Unfortunately, I've noticed that some servers don't take me seriously, particularly in nicer restaurants. It might be because I look young, or because I'm a female. Perhaps they think I don't have enough money to buy nice things or that I don't know proper tipping etiquette. Whatever the reason, the bartender at Red Fish Grill (like so many others before him) chose to ignore me. I made eye contact, and eventually, he did ask me what I wanted -- only to cut me off in the middle of my request (for a bottle of champagne; not exactly a difficult cocktail to mix), tell me he'd get with me in a moment, and then ask the people next to me if they wanted a refill on their drinks. That's right -- he chose to ask other customers for their order rather than take mine! Other customers who had already been served and weren't actively trying to flag him down to order something else. Strange, rude behavior, but luckily he was the last of it. We got our champagne and moved to our table, where we were greeted by a much friendlier server.
We started with a plate of their barbecued oysters. We ordered a half dozen, but were treated to a full dozen soft, succulent oysters bathed in a spicy barbecue sauce. It was a like a chicken wing with an oyster in the middle; for me that's a treat-within-a-treat, and I thoroughly enjoyed them.
For my entree I ordered the crayfish and cream cheese ravioli. I was treated to this playful presentation:
I took a bite into the first little pasta puff and HOLY SODIUM BATMAN. I was blinded by salt. I took a swig of champagne and braved another and ... boom, problem solved. The rest of the dish was creamy, soothing and blessedly not over-seasoned. This was a good stick-to-your-ribs dish, suitable as a base for a night full of drinking.
Like I mentioned before, our waiter was extremely sweet, not batting an eye when we needed to split the bill. Clearly big parties are something they're used to dealing with at Red Fish. This is a nice, casual, accessible place right on Bourbon. Is it the best food I've had in NOLA? No. But that doesn't mean I won't recommend it. August is perfect for a nice date or a special family meal; Red Fish brings the party. And in NOLA there definitely is a time and place for both.
