170 Years of Tujague's
Tujague's is celebrating 170 years in operation in 2026, and everyone is invited to join the celebration. Of course, the legendary restaurant has moved around in its time, and the menu has changed somewhat to accommodate modern palates, yet the genial atmosphere, the attention to detail, and the thoroughly New Orleans style remains as vibrant as ever.
To commemorate this milestone, Tujague's is reliving some meal services that it used to offer, and I wanted to get a taste of the past. Arriving at the opening of the dinner service while the sun was still shining through the windows, I sat in the street-level dining room that quickly filled with hungry patrons. I started off with a pretty in purple Iris 75, a riff on a classic French 75. The royal purple drink combined Empress Butterfly Pea Flower gin with lemon, sparkling wine, and a little sugar. I took several photos with it for the 'Gram because it is envy-worthy. I couldn't resist just a nip of Tujague's world-famous Grasshopper: a minty treat of Creme de Menthe, Creme de Cacao, brandy, and cream. For the 170th anniversary, you can have a demi Grasshopper for just $1.70!
Highlighted on the menu full of New Orleans classics is the special Table d'Hôte meal that features five-courses, a throwback to the long period between 1856 and 2013 when Tujague's only served this pre-fixe instead of a la carte items. The multi-course meal is exquisite for understanding the Creole flavors that embody New Orleans cuisine.
Promptly, the first course of Demi Shrimp Remoulade arrived. Plump shrimp sat upon lettuce with just a whisper of sauce around them so their fresh flavor shone brightly. The second course of Gumbo du Jour was poured from individual steaming pots into the bowl. The complex and familiar scent wafts into your face and makes you salivate with anticipation for the first spoonful. This gumbo is truly excellent, though I felt that about five drops of Tabasco made it perfect for me. This is one of the very few gumbos that I would direct someone to if they have never had it before and traveled all the way here to try.
The serving of the Traditional Brisket Appetizer was an experience. It was immediately apparent that this piece of brisket was going to be quite filling. This is your official warning to not fill up on bread early on, though it is tempting. The stately serving of brisket is made unique with a smothering of tangy housemade horseradish-based sauce. The meat caves so easily under slight fork pressure due to its incredible tenderness.
The Table d'Hôte service requires you to select an entree which is indeed a tough decision. My meal invitee chose the Hanger Steak, which I stole a few hearty bites of. The expertly-cooked steak was quite large and oh-so tender. The roasted garlic butter sauce soaked into it and coated the mouth with every forkful of steak. The fried fingerling potatoes and lovely broccolini were great detours for a moment that always led back to the main event.
I selected a special dish for my entree, one that once graced the menu but has since drifted solely to the pages of Tujague's Cookbook. Another feature of the 170th anniversary happenings is a revived legacy dish being offered for one month. In March, the legacy dish was the Chicken Bonne Femme. The plate was so filled with the crispy-fried chicken that I thought it was an entire bird at first. The Chicken Bonne Femme is one-half chicken that is perfectly cooked crisp, and it is definitely enough to bring some home to enjoy the next day. The big, juicy chicken morsels sat atop thin-fried potatoes that were basically the best ever housemade potato chips, and it was all dolloped with a fresh, thick persillade sauce. I don't think that I need to explain that I was in heaven with this meal. The final course was upon us, but we were already bested by this momentous meal. We literally could not have another bite, so the bread pudding came home for a next day decadent breakfast—after a few bites became a midnight snack.
The revelry of Tujague's incredible birthday doesn't stop here. The Demi Grasshoppers and Table d'Hôte continues until the end of the year, and each few weeks brings a new legacy dish. Crawfish Bisque à la Bégué is set for May. Friday, Saturday, and Sundays will have a two-course 1856 Brunch Special with Gumbo or a Demi Muffaletta Chopped Salad paired with Eggs Rue St. Louis (corn flour fried oyster, bacon jam, poached eggs, béarnaise atop a buttermilk biscuit) for the eggs-cellent price of $18.56. Stop in so that you can say you got to attend a 170th birthday party.
