Canal Street Cafe
Backstory
Shula's is named for Don Shula, the winningest football coach in NFL history. His son and partners run the thirty-two restaurant chain. The JW Marriott is the former Meridien Hotel, a luxury property from the pre-World's-fair hotel boom in New Orleans. Shula's occupies the space that was formerly the French bistro Midi. Shula's was just about to open when the hurricane hit New Orleans; the opening was delayed, but only a little.
Dining Room
Logically enough, the restaurant has a subtle football motif--the menus, for example, are covered with what looks football leather--but it's not overbearing. The front dining room has windows looking into Canal Street. Further back, the tables are darker and more private, even romantic. The comfortable bar spills into the mall that runs through the hotel.
Why It's Essential
Shula's is two restaurants in one. It's the all-day restaurant of the JW Marriott Hotel on Canal Street, serving all three meals every day of the year. More distinctively, it's the local outlet of a nationwide chain of premium steakhouses. This one is better than the other three I've been to in other cities. While it follows the corporate specs on most matters, the Canal Street franchise buys more local product and cooks more local dishes than is typical for a national outfit. For the most part, however, Shula's delivers the standard high-end steakhouse menu, with the usual masculine, straightforward trappings.
Why It's Good
The spec for the beef across the menu is Black Angus, without regard to USDA grades but to the company's own fairly rigorous standards. In my opinion, this is not quite as good as Prime, but you won't notice if you order a filet. I do notice the step down in the strips and porterhouses, though even there it's not drastic. The steaks are served in the sauceless American style, although just-okay classic French sauces can be had. Shula's serves prime rib routinely--a rarity these days. The rest of the menu is exactly what you'd expect. They serve a breakfast buffet here every morning; it's excellent when the hotel is busy, terrible when it's not.
Most Interesting Dishes
<em><strong>Starters</strong></em><br /> »Jumbo lump crab cakes<br /> »French onion soup <br /> Flash fried lobster tail<br /> Blackened tenderloin tips<br /> »Barbecued shrimp<br /> »Lobster bisque<br /> Chilled half Maine lobster<br /> Shrimp cocktail<br /> »The wedge salad<br /> Tomato and fresh mozzarella chop salad<br /> Beefsteak tomato and gorgonzola salad<br /> Caesar salad<br /> <br /> <em><strong>Entrees</strong></em><br /> Steak Mary Anne<br /> »Filet mignon<br /> »New York strip<br /> »Prime rib<br /> »Porterhouse<br /> »Double porterhouse<br /> Cowboy steak (bone-in ribeye) <br /> »Kansas City strip<br /> French cut chicken breast<br /> »Red snapper<br /> Mahi mahi<br /> Salmon<br /> »Jumbo lump crab cakes<br /> Cold water lobster tails<br /> Surf and turf<br /> 3-4 lb Maine lobster<br /> »Lamb loin chops<br /> <em><strong>Sides </strong></em><br /> Sauteed mushrooms<br /> »Asparagus grilled or steamed broccoli with hollandaise sauce<br /> Spinach creamed or sauteed<br /> »Crabmeat mac and cheese<br /> Baked potato<br /> »Hashbrown potatoes<br /> Steak fries<br /> Double baked potato<br /> Lobster mashed potatoes<br /> <em><strong>Desserts </strong></em><br /> »Chocolate seven layer cake<br /> »Molten lava chocolate cake<br /> Chocolate souffle<br /> »Creme brulee<br /> Key lime pie<br /> Cheesecake<br /> Apple cobbler<br /> Häagen-Dazs ice cream and sorbet
Deficiencies
Corporate uniformity is not a good enough reason for serving crabmeat, shrimp, and oysters from out of town. It's insulting here. Sizzling butter, New Orleans style, ought to be an offered option.
For Best Results
The bigger the steak, the better it is. Split one big one instead of getting two small ones. The soups here are unusually good, made on the premises instead of being bought finished.
Bonus Ratings
2
Attitude
1
Environment
1
Local Color
1
Service
1
Wine