VODANOVICH, BOZO Bozo’s Seafood Restaurant

Chef Bozo hasn't changed the restaurant's recipes since his parents opened it on St. Ann Street, Metairie, Louisiana in Mid-City on April 1, 1928 (they moved into the larger space with more parking in 1985). While relentless consistency and the changeless welcoming service keep seafood houses like Bozo's going for more than 70 years. Bozo usually pauses graciously next to pans of headless, hammy-tasting shrimp in a simple but superb New Orleans barbecue sauce of bay leaf, peppercorns, soft garlic and lots of rosemary. Bowls of the plain, unseasoned cornmeal lay in wait for their catch, and servers pass with portions of the overly sweet pineapple and raisin bread pudding. Bozo is one of those New Orleans-bred boys for whom fine frying is a dominant gene. French fries and shrimp get their own deep fryers, catfish crisp in skillets and the large stovetop pots are for oysters. Bozo's a great place for fried-food "beginners." Bozo also broils and boils enough seafood to make a dent in the Gulf's population. Crawfish never made it into his kitchen during last year's lame season. Neither crawfish nor boiled shrimp was available during my visits either. Luckily, the latter crustacean shone on Bozo's stuffed shrimp platter. Butterflied and broiled, the pinkish bodies arched over hearty, celery-rich mounds of crabby dressing. That recipe's a keeper.Sara Roahen, Gambit Comm, 2001