By Benjamin Ramos Rosado
Nestled in the heart of 3rd
avenue is a place where the corn bread is freshly baked; where the gumbo is
rich and delicious; and where the heart and soul of the bayou is served to you
on every plate! So if you are craving down home N‘Awlins flavor, then head to
El Barrio and visit Creole!
Creole is an amazing restaurant and music supper club that
serves authentic Louisiana Creole cooking. This unique cuisine combines French,
Spanish, African, and Native American culinary influences together with classic
southern cooking. Creole cooking
evolved in the kitchens of the country plantation estates of well-to-do
aristocrats of French descent in Louisiana.
Despite this cuisine’s haughty origins, Creole, the
restaurant, is unpretentious and has a welcoming atmosphere. When you walk in, there’s a small stage to
the right-where live jazz is performed a few nights out of the week- and on the
left is an exposed brick wall with framed pictures of the performers that have
graced their stage. Creole’s decor is uncomplicated and beautiful; there’s
artwork everywhere, a large mural of their logo on the back wall, and
a fully stocked six-stool bar.
Creole’s wait staff has written the book on good
service. When I arrived, servers
greeted me as I passed by them on my way to my table. My server provided me with great insight into the menu and
answered all my questions with a smile. Good service is extremely difficult to
find in this city and Creole’s staff sets the bar high.
As I looked over the menu, my server placed a small square
of hot freshly baked corn bread with a pat of butter in front of me. The tantalizing aroma took me back to my
childhood in Harlem!
When I was a kid, I would stop by our local soul food
restaurant every morning, before school, to buy a piece of their fresh baked
corn bread with butter. Ms. Mable, the
owner and cook, always gave me an extra large piece because she was knew my
father, the local bodagero, and according to her, “You are de cutest thang
in de world!” She was right! With my rosy chubby cheeks and Navy blue
catholic school uniform, I was adorable!
Sweet and moist, the corn bread was the perfect start to
what would be an amazing meal. Menu open and appetite stimulated, I couldn’t
wait to begin my culinary adventure to N’awlins.
Creole’s appetizers/tapas menu features classic Po boy
sandwiches; Fried Okra; Louisiana crab cakes; Creole catfish strips and Baby
back ribs. I ordered the Fried catfish
Po boy sandwich-made with Italian bread, Mesculin, tomatoes with house
dressing- and it was excellent. The catfish was well seasoned, moist and its
breading was crispy, but not oily.
If you’ve never had a Po boy or have eaten that miserable
excuse of a sandwich sold at Popeye’s, please run, don’t walk, to Creole and
order a Po Boy. The genius behind a Po
Boy is in its simplicity: Good bread, well-cooked meat, and delicious greens
and tomatoes naturally leads to an awesome sandwich.
Also, I ordered The Fried Okra and it was excellent! I
know okra isn’t popular because of the snot-like goo it secretes when cooked,
but I beg you to look past this gooey prejudice and try this appetizer. With salt, pepper and butter, fried okra can
be a delicacy! Don’t be afraid of the goo!
After two impressive appetizers, I eagerly skimmed the
entrees and I couldn’t decide between: the Southern fried chicken (with Creole
seasoning); Okra Gumbo (which is served with shrimp, chicken, sausage or
vegetarian); or the Gator etouffe (alligator cooked in a tomato based wine and
butter sauce with peppers, onions, garlic and Creole spices over coconut
rice). With the exception of the gumbo
and Alfredo dishes, Creole’s entrees are served with two classic southern
sides, such as: Collard greens, vegetarian jambalaya rice, Black beans, 4
cheese baked macaroni, and candied yams.
After much thought, I ordered the Okra Gumbo with shrimp
(Yes, I’m on an okra crusade!) and a side of collard greens. Usually, the gumbo is served with white
rice, but I asked my server to substitute the white rice for the vegetarian
jambalaya rice to kick it up a notch.
The gumbo arrived piping hot with a heavenly aroma. The gumbo’s roux- a creole spicy sauce made
of fat and flour- was hearty and delicious. The celery, peppers and onions
added a wonderful aldente crunch to the stew; the shrimp were perfectly
cooked. The okra provided a soft yet
firm texture to the gumbo that brought all the elements together
harmoniously.
Good gumbo feels like a mother’s hug after a rough day and
that’s exactly how I felt while eating it: comforted and loved.
The moist and flavorful vegetarian jambalaya rice added an
extra kick of spice to the gumbo and the collard greens, prepared with garlic
and onions, were good, but a bit over cooked.
Fully carbo-loaded, I decided to be a good diabetic and
forgo dessert. It was painful to look
through the dessert menu and realize I was missing out on a Key Lime tart;
Sweet potato bread pudding with caramel and pecan sauce; and a Hot Sweet Potato
Beignet -sautéed sweet potatoes with cinnamon, butter, and sugar stuffed into a
puff pastry and baked until golden brown.
Next time I visit, the Hot Sweet Potato Beignet is going
to be my appetizer! There is no way I’m
missing out on this dessert again. Even
writing the dessert’s description has me anxious to go back.
Amongst all the taquerias, cuchifritos and fondas, Creole
is one of El Barrio’s best-kept secrets!
So get on the 6 train and make your way uptown, or downtown, to this
amazing bit of “de bayou” in El Barrio!
You won’t be disappointed.
¡Buen provecho!
Creole
2167
3rd Ave @ E. 118 St.
(212)
876-8838
HOURS: Mon.
closed, Tues.-Fri. 12pm-11pm, Sat. 3pm-11pm, and Sun. 2-7pm
ATMOSPHERE: Laid-back and warm.
SERVICE: Friendly, attentive and timely.
SOUND LEVEL: Satisfactory, but remember some nights there is live jazz.
KID FRIENDLY: Bring the kids!
RECOMMENDED DISHES: See above
DRINKS AND WINE: Sorry folks, I don’t drink, but they did have wine,
beer, and soda.
PRICE RANGE: Appetizers ($5.95-$15),
salads ($10.95), main courses ($12.95-$28.95)
And
desserts ($5.50-$6.50)
