Like many people, I save my uber expensive dining excursions for special occasions. After trying Acamaya earlier this year with an old friend who visits New Orleans on the regular, I couldn’t wait to share it with John on my birthday.
At first, I didn’t understand the hullaballoo about Chef Ana Castro. When she teamed up with Michael Stoltzfus to open Lengua Madre in the Lower Garden District, I was sadly unimpressed. I don’t know if it was the atmosphere with its overly-dramatic lighting or perhaps some sort of creative clash between the two chefs, but I found the experience underwhelming. Considering the restaurant closed after less than a two-year run, maybe I wasn’t the only one who felt that way. Yet Castro was a finalist for James Beard’s Best Chef: South during the restaurant’s short lifespan.
When Lengua Madre closed and Castro opened her own restaurant with her sister, I felt I should give her food another try, and I’m glad I did. In my mind, Acamaya is a true culmination and representation of this woman’s singular talents. Veering away from the prix fixe format, the modest menu offers seasonally-prepared dishes that can be enjoyed at the diners’ discretion. You can go whole hog with large entrée portions or share several small dishes for a tapas-like meal that won’t entirely shred your wallet — which is exactly what we did.
We started with the tomato-rich shrimp, octopus and avocado coctel “La Viga style” — which the menu’s helpful glossary informed us refers to a popular seafood market in Mexico City. It was a fresh, tangy seafood starter served with saltine crackers, an ideal method that brought to mind my preferred way to devour Louisiana oysters . . . loaded with horseradish and Crystal hot sauce.
A bowl made from crisply fried masa held a creamy, yet spicy crab salad with a chiltepin (small hot chile pepper) mayo mixed with avocado and cucumber. It was a burn that crept up slowly, allowing John and I to rapidly devour the entire dish before running to the rescue of our icy cocktails. Speaking of which, my devilishly-named El Chamuco cocktail, with reposado tequila, peach, a maraschino cherry, ginger and lime, was served in a delightfully impish cup. Along with the candied ginger garnish, it made getting woozy all the more fun. I may be a fat girl, but I’m a certifiable lightweight.
Although it makes me somewhat guilt-ridden, as it’s a creature of remarkable intelligence and grace, octopus is also incredibly delicious and I can’t resist ordering it from time to time. Castro’s version was smothered in a garlicky, smoky walnut salsa and sunchokes marinated in a tangy escabeche. Is this what it feels like to be a vegan?
While I enjoyed the sweet potato topped with peanut mole and my mouth was thoroughly entertained by Acamaya’s now-famous masa tres leches topped with a peach puree and accented with smoked salt, my absolute favorite was a bowl of chochoyotes – a.k.a. “belly buttons” or tender masa dumplings in a thick sauce, almost a soup, loaded with Higgins crab, buttery corn, and sweet, buttery corn and queso fresco. I couldn’t stop myself from diving for another dumpling, it was so moreish, so irresistible, I would return and gladly devour it by the bucketful. A very happy birthday to me!
