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Local Expert: Su-Jit Lin

Su-Jit Lin once left her native New York on a whim and a gut feeling and has yet to regret the spontaneous shift that has led her to one of the most amazing and character-rich cities in the world.  A cum laude Tulane University graduate,...

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March 11, 2008
Food

Jacques-imo's - A Local Legend

Nestled in the Oak Street neighborhood on the riverside of South Carrollton, Jacques-imo’s is the ultimate insider’s spot. Jacques, the quirky owner and head chef, doesn’t advertise his legendary restaurant at all – not like there’s any need to. This funky gourmet restaurant is consistently packed every night of the week after 6:30 pm, with wait times averaging 45 minutes to an hour.  They don’t take reservations nor do they ever sacrifice the menu selection even during peak holidays like Jazzfest and Mardi Gras.  I’ve waited four and a half hours for a table here once, but I’ve heard tales of six hour periods of excruciating hunger suffered for the quality of a Jacques-imo’s specialty.  

This sounds beyond the realm of reason to the everyday traveller, but Tulane and Loyola students and New Orleans residents accept it as a matter of fact, and as a totally sane thing to do.  Regardless of the eclectic grandma’s attic vibe, the food really is just that good.

At first glance, Jacques-imos looks completely nondescript and indistinctive; it appears to blend in with the neighborhood perfectly with its tilted walls and Greek Revival architecture with peeling paint.  I always know I’m in the right place by the festively painted pickup truck up front (which is used as a dining area during especially busy times).  If you actually succeed in getting through the door and fighting through the throng of people, you’ll see a bar through the mass of heads and dim lights. Once a table is available, you’re treated to a whirlwind tour of the kitchen as you walk through it to the dining area.  Note here that you’ve just experienced the famous New Orleans shotgun layout for residential homes.  

The meal begins at a kitschy vinyl-covered table surrounded in tight quarters with mismatched chairs.  A Jesus candle provides the table lighting, while ceiling fans with tackily hued light bulbs whirl ferociously (and dangerously) from their rickety mounts.   A barrage of hipster servers bustle around the tight quarters, serving whichever table is closest to where they happen to be standing at that moment and brandishing plates of the most absolutely delectable die-on-the-spot corn muffins.  Crispy on the edges, dripping hot butter and garlic, and perfectly moist in the middle, these muffins are the most incredible I’ve ever had.  A filling teaser, one could easily fill up on these, but against my gluttonous instincts, I advise against this.

The appetizers are bursting with subtly and rich flavor as well.  The crabcakes, fried, drizzled in a light, zesty remoulade sauce and resting on a bed of spring greens are impeccable, and the stuffed shrimp is exactly that – stuffed to the brim.  However, the most popular appetizer is the alligator sausage cheesecake, a lushly flavored, densely textured concoction of exotic yet strangely familiar tastes.  Fried green tomatoes are a Southern favorite alongside the gumbo. Following apps, all meals come with a complimentary small plate of baby spinach salad with a sesame soy vinaigrette and topped with a large fried oyster.

Gourmet luxury is the predominant theme of the menu (note that the linked menu's prices are no longer accurate, but the selections generally are)  featuring lamb, duck, steak, venison, veal, rabbit, portk, mahi mahi, drum and flounder prepared in innovative and inimitable ways.  A few chicken dishes and one short rib dish is on the menu, but if you’re looking for basic staples, walk away – other than the fried chicken, you’ll find nothing of the sort here.  The duck breast in an orange soy demi-glace is perfectly balanced by the shitake mushrooms and sweet pecans.  The creamy ginger sauce for the salmon is a beautiful balance of flavors, as is the mushroom and sun-dried tomato glaze for the tender lamb sirloin.  Another phenomenal dish is the eggplant pirogue, stuffed with seafood, floating on a spectacular buttery lemon sauce, and named after a Cajun canoe.  The béarnaise sauce for the Chicken Pontalba is overwhelming and the Paneed Duck is far too sweet, but other than those items, I can safely say that most of the dishes are safe bets for an unforgettable experience. 
Insider's Rating:
Jacques-Imo's
8324 Oak Street, New Orleans, LA, 70118, US
5048610886
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