Oh, how I wish I had better pictures of this meal!

We decided to eat at the Red Fish Grill on our first night at New Orleans. The atmosphere was crowded but cozy. The place was hoppin'--and, yet, they still managed to seat six people within ten minutes. It was definitely impressive.

In the booth, two servers came by to rattle off the specials. Well, let me amend that: the first server took our drink orders, while the second took our food orders. Both hinted at special menu items.

After a long bout of deliberation, I decided to order Redfish Bouillon, Southwest Salad, and Alligator Sausage. (A nice spread, don't you think?) I also had the opportunity to sample a ton of other dishes, including a seared tuna steak and some creamy chicken soup (with mushrooms, alas!).

The bouillon was surprisingly delicious. I'm not usually a fan of seafood, but I like mild fish. The redfish was perfect for me; it was light and flaky and lacked that annoying fishy taste I hate so much. The bouillon itself was thick and red. There was a definite tomato flavor; not only that, but I suspect some red peppers were thrown in for sweetness and color. Because of the bouillon's strong flavor, I couldn't easily pick out any distinctive "notes." As a gestalt, it was fabulous. It even had spice: by the end of the bowl, my nose was tingling.

The salad was fairly average, although there were jicama slices piled atop the lettuce. They were light and crunchy--quite nice! I think my problem with the salad was the sheer amount of dressing! The chef slathered the salad in it. While the vinegarette--house-made, sweet, and quite tasty--was good, I wish I could've enjoyed the crispness of the salad. By the time I finished my plate, the leaves were wilted with oil.



The alligator sausage was my adventurous dish. When I found out that I was coming to New Orleans, I knew that I had to try alligator. It was just one of those things.

The sausage was, surprisingly, anticlimactic. I was expecting some big, meaty difference between alligator sausage and ordinary pork (or even turkey!) sausage. But, honestly? It tasted the same. The alligator sausage had a slight smoky aftertaste, but that was it.

After I ate my meal, I poked around other people's plates. The tuna steak was a bit too rare for my liking--sushi anyone?--and the creamy soup was good despite the liberal sprinkling of button mushrooms throughout the bowl. All and all, I loved the Red Fish Grill. If price weren't an issue, I'd love to eat there again!

If you're willing to spend a bit, I'd recommend it wholeheartedly.