The spirit and magic of New Orleans’s French Quarter has just arrived in Fort Greene. Enter Strange Delight, a new restaurant from industry vets Anoop Pillarisetti (Momofuku), Ham El-Waylly (Empellón) and Michael Tuiach (Shake Shack) that’s inspired by Pillarisetti’s childhood in Louisiana. “My love of food is a result of my love of New Orleans,” Pillarisetti, now a longtime Fort Greene resident, says. “I wanted to open a place where I would want to eat and drink and meld my two homes.”
New York has great NOLA-inspired restaurants—like Penn Station-adjacent stunner Alligator Pear—but what makes Strange Delight really exciting are the nods to NOLA French Quarter legends like Galatoire’s and the menu’s focus on seafood. Read on for the must-order dishes, drinks inspired by iconic New Orleans cocktails, and when to snag a spot at this BAM-adjacent restaurant.
What to eat
Beloved NOLA oyster haunts served as inspiration for the menu, so it should come as no surprise that oysters, and seafood overall, are the heart of the restaurant. “In NOLA, there is an everydayness of seafood and oyster consumption,” Pillarisetti says. “Something as humble as an oyster can be so versatile that it could be a casual bite or something much more elegant.”
Every meal should start with El-Waylly’s charbroiled oysters with smoked garlic butter, a riff on the ones at French Quarter staples Felix’s and Acme. The oysters Rockefeller with spinach and anchovy reference the famed ones at Galatoire’s. It’s all made with oysters sourced from Long Island’s Peconic Bay.
Luckily, you don’t have to pick just one dish. Oysters aside, the menu of seafood towers and crudos is all meant to be shared, so you can really go all out.
What to drink
Cocktails are a big part of New Orleans culture, and you can expect both classics and reinterpretations by beverage consultant John deBary, formerly of PDT and Momofuku. The tropical Having Fun since 1933 (their take on a Hurricane) has passionfruit juice and the famed Pat O’Brien’s Hurricane mix , and the Lost as Sazerac Bar (inspired by a Sazerac) swaps the traditional whiskey for rum, a nod to NOLA’s rich rum culture.
If you only get one cocktail, make sure it’s New Orleans’s classic creamy gin drink Ramos Gin Fizz (it serves two) that’s a little harder to find in New York. Wine director Miguel de Leon has created a tight wine list of a dozen American wines by the glass and 15 to 20 rotating bottles, should you want to get something besides cocktails.
Where to sit
The restaurant’s green tiled façade will immediately make you feel like you’re about to walk into Casamento’s or Galatoire’s. When it comes to picking a seat, this is very much a choose-your-own-adventure destination. Grab a spot at one of the 9 oyster counter stools—loosely inspired by the counter at another New Orleans legend, Pascale’s Manale— in the front to get a view of the open kitchen or for a solo dinner or intimate evening. Head to the back when you’re in the mood for something slightly more formal with low-slung banquettes, two skylights, and plenty of mirrors.
When to go
Consider making Strange Delight your go-to before or after a show since it’s just a stone’s throw from BAM and four blocks from the Barclays Center. Strange Delight will soon open for lunch and brunch, too, but in the meantime you can head on over Wednesday through Sunday from 5 pm to 10:30 pm.
Known for her pioneering food blog, The Strong Buzz, Andrea covers restaurants, chefs, trends, and big picture stories about the intersection of food, business, policy and the law for publications such as The New York Times, Fast Company, Food & Wine, New York Magazine, Eater, and more. She lives, eats, and loads and unloads the dishwasher in Brooklyn. Follow her on Instagram, @strongbuzz.
