My turn: by chef Pat Gallagher Photo courtesy of Romney Caruso
Chef Gallagher’s experience at Sal and Judy’s: For my wife and I, Sal and Judy’s is one of our favorite places to eat, and I knew it would be a review I wouldn’t have any problem doing. When you enter Sal and Judy’s, you are greeted by Greg at the bar. He takes the reservations and seats everyone, and he has been with Sal for twenty-five years. One thing I have taken notice of from Sal over the years is that he has a very personal relationship with his customers. He does table visits, which I also try to do with every customer who comes in my place, and watching him work over the years I have felt the personal relationship that he develops with his guests. I ordered the crab claws in the white wine cream sauce and the seafood cannelloni. We almost always get those for appetizers. The oyster artichoke soup is wonderful. I was really looking forward to soft shell crabs, and they had them. Sal’s crab is always good. I know he has great sources for his seafood down in Lacombe. His fish is always fresh. He deals with top of the line proteins and products. My wife got lasagna which looked like enough to feed three people. At Sal and Judy’s, you almost always walk out with a to-go bag. The lasagna was terrific, and I also got a brucioloni to bring home for the next day. I always do that. We had a nice bottle of Jordan which was delicious and priced very fairly. Brandon was our server. He was superb from start to finish. There was no room for dessert, I have to tell you that. One thing about the menu is the value — outrageous. For the quality and amount of food you get, his prices are so reasonable. It is remarkable. He does a fantastic job of giving you value and exquisite food. Reservations there are absolutely necessary. We were there for a couple hours because we went back to the bar after dinner and had a glass of wine before we left. Sal’s an old, dear friend of mine. I had been eating with him prior to opening my own restaurant and had gotten to know him. He’s always been so gracious, a good friend and a great chef to boot. He’s just a wonderful person and ambassador for this business.
ABOUT THE CHEF Chef Pat Gallagher has been a food fixture on the Northshore since the 1970’s. From the Winner’s Circle, to Gallagher’s Grill in Covington and Pat Gallagher’s 527 Restaurant and Bar in Mandeville, and through other partnerships in the food industry over the years, Chef Gallagher has championed good food on the Northshore for a long time. When The Edge presented Chef Gallagher with the opportunity to visit a restaurant that was not his own and share that experience with us, he chose Sal and Judy’s. What follows are his own words about his dining experience.
EDGE Dec 2016 | Jan 2017
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