RESTAURANT REVIEW: Josephine's Gulf Coast Tradition

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Believe it or not, when I was younger I was something of a picky eater. While there are still a handful of items I despise (my oh-no-no foods, including eggs, pickles, mushrooms, and coffee), my palate has become much more egalitarian over the years. Things that I refused to eat as a teen, such as tomato, avocado, spicy foods, and quite frankly most international cuisines, have since become essential staples of my diet. Seafood was another big category that I shied away from back in my youth, with the exception of a maybe a grilled mahi mahi here or a seared tuna steak there. That has also changed these days, as I have opened up much more to the world from under the sea, both in raw form and otherwise. I still will usually order meat over fish at most places, but I do enjoy visiting a seafood restaurant much more now.

Josephine's is located in the Midtown space that used to house Izakaya, my first-ever favorite Japanese restaurant, with its marvelous meatball that I miss so dearly. The interior has obviously been completely remodeled since then, with wood walls that feel like a (fancy) shack on the Louisiana bayou infused with some French Quarter flair from the black-and-white floor tiles and perimeter booths. There's a decent-sized dining room, and if you go to the loo, you'll surprisingly find a second, similarly large space hidden beyond the long bar, plus an outdoor patio. The vibe is very laid back, but the service is quite friendly and the food is wonderful.

To start, from the cold bar (not my favorite term, but still greatly superior to the dreaded "raw bar") came the Dr. Seuss-approved Smoked Redfish Dip. The protein was mixed with a lemon remoulade sauce, topped with some chili powder and greens, and served with flash-fried soda crackers brushed with "ranch powder". Fish selection is super important for this increasingly-prevalent appetizer, and the redfish was a wise choice: not overly fishy, allowing the smoke to shine through (contrast with the not-as-successful salmon variant at the otherwise-solid Perseid). The upgraded saltines were a great vehicle for the dip as well... a cracking (get it?) start to the meal.

I LOVED the Jambalaya Arancini, a unique small plate that fused Cajun and Italian. These Sicilian fried rice balls were stuffed with andouille sausage, shrimp, and blue crab, garnished with parsley and shaved celery, and plated over a fra diavolo. You really could appreciate the way the crispy breaded exterior contrasted with the soft but piping hot interior, and the pork and seafood were a great combo for the filling. I wouldn't have necessarily thought to pair it with the spicy tomato sauce, but it worked, providing some necessary acid and heat. A really cool dish that I would definitely order again on my next visit.

Another sharable item was the Blue Crab Rice Bowl. A pile of Carolina Gold rice was layered with chunks of Gulf crab, dressed with crab fat aioli (I didn't realize that crabs had fat), and coated with scallions and fried shallots. The crab was sweet but subtle, and the rich aioli packed a ton of flavor, though not overwhelmingly so. Generously portioned toppings delivered some needed texture to mix things up.

A really unique large plate was the Jerk Fish Collars. This lesser-seen cut comes from the fish's clavicle, behind the gills, yielding a hunk of skin, bone, and fin. On this occasion the source was red snapper, and the meat was smothered in a Jamaican jerk rub, roasted, and brushed with chili butter. It required a bit of work, as there was a large bone in the middle (reminiscent of a chicken wing), but this was marvelous: fiery spice from the allspice/cayenne jerk seasoning and the juicy, fatty flesh from the unique cut made it worth the effort. Coursed alongside the rice bowl, the two made for a great pairing.

Since the above items were served a la carte, we opted for a side of Fried Onion Strings with Comeback Sauce. Even though I've recently bemoaned the proliferation of ultra-thin fries, I actually quite enjoyed these alternatives to the usual massive allium rings. Plenty of pleasing crunch, and the chili mayo sauce had a decent creamy kick.

There were some fun cocktails as well, including a couple of tweaks on old fashioneds, but I'd like to highlight the Cafe Du Lu, a vodka concoction with chicory, coffee, and adorned with an adorable micro beignet. In the espresso martini family, this drink was a bit creamier, and well-balanced enough that the coffee flavor didn't overpower. Plus, the tiny pastry was a delight, complete with powdered sugar dusting.

Everything here was first-class, though ordering a lot of heavy dishes had me feeling very satiated by the end of dinner, so no pudding was had on this evening. Perhaps next time I'll mix in a salad (probably not).

RANKING UPDATE: Admittedly the Best Seafood section on my Houston Restaurant Guide was slightly lackluster, with a borderline placeholder at the bottom, but this definitely earns a place on there, coming in at #4.

NEXT UP: Finally checking out the alleged #1 restaurant in Houston