Tom and I had lunch at August on a recent Friday. I should mention that we were guests of this fine establishment. The staff greeted us warmly and graciously like they were waiting for our arrival all week. 
I wasn’t going to have a cocktail, but the mere mention of a Bloody Mary got me in the mood for one. Tom had one, too. Good & spicy with nice garnishes.
The chef sent out some lagniappe: deep fried squash blossoms filled with crab Rangoon atop a bed of ratatouille with a curry “foam.” It was delicious. Very delicate flavor, warm Rangoon filling inside made with creole cream cheese, and the ingredients in the ratatouille were just bursting with freshness.
For lunch, I ordered the heirloom tomato salad, followed by shrimp & grits. I wanted to have ONE glass of wine with lunch so I asked one of the wait staff (there were 3 people waiting on us; one did most of the talking, the other two, the serving. Interesting.) to help me make a choice. I told him I’m a red wine drinker, I drink red wine with fish all the time, but if he felt there was a white that was a perfect match for my shrimp, then I would try it. Well, he ended up bringing out two wines, one for each dish. Nice.
The heirloom tomato salad with a basil reduction was wonderful. The tomatoes were tasty enough, but the mozzarella “balloons” were the stars: fresh mozzarella stuffed with tomato confit. Another fresh and refreshing dish. The wine paired with this and Tom’s course of flash-fried oysters on a bed of greens was a Reisling. It was fine. The oysters were delicious. Perfectly fried, with a roe accompaniment on a bed of chicory.
Next came the shrimp and grits, which the waiter paired with one of the best pinot noirs I’ve ever had, from Santa Barbara. The shrimp was delicious: perfectly cooked, served in a rich, dark sauce with andouille and grits, which were creamy and peppery. Nice combination. Tom had sheepshead which was also very good. There was an ingredient in the coating on the fish that I couldn’t place – but it was different and wonderful. Lots of crabmeat on top of the sheepshead. This course was paired with a Viognier, which Tom enjoyed very much.
For dessert, I had a blueberry tart with creole cream cheese ice cream. Despite hearing a lot about it, I had never had this ice cream before. I’m hooked. It reminded me of way back when, when frozen yogurt actually had some semblance of yogurt flavor. It was wonderful! I was not impressed by the pastry shell, though. I think it was made awhile ago and stored. It tasted store-bought, actually, although I am sure it wasn’t. Tom had the cheese plate, which consisted of a blue from Massachusetts with berries, quince paste, and candied pecans. We finished off with two espressos nearly two hours later. A wonderful, leisurely, delicious lunch.
Other random thoughts:
* We loved the room, the plates and the overall presentation.
* The portion sizes were perfect. We walked away satisfied, but not stuffed.
* The service was excellent. Tom said “We were almost served to death, but not quite.”
* John Besh was not there, but Lee Richardson came out to ask if everything was OK.
* Very good bread.
PaulaRat
