GW Fins Restaurant Review

by: Shadi Khoury

GW Fins 808 Bienville St New Orleans (504) 581-3467 

 GW Fins has received lots of good press, local and national. This restaurant is definitely part of the cream of dining in New Orleans. The dining room is charming, it has big people watching windows. Try to sit so you get a window view of Bienville street, it adds a Parisian feel to dinner. 

The staff is very attentive to incoming diners. The first time I went to GW Fins the hostess found me at the bar to tell me my table was ready. She had only spoken to me for a few seconds when I walked in. She took the time to remember my face and find me, nice touch. I have dined here a few times and seating has always been smooth.

Service for the later diner could improve. My New Orleans dinners usually go 8:00-9:00 p.m. til about midnight. In my experience the service is not at the same level after 10:30 p.m. This is a concern for a late diner like me. Especially in New Orleans where servers are exceptional and the standard is full service until the diner leaves the restaurant.  

  
Fins has an award winning wine list. My expertise and passion lies in food, that is where I will elaborate. This place is one of the best seafood restaurants in the country. I would recommend ordering seafood exclusively here. The menu is like a newspaper. It changes daily and always has todays date printed at the top. I would label the concept as modern seasonal seafood.

   
I see the focus on product at this restaurant as obvious. I have read that GW Fins buys fish daily, and only if they have remained at a certain temperature range all the way to delivery. They post pictures on their twitter account to showcase the product with captions like “Just got 40 lbs of FRESH Alaskan King Crabs! Serving them 'til they're gone”

    
Basically their seafood is plucked from the ocean and they get it a couple hours later. The menu changes daily so what I write about here may not be there when you go. Start with the should be famous lobster dumplings. This appetizer represents the overall style here, top quality, peak freshness, with a creativity that lifts everything up to the next level. The lobster is so savory and sweet every time. The dumplings are light and airy, they complement the lobster perfectly.

    
Another great starter is the blue crab pot stickers. I describe these appetizers as a sure win. Also, if you see the wood grilled octopus on the menu order it. Course staggering is done well. The servers give useful descriptions of the numerous fish and seafood on the menu. For example, if someone is unfamiliar with a fish they can tell you if its flaky white fish like grouper or more meaty like swordfish.

The fish entrees are the stars of this menu. The variety of fish alone is exciting. They get some of my favorite gulf fish like, grouper, cobia/lemon fish, red snapper, and drum. Normally when I see fish on a menu its not exciting. GW Fins is the exception.

Their entrees have flair to go with superb fish cookery. Example: sauteed red snapper with sweet corn spoon bread, crawfish maque choux, roasted corn butter is a soulful take on a light airy white fish. The sides upgrade the whole dish, nothing is overwhelming. Its like these sides and sauces are supposed to be there. Or they are the correct answer to the question, what should go with this fish? GW Fins has non seafood entrees. I am sure they are great, but I implore you to order a seafood entree.

GW Fins dessert is impressive. You want to know why? Just get the fresh baked apple pie with vanilla ice cream. First of all it really is fresh baked they suggest you order it a half hour in advance. Second of all its the best apple pie I ever had, and better than my favorite bakery. This is another sure win in a restaurant full of sure wins. I have dined at GW Fins a few times. I look forward to going again.

(504) 581-3467

Baton Rouge Restaurants: Now and the Future

What does the Baton Rouge food scene look like today? This article will analyze food and dining in Baton Rouge now, and in the future. Baton Rouge is slowly catching up to the modern food movement. One tenet of modern cuisine is fusion, or the combination of cultures and cuisines. Baton Rouge has the benefit of being a diverse city and this helps chefs think of new ideas. For example, cajun/creole cooking is a mashup of many cultures. Baton Rouge also has a good selection of Mexican, Mediterranean, Japanese, and Vietnamese restaurants. 

Vietnamese restaurants are trending up. This is a welcome occurrence. Vietnamese dishes exhibit all the main points of modern cuisine. Vietnamese dishes are mostly simple and light but the flavors are rich and complex. Baton Rouge has some great options for Vietnamese cuisine, especially along Florida boulevard.

Vietnamese restaurants are a good example when beginning to reference the modern food movement. They utilize simple fresh ingredients and appealing colorful presentations. There are great places in Baton Rouge that are trying to evolve but they get drowned out by the massive restaurant chains.

These chains flood Baton Rouge with mediocrity. I’ve heard that Baton Rouge was a test market for chain restaurants. This would explain the massive space these mediocre businesses fill. I am being generous calling Baton Rouge chains mediocre. It is up to the new generation of food nerds to change the status quo. The best way to vote is with your dollar, and if we want the chains to go away we have to avoid them.

Chain restaurants represent the bad side of the status quo. Louisiana culture is the good side. You want good shrimp poboys, red beans and rice, gumbo, etouffee no problem they are ample. These options are tasty but they aren't catalysts in modern food. Ideally, modern food uses elite ingredients along with cooking finesse to create contemporary dishes. For example, a shrimp poboy dressed like a banh mi is a modern interpretation. There are a couple restaurants trying to create a shift to modern cuisine, but overall Baton Rouge modern food is a plant struggling to reach the sunshine.

Baton Rouge does not have a modern restaurant. There are glimpses of modern food; nice presentation here, good product there, a new twist on something at another place. American business naturally caters to the consumer. Baton Rouge is a college city and in the restaurant world that means higher staff turnover. College students in Baton Rouge move other cities and prestigious jobs. Green staff is another reason modern and fine dining struggle in the capital city. Great dining cities like New Orleans have a restaurant culture that includes veteran staff.

Baton Rouge progress on modern food will continue to be sluggish until the consumers want a change. I think the millennials have the desire for something new, but they tend to leave Baton Rouge for better opportunities in cities like New Orleans and Houston. In New Orleans and Houston you see signs of modern cuisine everywhere, because of the young professionals who build careers there.

Today's thirty somethings are the ones who grew up watching Anthony Bourdain and Top Chef. Unless we keep the young innovators in Baton Rouge, the dining movement will remain sluggish. Baton Rouge job growth is forecast to increase by 5.6% in the next two years. This includes large investments from IBM and Ameritas Technologies. These are the types of opportunities that can retain our young talent.

When Baton Rouge grows the number of young professionals with disposable income, fine dining will need an upgrade. The most exciting fine restaurant in BR is not very exciting. Fine dining in Baton Rouge is not worth the money, spend the same money in New Orleans and you get triple the satisfaction. There are people all over Louisiana who drive to New Orleans just to eat. If someone drives into Baton Rouge they are probably going to work or visiting their children who attend LSU.

Best product is another key in the modern progression. Louisiana is known for having some of the best seafood and produce in the country. Surprisingly not every restaurant utilizes them. I think the best seafood restaurant in Baton Rouge would not even survive as a tourist trap in New Orleans. This is shameful, but this is a situation the consumer has to change.

There are places like Nino’s who are doing a good job. Nino’s makes fresh pasta and they get great seafood and their presentations are pretty. A place like this, is an example for the future. The future needs more simple places with great dishes, fresh products, and pretty plates.

I believe the modern food movement can cull some of Baton Rouge’s chain dominance. Applebees, Chili’s, and Pizza Hut take up too much room and fill the food land with trash. These chains are poor in product and rich in capital.

The modern food movement is the force that can change this astonishing fact. Food mediocrity in Baton Rouge continues because of the citizens support. It is time to shift our support to a new life. Baton Rouge needs a modern restaurant, not the idea of one.

Root Restaurant Review 200 Julia Street New Orleans, LA

There is already a large volume of press on Root, and this restaurant definitely deserves the chatter. Root is the leader of modern cuisine in New Orleans. There are clear influences from leading modern chefs like Thomas Keller (French Laundry, Per Se) and the Adria brothers (El Bulli). Also, it is safe to assume the chef here has studied Modernist Cuisine by Nathan Myhrvold. The modern influence stretches from food trucks to white tablecloths. Freshest product, science, artful presentations, and new styles are the principals of modern cuisine. In New Orleans Root is the modern boss.

The ambiance is modern as well, but more casual than the food. White tablecloths are absent here, I found that a pleasant change. It is a well lit restaurant, the feeling is more social than intimate. Root has white leather seating, very unique in a restaurant, this adds the feeling of a sophisticated nightclub. The dining room complements the menu in a way that tells the diner, “This is the new cool.” When a diner leaves Root they will see the modern direction of the food movement..

The European attitude towards best produce and proteins is a foundation of modern cooking. Root fully embraces the philosophy. The charcuterie and sausage board could have been served in Spain or France and the Europeans would love it. The “Face” bacon and Pâté de Campagne were the most intoxicating items on the board. These are the kind of items that ruin other foods. Regular store bought bacon isn’t exciting anymore, and the Pâté is so addictive I wanted to ask if I could by some for my house. This board was ample and rich, four people would be the ideal number to finish it comfortably. We made sure to order salads for the next course.

Usually salads are on menus to offer something light. These salads are light but also exciting and sophisticated. These vegetables are some of the best I have eaten. The local heirloom tomatoes tasted like fruits. This writer is a sucker for compressed melons and this salad had great melons. The watermelon and cantaloupe were sweet as candy and they had a shine from the compression, like the sun had glistened them. I would go back to Root just for the salad. I still haven’t written on my principal (entree) and dessert.

Bone marrow is described as butter for the gods. Aptly so, it is difficult to be disappointed by this ingredient. This dish was sprinkled with Arabic flavors. The za’atar naan bread served as a crispy vehicle for the bone marrow. Za’atar is a dried Arabic herb, it added another layer of flavor when eating the bone marrow. Face bacon jam was on this dish, it tastes how it sounds. It is jam but it tastes like the best bacon ever. The produce on this dish is expertly chosen. Charred cucumber salata and compressed watermelon are perfect palate refreshers for these proteins.

I have to mention the amount of components the dishes at Root have. Most of the dishes here have at least five components. For these dishes to be at an elite level and have so many components, demonstrates the expertise and work ethic of the chef and his staff.

The expert craftsmanship of numerous components leads the plates here to have a landscape quality worthy of photography. The salads taste like the best garden and they look like the most beautiful garden. The desserts were like movies, many scenes with many characters that formed a sweet ensemble. The carrot cake had views of carrot coriander ice cream that got mixed in with black sesame praline. I have never seen or tasted a charred carrot marshmallow but I ate on from this film on a plate.

Across the table my colleague had the peach crumble. Nitro mousse created a gorgeous fog that romantically fell around the peachy dessert wonder, like fog on a bay.. This dessert had seven components and it was so beautiful it could make the cover of any food magazine in the world.

New Orleans is one of the best places to eat on earth and Root is one of the best restaurants in New Orleans. I would return here until I ate the whole menu. Then I would return again.

Big Sean - Hall of Fame Review

Big Sean - Hall of Fame

Release Date - August 27, 2013

Label: Def Jam

by: Shadi Khoury

The themes on this album focus on positive thinking, motivational raps, and work ethic. This is one of the most thoughtful rap records to come out this year. Hall of Fame is optimistic in a real sense, not a dreamer sense. Big Sean is not saying you can do anything. Well, he is saying that but with a huge caveat. Sean emphasizes success and work ethic as inseparable. This album is a rap journal that advocates relentless hustle to achieve goals.

“Nothing is Stopping You” is the intro and first track on the album. This shows a great ability by Big Sean to tell stories. This story is how Sean meets Kanye West at the radio station and he gets attention to the level on Kanye signing him. The second verse shows Sean being reciprocal after he is successful and gives a young rapper a chance to rap for him.

The verse that captures the aura of this album is on “First Chain.” When Sean raps, “Dreams stopped being dreams when I turned em into goals” he is enforcing there is no lazy on this album. Self made, that is what this song embodies. Sean crafted this song to convey constant forward movement. He closes his first verse with a line that shows that Sean is successful but hasn’t changed. “Now i’m in the penthouse look at what a mil do, looking in the mirror and i'm still you.”

The best proof that Big Sean is not a dreamer but a worker is “10 2 10.” Sean references working hard like a Mexican in the chorus and “Nightmares of losing everything boost my adrenaline.” This song summons an urgency not just in Sean but from the listener as well. Seamlessly the following song is “Toyota Music.” This song is meant to complement the previous one. You would ride to work on “10 2 10” and when you get off you will turn on “Toyota Music.”

This albums dwells mostly on success and positive thinking. “MILF” serves as a sexual comic break. The title is what you think it means. Keep your mom away from Sean know what I mean? Nicki Minaj and Juicy J are featured here and they both contribute to the comedy. But the best joke comes from Big Sean when he addresses the mommas kids. “Up in the keyhole straight spying only knock on the door if you dyin. I wish I could stay in here forever, you the only reason me and your mama aint together.”

“Fire” is a unique track at the beginning of the LP. Sean does a great job flowing on such an unorthodox beat. The sounds have a choppy element but Sean raps as smooth as he looks on them. His positive theme gets enforced another motivational line. “Can do anything in to world except not do it.” These songs show that Sean is a humble and confident person. This song is called “Fire” mostly because of the chanting on the beat but Big Sean’s darts make this song hotter. 

The standard LP ends with “All Figured Out” the coda to this record. Big Sean won’t get enough credit for such a perfect encompassing closer. He should be praised, this song is the completion of a beautiful circle that was thoughtful and relentless. The end of this track will add to your soul, and it still gives me chills.

The deluxe edition has three additional tracks. I would strongly recommend the deluxe because the extra tracks are extra dope. They are “Mula Remix” which has exceptional verses by Sean and 2 Chainz. “Switch Up” features Common on an appealing track you wouldn’t expect him on. “Guap” has fun raps and a fun beat, it is the last track on the deluxe.

Hall of Fame is a weighty title that implies greatness. Greatness stands the test of time. This is one of the best rap records to come out in years, and I believe it will be relevant for decades.

2 Chainz B. O.A.T.S. II: #METIME Album Review

2 Chainz - B.O.A.T.S. II: #METIME

Release Date: September 10, 2013

Label: Def Jam

by Shadi Khoury

Some fans expected a continuation of 2 Chainz first label LP, Based on a True Story. Some expected a totally new project. A compromise has been reached, because #METIME is both. The B.O.A.T.S. theme is still the base of this album, but the whole project is a concept album while #METIME acts as the major arc.

  
This record is definitely a reflection of how we spend our personal time. What we do with our time deals greatly with personal introspection and self awareness. On this record 2 Chainz is creating an atmosphere with his #METIME concept. He elevates #METIME in an artful way with new metaphors and great flowing.

  
The first track on the album is “Fork”. This record introduces the listener to the concept of this record. Part of the #METIME concept is an introspective analysis that can strike parallels with the listener. Chainz is successful now, but “Fork” examines where Deuce would be if he failed at rap. If rap did not work, 2 Chainz would hit it with the fork. The listener parallel is the same. How do you respond to failure? Fear drives us to work harder because hustle brings progress.

  
“Fork” is followed by “36”, a quick interlude tutorial for a beginning hustler. Deuce references weight conversions, “36, thats how many ounces in a brick.” And in usual Deuce fashion, he warns people not in his position to watch out for their women around him. “Young whippersnapper, I might eat that snapper.” This is just a fun interlude with some good raps that leads to the next track.

  
“Feds Watching” is a perfect release for what has been going on in America in 2013. This track is not entirely a scathing response to the proliferation of the NSA. Only the chorus focuses on that topic. “I’m be fresh as hell if the feds watching.” This is a Pharrell produced hit from the same shelf as “Blurred Lines” and “Get Lucky”. Ultimately this song is a radio smash that includes 2 Chainz now deadly flow and a Vogue level knowledge of designer brands.

  
The first three tracks of this album craft a relatively calm introduction compared to the body of this album. The rest of this record has so many things for the rap nerd critics: “Where You Been” is a certified club banger with clever couplets and slippery flow throughout.

A rap conversation between Wayne, Drake, and Chainz that is called “I Do It” Deuce does the first two verses then Drake starts, then it goes to Wayne, then back to Drake then back to Wayne, then Deuce closes out the song. This track is a rare instance of multiple artists with multiple verses on the same track. Deuce (3 verses), Drake (2 verses), and Wayne (2 verses). That alone should get any rap nerd interested.

“Used 2” will be another single off this album. This track is the 2013 “Back That Azz Up” and it sounds like Chainz and Mannie Fresh planned that. “Netflix” could be another hit/single off this record. Fergie sounds great on this track and Deuce goes off on these verses. He features his new time switching flow on this song in a sharp way on the second verse. He flips the verse speed from fast to faster to a banging effect. 

“U Da Realest” continues stellar production and further enforces the concept of Deuce’s me time. Here 2 Chainz obviously is remembering people from the past who are gone. This track has universal relatability, everyone wants someone back.

The most important song title on this record is “Mainstream Ratchet” because that's where 2 Chainz is. He obviously has enough forward thinking to feel his influence on rap music. The trap and bad copies of 2 Chainz flow have crept into rap music. Deuce is a deceptively good lyricist. It takes a serious listener to hear his easter eggs. “Shorty on my dica, backwards spell acid” A short bar but huge creativity.

Want some more lyricism? The first verse on “Black Unicorn” involves Nas and faucets. How? Well, “Sleep is the cousin of death that is some Nas shit, When its cold outside so your pipes won’t bust turn on your faucet” Reading that lyric on paper doesn’t do the record justice. But that verse is so good all critics should laud it.

“Outroduction” is the last track on the non-deluxe package. It is a great close to the LP. This track is like a year in review, encompassing the changes 2 Chainz has been through since his first LP. He touches on his father and his family who now see him less because of his success. And he notes “I been locked up more times rapping than tryin to get a brick” referencing his silly run ins with the law since he became famous.

The deluxe version of #METIME has 3 additional tracks. “Employee of the Month” a great strip club record that jams at home and in the car too. “Live and Learn” is a good track that seems like it could have been at the end of the regular LP, but “Outroduction” was a better closer.

One of the best flows of the year is on the last track of the deluxe LP. “Livin” first verse is a butter flow that has so many word flips it reminds me of “Party and Bullshit." Overall this is a hit play and listen record, and one of the best rap records of 2013. In the new golden era of rap 2 Chainz is part of the shine.