Bivalve Bastion
The third Acme Oyster House is quite the charm.
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NEIGHBORHOOD REGULARS HAVE FLOCKED TO THE OYSTER BAR AT THE NEWEST ACME OYSTER
HOUSE.
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WHAT: Acme Oyster House
CUISINE: Seafood
WHEN: Lunch and dinner daily
WHERE: 7306 Lakeshore Drive, 282-9200; 724 Iberville St., 522-5973; 519 E. Boston St., 898-0667, Covington
CARDS: Major
There is nothing quite like eating a raw oyster. In south Louisiana, an entire
culture springs from the raw desire to devour this salty, plump mollusk on the
half-shell, drenched in plenty of hot sauce. The proper way to do this, of
course, is at an oyster bar -- not a dinner table. The ritual of watching the
oysters being opened and then getting that first, cold, fresh one placed down
before you as "lagniappe" is a moment of utopia for bivalve aficionados.
One of my favorite oyster bars is an old-timer in the French
Quarter. I always enjoy going to the Acme Oyster House for raw oysters, which
are plump, ice-cold and salty. People have been bellying up to the oyster bar
at this legendary haven for almost 90 years. They also go for the superior
po-boys and gumbo Poopa, a delicious signature soup filled with sausage and
shrimp, served in a bowl made of French bread.
In 1996, Northshore residents were treated to a second Acme Oyster
House, located in Covington's downtown historic district. Four months ago,
a third Acme Oyster House opened on Lakeshore Drive, directly
below Amberjack's nightclub.
Because I enjoy watching boats at sunset while eating seafood, this
is my favorite Acme location so far. The new oyster bar is already very popular
among neighborhood regulars, and there is a separate bar that flanks the dining
room that usually begins filling up around 5 p.m.
A couple of weeks ago, I enjoyed a dozen superior raw oysters while
watching the sky turn hues of orange and pink. More than a half-dozen
television monitors were on (but not loud), capturing the attention of people
in the bar and the restaurant. The decor was enlivened with white-and-black
tablecloths and plenty of those neon beer signs that are so ubiquitous in New
Orleans seafood haunts. Everything was sparkling clean, as usual.
The following week, with several children in tow, I found that the
table service was remarkably fast. We arrived, and at once, I ordered an entree
for my youngest daughter and asked if they could serve it as a first course,
with all of our appetizers. Within three minutes, the child's plate appeared
before anything else was served. Priced just $3.95, it included more than two
dozen, medium-sized shrimp, fried to perfection (and not too spicy) with a
large serving of fries and a medium drink. It certainly would have been enough
to satisfy an adult's appetite. The aquarium at the entrance served as my
daughter's amusement throughout the meal, and when she finally became restless,
she took her pals and went to play the machine that retrieves stuffed toys. We
were able to relax and enjoy the seafood, the mellow ambience, the jazzy music
and the sun going down.
The new Acme on Lakeshore Drive has an expanded menu that is larger
than the one in the French Quarter and includes several new appetizers, side
dishes and salads. Most New Orleanians are all too familiar with Acme's regular
menu offerings such as the delicious po-boys (the best of which includes
freshly fried oysters, piled high to overflowing, on hot, crisp French bread),
the seafood plates, gumbo, red beans and jambalaya. The new offerings include
such appetizers as buffalo wings, which are fiery enough, accompanied by a
pungent blue cheese dressing, stuffed jalapenos (which will put a burn on your
lips quickly enough), mozzarella sticks, and oysters remoulade, made with a
zesty Creole mustard dressing. For something new, place an order for the sweet
potato fries, which are crisp and cut like shoestrings. Another favorite among
spud-lovers is Boo fries, which are regular French fries ladled with that same
delicious pan gravy used for the roast beef po-boys.
One new appetizer that didn't exactly win my heart was the bengal
broccoli, which turned out to be a deep-fried ball, sort of like a hushpuppy,
but with scant flecks of broccoli and even fewer tasso bits blended with a
little Colby and Monterey Jack cheese with breading. The broccoli balls come
with a dipping sauce that is the same honey mustard dressing used on the hefty
house salad. Other new items on the menu include crawfish etouffee and grilled
plates. The etouffee is dark brown, deeply flavored and spicy, but with a
little too much rice and not enough crawfish. Perhaps it is because the price
of crawfish recently has shot up. Boiled seafood also is offered, although
lately, the boiled crawfish at Acme have been running small (price and size
changes weekly).
Even though it is new, the Acme Oyster House on Lakeshore Drive has
become one of the best places to dine at the Lakefront. The expanded menu,
great oyster bar, view of Lake Pontchartrain and excellent service make it a
sure bet for seafood lovers of all ages.
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