Acme Oyster House and New Orleans go hand in hand. I had visited and written about the Acme on Bourbon Street many years ago. This is where I discovered chargrilled oysters. I was going to visit that location again on my trip but every time I went by the line to get in was out the door and down the sidewalk. I decided to try one of their other location, thinking I would have more luck getting in. I went to their restaurant in Metairie, which was not far from the French Quarter. Sure enough I was able to get a seat as soon as I walked in.
As soon as the waitress came over, I put in my order. There was no need for me to look over the menu. I was there for their chargrilled oysters. I ordered a dozen plus a side of hush puppies.
The hush puppies came out first. They were crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. These little bites were sweet. I thought they tasted like a dessert fritter.
I also ordered a cocktail to enjoy with my oysters. I went for the Acme Sunset. It was rum, crème de banana, grenadine, pineapple juice, orange juice, and cranberry juice. The sweet tropical drink reminded me of something I would have at a beach bar. I knew it would balance out the saltiness that the oysters would have.
Finally the star of the show came out. They were still sizzling on the tray. The smell of the garlic was so nice. I could not wait to get in there but they needed to cool down just a little. Those shells can be really hot to handle.
The oysters were just like I remembered. The tender meat were soaking in the garlic butter and topped with a ton of parmesan cheese that was extra crispy because of the grill. The bread was there to help soak up the left over garlic butter. There is no reason to waste any of it.
If you are in New Orleans you must have chargrilled oysters. It is a staple of the city. Visit their menu at http://www.acmeoyster.com/
Enjoy!
T
