Nola spirit lands in the Mission
Dining at Alba Ray’s made me want to head to the airport and fly to New Orleans. It brought back fond memories of my trips there. At most Southern-inspired restaurants here in the Bay Area the food doesn’t come close to evoking memories of the French Quarter. No, most Cajun/Creole restaurants outside of New Orleans are mediocre imitations. Alba Ray’s is different. I was initially captured by the feel of the interior with its wrought-iron dividers that could have come from Bourbon Street, the round tables and chairs that look as if they were lifted from an ice cream parlor and the solid bar that dominates the room. The animated crowd, the sound of cocktails being mixed and the toasty smell of roux and spices that permeate many dishes all contributed to the nostalgic feeling.
I was impressed with the earthy, fragrant sauce of the Creole barbecued shrimp ($16.25), appropriately served with lightly grilled bread to sop up the bold remains of the sauce; the crumbly texture and meaty flavor of boudin balls ($8) accented with pickled okra and creole mustard aioli; the briny essence of char-broiled Gulf oysters with herb butter and Romano cheese ($21); and the seductive aroma of rabbit stew ($19). And to prove the kitchen’s commitment to whole animal cooking, there’s also juicy grilled rabbit sausage on creamy grits ($14.25), one of my favorite starters.
But it wasn’t until dessert when the beignets with salted caramel arrived that I was totally convinced that chef Adam Rosenblum and his team could successfully channel the essence of New Orleans.
I was further impressed by the talent behind the bar. The bartenders added just the right licorice nuances of absinthe to make the sazarac ($9), a cocktail that seemed even more boozy and intense alongside the spicy food. Their spot-on versions of the Vieux Carre ($12), with both whiskey and cognac, and the Ward Eight, with bourbon, orange, lemon and grenadine served over a large cube of ice, helped to buoy the spirits.
Turns out that Rosenblum, who is also the chef at Causwells, spent time in New Orleans working for Donald Link at Herbsaint and Cochon. There are many good chefs in that city, but Link is one of my favorites. In addition, the chef de cuisine is Matt Woods, a New Orleans native, who was previously executive chef of Schmidt’s.
The restaurant is owned by the group who conceived Popsons and Causwells, which are both fine neighborhood places, but it feels as if Alba Ray’s, in the Mission Street space that was the home of the shortlived Hapa Ramen, is destined to be a destination.
It’s one of the few places I’ve seen mirliton, or chayote, highlighted, made into a coleslaw with pickled onions ($5.75). It’s a refreshing counterpoint to some of the full-bodied dishes such as the shrimp and grits ($25.50) permeated with rawtasting spices, and the red beans and rice enriched with andouille sausage ($8).
Blue crab stuffed flounder ($29.50) comes with the mirliton slaw, a pleasant addition to the fish. Stuffed fish rarely live in harmony, but here the flounder and crab aren’t derailed by heavy seasoning or sauces and are allowed to shine.
There’s an appropriate heartiness in the salad ($11.25) with grilled escarole, matchsticks of celery root, croutons that conveniently shatter on impact and slices of hard cooked eggs harmonized with a creamy herb dressing.
Not everything, however, passes muster. The mac and cheese with guanciale ($9) didn’t benefit from the use of cockscomb-shaped pasta, and the sauce tasted more of béchamel than cheese.
The mixed pork ($49), by far the most expensive item on the menu, should have been better. The pork belly was heavily smoked and the sausage lightly seasoned, but the loin couldn’t be saved from blandness, even with the fresh herb sauce. The warm potato salad underneath didn’t bring anything to the combination. It was underseasoned and dry; the inverse of what you expect from this bold cuisine.
Our waiters were as friendly as a Southern cousin; they frequently stop by to see if everything is OK or to shoot the breeze for a minute or two. When I saw the waiter spooning out Creole chicken and pork jambalaya ($17 a person) to a twosome obviously on a date, I had flashbacks to Galatoire’s. It reminded me how table-side service promotes a convivial spirit.
Aside from the beignets ($6.75), the kitchen does an exceptional job on another staple: pralines ($6.25). In this cozy atmosphere, you can easily get into an hour-long conversation as to how to pronounce the word. (Is it prawleens or pray-leens?)
At too many other restaurants, the pralines can be grainy and tooth-achingly sweet. Here they are smooth and creamy, thickly studded with pecans. It was yet another reminder that it’s time to go back to New Orleans, a city that has as much passion for food as San Francisco.