Best Of The Big Easy | Clancy's Restaurant
It had been ten years since I last visited New Orleans, and I had no clue where to start when it came to restaurants. I had a preliminary list, but between COVID and hurricane Ida, I wasn’t sure what survived. When in doubt, crowdsource it out. I took to Instagram to see what places my fellow foodies recommended. If anything, this exercise taught me two things: first, people LOVE New Orleans cuisine, and second, I was going to need way more than three days to eat my way through the city.
There was one restaurant, Clancy’s Restaurant, that was recommended over and over by many of my fellow food enthusiasts. It wasn’t one to be found on the Eater’s most recent listicle, and I didn’t see it mentioned by many food bloggers. Described as a quintessential New Orleans haunt filled with locals, not tourists, curiosity got the best of me, and I knew dinner at Clancy’s was a must.
In typical Blonde Voyage fashion, I took to Instagram to do some reconnaissance before making a reservation. An Instagram page with no photos? I thought to myself, no big deal, not ALL restaurants have social media. Next, I headed over to their website to make a reservation. Bumbling around for a few minutes on their site, I went to the reservations tab, but there was no link to Opentable or Resy. Instead, I found instructions to call as reservations are accepted 30 days in advance. < insert shocked emoji here> I haven’t called for reservations in YEARS. Even though I was out of practice, I picked up the phone only to be greeted by a busy signal on eight different occasions. Yes, I called eight times before I got through to speak with someone.
In the modern era where digital advances like reservations apps have made it easy to avoid human interaction, Clancy’s simply says that your best meal is only a phone call away.
Clancy’s Restaurant | Crawfish Beignets
Clancy’s has been feeding the fine people of New Orleans since the late 1940s. Originally owned by Ed and Betty Clancy, Clancy’s started as a neighborhood bar and po’boy restaurant similar to others throughout the city. Having no heirs to carry on the family tradition, Ed and Betty Clancy sold the establishment to a group of uptown businessmen who turned Clancy’s into the fine dining establishment that we know today. Little did they know that they would revolutionize the New Orleans food scene. In 1987, Clancy’s was purchased by Brad Hollingsworth. Under his guidance, Clancy’s has emerged as one of the leading purveyors for Creole cuisine and has established one of the finest wine collections in New Orleans.
Clancy’s Restaurant | Fried Oysters With Brie
As we entered the restaurant and were escorted to our table, two things stood out to me: the incredible food aromas wafting through the air and the convivial atmosphere. Long before tasting any of the food at Clancy’s, I knew I was in for an incredible evening.
We were given our menus, and I had no idea where to begin. I spotted five different dishes that I wanted to order, and I hadn’t made it to the entree portion. Luckily, there were two of us and we could share but relied on our server, Peter, to guide us through the fine dining experience.
A menu is so much more than just a list of available dishes on paper. It can convey the personality of the restaurant as well as the detail and attention given to each dish. Clancy’s menu is handwritten by the owner and as the dishes change and rotate throughout the season, he re-writes it every single time. In a time where QR codes are king, this was a lovely and personal touch.
Clancy’s Restaurant | Clancy’s Crabmeat Salad + Deviled Eggs Remoulade
As I mentioned earlier, I wanted one of everything on the menu. I explained my predicament to our server, Peter, who is by far the best around, and he worked his magic so we could sample everything we wanted. It’s as if we had a personalized tasting menu. For the ultimate Clancy’s experience, there are a few dishes that you must try: Fried Oysters with Brie and Crawfish Beignets. The oysters were quite decadent and delicious. If it’s just two of you, I recommend asking for a half-order, especially if there are other dishes you want to try. Alongside the incredible first courses was a special for the evening, Crawfish Beignets. Seeing as I made it my mission to try as many beignets as possible in three days, these were a must. I loved the sweet and savory aspect of this dish.
In addition to these two standouts, we also enjoyed the Deviled Eggs Remoulade and Clancy’s Crabmeat Salad, both of which were fabulous.
Clancy’s Restaurant | Veal Chop + Roast Tomato Demi Glace + Homemade Cavatelli Pasta + Brussels Sprouts
As we transitioned to our entrees, I opted for the Veal Chop while my partner in dine ordered the daily seafood special. Usually, I’m not inclined to order fish but in this case, she definitely out-ordered me. In fact, I think I ate almost as much of her entree as she did. Whoops!
The Veal Chop was cooked to perfection and topped with roasted tomato demi-glace, and served with homemade cavatelli pasta. Talk about sending a girl into a food coma. What an indulgent dish!
Clancy’s Restaurant | Daily Seafood Special
After consuming several glasses of wine and what felt like the entire Clancy’s menu, we waived the white flag and called it an evening. Although I wanted to sample dessert, there was simply no way I could take one more bite.
If you are looking for a taste of New Orleans, look no further than this Uptown establishment. The service is impeccable (make sure you ask for Peter if you go), and the food is absolutely outstanding. Clancy’s is the epitome of elegant dining entrenched in New Orleans tradition. Next time you find yourself planning a trip to the Big Easy, make sure you give Clancy’s a call and reserve a table before you do anything else!
Until Next Time!
Tariff: First courses are priced between $8.75 and $26.75 with entrees varying in price from $46.75 to $53.75.
Can’t Miss: Don’t leave without trying the Fried Oysters with Brie and Clancy’s Crabmeat salad and if the Crawfish Beignets are available, snag those too!
Potential Pass: There’s nothing that we ordered that underwhelmed me. In fact, if I had it all over to do again, the only thing I would change would be to order the Daily Seafood Special and save room for dessert!