South Philly Review

Can an upscale, ritzy restaurant make it on funky South Street? Edward and I discussed this over drinks at Crescent City, chef and Gulf State native Michael Duplantis' pretty and inviting restaurant, which opened several months ago.

New Orleans has a few nicknames, such as The Big Easy and Crescent City. Duplantis' space, which once housed a down-and-dirty pool hall, was gutted and turned into a bar and several dining rooms kitted out with rich Brazilian cherry woods and burgundy, gray and white hues.

Edward and I were shown to a table near the open French doors, which gave a fine vantage point for the promenade that is South Street. Brown parchment paper covered the white cloths on the tables. Our server gave us the "what kind of water spiel" and we joked with her about the difference between Delaware and Schuylkill punch. She finally got our gag and brought us first-rate, filled-to-the-top martinis ($9.50), although Edward's olives were missing.

Duplantis employs runners to aid the servers. Sometimes this is a poor practice, but in this case it worked just right. Our courses arrived hot and fresh.

New Orleans' dishes are rooted in deep Cajun/Creole traditions. Sautéed onions, peppers and celery, also known as "The Holy Trinity" of Big Easy cuisine, make their way into a number of dishes, such as jambalaya and shrimp Creole.

Our server brought us a warm loaf of bread topped with onions, a small dish of butter and an in-house garlic humus-like spread. Once we finished the butter and humus, no one asked if we wanted more, even though there was half a loaf left.

New Orleans is known for its oysters. The good people of this fine town like to deep fry or serve them raw or go a la Rockefeller.

We began our taste trip with fried oysters and seared sea scallops (both $10). The oysters were nicely done, breaded in a light coating and fried to perfection. They were placed around the rim of the plate, which had a small bit of mesclun in the center. Although they were crisp on top, the underside was a little greasy.

The other starter consisted of three pan-seared jumbo diver scallops placed on a pool of truly divine, lightly seasoned brown sauce. The scallops were translucent inside, meaning they were not a bit overcooked. This appetizer would make a fine entrée.

There was a bit of a communication problem with our server. We told her to bring our starters and then a Caesar salad ($7), which we planned to share. All three came out at once. A runner kindly returned the salad to the kitchen, where it was placed on two plates. He brought it out after we finished our appetizers.

The menu describes the salad as a chipotle Caesar prepared with chipotle croutons and shaved Parmesan. Although it was nice-sized, the majority of romaine leaves were the outer ones, which most chefs and home cooks toss. The lettuce lacked crispness, although the croutons were good, but someone forgot to add the Parmesan.

I wanted to try Duplantis' jambalaya, which is his family's version of this classic dish. Jambalaya comes from "jambon," the French word for "ham." Tasso ham from New Orleans is always used in the preparation of this meal-in-one. The dish must contain the "Holy Trinity," as well as garlic, chopped tomatoes and rice. Anything else that goes in the pot is up to the cook. I make it at home all the time using shrimp, scallops, Andouille sausage and oysters. Crescent City offers several versions. I opted for Gulf shrimp with jambalaya ($21). The portion was good-sized, as were the at least six cooked-just-right shrimp that were added to the rice dish after being prepared separately. The texture was perfect, but there was too much salty seasoning on the shrimp. The jambalaya also contained a bit of chicken, sausage and red beans. I have never seen red beans in jambalaya, but they provided a tasty foil for the rice.

Crescent City's traditional seafood platter ($23) consisted of fried grouper, oysters, shrimp and scallops along with a handful of hot french fries. Each piece was perfectly fried and grease-free. We both liked the remoulade sauce that came with the fish. Remoulade, a slightly spicy mayonnaise traditionally served with seafood in New Orleans, was a welcome change from run-of-the-mill tartar sauce.

There is a nice and wisely priced list of wines by the glass. We enjoyed a crisp Sauvignon Blanc for $5.

I have fond memories of the homemade pecan pie served at Café Nola. The dessert list included this classic Southern sweet ($7) made with a "buttery rich crust." Well, the crust tasted like a frozen pie shell and the filling should have been filled with toasty pecans. More nuts and less corn syrup would have made the pie better. Instead of whipped cream, it was served on a pool of "crème anglaise" and a small, golf ball-size scoop of vanilla ice cream was on the plate.

Service was excellent. Our silver was changed at each course and our server brought a glass of the Schuylkill punch upon request.

I noticed the others who were dining at the restaurant. The majority was "of a certain age," as the French would say, although a couple had a baby with them.

Obviously opening this pretty, upscale place has its risks. Dinner for two, with tax and tip, came to $135. I met a couple that had been to Crescent City on several occasions. They live nearby and like to build dinner around several appetizers (he recommended those delicious scallops), salads and a glass or two of wine.

Crescent City is not your neighborhood South Street restaurant. It is a lovely place for a celebration and, if marketed correctly, visitors and conventioneers can enjoy a bite of The Big Easy in the City of Brotherly Love.