Got an Alligator by the Tail

Broadway Oyster Bar

Partial menu Broadway Oyster Bar

What to Order

“I’m going with Lucy to BOB’s tonight,” I said to my grandson, Andrew. (The longer name of the funky, downtown eatery is Broadway Oyster Bar.)

“Great!” he said, “That’s one of my favorite places. What’d you plan on ordering?”

“Well, I’ve had the fish tacos, the jambalaya, po’boy, and étouffée and they were all really good.”

Spacious courtyard

What! No Gator?

“You mean you’ve never had the genuine Louisiana Alligator Tail Cheesecake?” he asked in surprise.

“Not to my knowledge,” I mumbled with turned up nose.

“Oh, grandma, you’ve got to get this. It’s their signature dish. There’s a warning, though. The menu says: ‘Really, Really Addictive.'”

I was still skeptical. “I doubt if I’ll have room for dessert.”

“No, no,” he interrupted, “it’s not a dessert. The name is misleading. It’s an appetizer served with pita bread.”

I Give In

I could envision a group of alligators back in the kitchen marinating in a tub of Gator Aid while waiting their turn in the funky cheesecake. But Andrew assured me the dish was more likely made of frozen alligator sausage from NOLA. I noticed on line that the dish is traditionally laced with cream cheese, and/or Gouda, even shrimp.

“Okay,” I said with some reluctance. “I’ll see if Lucy wants to share a Louisiana alligator with me.”

Louisiana Alligator Tail Cheesecake with pita bread

Alligator Size

Like me, Lucy wasn’t sure she wanted to try the reptilian “dessert.” But with Andrew’s hearty endorsement and in the interest of my blog readers, we went for it.

The wedge was huge! It looked like an over-sized piece of cheesecake. Even so, we wiped it out in minutes.

The dish was everything Andrew had promised. Sometimes we need to listen to the advice of our grandkids.