Dejeuner a La Petite Grocery

My god, lunch was a balm for my cold soul. La Petite Grocery is such a lovely spot; perched on the corner of Magazine and General Pershing, it's got a high, pressed-tin ceiling, lots of natural light, a fabulously inviting bar, friendly staff and an uncrowded floor set with comfortable tables. T started with a Belgian triple and a glass of Burgundian chardonnay while we waited for our shared appetizer of oysters baked with country ham, collard greens and cornbread crumbs. When in Louisiana, eat oysters. And collards. And bacon. So really, this dish was a no-brainer order. And it was definitely good but they need to cut back on the cornbread's sweetness. I sweetly relayed this message to our dear waiter.

For our mains, Tom ordered the pastrami sandwich on rye with pickled cabbage, Gruyere and house-made Russian dressing. Also the best fries ever. People, no one should ever peel potatoes before making fries. Skin.is.good. On potatoes, apples, chicken, etc.

I went for two sides: roasted beets with crawfish, shaved asparagus and horseradish cream and the caramelized Brussels sprouts with pancetta, thyme and pancetta. I swear I almost plunged my face into the sprouts. I could have eaten nine plates of them. Ridiculous. The crawfish salad wished for more zing and pep, from cracked pepper, lemon and so forth. Good, not great. The sprouts stole the show.