Antoine’s: A French Quarter tradition
Last Monday, the people of New Orleans marked the 11th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. Much happier memories can be found at a culinary landmark that’s survived -- and thrived -- with a timeless Family Recipe. Jamie Wax has saved us a table:
To be known for indulgence, history and ceremony in a town like New Orleans, you have to be the genuine article. Antoine’s is that, and more.
The 14-room restaurant dates back to before the Civil War when, in 1840, a young French immigrant named Antoine Alciatore first opened its doors.
While most restaurants aim to constantly reinvent, Antoine’s goal is to make its French Creole food exactly the way it’s always been made.
Tom Fitzmorris, who has been writing about New Orleans cuisine for more than 40 years -- and he’s been eating at Antoine’s even longer -- sampled one offering. “This dish never changes,” he said. “I really like it for that.”
Their finest example of consistency is their most famous creation: Oysters Rockefeller (Huitres en coquille a la Rockefeller). The decadent oyster recipe was so rich, they decided to name it after the famously wealthy John D. Rockefeller.
The dish is served in restaurants around the world, but Antoine’s head chef Michael Regua says none of them do it right -- and how Antoine’s does it is a family secret. “We don’t give the recipe away,” Regua said. “There are only three cooks here who know how to do it.”
They estimate they’ve served around 5 million orders to everyone from FDR to Andy Rooney.
It’s a tradition (“Right,” said one waiter, “no sense in changing then”), and tradition defines Antoine’s.
Not long ago they gathered every living member of the family to celebrate and commemorate their 175th anniversary.
Yvonne Alciatore Blount is Antoine’s great-granddaughter. Her father ran the restaurant, and now her son, Rick, is in charge.
“When people say this is a family-run restaurant, it’s not just our family. This is my family -- the waiters, the cooks, I love them all,” Blount said.
That sense of family even extends to the guests -- Michael Howard and his family greet their waiter with big hugs as they first walk through the door.
“In most other restaurants, in most other places, waiters have sections,” Blount said. “They have a dining room, and if you sit in that section, you get Charles or Harry or Joe or whatever. Here, once you have a waiter, that’s your waiter from then on.”
Charles Carter is a third-generation career waiter at Antoine’s. (Full disclosure: He’s also been the Wax family’s waiter.)
Charles’ father, Val, was the Howard family’s waiter for years. And now, Charles is their waiter.
“Every birthday, every major academic event, we celebrate here,” Howard said. “The one person who’s always here is our waiter. He’s the one constant member of our family. I don’t think any of us could actually discern that Charles is not actually blood to our family.”
That’s why when Charles’ dad, Val, was diagnosed with cancer, the Howards -- who have doctors in the family -- called in every favor they had. It ended up buying him a few more years.
Wax asked Charles, “Did you have an opportunity to feel like he was proud of you and what you were doing here?”
“He told me on occasions that he was proud,” he replied. “But I do remember when I served the Greek Orthodox pope, it was right before he passed away, and I called him and I told him that evening, and he did, he said he was proud.”
Charles’ own son is just learning how to walk. But Charles hopes he might decide to one day work side-by-side with his old man, too.
“This isn’t a job; this is a career, and we do spend our lives here,” Charles Carter said. “And we’re able to take care of our children and our families. They do well for us.”
That sentiment isn’t lost on Antoine’s patrons, including food critic Tom Fitzmorris.”This restaurant is my favorite restaurant,” he told Wax. “I would not tell you they have the best food in New Orleans. I wouldn’t tell you they have the best service or the best wine list or the best, really, anything. But you put the whole package together, it’s hard not to love this place.”
A New Orleans landmark: elegant, a little saucy, and aging gracefully.
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