New Orleans’ Red Fish Grill is one of those hidden in plain sight gems. It’s an establishment that offers top-notch cocktails… at a family-oriented restaurant… amid the chaos of Bourbon Street(?!). But after the recent work of bartender Melanie Glueck, it may not stay secret for long. Red Fish Grill now has the potential to turn into an immediate it spot, attracting disciples of today’s most beloved weekend ritual.
After all, the restaurant recently became the official home for the nation’s most creative Bloody Mary.
Last month, Glueck pureed and stirred in a competition against 12 of the nation’s best Bloody Mary artists at Chopped/the Food Network’s Best Bloody Mary Brunch. The event was the culmination of a gruesome competition that involved hundreds of drinks made across the country; a competition where Glueck needed her creation to first stand out solely on the merits of a picture and the recipe alone. But after having her Verde Mary, voted the best in state, Glueck was chosen by the contest creators to vie for the nation’s top spot. She only needed to travel to NY, perform at her best in front of the Chopped judges, and serve about 850 Bloody Marys.
“Actually, it wasn’t hard at all,” Glueck says. “We’re pretty busy at Red Fish Grill, on some days we’ll do about 800 guests. So we were well prepared to make samples; we make that many full sized cocktails here. [In NY], I had my bar assistant with me to help, and we just made gallons of it. We preset all our garnishes—nice cherry tomatoes and green onion straws—and served them to the guests. And they were impressed to see something different in a Bloody Mary.”
While Glueck’s alternative take on the classic didn’t earn the top overall prize (that went to a more traditional interpretation from Texas bartender David Wakefield), her Verde Mary was awarded Most Creative. It’s a drink that may look foreign to Bloody purists (literally, it’s light green). It ditches the traditional base and opts for a combination of yellow heirlooms and Tomatillo (a green tomato also known as the Mexican Husk Tomato, found in a traditional salsa verde). That combination lightens the Verde Mary’s color, heft on the stomach and flavor.
From there the ingredients only get further off-beat—there’s a Lemon vodka (Absolut Citron) instead of a plain or peppered variety, cilantro that enhances the alcohol’s citrus tones and more of a reliance on onions (both pickled and green) than olives. Add in celery salt instead of table or sea options, and Glueck’s original concoction leaves virtually every traditional Bloody Mary box unchecked.
“After tasting a dozen different Bloody Marys, people would come to my table and say they’re full, or ‘This one was so spicy, this one was too strong,’” she says. “I’d say let me pour you a little taste of mine. It’s totally different, not something you find anywhere else. With a traditional red tomato Bloody Mary, you’ll get something that’s heavier, not as easy to drink and not as appealing. The Verde has very light, refreshing and rounded flavors—nothing overpowering. And it didn’t have too much spice, too much garlic, too much cilantro. It’s a balanced, light recipe.”