One of my favorite things about New Orleans is the abundance of small, sometimes-quirky, neighborhood restaurants. While some of the big-name tourist eateries measure up to the hype, the best food is usually found off the beaten path.
Not too far from that path is Clancy’s. Situated Uptown on the corner of Annunciation and Webster Streets, Clancy’s boasts big flavors from a simple, unassuming location.
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There’s very little on the menu that I wouldn’t have eaten, but Mark and I had our hearts set on seafood. We weren’t starving (unfortunately), so we opted to share an appetizer, one entrée, and two desserts.
We began with the oysters with brie, which I’d eat every day of my life, if possible. The oysters were well-sized, lightly battered and fried, and extremely flavorful. The brie was creamy and rich (everything brie should be!), and the spinach gave them an Oysters Rockefeller flare.
We couldn’t resist ordering the smoked soft shell crab entrée. Soft shell crab is still a novelty to me, and it’s never been a favorite of mine—until now.
The single crab was a perfect balance of smokiness and delicate sweetness. I’m not sure of the process, but the crab is cold-smoked and then battered/deep-fried to crispy perfection and topped with lump crab meat.
Served with fresh string beans and squash and slightly under-cooked potatoes (they were a little too firm, we thought), the dish was both light and satisfying.
Each of the dessert offerings sounded phenomenal (everything is made in-house), but we chose the pink grapefruit sorbet and some sort of salted caramel custard, which reminded me of crème brulée.
The sorbet was incredibly refreshing, and the custard was a nice balance of salty and sweet. Strongly-brewed (the only way!) French Market coffee rounded out the meal perfectly.
Our waiters were friendly and personable, and they provided excellent service. Since we had late (9:00) reservations, the restaurant wasn’t extremely crowded; when packed, I can imagine it gets quite noisy. The chatter and bristling activity, however, give these small, local restaurants their charm.
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Though a little expensive (considering we split everything and didn’t order alcoholic beverages), I know we’ll dine here again. If you’re visiting New Orleans and want to explore outside the “Tourist Mecca,” do give Clancy’s authentic Creole cuisine a try, as you won’t be disappointed.
Is New Orleans vegan-friendly, too? It is one of the few cities that I have always wanted to visit, and also for their music!
I’d say N.O. is improving. It’s still very omnivore-focused (like most of the South), but there are a lot of younger ppl moving to the area & bringing their own ideas/lifestyles (including veganism). I don’t know the names, but I know there are at least a few vegan restaurants.
I’d ask Gena at Choosing Raw where she found vegan meals when she visited Nola a while back.
Of course, even if you’re stuck eating boring salads + a mishmash of side dishes, everything else about the city makes up for it!