Muriel's Jackson Square's Blue Crab & Creole Tomato Menu Review

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     Summertime in New Orleans is definitely a challenge with the onset of high temperatures and humidity.  However, there are two things which locals anxiously anticipate each summer:  Creole tomatoes and blue crabs.
     Creole tomatoes are a variety which grows in southern Louisiana in Plaquemines and St. Bernard parishes. There's something magical which happens in the soil to produce the most flavorful and meaty tomatoes you've ever tasted. I like to buy them when they are a little green and let them ripen slowly.   
     Blue crabs live in the waters surrounding New Orleans.  These crabs have the most succulent meat and are actually sent to many areas of the country.  Just so you know, if you've eaten steamed crabs in the northeast, they are probably Louisiana Blue Crabs.  
     The New Orleans French Quarter is one of the oldest and most historic areas in the United States.  The centerpieces is Jackson Square, flanked by the St. Louis Cathedral, The Cabildo and the Presbytere.  Right next door (at virtually the best location in the city) is Muriel's Jackson Square.  
     Muriel's is fine dining with a local flare.  Reservations are recommended but in the summertime, you can often walk in and be seated. A new special four course menu is available until the end of June which highlights the creole tomato and blue crab season.  The great thing about this menu is that items from it may be ordered a la carte.
The Courtyard

     We arrived early and were seated immediately in the front room.  Of course we ran upstairs quickly for a balcony photo before the sun set.
 The incredible views of Jackson Square and the French Quarter capture the spirit of the city.
    First up: cocktails.  My hubs ordered his summer drink, vodka and soda with a twist.  I ordered from the cocktail menu.  I decided on the Fleur de Lis, a sparkling cocktail with citrus and chambord.  
     Next was the first course, a sautéed jumbo lump crab cake served atop pesto spaghetti squash and topped with creole tomato relish.  The crab cake was full of lump crab with little to no fillers.  The cake was lightly seasoned so as not to overpower the delicate flavor of crab.
     The second course is Muriel's take on a Creole tomato Caprese salad.  Thick slices of tomato were garnished with crab claws, slivered Asiago, basil and finished with hot chili oil. My hubs is now on a quest to buy or make his own hot chili oil.  The Asiago was a nice, light alternative to the heavier mozzarella.
    For the third course, you have a choice of two entrees.  The first one is outstanding.  A large fried soft-shell crab with tomato fried rice, sautéed green beans and a smoked tomato butter.  There are few things better than a soft-shell crab in my opinion and Muriel's does a good job with it. The breading has a nuttiness to it and the smoked tomato butter was a great finish to the dish.  


     The other entree offered needs a little re-thinking but maybe there was a crisis in the kitchen?  The Ricotta Agnolotti sounds good.  It is a stuffed pasta tossed with crab, corn basil and tomato. However I didn't like the broth is was bathed in.

    The final course is a Goat Cheese Cheesecake.  This course was speaking my language because there are few things I like better than goat cheese.  It was a round of lightly sweetened cheesecake which was topped with an interesting combination of tomato and blueberry compote and topped with a dollop of whipped cream.  This, paired  with my cappuccino was a nice finish to a refreshingly and surprisingly heathly and tasty meal.  For Lagniappe (a little something extra) the java is served with a chocolate biscotti.

     The Blue Crab & Creole Tomato Celebration is available every day at 5:30pm until June 30, 2019. Reservations for Muriel's Jackson Square are available on Opentable.com.  For the menu, click here.


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