Russell's Marina Grill
Backstory
Opened in 1985 by the owner of a chain of drycleaning shops who wanted to diversify, Russell's passed to its current owner Pavlo Petrou in 1989. It evolved from a New Orleans neighborhood cafe into a standard American diner, keeping enough local dishes to set it apart. Two parts of the menu became extraordinarily popular: breakfast and a then-unique item called the onion mum. That's a large onion cut to resemble the flower, then deep fried and served with a dipping sauce. This quickly spread to other restaurants, notably Copeland's and later other chains. Although it's said to be common in Australia, in fact no record of anything like this anywhere predates Russell's serving of it. I remember that it was a major phenomenon at the time. Like everything else in that part of town, Russell's was deeply flooded after Katrina. It's return brough it much love.
Dining Room
Large windows on two side give onto the marina. You know the lake is nearby, which feels good. The interior is decorated with paintings of the lake and boats and such. Tables out on a patio are welcome in tolerable weather.
Why It's Essential
One of the most popular breakfast and lunch spots near the Lakefront, Russell's staff and customers have a cheerful camaraderie and a firm belief that there are few better places to eat eggs. This is not supported by the goodness of the food, which despite the many imaginative dishes (a surprising number of which address the tastes of the gym crowd) are pretty ordinary.
Why It's Good
Its worth coming here for the onion mum, which is no longer being served in many independent restaurants. The basic breakfasts, pancakes, waffles, and omelettes are much better than the far-out variations. The sandwiches are pretty good. The best food of all is to be found among the lunch specials.
Most Interesting Dishes
<em><strong>Breakfast</strong></em><br /> »Belgium waffle<br /> Multigrain waffle <br /> »Bananas Foster waffle<br /> »Waffle West End (with fried chicken strips)<br /> Pancakes <br /> Multigrain pancakes <br /> Sweet potato pancakes <br /> French toast<br /> »Fresh fruit salad <br /> Oatmeal <br /> Grilled biscuits, sausage country gravy <br /> Sweet potato fries <br /> »Eggs any style, with sausage, bacon, ham steak, chicken breast, alligator sausage, or chicken fried steak<br /> Eggs Benedict<br /> Eggs Pontchartrain (poached, on fried green tomatoes, bacon, hollandaise<br /> Eggsaints #33 (grilled biscuit, alligator sausage, grilled tomatoes, country gravy)<br /> »Eggs 9th (crab cakes, shrimp hollandaise)<br /> »Eggs Shannon (French bread, cheese, fried catfish, hollandaise and capers)<br /> Pavlos special (eggs, pork chops, fruit salad)<br /> Mr America Special (multigrain pancakes, oatmeal, pecans, blueberries, bananas, five egg whites, grilled chicken breast)<br /> Eggs Campbell (turkey, five egg whites, pepper jack cheese, tomato, multigrain baguette, fruit salad)<br /> Low fat vanilla parfait, blueberries, strawberries and granola<br /> All-Pro omelette (egg whites, turkey, Swiss, tomato)<br /> Lean and mean omelet (egg whites, chicken, onions, spinach, salsa)<br /> Cali omelette (egg whites, turkey, smoked gouda, tomato, green onions, guacamole)<br /> Vegetarian omelette (egg whites, spinach, tomatoes, onions, peppers, mushrooms, Swiss, vegetarian sauce)<br /> Big Easy omelette (fried oysters, artichokes, tomatoes, green onions, cheese, remoulade sauce)<br /> Shrimp omelette <br /> Marina Grill omelette (ham, bacon, mushrooms, tomatoes, onions, peppers, cheddar, chili, marinara sauce)<br /> Italian omelet (onions, peppers, Italian sausage, tomatoes, pepper jack)<br /> Greek omelette (feta cheese, kalamata olives, tomatoes, onions)<br /> Chili cheese omelette <br /> Morning-after omelette (ham, bacon, sausage, Italian sausage, potatoes, cheddar, chili fries and a bloody mary)<br /> <em><strong>Starters</strong></em><br /> »Fried pickles<br /> Crab cakes, sriracha sauce<br /> Fried green tomatoes, remoulade sauce<br /> »Fried artichoke hearts, rosette sauce<br /> »Fried eggplant sticks, marinara sauce<br /> »Onion mum<br /> Seared tuna salad<br /> Grilled chicken Waldorf salad<br /> »Greek salad<br /> Creole potato salad <br /> Shrimp salad<br /> Grilled chicken or shrimp Caesar salad<br /> »Cobb salad<br /> Portobello salad<br /> Chicken country salad<br /> Grilled salmon salad<br /> Creole seafood gumbo <br /> <em><strong>Sandwiches</strong></em><br /> »Hamburgers<br /> Fried shrimp, catfish, or oyster poor boy<br /> Simno’s melt (grilled chicken breast, avocado, pepper jack, romaine, tomato, bacon, sun dried tomato pesto, multigrain bread, fresh fruit salad<br /> Turkey melt <br /> Wrap sandwiches: chicken Caesar, shrimp, turkey, club, BLT, crabcake, or veggie<br /> <em><strong>Entrees</strong></em><br /> Meatballs and spaghetti<br /> »Red beans and rice<br /> Hamburger steak<br /> Fried chicken tenders<br /> Chicken fried steak<br /> Catfish amandine <br /> Grilled marinated salmon Loraine, rice<br /> »Eggplant Lafitte (panneed, crawfish etouffee, angel hair pasta<br /> Grilled ahi tuna, orange soy sauce, potato salad<br /> Louisiana crawfish etoufee<br /> »Fried seafood platters (catfish, oysters, shrimp, crab cake,or combinations)<br /> »<em><strong>Desserts</strong></em><br /> White chocolate bread pudding<br /> Lemon ice box pie<br /> »Fresh blueberry basil pie<br /> Pecan pie<br /> »Apple pie <br /> Ice cream sundae <br /> Shakes and malts <br /> »Nectar soda with vanilla ice cream <br />
Deficiencies
There is not, let's say, a sharp edge in the cooking. The platters are less that beautiful. The grits and biscuits need much improvement.
For Best Results
The more straighforward the order, the better the food. Fried seafood is variable but usually better than you expect. If you get teh onion mum, know that the greasiness in the bottom quarter of it is not due to carelessness, but an unavoidable flaw in the concept.
Bonus Ratings
2
Attitude
2
Local Color
2
Service
2
Value