Go for the $2 oyster happy hour (3 to 6 p.m. every day). Stay for absolutely everything else.
Located on the second floor of the Four Seasons hotel, Chef Donald Link's classy restaurant was the loveliest place to stop in for a late afternoon meal or snack. The menu seems to be extremely warm-weather friendly with numerous cold or cooling options on offer. On our May visit, a light breeze washed over us as we dined on the shaded balcony overlooking the Mississippi -- quite welcome for wimpy northerners who only recently graduated from ski season.
All of us, including the children, were head over heels enamoured with the hamachi crudo. The dish was an artful composition of incredibly fresh, sweet, razor thin slices of yellowtail dressed with olive oil, capers, lemon, and crunchy sea salt. The portion size was minuscule for the price, but the quality was exceptionally high and Eiji Ichimura flashed briefly to my mind. I would not be surprised if the hamachi crudo at Chemin a la Mer is to other New Orleans crudos what Ichimura-san's sushi is to other NYC sushi -- which is to say grossly expensive, but not clearly overpriced given the truly exceptional quality.
The beef tartare was also excellent and decadent, the meat noticeably fresh and flavorful. Unlike the crudo, the portion size was large and consuming it, especially alongside the perfectly fried, greaseless French fries, was like eating a very rich and savory dessert.
The beets and burrata with Compostella Farm arugula, crispy quinoa and citrus was no less decadent with its lovely textures and flavors. Chef Link should perhaps earn a Michelin star for this dish alone. Creamy, sweet burrata played so beautifully well with the slight bitterness of arugula, acidic citrus dressing, sweet-crisp beets, and surprising pop of (deep fried?) quinoa. There wasn't an ingredient that was out of place or unnecessary.
Impressively in our view, there was even a children's menu, which included sliders and a choice of fruit or vegetable matter (or fries, I believe). These were well made by our children's accounts. Of course, we had to specially request our low-brow ketchup on the side. :)
The oysters that lured me in were, surprisingly, the weakest part of our meal, shucked with bits of shell left in, most of the liquor leaked away, and served with some basic mignonette and cocktail sauce for garnish. Sizes varied a great deal and although some oysters were sweet, others were surprisingly tasteless. The oysters I had at The Salted Pearl a few hours later (yes, I am a disgusting oyster glutton) were much, much better.
There were happy hour sauvignon blanc and rose on offer, which were poured from bottles that hadn't been too long opened and were pleasant enough with the oysters.
We had the good luck of stumbling across Chemin a la Mer on this visit. Next time, it will be well and properly bookmarked as a destination. read more