Zimmer's Seafood
Backstory
Craig Zimmer opened his namesake restaurant in the 1980s. It was known mostly to people who lived in the neighborhood of Pap's Supermarket (once across the street, now extinct) and the UNO community. It was in one of the worst flood Katrina flood zones, with a levee break was just a few blocks away. Yet it opened fairly early on, and became both a corporal and psychic godsend for the Gentilly neighborhood.
Dining Room
The old building needed to be rebuilt after the flood, and presents a pleasant if spare space for dining.
Why It's Essential
Here and there around New Orleans--but not as numerous as most of us believe--are neighborhood seafood markets with a restaurant sideline. Zimmer's is a classic example of the genre, ready to sell fresh and boiled fish, shrimp, crabs and crawfish in season. But since they have all that stuff, they may as well fry all that and enclose it in a poor boy, right? And as long as they're making shrimp poor boys, they may as well make roast beef, ham, and sausage sandwiches, too, right?
Why It's Good
Right. Zimmer's kitchen is famous for its shrimp poor boy. That's never been a favorite of mine, but it's clearly a fine piece of work. So are the oyster and fish sandwiches, and all the rest of them. Good bread--that sesame-seeded French-Italian hybrid, shattery at the crust. Seafood platters are also available, generous, hot and crisp. And, in season, boiled seafood by the pound, eat in or take out.
Most Interesting Dishes
<em><strong>Poor Boy Sandwiches</strong></em><br /> Shrimp<br /> »Fish<br /> »Oyster<br /> Combination of any two seafoods<br /> Smoked sausage<br /> »Hot sausage<br /> »Ham<br /> Turkey<br /> Veal cutlet<br /> »Roast beef<br /> Hamburger<br /> French fries with beef gravy<br /> <em><strong>Entrees and sides</strong></em><br /> »Fried shrimp, catfish, oysters, or combo platter<br /> »Stuffed crab platter<br /> »Soft shell crab platter<br /> Soft shell crab<br /> Stuffed crab patty<br /> »Fried artichoke balls<br /> Potato salad<br /> Marinated crab salad<br /> Shrimp-stuffed pepper<br /> »Stuffed artichoke<br /> Crawfish pie<br /> Seafood gumbo<br /> »Corn and crawfish bisque<br /> »Crawfish and spinach bread<br /> Fried mushrooms<br />
Bonus Ratings
1
Attitude
2
Value