McKinnon's Louisiane Restaurant- a Buckhead Institution

Warning:  The following may be inappropriate for children under the age of 13 and people that don't appreciate "Formica"

Mckinnon's Louisiane opened in 1972 and I'm not sure much has been done to it since.  Thank god. This is a true institution in Atlanta.  I really can't believe I have lived here since 1996 and have never stepped foot into here.  Plus they address the severe lack of Cajun Creole Cuisine in the ATL.

Just remember, Ron Burgandy is not walking through that door, though it looks like he might.

You feel like this could happen at McKinnon's

When telling friends the Dry Rub 4 was going to MiKinnon's, almost everyone said "I've always meant to go there, I'm dying to know how it is."  or "I haven't been there in at least 15 years."

In fact the female contingent of the DR4 tried to do a "bait and switch" the day of the dinner for Lusca!  Jeff and I were determined to stay on course and enjoy the restaurant for what it is, a true Atlanta gem.  The concern is McKinnon's doesn't fit the mold of what is "hot" in Atlanta.  Thankfully, we did not give in.

McKinnon's is a a true throwback to a time when men were men and................(okay I won't alienate most of my audience).

So throw on the Aqua Velva and make a night out of it!

Before Sex Panther, there was.......

And in true Creole fashion, we went all seafood.

The apps were pretty good.  The waiter claimed they had the best calamari in Atlanta.  I generally don't eat fried calamari, but theirs was pretty good.  The breading was light, which is good, but I wouldn't say it's the best.  Bocca Lupo may have something to say about this.

The Crab Claws Piquante tossed in a hot spicy cream sauce were better and also happens to be their signature app.  As you can see, they did not skimp on the portions.  Not pictured, were the Oysters Rockefeller we ordered, one of my all time favorites and theirs didn't disappoint.

Their signature Grouper Louisiane is a boneless filet sautéed with jumbo lump crabmeat, toasted almonds, and hollandaise.  It was the MVP of the night.  We almost didn't order it, but Jeff and I talked ourselves into it (okay it wasn't that tough).  And thank go we didn't!  If you go, this is the "must order" on the menu.

Well this picture is atrocious

The Amberjack blackened with corn relish and green onion aioli also came with hot peppered shrimp was pretty good as well and much better than the horrid pic came out.

Yep, the photography from tonight leaves alot to be desired

The Seabass was my 2nd favorite dish and was their special of the night.  It was perfectly cooked and maintained the flakiness seabass should have.

The Tuna because my pictures suck

Leslie has shellfish allergies, so we also ordered the Tuna in a soy sauced based glaze.  It was surprisingly delicious.  I found myself eating the hell out of it, though there was nothing cajun about it.  Nor did it look like Bill Parcells.

The bathroom was a little scary

I envisioned Michael Corleone in there looking for his gun to kill Sollozzo.  The restaurant was born in 1972 and obviously, the decor hasn't changed.  I'm sure the formica was of the highest quality, but they could do a couple of upgrades.  Or maybe that's the charm of the joint.  It's all subjective.

Charles Bronson would have been a tree in the forest here

Overall this was a wonderful meal.  The ambiance gave it a great throwback feel and our server Ebi was absolutely top notch.  I would put Ebi up against any waiter in the city.  He was energetic, knowledgeable and on top of our service without being on top of us.

And of course the food made it even more memorable.  We made sure both Leslie and Beth apologized to us multiple times for their skepticism.  With all the "farm to table" and the Ford Fry's throwing up restaurants with "trendy ambiance" at break neck pace, it's always good to take a step back and remember there are some wonderful establishments that have withstood the test of time.  And also take note that there is a reason they have been around 32 years.  They make a great product and they do a great job in delivering that product to the diner.  Some of these places should take note and look a little longer down the road.  Let's just hope they don't hire away Ebi.

Today's Footnote:  I was reading about the luminaries who have been through the restaurant and accidentally mistook Paul Coverdell for David Coverdale.  I couldn't have been more dissapointed.  But here I go again on my own.  Going down the only road I've ever known.