No Name

[ilikeNOLA]

Hey,
Is the No Name still as good as it used to be. I have traveled all over the country and live just outside New Orleans, which I love as you can tell by handle. I think the No Name is one of the best places I have ever had a meal at outside of New Orleans. I usually don't like chowder but the seafood chowder there is/was fantastic. I'm thinking of making a trip up there just to get a bowl or two, three,....

Oh, congrats to Old Ironsides for making a self powered sail yesterday!!!

[libertywharf]

I see a few posters on other boards who go on a regular basis and love it. If you go sit upstairs.

[ilikeNOLA]

If I remeber correctly the fried clams were out of this world. They had little pockets in them that tasted like the fat of blue crabs, which in New Orleans we eat and enjoy. What kind of clams are they?
Thanks

[MC Slim JB]

Our fried clams are made with softshell clams, a/k/a steamers.

http://mcslimjb.blogspot.com/

[hotoynoodle]

perhaps the op is more accustomed to clam strips? full belly is totally a local thing.

[pemma]

I have not been in many years, but do remember the food as being very plain. But, really, sometimes with very fresh fish, that's the best way to cook it. I think people are looking for more creative dishes these days, but sometimes, a plain broiled piece of fresh haddock with a little bit of bread crumbs and butter really hits the spot, but it's nothing a celebrity chef is needed for.

[southie_chick]

Gotta agree with you pemma - I do like their "old school" scrod with the breadcrumbs on top (as well as their chowder).

[mwk]

The No Name seafood chowder is by far the best thing on the menu, and as far as I can tell it hasn't changed in 30 years. Their fried platters are decent, and the rest of the menu is OK, but nothing special. Plain is absolutely the buzzword there, which is maybe why people don't like it. You can also be in and out in 30 minutes, and there's no lingering over your meal.

[C. Hamster]

The No Name has been a tourist restaurant for the past 25 years at least.

I only go when people from out of town insist on it. It doesnt thrill me.

I do like their chowder, though, as I am afan of the thin milky kind. A spoon standing straight up in my cup is gross.

[treb]

Legal used to, or maybe still have, a lite chowda made with only clam broth, no milk or thickeners.

[hazelhurst]

Hell, No Name was a combination of tourist/local back in my day (1970's). they were one of the few places in town that wouldn't screw up a swordfish when the things were made legal to fish again. I liked them because, as long as the fish was fresh, there was little chance of screwing it up apart from overcooking it. It might be forgotten today with the greater choice of places to eat: in thoses days there were perhaps six places to eat other than HoJo or something similar.

[Bellachefa]

Well I first went about 40 years ago as a poppet. I go a couple of times a year for a cup of chowder and an iced tea. Nothing more. I still think it is some of the best fish chowder around.

[treb]

The chowda is OK, skip the rest.

[mkfisher]

No Name is sadly pretty horrendous these days

[ilikeNOLA]

I am so sorry to hear that. That last time I was there was fantastic. Sorry to say that was about 12 years ago. I happened to be back in CT. and wife and I made a road trip there to show here what it was all about. Man, did we enjoy that meal. Hopefully they get back on track.

[L2k]

There's still very little atmosphere, but the food is pretty much the same as it was a decade ago. Many 'hounders don't like it because it's very plain and simple -- not at all inventive, but you know going in that's what you are going to get.

[Gio]

"Plain and simple" describes the last time I ate there:
A hunk of day boat broiled haddock right off the boat plunked on a plate. With a fork on the side.

[huuvola]

While I'll agree that most people say the No Name has lost the luster that it had in the 90s in terms of overall quality, relatively recent reports indicate that the seafood chowder might still be pretty good. See previous thread:
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/824053