With one bite of this classic New Orleans recipe – Louisiana Oyster Loaf – I am transported back to a long ago time when simplicity reigned in Creole cooking.  It is a basic recipe that elevates Louisiana oysters to spiritual heights.

The Louisiana Oyster Loaf at Casamento’s is sandwich perfection. (All photos credit: George Graham)

For a born and bred Louisiana boy, I was raised that eating oysters in the fall and winter months  is the natural order of things.  Conventional wisdom is that oysters are only to be consumed in months that have the letter “R” (September through April) and although that age-old adage still prevails, you’d be hard-pressed to find any month of the year in Louisiana that the tasty bivalves aren’t available.

Most visitors to the city never make it past the French Quarter, but New Orleans’ most interesting areas are just minutes away from the touristy trap that the Quarter has become.  All along the Warehouse District, Mid City, the Marigny, the Garden District and Magazine Street are some of the local haunts that make the city so unique.

Casamento’s — an old-school Magazine Street oyster house from a bygone era.

On the upper stretch of Magazine resides one of my favorite old-time restaurants, Casamento’s.  Situated in tight quarters with a timeworn storefront, many just pass by this legendary eatery without the slightest glance, but inside is one of the perennial favorites of generations of Uptown residents who swear by their raw oysters and sandwiches including my favorite, the Louisiana Oyster Loaf.

Casamento’s is a fine example of a neighborhood eatery in the New Orleans tradition.

Walking into this historical establishment is to step back in time.  Casamento’s has pristinely preserved the look and feel of the genteel era of New Orleans’ finest restaurants complete with in-laid black and white subway tiled flooring and the single row of tables opposite the long shucking station.  Walking the length of the room, you can smell the fresh brine in the air and hear the endless chatter of the close-knit oystermen.

A smile of pride from a third generation oyster shucker.

A traditional Louisiana oyster loaf in many establishments around Louisiana is simply fried oysters on po’boy bread but at Casamento’s they take it to new heights.  Oyster shuckers lining the long counter are busy shucking sacks of fresh Barataria Bay oysters from the coastal waters of Plaquemines Parish.  Watching them closely and listening to their stories, they understand that oysters should be treated delicately, with dignity and with the utmost simplicity.   Casamento’s oysters are larger and saltier than most I run across which insures the flavor is preserved during the fry.

Lightly breaded and flash-fried, these oysters reach that perfect balance of crispy golden brown but not overcooked.  Then they are sandwiched between  two buttered, toasted slices of thick pullman loaf sandwich bread slathered with a generous amount of Blue Plate mayonnaise and topped with a slice of ripe tomato.  With a few shakes of hot sauce and an ice-cold glass of Dixie beer, the Casamento’s Louisiana Oyster Loaf is perfection for a South Louisiana boy taking a bite out of his childhood.