Roasted medallions of pork, wrapped in bacon
New Orleans is 1,470 miles away from New York. But at Bayou, a little restaurant on Staten Island, the southern city feels so close you could taste it. Located in the Rosebank section of Staten Island, Bayou has been around for eleven years, and in that time has undergone a few transformations. The restaurant began as a bit of a beads-hanging-off-the-bar Southern joint, but has since matured into a stylized, Big Easy fine dining experience.
The elegant bar at Bayou Restaurant
If you go to Bayou, be prepared to try new things. It’s not every day that you can order alligator meatballs, for instance. At Bayou they’re served over ciabatta bread, with a Stella bleu cheese sauce. According to Gator Bob, alligator meat is high in protein and low in calories, fat, and cholesterol. It’s also a superb source of Omega-3 fatty acids. (Take that, salmon lovers!)
The entrée menu at Bayou is good for people who like options, and bad for the indecisive. Main courses come in all shapes and sizes, including N’awlins chicken filets rolled with andouille sausage, spinach, tomatoes and Monterey Jack cheese; orange teriyaki duck; Cajun-seasoned lamb chop; crawfish étouffée; lump crab cakes; and Dixie land ribs. Many of the entrées come with brown sugar–glazed carrots and rice, which are good enough as a meal on their own.
Things get a little wild at dessert, when the bananas Foster arrives at your table aflame in a martini glass. But don’t be scared, it’s just butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, banana liqueur, bananas, dark rum, and vanilla ice cream, which are all very safe in small quantities. The desserts all sound so good you might decide to skip dinner.
There’s also live music to keep things festive including Fat Tuesdays (featuring blues and rock), Jazzy Wednesdays, and a Sunday jazz brunch.
Hungry? Bayou is open daily for lunch and dinner. They’re located at 1072 Bay Street and reservations are recommended. Laissez les bon temps rouler!
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