Archived Article By Tom Fitzmorris Originally published November 2005 Click here for the current edition Shula's Steakhouse To Open In Former Midi The steakhouse category continues to be an embarrassment in the New Orleans area. Only the Beef Connection in Gretna is open among restaurants that I would call first-class steak purveyors. Ruth's Chris in Metairie will open next week; the rest of the major players are either gone for good or not announcing their plans. That fact is noted by the management of the J.W. Marriott Hotel on Canal Street (formerly the Meridien). The pleasant tiled space that was formerly Midi is gutted and under construction as the New Orleans location of Shula's Steakhouse, the seventeenth location in a national chain. It started in Miami, as you might guess if you know who Don Shula was (and I even know that). His son runs the steakhouses now. It's a premium operation, featuring Certified Angus Beef (which is ungraded under the standard USDA system, but of consistently good quality). They're famous also for having a club of people--currently 28,817 strong--who have eaten the restaurant's 48-ounce steak. From the picture, it looks like a porterhouse. The planned opening date is February 1. I'm told that some Carnival krewes will be having dinners there. © 2005 Tom Fitzmorris. All rights reserved. news@nomenu.com