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Shrimp remoulade.

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Restaurant Ratings

The ratings are based mostly on the degree to which the food excites us, and a little on environment, service, and other considerations. I rate restaurants relative to all other restaurants in the New Orleans area. Here's what the stars mean to me:

starstarstarstarstar
Among the best locally.

starstarstarstar
Excellent and ambitious.

starstarstar
Worth crossing town for.

starstar
Recommended.

*
Acceptable.

No star
Unacceptable.

Cost Ratings
Each dollar sign indicates a ten-dollar range, including a normal meal for the restaurant (dinner, if they serve other meals), not including drinks, or tips. So, for example. . .

1$--$5-15
2$--$15-25
3$--$25-35

. . . and so on, with no upper limit. While this scheme may suggest mathematical precision, know that perception of price varies from diner to diner as much as the star ratings do. So consider this an estimate.

All reviews are based entirely on meals I have personally taken at the restaurant and paid for from my own pocket. I don't take free review meals, nor am I reimbursed by anybody for my restaurant expenditures.

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Fury’s

Neighborhood Cafe.
Metairie: 724 Martin Behrman Ave.. 504-834-5646. Map.
Lunch and dinner continuously Monday-Friday.
Casual
AE DC DS MC V

WHY IT'S NOTEWORTHY
Metairie has few old-school neighborhood restaurants, and fewer West End-style seafood joints. This place serves both those functions, and does so with unusually high standards--especially considering what it charges.

WHY IT'S GOOD
Serving terrific simple seafood dishes is a straightforward matter: the seafood has to be fresh, not frozen, and it must be cooked to order, not picked from under a heat lamp. In a time when most places fail on both counts, Fury's is scrupulous about both. They also have fine daily plate specials, some of the city's best onion rings, and even a smattering of excellent Italian dishes.

BACKSTORY
John Fury opened this place in 1983, after selling his share of The Bounty, a classic West End seafood restaurant. Before even that, he operated a neighborhood restaurant in Mid-City. The current Fury's has aspects of both styles. Trivia: A million years ago, the building was the home of The Little Italians restaurant. The son of one of the little Italians that ran it is Tommy DiGiovanni, the longtime executive chef of Arnaud's.

DINING ROOM
A very small restaurant with minimal decor. The L-shaped room is almost always full at standard mealtimes, but they remain open all afternoon, when it's less frantic.

ESSENTIAL DISHES
Onion rings.
Shrimp or crabmeat remoulade.
Seafood gumbo.
Crabmeat au gratin.
Crawfish etouffee.
Whole fried or broiled flounder.
Fried or broiled seafood platters.
Trout amandine.
Fried soft shell crab.
Stuffed crab or shrimp.
Fried frog legs.
Fried or broiled chicken.
Chicken or veal Parmesan.
Spaghetti bordelaise.
Stuffed bell pepper.
Red beans and rice (Monday special).
Liver and onions (Tuesday special).
Stuffed pork chop (Wednesday special).
Bread pudding.

FOR BEST RESULTS
The restaurant is open all day, from 11 a.m. From about two until five in the afternoon is the best time. If the little parking lot in front is full, it's okay to park across the street in the large strip mall lot. If you happen to be there on Monday, get the red beans and rice with fried chicken drummettes.

OPPORTUNITIES FOR IMPROVEMENT
It would be nice to have Fury's back open on weekends. They have not done so since Katrina. A bigger restaurant would be good, too.

FACTORS OTHER THAN FOOD
Up to three points, positive or negative, for these characteristics. Absence of points denotes average performance in the matter.

SPECIAL ATTRIBUTES

This review was updated with new information on 1/10/2010.

A list of all 300 full, current reviews is here.