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Straya California-Creole Café Metairie *** It's been a while since we went to the Straya in Metairie. The last time was with a bunch of folks when some friends came in with their family. Given that we had about six kids under ten in the group, it just wasn't fair to review the place based on that experience. Not that the food was bad, mind you, but the evening was too far off from the average diner's experiences. We've got some big occasions coming up that we'll have to take the kids to, so Straya seemed like a good place to see just how well (or poorly) behaved ours would behave. Why Straya for this exercise? Well, we wanted something a step above the typical neighborhood place but not so expensive that we'd be upset if the kids really acted up. We also were looking for a place where we could dress very casually. So, we packed up the kids (Justin, 9, and Kevin, 3) and made the three-block journey. Parking at both Straya locations (Metairie and Uptown) is tight enough that you're better off leaving your car with the valet. (There's the added safety issue at the Uptown location.) We arrived at the restaurant just a bit after 6:00pm, early for a New Orleans restaurant. We were immediately seated and greeted by Chrissa, our waitperson for the evening. Straya encourages families, to the point that they have a separate child's menu. That's a plus in my book, because it enables me to read my menu in peace. Chrissa took our drink orders and left us to ponder. We passed on pizza and the wrap sandwiches in favor of something a bit heartier. Straya's menu includes pasta, grilled meat and seafood dishes, and large salads. Helen got the Fried Shrimp Bordelaise Pasta, and I got the Grilled Trout, which was a special item not on the menu. Chrissa's enthusiasm for this dish got me to deviate from my favorite, Sesame Tuna Sashimi. The children had some tough choices: chicken tenders, cheese pizza, hamburger, or fried shrimp. Both went with the "Earth Burger" (as opposed to the "Saturn Pizza" -- keeping with Straya's star motif and theme), Justin opting for cheese on his as well. We decided to start with the Fried Shrimp Amandine as an appetizer.
Kevin was doing pretty well behavior-wise, but he was hungry. When Chrissa passed back to check on us, we asked her for some crackers, and a plate with several packs appeared almost immediately, along with drink refills for the kids. That kept the ravenous 3-year-old busy so we could dig into our appetizer. The Fried Shrimp Amandine was a dish of popcorn shrimp covered with a caramel-style sauce and toasted almond slivers. The breading was spicy, but now overwhelming. The sauce was sweet and the almonds crisp and plentiful. They went well with the by-the-glass Kendall-Jackson Chardonnay we had ordered. Kevin wasn't impressed at all by the shrimp, but Justin's palate has finally reached a level where he appreciates dishes like this. The shrimp disappeared quickly, but our entrees weren't too far behind.
Straya uses a tag-team form of service, where someone other than your waitperson may bring may bring out your food from the kitchen. The kid's burgers came out first, followed by another waitperson with the fish and pasta. Straya's pasta dishes come in over-sized bowls that are loaded. If you're ordering more than a sandwich, either come with a big appetite or be prepared to take home a doggy bag. My fish was served on an extra-large plate as well, and there was little empty space.
Helen's pasta dish was an interesting variation on a New Orleans neighborhood classic. When you see "Pasta Bordelaise" on a menu in New Orleans, don't look for the classic red wine and butter sauce you'd expect to be served in a French bistro. Serving something "Bordelaise" in New Orleans means a sauce of butter (or olive oil), garlic, herbs, and sometimes a bit of grated cheese. Shrimp, pasta, and this sauce is a mainstay dish at places all over town. Straya's variation is that they use fried shrimp rather than the usual sautéed shrimp. The breading on the shrimp adds some fascinating flavors to the dish. The shrimp in this entrée were cooked in the same batter as the appetizer shrimp, but they were 25-30 count shrimp, a bit larger than the 35-40 count ones used in "popcorn" appetizers. The sauce was thick and buttery, but the garlic wasn't overwhelming. Overall, it's a good presentation.
Then there was my trout. Chrissa, the waitperson, hit the mark when she said this one was here favorite. The dish was a seasoned, grilled trout filet served on a bed of julienne vegetables. The fish was topped with grilled mushrooms and some large-sized (20 count) shrimp, with a large helping of mashed potatoes on the side. The fish was fresh and well-seasoned without overdoing it. It's interesting how Copeland has re-discovered subtle at Straya as opposed to the super-spicy food he created at Popeye's and at his signature restaurant chain. Rather than pepper being the first thing that hits your palate, the delicate mixture of mushrooms and trout leaves a lasting impression.
The kids' burgers were well-done and served with a plate full of julienne French fries. Justin's was loaded with grated cheddar cheese, and he devoured the thing in no time flat. Kevin wasn't really interested in his burger, but he ate a good bit of the fries. (We ended up having them wrap up the burger, minus the two bites of the bun Kevin took.) Justin can be particularly finicky when it comes to eating out, so his eating everything in sight is a resounding testimonial.
Chrissa cautioned Helen about halfway through her plate to save room for dessert, which was good advice. Straya's most popular dessert is their white chocolate bread pudding, but they have a good variety of treats nightly. Helen went with the bread pudding, while I had the cheesecake topped with blueberries (again at Chrissa's recommendation). Since the Palace Café down on Canal Street made white chocolate bread pudding so famous, lots of people are now doing this dessert. Some do it better than others, and Straya is one of the better ones--as good as the Palace, but not as good as the one I had at Jazz Fest this year. My cheesecake was different. The filling was almost a mousse rather than the heavier version you find at many places. It was thick and creamy, but the consistency was more like a pudding or mousse than a cake or pie. The blueberries were tasty, but the crust was a bit too hard for my taste. Had we not had two kids who were getting a bit restless with us, I would have had a cup of coffee or two with dessert, but we were pushing our luck with Kevin as it was.
The décor of Straya hasn't changed since it first opened a couple of years ago. They've still got the brightly colored prints on the booths and chairs, and both sides of the restaurant are lined with brass palm trees. Very California, or at least it's trying to convey a California atmosphere to New Orleanians. I must say that the brass palm trees really put me off my feed when I first encountered them, but the interior is growing on me more and more everytime we go. The new Straya on St. Charles Avenue is the same concept, but more deep blues in the color scheme. I immediately took to the new place--go figure.
Service was quite good for this meal. Chrissa was a charming person who knew her menu and took care of her tables. She also did really well with the kids, particularly the little one. That's important in a place that is looking for family business. There is no dress code at Straya (short of no shirt, no shoes, no service, of course). Diners were dressed in anything from shorts and jeans (like us) to dressy casual, to straight-from-work business suits.
Chrissa had thoughtfully brought the bill with dessert, anticipating that we might need to make a quick exit because of fussy children. Many diners might think they were being rushed in similar circumstances. That concern can actually backfire at times when you really want to settle up and get out and the waitperson is too chicken to give you the check until you're finished eating. Not a problem here--this lady was on top of things. The tab was $86 (with tax and before tip), which hit me as kind of high. Where we went wrong was ordering the wine by the glass. They charged $5.95/glass for the Kendall-Jackson Chardonnay, and we had two apiece. At those prices, I should have just bought the darned bottle. I left Chrissa a good tip, the valet had the car to the door with just a minimal delay, and we got a tired little boy and his big brother home quickly.
To sum up the meal, I'd say that Straya has settled into a good groove. I've still got my usual gripes about the place, chief of which is the lack of bread to go with your meal. I'm told that this is a "California thing," but I don't like it. Still, if you're in town for an extended trip, or if you're a local or regular visitor to the city, Straya is worth considering. The controversy over the design of the St. Charles Avenue restaurant's architecture notwithstanding, the restaurant has developed a solid menu, they're doing good things with fresh seafood, and they do well with children. When Mr. Copeland starts moving Straya into other cities, it'll be one of my stops when I'm out of town.
Questions or comments? Feel free to e-mail me.
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