Apr
21
Royal House worth the trip to French Quarter
In a recent Article writtten by Tom Fitzmorris, notorious food critic in New Orleans, he acclaimed that Royal House Restaurant, 441 Royal Street was a great representation of a casual local New Orleans restaurant. Read Full Article Below or Check out New Orleans City Business online: http://neworleanscitybusiness.com/blog/2011/04/19/royal-house-worth-the-trip-to-french-quarter/“>
Royal House worth the trip to French Quarter
POSTED: 08:04 AM Tuesday, April 19, 2011
BY: Tom Fitzmorris, Restaurant Writer
French Quarter Festival earlier this month was huge and has a tail. For weeks afterwards, local diners make it into the Vieux Carre in larger numbers than usual. The nice weather is another attraction.
Stacy Rotter, left, and Samantha Pozloff have ceasar salads topped with fried oysters at Royal House in the French Quarter. (photo by Frank Aymami)
Royal House Restaurant is a place you might not think to visit, but it really is worth a try.
Why it’s essential
New Orleans is a tourist town, and tourist towns have tourist restaurants. But such places are much better than their predecessors of even as recently as 10 years ago. The Royal House is a good example.
The barker frequently employed to attract passersby is a dead giveaway of the restaurant’s intentions, but the oyster bar — a very troublesome operation for a restaurateur — makes it clear they’re not just taking advantage of the easy pickings.
Why it’s good
The menu is centered on seafood, with the oyster dishes being the most attractive. They also have more-than-decent fried seafood platters, grilled fish, po’ boys, good versions of local soups, steaks, clams, mussels, lobster and seafood pasta dishes in decreasing degree of interest.
A visitor could do a lot worse than to dine here, although being located within a block of Antoine’s, Brennan’s, K-Paul’s, the Rib Room and the like creates tough competition.
Back story
For a century, this was Tortorici’s, a well-known but not very good Italian restaurant in a highly visible location. Hurricane Katrina put an end to it, and the location sat empty until
2008. A restaurant group specializing in casual French Quarter cafés performed a renovation, added an oyster bar and opened as the Royal House.
Surroundings
The restaurant consists of a long room along St. Louis Street. The best place to eat is in the oyster bar just inside the door at the corner. The tables offer a good look onto Royal Street. Tables farther in the back are less atmospheric.
Top 10 essential dishes
1. Raw oysters on the half shell
2. Charbroiled oysters
3. Oysters Rockefeller
4. Oysters Royale (seafood stuffing)
5. Pepperino oysters with roasted peppers and parmesan cheese
6. Chicken and sausage gumbo
7. Crab and corn bisque
8. Fried seafood platters: shrimp, catfish, oyster, soft-shell crabs or any combination
9. Blackened or grilled redfish
10. Bread pudding with white chocolate sauce
For best results
Oysters are by far the best eats here, but the platters are fried to order and more than decent.
Room to improve
The soups and dishes such as shrimp Creole and crawfish etouffee would not please anyone who has had good versions of those complex old dishes.
Factors other than food
Up to three points, positive or negative. Absence of points denotes average performance.
Dining environment +1
Consistency
Service
Value +1
Attitude +1
Wine and bar
Hipness -1
Local color +1
Special attributes
Good view; open Sunday and Monday for lunch and dinner; open most holidays; open all afternoon; historic; oyster bar; unusually large servings; quick, good meal; good for children; no reservations.
