127980 Tue Aug 17 12:59:03 -0700 2004 10 9 New Orleans 0 693878 Anyone been to Martinique lately? I've never gone, and have a reservation this week. What's the menu like? Any recommendations? Thanks in advance. Tue Aug 17 12:59:03 -0700 2004 0 GiGi 1 693880 I've been in the past year. I believe it changed ownership, but that the chef is still the same. At any rate, they're reportedly keeping the french-caribbean theme going. I had a very good flatiron steak there, and my darling husband had some sort of gulf fish that was also very good. My personal favorite was the mussels in a sauce that had cream and merguez sausage in it, I pretty much ate it like soup. I'll definitely go back. Tue Aug 17 13:58:21 -0700 2004 693878 0 Jessi 2 693898 Jessi, one of the most recent times I've eaten there I had the steak and it was most decidely not a 'flat iron' or top-blade chuck steak. It was lumpy and strange looking. From description Franks's friend Alvin (the meat business guy) said it sounded like 'hanger' or onglet steak. It was served with the pepper sauce and was very tasty though. Wed Aug 18 12:29:48 -0700 2004 693880 0 Amanda 3 693910 Sounds good. Hangar is becoming quite the trend, i think. As I recall, my flatiron steak was on the specials menu, so maybe it's not a regular thing, although it was also mentioned in that review I posted. Too bad if it's gone, it was quite the taste sensation. Tasted a little like liver, which I can't figure out if it's because the cut is near the liver in the cow (would that really make a difference? Where's top blade chuck steak?) or that it's cooked pressed between cast iron pans, which might impart that iron-y flavor. Wed Aug 18 13:23:43 -0700 2004 693898 0 Jessi 4 693922 Hanger steak is the muscle that operates the diaphragm (the one that runs the lungs), I don't think it's near the liver. It's got a strong flavor because it works all the time. You have to be careful in cooking it, braising it is best, I think. I suspect that they just thought yhst flat iron sounded hotter or more saleable than hanger steak and misnamed the cut of meat. Martinique is a Franco-Caribbean restaurant and the flatiron has nothing to do with either tradition. Sort of like the people calling Sheephead (the fish) 'Bay Snapper', pushs the price up into another class and who's ever seen a comprehensive list of all those snapper fish anyway. Thu Aug 19 06:55:43 -0700 2004 693910 0 Amanda 5 693923 No, what I had was definitely flat iron, not hanger steak. It looked like the cut in the link below. (it is from the top blade, like you said previously, so nowhere near the hanger steak by the diaphragm). It was with a sauce Diane. I have had hangar steak, but off the grill, cut very thin against the grain, a fajita type prep, although skirt steak is usually used for that. The flatiron must not be on the menu anymore. Too bad. According to this recipe, the French like to pan saute hanger steak to very rare to medium rare. http://www.epicurious.com/run/recipe/view?id=102370 Sounds good! Link: http://gourmetsleuth.com/flatironsteak.htm Thu Aug 19 10:20:45 -0700 2004 693922 0 Jessi 6 693935 Yes, that's the shape of the Flatiron Steak that I had (but I can't remember where I had it). What I had at Martinique was odd shaped and lumpy, it was served in what was described as a Sauce Poivre, a thick brown reduction of maybe veal, with whole peppercorns. The last time I ate there before the sale, they served me a Bouillabaisse with a few scoops of mashed potatoes sort of floating on top. Very strange. Next time I ask for the mashed potatoes on the side. BTW, Brigtsen's tomorrow night. Big wine bash, taking the niece. Her Mom comes in Saturday to hover over the move to the dorm. Shy little Jenny has already lined up muscle to port her things across her new threshold. Two roommates have already moved in. Thu Aug 19 17:02:51 -0700 2004 693923 0 Amanda 7 693941 Lucky. I'm jealous. Is this an official Brigtsen's wine bash, or one of your own making? BTW, I have a friend in the philosophy dept. at Tulane, if you want me to get the lowdown on your niece's new paramour, if that lasted the week. :) Thu Aug 19 21:54:12 -0700 2004 693935 0 Jessi 8 693945 No thanks Jessi, leave them be. Her own Mother isn't very interested, my Mother thinks's it's cute and Mama Gina said that water seeks it's own level. I just hope she's not really foolish and she doesn't seem to be. No, we're just taking an out of town friend out to dinner. I've never known Brigtsen's to have a wine bash. The early bird specials are the only marketing tools I've ever known them to use. Fri Aug 20 07:16:47 -0700 2004 693941 0 Amanda 1 693882 Actually, a friend went this weekend and RAVED! I don't think the previous chef is with them any longer. Tue Aug 17 15:26:11 -0700 2004 693878 0 Mikey 2 693886 Actually, according to this article from the Gambit at the end of June, the original owner sold it last year, but they kept the same chef, Kevin Reese. Has something happened in the past few weeks? Link: http://www.bestofneworleans.com/dispatch/2004-06-29/restreview.html Tue Aug 17 16:12:27 -0700 2004 693882 0 Jessi