A sad day when Uglesich's closes

[skins]

The New York Times

April 27, 2005

 

A Lunchtime Institution Set to Overstuff Its Last Po' Boy

 

By R. W. APPLE Jr.

 

NEW ORLEANS

 

SAM UGLESICH grew up among mariners and fishermen off the

coast of Croatia on rocky Dugi Otok, whose name means "long

island," surrounded by the azure waters of the Adriatic.

Twice he set out for the United States. The first time, he

jumped ship in New York, but was caught and sent home. The

second time, he made his break in New Orleans, then as now a

more permissive city, and got away with it.

 

Naturally enough, he opened a seafood restaurant in his

adopted city, specializing in the local shrimp, soft-shell

crabs, lake trout and oysters. The year was 1924, the place

South Rampart Street; Louis Armstrong had played gigs a few

doors away.

 

Three years later, he moved to a modest frame cottage on

Baronne Street. There, as the neighborhood around them

crumbled, he and his son, Anthony, along with Anthony's

wife, Gail, gradually built a reputation of legendary

proportions. Grander establishments like Galatoire's,

Commander's Palace and Antoine's loomed larger in the

guidebooks, but the exacting standards of little Uglesich's

(pronounced YOU-gull-sitch's) - everything bracingly fresh

from lake and gulf and bayou, nothing frozen or imported,

and absolutely no shortcuts - generated greater buzz.

 

Without benefit of advertising, word of Uglesich's big, tan,

glistening oysters, its sweet, plump crawfish balls, its

searing shrimp Uggie and its overstuffed yet feather-light

po' boys spread across the city and then across the country.

It mattered not to most people that it took no credit cards

and served neither dessert nor coffee.

 

Five days a week, 11 months a year, lines have formed

outside the ramshackle building, which displays a sign from

the long-defunct Jax Brewery in one window. On Good Friday

this year, customers began arriving at 9 in the morning,

even though the restaurant does not open for lunch, the only

meal it serves, until 10:30. Soon there were more than 200

people in line, and the sun was setting as the last of the

day's 400-odd clients were being served.

 

All this with just 10 tables inside and 6 on the sidewalk

outside.

 

Soon Uglesich's will close forever, at least in its present

form. Anthony and Gail Uglesich are exhausted, worn out by

years of rising at 4:30 and working flat-out all day.

Balding, bearlike, Mr. Uglesich, 66, told me he would shut

the doors in mid-May, but he has renewed his liquor license,

just in case he finds retirement miserable.

 

"I may go nuts," he said at the end of a particularly brutal

day. "I doubt it, but I won't know until I try it. If I do

climb the walls, I might try packaging our sauces for retail

sale, or maybe do some catering - people are always offering

me thousands of dollars to cook for their dinner parties -

or reopen here for four days a week, with limited hours and

a very limited menu, just appetizers. No more of this,

though."

 

Mrs. Uglesich, 64, a petite woman whose regular customers

call her Miss Gail, put the situation bluntly. "Our bodies

are telling us we can't take it anymore," she said in the

soft, liquid accent that marks her as a New Orleans native.

"Anthony has missed only two days' work since we were

married, and that was 41 years ago."

 

Neither of the Uglesiches' two children - Donna, 40, a

businesswoman, and John, 35, author of "Uglesich's

Restaurant Cookbook" (Pelican Publishing) - has shown any

desire to take over the business. "It's too hard," Mrs.

Uglesich said.

 

With many New Orleans restaurants, including some of the

most famous ones, relying these days on frozen crawfish

tails and frozen soft-shell crabs and on shrimp and crabmeat

imported from Thailand or China, Uglesich's stands out more

than ever.

 

"Look," Mr. Uglesich said, peering through wire-rimmed

glasses, "90 percent of the shrimp eaten in this country is

imported. Local crawfish costs me $7 a pound, compared with

$2.50 imported. People in restaurants here know they can get

away with things. But I'd pay $10 for Louisiana crawfish, if

that's what it takes. Otherwise, what's going to happen to

our local fishermen? When we're gone, I don't know."

 

Two houses across the street from Uglesich's have been

spruced up recently, but otherwise the neighborhood remains

pretty insalubrious. A big parking lot for the trucks of

Brown's Dairy occupies one corner, weed-filled vacant lots

several others; the neighborhood seems miles, not just a few

blocks, from both the imposing, pillared mansions of the

Garden District and the busy shops and restaurants of the

Central Business District.

 

A few weeks ago Mr. Uglesich was mugged late at night, but

he still showed up for work the next day, battered and

bruised, to stand in his usual position behind the counter,

ready to take orders and to dispense seafood wisdom along

with the wines that sat on a shelf behind him. He usually

stocks 15 or 20 labels from France (Trimbach, for example),

Australia (Penfolds) and California (Ravenswood). None sell

as well as beer or Mrs. Uglesich's horseradish-, lime- and

chili-spiked bloody marys.

 

The setup is utilitarian, to put it kindly: concrete floor,

sturdy Thonet-style chairs, Formica-topped tables. Mrs.

Uglesich makes the sauces and soups at home. Mr. Uglesich

brings them to the restaurant in his car. The kitchen gear

consists of a single eight-burner range, a fryer, two

refrigerators and several sinks. There are only seven

employees in the whole place.

 

"I was never tempted to get big," Mr. Uglesich said. "I

can't find enough good produce as things stand now."

 

He is a notoriously picky buyer. Many days, he rejects what

his suppliers offer him, like soft-shells he considers too

small. He claims to be able to tell as soon as a sack hits

the ground whether the oysters inside are good enough. He

checks every delivery of fish and shellfish with a practiced

eye.

 

Mr. Uglesich buys catfish only from Joey and Jeannie Fonseca

in Des Allemands, a tiny place in the swamps southwest of

the city; bread only from the 109-year-old Leidenheimer

Baking Company; and oysters only from the P & J Oyster

Company, which was founded by two fellow Croats, John Popich

and Joseph Jurisich.

 

Uglesich's focuses on relatively few main ingredients. It

serves no meat at all, except for the roast beef po' boy,

and only two kinds of fish: lake trout and catfish. K-Paul's

made redfish famous, Lilette serves delicious drum, and the

local pompano has been famous for a century, but Mr.

Uglesich sticks to his longtime favorites.

 

Shrimp rules on Uglesich's tables. In addition to shrimp

Uggie, you can order a shrimp po' boy (crisp fried shrimp in

a long, toasted bread roll), shrimp and grits (shrimp in a

delectably creamy sauce ladled over fried triangles of

grits), grilled shrimp and onions, shrimp and country

sausage with a creole mustard sauce, shrimp in bacon with a

sweet potato soufflé, firecracker shrimp with barbecue and

horseradish sauce, shrimp rémoulade, shrimp creole, shrimp

stuffed with crabmeat, voodoo shrimp and volcano shrimp,

among a long list of other dishes.

 

Voodoo shrimp, which contains black bean paste and is

described on the menu as Asian Creole, and volcano shrimp,

which includes ginger, soy sauce, black bean paste and

Chinese red pepper, reflect the influence of recent migrants

to south Louisiana, as does the Vietnamese dipping sauce

that is now served with the crawfish balls.

 

Still, it is hard to top the raw oysters on the half shell

served up on a side counter, cold and crisp and bereft of

plate in the New Orleans manner, by the estimable Michael

Rogers, once voted the fastest oyster opener in town. He

makes his own ketchup-based cocktail sauce, but the oysters

are so fresh that they almost beg to be eaten plain, with

only a squirt or two of lemon juice.

 

"We heard from the president of the United States, a letter

about our plans to close," Mr. Uglesich said, tearing up a

bit. "That was very nice. We're nothing special here, just a

couple of self-taught cooks. It's only a little hole in the

wall."

 

Paul Varisco thinks otherwise. The owner of a

restaurant-supply business, he has eaten lunch at Uglesich's

three times a week for years. So often, he said when I

caught up with him on Good Friday, "that I must be at least

partly Croatian now, instead of Italian, French and German."

One of the restaurant's best-selling specialties, Paul's

Fantasy - pan-fried trout with grilled shrimp and cubed,

sautéed new potatoes, all fearlessly seasoned - is named

for him.

 

So, I asked, what will he do when Uglesich's closes? "I'll

take Anthony out to lunch a lot," he replied, "almost

anywhere to keep him out of Gail's hair."

 

Julia Reed, a writer who lives in New Orleans, is another

regular. For her, Mr. Uglesich agreed to open on a Saturday

night so she could give a birthday party in honor of her

husband, John Pearce. It was a rare event; Mr. Uglesich has

played host to private parties only a few times since he

first did so in the 1980's, for a bash given by the record

executive Ahmet Ertegun for the Fort Worth billionaire Sid

Bass and his wife, Mercedes. Oscar de la Renta and Albert

Finney were among the guests that time.

 

Ms. Reed dolled up the place with a giant silver punchbowl

to cool the Pol Roger, masses of white lilies, linen

tablecloths and monogrammed napkins. Bottle after bottle of

Burgundy (Meursault les Chevalières 2000 from Joseph

Matrot) and Alsatian riesling (Grand Cru Saering 2001 from

Schlumberger) kept thirsts at bay.

 

The food was vintage Uglesich. One of the restaurant's

idiosyncrasies is the liberal use of cheese with shellfish -

liked by some and detested by others. Fried oysters with

blue cheese opened the Pearce soiree, and I found myself in

the first camp while my wife, Betsey, found herself in the

second. But there was no dispute about what followed,

including shrimp and grits, fried mirliton (a squash) with

shrimp rémoulade, and luscious crabmeat au gratin.

 

Chunky and intensely creamy, the crab dish is "made of all

the things you're not supposed to eat," Ms. Reed informed

us, including butter, evaporated milk, egg yolks, whipping

cream, Swiss cheese and cheddar cheese. It was divine. I

must get the recipe, I thought; it would make a great

advertisement for the dairy industry, not to mention a fine

starter for my last earthly meal.

 

Mr. Uglesich saved the best for last. The afternoon before,

he had bemoaned the tardiness of soft-shell crabs this year,

which he attributed to cold weather. But at 7 o'clock that

evening, a supplier showed up with the first of the season,

still wiggling in a cardboard box lined with wet newspaper.

They were mighty beasts, the size of salad plates, and

magnificent when dipped in an egg wash, dredged in plain

bread crumbs and fried until the tops and the legs were

crisp and the undersides rich and creamy.

 

The tartar sauce that came with them was house-made, of

course.

[tbimm]

Ive been living here for almost 10 years now and this place flew under my radar? I saw it mentioned in the Jazz Fest thread and was wondering how I missed it. Location is one reason as I rarely get into that area. They arent kidding about that being a rough neighborhood. I am riding by there today to get the hours , or days they are open as I will not let this place close without eating there! I'm guessing the lines will be really long with this news out.

[spain]

My wife has gotten mad and closed her Uglesich to me a couple times. Those are the times when I am thankful I never got rid of the porn collection...

[DMD]

I went to New Orleans last summer and went to Uglesich's to eat based on recommendations here and on the internet but the line was too long for the others with me and we ended up eating around the corner from there. Now I wish I had lobbied harder to wait in the line. We went there what I thought was early and the line was going pretty far down the street already.

[skins]

I went to New Orleans last summer and went to Uglesich's to eat based on recommendations here and on the internet but the line was too long for the others with me and we ended up eating around the corner from there. Now I wish I had lobbied harder to wait in the line. We went there what I thought was early and the line was going pretty far  down the street already.

 

799450[/snapback]

 

 

 

 

Yeah, the lines can get ridiculous. This place was about my favorite local place. BFD likes it also. I am getting the cookbook for my wife.

[Puddy]

My wife has gotten mad and closed her Uglesich to me a couple times.  Those are the times when I am thankful I never got rid of the porn collection...

 

799447[/snapback]

 

 

 

 

Well it is a seafood place...

[H8tank]

Darn, losing more jobs due to outsourceing... is that your spin on this foreskins?

 

The only thing I remember eating in NO is hurricanes and hand grenades with a few cart sausage dogs for good measure.

[Randall]

Darn, losing more jobs due to outsourceing... is that your spin on this foreskins?

 

 

799499[/snapback]

 

 

 

 

 

SAM UGLESICH grew up among mariners and fishermen off the

coast of Croatia on rocky Dugi Otok, whose name means "long

island," surrounded by the azure waters of the Adriatic.

Twice he set out for the United States. The first time, he

jumped ship in New York, but was caught and sent home. The

second time, he made his break in New Orleans, then as now a

more permissive city, and got away with it.

 

 

Maybe you should call the INS?

 

Looks like he outsourced himself from Croatia to New Orleans.

 

EDIT

 

A local business here was to be sold because the owner wanted to retire, but everyone who wanted to buy wouldn't buy from his long time suppliers. Rather than hurt friends he decided to stay in business. SAM UGLESICH seems to have the same loyalty.

Edited May 1, 2005 by Randall

[Big F'n Dave]

Yeah, the lines can get ridiculous. This place was about my favorite local place. BFD likes it also. I am getting the cookbook for my wife.

 

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:bawling: Noooooooooooo!!!!!! I knew this was going to happen. I'm in New Orleans several times a year and hit Uglesich's on every trip. And it's always worth the wait. Anthony's been talking about closing it down for several years, so I'm not terribly surprised. Just terribly disappointed.

Found this recipe (one of my favorites) about a year ago. Follow it to the letter and it's almost as good as being there: Shrimp Uggie

 

The only thing I remember eating in NO is ... a few cart sausage dogs for good measure.

 

799499[/snapback]

 

 

 

 

They're called Lucky Dogs, blondie.

 

Edit to add: A local story

Edited May 2, 2005 by Big F'n Dave

[skins]

:bawling: Noooooooooooo!!!!!! I knew this was going to happen. I'm in New Orleans several times a year and hit Uglesich's on every trip. And it's always worth the wait. Anthony's been talking about closing it down for several years, so I'm not terribly surprised. Just terribly disappointed.

Found this recipe (one of my favorites) about a year ago. Follow it to the letter and it's almost as good as being there: Shrimp Uggie

They're called Lucky Dogs, blondie. 

 

Edit to add: A local story

 

799894[/snapback]

 

 

 

 

BFD, it makes me want to cry. One of the greatest places in the whole country.

 

My wife's family is tight with the family who owns Lucky Dog and they offered to have a Lucky Dog cart at our wedding reception with mini-Lucky Dog hors d ouvres.......we didnt do it. Would have been cool in hindsight.

[gman]

I knew that this would hit a few of you hard. I read the story yesterday in the local paper myself and had no idea. Another great New Orleans institution bites the dust. The N.O. history books just got thicker.