losses.
Where was LeRuth's anyway?
And if you go to Mosca's they only take cash.
Posted on 9/30/08 at 11:58 am to Cash
Next trip to Moscas, bring a marble, put it on the floor when there, watch it race across the floor..most unlevel floors I ever experienced in a non-condemned building.
It's a tad overrated, only good for the Oysters Mosca, but worth the nostalgia of eating where Carlos Marcello and company once conducted their biz.
Bring Cash!
It's a tad overrated, only good for the Oysters Mosca, but worth the nostalgia of eating where Carlos Marcello and company once conducted their biz.
Bring Cash!
Posted on 9/30/08 at 12:04 pm to TheRoarRestoredInBR
quote:
Bring Cash!
Cool, just give me a few hours notice.
Posted on 9/30/08 at 12:13 pm to Cash
quote:
Where was LeRuth's anyway?
Old Gretna, brah.
He pretty much ushered in the era of the "Name" Chef.
Posted on 9/30/08 at 12:16 pm to Y.A. Tittle
quote:
Where was LeRuth's anyway?
Old Gretna, brah.
He pretty much ushered in the era of the "Name" Chef.
What is in it's place now? My in-laws live in Gretna.
Posted on 9/30/08 at 12:19 pm to Cash
That book changed the New Orleans restaurant experience more than any other ever written. Everyone who liked food (all of NO) bought one to compare their likes and dislikes. It got people out of their rut of always eating at the same places, they read reviews of other places and new dishes and had to try them. It challenged some old favorites to quite living off their reputation, Corinne Dunbar, and change or die, Dunbar's died.
His New Orleans Cookbook is still a favorite of mine and I don't use cookbooks. But I frequently give it as a present.
His New Orleans Cookbook is still a favorite of mine and I don't use cookbooks. But I frequently give it as a present.
Posted on 9/30/08 at 3:43 pm to andouille
A little bit of trivia - Warren LeRuth developed the recipe for Popeye's red beans and rice. I knew someone who used to work in their test kitchen.
Posted on 9/30/08 at 4:31 pm to lsubeav
quote:Indeed.
A little bit of trivia - Warren LeRuth developed the recipe for Popeye's red beans and rice. I knew someone who used to work in their test kitchen.
Warren LeRuth worked for years in the R&D department of Proctor & Gambel. He was the man who delevoped the first bottled creamy salad dressing (for 7 Seas).
Posted on 9/30/08 at 11:30 pm to Tiger Attorney
quote:
A few recent closures that come to mind from Katrina: Bruning's, Christian's, Mandich's, Ugelisich's (closed before the storm), Sbisa's, and Manuel's ( ).
La Riviera, no more crabmeat ravioli.
Posted on 10/1/08 at 9:17 am to RPC4LSU
quote:
La Riviera
I have eaten at that place more than any other restaurant...my grandparents has a standing reservation. It was my faovrite as a kid. That was a HUGE loss.
Posted on 10/1/08 at 3:43 pm to Kafka
From 1970 to 1975, that was my bible. I went to N.O. 5 to 6 times a week. I tried many, many of the restaurants, of all classes. I loved Galatoire's. Also, liked Tony's, an Italian restaurant across from Galatoire's. I tried LeRuth's and Mosca's. I think Mosca's is still there. And, the higest rated chinese restaurant was Chinese Dragon, on Veterans, I think across from Clearview Shopping center, or whatever that center is called. Youth! That was a long time ago.
Posted on 10/1/08 at 4:16 pm to Herb
The shrimp toast at the Golden Dragon was incredible. Mosca's is still there, great overpriced food, but its like eating in a museum to the 50's. I have to go about once a year.
Posted on 10/1/08 at 4:24 pm to andouille
been to Mosca's many times and I always get the veal
and like they said, cash only, but they did put an atm machine near the register
and like they said, cash only, but they did put an atm machine near the register
Posted on 10/1/08 at 6:04 pm to andouille
quote:Was it the Golden Dragon? I ate there many times, still couldn't remember the name. But, yes, the shrimp toast was very good, also the hot & sour soup, and the whole fish. I really think Chinese is my favorite food. It's incredible.
The shrimp toast at the Golden Dragon was incredible. Mosca's is still there, great overpriced food, but its like eating in a museum to the 50's. I have to go about once a year.
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