Superior Experience at Superior

Superior Seafood

After contacting a few friends (who all happened to be picking up OT) last Friday, I decided to finally give Superior Seafood a try.   I use the word "Finally" lightly because Superior hasn't been opened six months yet.  Typically, I'm not crazy about trying out brand new restaurants and there are several better established places on my "Bucket List".  Nevertheless, Superior (owned by the same proprietors who run Superior Grill down the street) wouldn't let me forget it.  I ventured Uptown at about 9:00 p.m. after calling to check on the wait time as well as the parking situation.  The hostess had all the right answers.  Twenty-five minute wait, but a full-service bar and complimentary valet parking...SOLD!  The valet attendants were courteous and professional.  But seriously...who cares about that?  I entered the dining area and immediately spotted a vacant high top table in the center of the bar.  I asked if I could be seated there and was immediately obliged.  Shortly after, my server, Sabrina, arrived.  She was also very friendly and seemed well versed on the entire menu.  After perusing the menu, yet again, I decided on a half dozen Chargrilled Oysters.  I asked if she had any special recommendations for entrees and was pleased that she seemed to have similar taste in food.  She suggested I shy away from the pasta dishes, told me the crab cakes were good, but the scallop dish was her favorite.  Scallops it was!  I also decided to try a glass of Joel Gott Riesling that paired fantastically with both the Oysters and Scallops.  Minutes later, a loaf of Leidenheimer french bread arrived at my table, along with a carafe filled with room temperature water.  I'm not a fan of french bread and definitely not Leidenheimer, but there was something different about this bread.  It wasn't hard at all, was just crispy enough to distinguish it as french bread and was soft and warm in the center.  :-) Reading that description seemed borderline pornographic, but I digress.

Minutes later, this arrived.

Chargrilled Oysters

The oysters were outstanding!  The only draw was that I missed the crusty parmesan/romano blend that is synonymous with the original Chargrilled bivalves.  These were instead covered by a parmesan cream sauce that was flavorful, but took away from the contrast in texture, typical of the original dish.  Nevertheless, if I had to take off 3 points for the missing cheese on top, I'd have to give back 2 of them for the wonderful way the sauce courted the bread.  I felt a sense of angst about handing my plate over with a few teaspoons of sauce remaining.  

Shortly after, a complimentary salad coined the "Superior Salad" arrived.  It's a simple blend of greens, feta cheese and olives topped with a light, lemon vinaigrette dressing.  This happened to be the only part of the meal that was underwhelming.  A few bites and on to the real deal!

Superior Salad :-/

Just as the server picked up the remains of the Not-so-Superior Salad, another server arrived to my left with my entree.  This is the type of coincidence that still manages to bump up my server's tip a few bucks.  While I have a sneaky suspicion it wasn't orchaestrated that way, it was still perfectly timed and I like that A LOT!  

Seconds later with a HUGE Cheshire grin, I was feasting on this...

Jumbo Seared Scallops served with a pancetta sage white wine butter sauce, fingerling potatoes and haricot vert

Good stuff!  No...GREAT stuff!  This meal was immediately inducted into the Hall of Fame!  That's only happened twice before and I've dined out more than a few times.  :-)  Everything about this dish...wait-everything about this dish sans the Haricot Vert - was AMAZING!  After finishing two of the scallops and a few of some of the most delicious potatoes I'd ever eaten, I was already trying to pace myself to save some for the next day.  For a second, I even thought about sharing a few bites with my sister the next morning, just to have a witness to this greatness.  Okay, just one more.  Okay, okay-one more!  Awww, what the heck, You Only Live Once!  I couldn't help myself.  I sat there and polished off the dish without further ado.  When you're dining alone (and picking up the check) very few rules apply.  Would I have done this on a first date?  Probably not.  But this blog isn't about etiquette.  It's about this girl's journey through the world of wonderful food.  So for the sake of establishing and maintaining the integrity of this piece, I did it. ;-)

Shortly after and another glass of Riesling down (Seaglass, to be exact)-this one, not so good, I sat there almost shamefully satisfied.  I inquired about the dessert menu which included the regulars-chocolate cake, creme brulee, cheesecake, I think.  Creme Brulee usually ends up in front of me if for no other reason than I've been on a quest to find one that can hold a candle to the old Praline Creme Brulee from the now defunct Hookah Bar on Frenchman Street.  Over time, I've learned that the operative question is, "Is your Creme Brulee" served warm in the center?"  If not, why bother?  I refused dessert.  The check arrived and I gladly paid the $56 (before tip, of course).  It's not everyday that a meal reaches my standards and far less often that it exceeds them.  This one jumped over each of those hurdles with such ease that it seemed surreal.  

Five stars...doesn't even do it justice!  Next time you're in town or in the mood for the type of supreme satisfaction that can only be achieved with a knife and a fork-Give Superior a try!  You won't be disappointed. 

http://www.superiorseafoodnola.com/