Welcome to the Best of New Orleans! Food News 03 26 02

FOOD NEWS By Sara Roahen

03 26 02

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Give it Up
GW Fins (808 Bienville St., 581-FINS) is still celebrating the Lenten season with a variety of fresh, air-lifted fish, including John Dory, Nantucket Bay scallops and turbot. This Thursday, March 28 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., taste three Bordeaux wines and a selection of Chef Tenney Flynn's appetizers.

Return of the Monster
Mudzilla, that crazy 400-lb. crawfish, is back at the Semolina on Pontchartrain Boulevard. Stop by any Semolina location (100 Tyler Square, Covington, (985) 898-0004; 139B Westbank Expwy., Gretna, 361-8293; 1503 Gause Blvd., Slidell, (985) 641-345; 2999 Hwy 190, Mandeville, (985) 626-8923; 3226 Magazine St., 895-4260; 3501 W. Chateau Blvd., Kenner, 460-1047; 5080 Pontchartrain Blvd., 486-5581) for crawfish in pastas and crepes, and in a creamy Bienville sauce smothering pan-seared veal medallions.

Union Jack
Earlier this month Jack Leonardi, owner of Jacques-Imo's (8324 Oak St. 861-0886), announced that he will re-open the Louisiana Seafood Exchange (428 Jefferson Hwy., Jefferson, 834-9395) in April as Crabby Jack's. The menu will be similar to the Exchange's: po-boys, daily lunch specials, boiled seafood and -- a new twist -- Austin Leslie's fried chicken. Crabby Jack's will close by nightfall, so you'll still have to wait at Jacques-Imo's for a dinnertime fix.

A Very Special Month
Wrapping up a month of specials, this week Cafe Degas (3127 Esplanade Ave., 945-5635) is offering a three-course tour of the southwest of France for $20.02. Delgado Community College is closing its Culinary Arts Luncheon Series with a four-course lunch on Thursday, April 4, prepared and served by students in the chef training program. Proceeds will be used to send a group of young chefs to cooking programs in France. Call 483-4923 for reservations.

Guest Star
Chef Randy Barlow, formerly of Kelsey's (3923 Magazine St., 897-6722), is the star attraction at Cafe Reconcile's (1631 Oretha Castle Haley Blvd., 568-1157) next Celebrity Chef Night, scheduled for Thursday, April 11. The five-course dinner, including wines and cooking demonstrations, costs $50 per person. Reserve a seat -- or an entire table -- by April 4.

Market Watch
This Tuesday at the Crescent City Farmers Market, catch Mo Kahn, owner of Mo's Riverbend Cafe (614 S. Carrollton Ave., 866-9301), preparing a traditional Seder dish on the eve of Passover. On Saturday, wear your Easter best to a cooking demonstration by Chef Stephen Hassinger of Cafe Degas. The Tuesday market is at 200 Broadway St. and runs from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The Saturday market is at 700 Magazine St. and runs from 8 a.m. to noon.