Luke's for Lunch

I have friends (a couple) that use to live in Lake Charles but moved to New Orleans. After the big storms they moved on to Virginia. They return to the area about twice a year and we always arrange to have a meal together. This weekend they were visiting in New Orleans and we arranged to eat lunch a Luke's a John Besh restaurant named for his son. We started off with a Le Petite Plateau de Fruits de Mer which consisted of 1 lobster tail, 8 oysters, 6 shrimp, 4 clams , 8 mussels, half a crab, king crab legs, crawfish, and ceviche. The lobster tail was not overcooked which I seldom encounter and sweet. The oysters were perfect fat and briny and did not need the accompaniments of sauce making (ketchup, horseradish and mayo). The boiled shrimp were perfection easy to peel and possessed that sweet shrimp taste. The clams were small but tasty with a seasoning that spoke of New Orleans. The steamed mussels tender and fat with their own definite taste which I love. I do not think the crab was a La blue but again cooked to perfection and had that sweet crab flavor I love. The same with the crab legs. Sweet perfection. The lime based ceviche contained squid with a healthy hit of spice. Quite delectable. This I would order again and again. They kindly bring hot towel with a lemon wedge so you can clean your hands and face.

The wife of the couple got a beet salad with blue cheese, pistachios and baby greens with a side of frites (French Fries). My taste proved heavenly. The combo of a lightly pickled beet, greens, blue cheese and the pistachios worked well together. The husband ordered the slow cooked local veal grillades over creamy McEwen and Sons grits
with poached yard eggs. We were still on the Saturday Brunch menu. This was a full meal with tender pieces of meat swimming is a Cajun brown sauce with delicious corny grits and two perfectly poached eggs. You can definitely see the country basis of this dish. My taste possessed a nice hit of spice also I got a “BLT” A buster crab, tomato, Allen Benton’s bacon and lettuce sandwich. It came out on griddled bread with a lots of bacon and a whale soft shell in a light crust. The smell was intoxicating and the taste more so. The salty smoky bacon played well against the sweet crab. As most you know I have a soft spot for softies. The frites were great also. One of the best in the city. This was a prime example of the kind of stuff I love. I have eaten here three times and I could eat here 300 times. If some this sound familiar look down about three posts to Simone Rathle press release that I posted. It was a wonder meal and wonderful conversation. That is why I make my business to eat with people whenever I can