What's the scuttlebutt on the Scalibut? One of GW Fins' specialities
GW Fins
So there’s a seafood restaurant in New Orleans. I know, I know, you’re going to be cynical about how interesting that could possibly be, but prepare to part your belief curtains, because GW Fins isn’t a run-of-the-mill fried catfish slinger or shrimp po’boy joint.
Let’s talk details about The Concept. Executive Chef Michael Nelson has a good story about chicken wings. Years ago, nobody cared about them. Chefs and butchers would discard them, poultry farms would sell them for pennies. Now they’re a globally successful culinary phenomenon that we just take for granted.
Chef Nelson asks this: what if we butcher fish in the same way we do a chicken? The result of that is what he calls ‘ocean conservation cuts’ and what that means on your plate is a world of innovation. Enter ‘Fin Wings’, made from the collar of the fish that is usually thrown away. The collars are tempura-battered and fried, and brushed with a glaze. They’re tasty as hell, and in a few years, maybe there’ll be national fin wing chains delivering boxes to Superbowl parties.
Nelson deplores culinary waste, and has evolved an innovative menu, so that a nose-to-tail approach delivers new experiences in a crowded seafood market. It’s a winning strategy, and even the most jaded local diners will find exciting twists in the menu, which changes daily. Yes, you heard that right - as well as a daring approach to cuts of fish, Nelson navigates a menu with what he can buy, sometimes as late as 4pm that day.
The dining room is large and dynamic, an energetic hub in the middle of the Quarter. As we sit down, a ten-person bachelor party is in the middle of toasting the groom, well-heeled seniors line the booths and tourists line up with hopeful requests for a seat. It’s early on a Wednesday evening. For all the demands of a dining room filled to the brim, the staff are impeccably professional, commanding the space with efficiency and charisma.
The entrees offer a variety of enticing, aquatic adventures, with dishes such as Parmesan Crusted Sheepshead, Duck Cracklin’ Crusted Drum and New Zealand Ora King Salmon. Chef Nelson also dry ages fish like you might cuts of beef, resulting in a truly original repertoire. The star of the GW Fins stable (or aquarium, I guess) for me, though, is The Scalibut. What’s that, now? Oh, just a perfectly cooked filet of halibut, topped with a crispy sliced sea scallop, served on royal red shrimp risotto, with snow peas, and pea shoot butter. It’s outstanding, even in a city with a tidal wave of great fish dishes.
The desserts and wine list are also of a suitably impressive standard, but come to witness and enjoy the risk-taking, the deft technique on display in every dish, the sheer culinary élan. As far as inventive seafood goes in a town swimming with options, GW Fins are perhaps having the fin-al word.
Paul Oswell
GW Fins website
So there’s a seafood restaurant in New Orleans. I know, I know, you’re going to be cynical about how interesting that could possibly be, but prepare to part your belief curtains, because GW Fins isn’t a run-of-the-mill fried catfish slinger or shrimp po’boy joint.
Let’s talk details about The Concept. Executive Chef Michael Nelson has a good story about chicken wings. Years ago, nobody cared about them. Chefs and butchers would discard them, poultry farms would sell them for pennies. Now they’re a globally successful culinary phenomenon that we just take for granted.
Chef Nelson asks this: what if we butcher fish in the same way we do a chicken? The result of that is what he calls ‘ocean conservation cuts’ and what that means on your plate is a world of innovation. Enter ‘Fin Wings’, made from the collar of the fish that is usually thrown away. The collars are tempura-battered and fried, and brushed with a glaze. They’re tasty as hell, and in a few years, maybe there’ll be national fin wing chains delivering boxes to Superbowl parties.
Nelson deplores culinary waste, and has evolved an innovative menu, so that a nose-to-tail approach delivers new experiences in a crowded seafood market. It’s a winning strategy, and even the most jaded local diners will find exciting twists in the menu, which changes daily. Yes, you heard that right - as well as a daring approach to cuts of fish, Nelson navigates a menu with what he can buy, sometimes as late as 4pm that day.
The dining room is large and dynamic, an energetic hub in the middle of the Quarter. As we sit down, a ten-person bachelor party is in the middle of toasting the groom, well-heeled seniors line the booths and tourists line up with hopeful requests for a seat. It’s early on a Wednesday evening. For all the demands of a dining room filled to the brim, the staff are impeccably professional, commanding the space with efficiency and charisma.
The entrees offer a variety of enticing, aquatic adventures, with dishes such as Parmesan Crusted Sheepshead, Duck Cracklin’ Crusted Drum and New Zealand Ora King Salmon. Chef Nelson also dry ages fish like you might cuts of beef, resulting in a truly original repertoire. The star of the GW Fins stable (or aquarium, I guess) for me, though, is The Scalibut. What’s that, now? Oh, just a perfectly cooked filet of halibut, topped with a crispy sliced sea scallop, served on royal red shrimp risotto, with snow peas, and pea shoot butter. It’s outstanding, even in a city with a tidal wave of great fish dishes.
The desserts and wine list are also of a suitably impressive standard, but come to witness and enjoy the risk-taking, the deft technique on display in every dish, the sheer culinary élan. As far as inventive seafood goes in a town swimming with options, GW Fins are perhaps having the fin-al word.
Paul Oswell
GW Fins website