Storyville
1751 Fulton
Street/Masonic, SF
Map
This Restaurant
Pretrial
hearing at Fulton Street (bar)
Guest
Judge Lindsey
A haze
of green bud smoke, dimmed lights, and acid jazz may not evoke typical
thoughts of tasty dining, but that's just what you get at Storyville on
Fulton Street. Although the atmosphere was not raucus enough to overshadow
the spicy flavor on my plate, it certainly had a presence. Together with
the thrumming, banging, and sometimes tortured wails of a three-piece
band, all echoing off walls as red as the porch lights of a French Quarter
brothel, it was all I could do to concentrate on my  succulent
meal. We started the night's meal with limp but flavorful Cajun fries
(that could
have been cooked a bit longer). Judges McClure, Vardigan, and I opted
for the delicious "Creole Jambalaya with chicken and Cajun beef sausage,
$13.95". Wow, I guaraaantee! And I'm not just talking about the price.
The Jambalaya was fronted by an equally impressive Caesar salad with fresh
parmesan and garlic croutons. All in all, the meal was great, the service
excellent, and the surroundings fun; or it was all the beer we had.
Corn
Dogs: 2. Why? Total of $25.00 per person is a little steep (one beer with
meal), and the menu is not very diverse at all. In any case, it was an
honor serving as Guest Judge, not only because I received the coveted
Füd Court Bib, but because I was in such good company. Thanks Füd
Court!
Guest
Judge Chris Lindsey
McClure
The atmosphere
is loud and the food is screamin' "I'm tasty, bite me." We were joined
on this excursion by our first Judge Pro Tem, Chris Lindsey. It was great
to have an old pal join us. Storyville is a jazz club and the music was
good but it really cut into the dinner conversation. We arrived at about
7:30, when they start serving dinner, and the service was fast and friendly.
We started
with an appetizer, a basket of shrimp served on a plate with a side of
soggy "fries," which were surprisingly tasty. The shrimp was battered
and fried to crunchy perfection. I ordered the Jambalaya and there was
nothing wrong with the Caesar salad that came with it. Oh that Jambalaya,
with enough bits of chicken & sausage for every bite. It was definitely
a satisfying plate. The price was up there at 25 bucks a person for dinner
and a beer. I did have my fill though and some left for my later eating
enjoyment.
Turner
Hot dang, good
Cajun-style grub and freaky jazz, what more do you want? Zydeco...I
guess...but it was jazz that night at Storyville. Good jazz, I suppose.
It certainly was complicated, and sounded hard to play. The food was
definitely good, though. Thanks to guest judge Lindsey for the tip.
Storyville is a nightclub that serves a small dinner menu Thursday through
Saturday nights. Catch some jazz/hip hop/funk/soul while you dine. We
paid no cover charge that night, but one might.
We started with
some tasty-crispy fried shrimp ($8.95). Chomp. I had the Cajun Blackened
Catfish dinner, which came with a Caesar salad and toasted garlic bread
($14.95). I'm here to tell you it was mighty good. The Caesar rocked
(not too anchovyish) and the massive catfish tasted fresh. It was indeed
black and quite spicy, but not too hot. Perfectly cooked. The roasted
corn/pepper relish under the fish was fresh and plentiful. I think there
was some zucchini in there. All in all a very tasty meal, and while
not cheap, the portions and quality made it worth it. So, pole your
pirogue down to Storyville.
Four dogs for the
fish. Ayeeeeeee.
Vardigan
I admit it. By the
time Thursday rolled around, I was worried, psyched out, and generally
feeling gloomy about Storyville as a Füd Court destination. The threat
of loud music and a nightclub atmosphere were foreboding, and my frequent
weekend sightings of people snaking out the door waiting to get into the
joint had me wary.
But as it turned out,
the first official guest judge Füd Court outing was a big winner.
Thanks to Chris Lindsey, who was awarded his bib in an emotional moment
at the Fulton St. Bar, the Court had its first taste of Cajun, with Ann
Arbor boy music as a backdrop (free of charge). I ate jambalaya, which
was quite good, but not as good as Judge Turner's blackened catfish. Oh
Doctor. The jambalaya, to my initial surprise, was not soupy or stew-like,
but I got over that and enjoyed it thoroughly. The prices were a bit steep
($13.95 for the jamba) but the portions were enormous. Conversation was
a bit tough with the music, but not impossible -- we overlapped with a
set break. The weeknight atmosphere was low-key and candlelit, nothing
like I imagine it must be on a weekend. Go eat there, but just make sure
you pick a night with no cover charge.
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