On June 4, 2011 photographer Sven Kirsten, videographer Nathan Marsak and I spent the day at the famous Antoine’s Restaurant in New Orleans doing a photo shoot for “America After Dark.” During the shoot we were inspired to recreate the 1938 postcard of Antoine’s owner Roy L. Alciatore sampling the millionth order of Oysters Rockefeller, a dish invented by Roy’s father, Jules Alciatore, in 1889.
Here’s the short video that we made documenting the process. It’s fun. Take a look.
About Peter Moruzzi
Author and historian Peter Moruzzi is passionate about the middle decades of the 20th century: its nightlife, classic dining, and architecture.
Born in Concord, Massachusetts and raised in Hawaii, Moruzzi graduated from the University of California at Berkeley and later attended the American Film Institute in Los Angeles. In 1999, he founded the Palm Springs Modern Committee (PS ModCom) an architectural preservation group. He is the author of "Havana Before Castro: When Cuba Was a Tropical Playground," "Palm Springs Holiday: A Vintage Tour From Palm Springs to the Salton Sea," "Classic Dining:Discovering America's Finest Mid-Century Restaurants," "Palm Springs Paradise: Vintage Photographs from America's Desert Playground," and "Greetings from Los Angeles." His latest pictorial history, "Greetings from Las Vegas" will be available in September, 2019.
Peter Moruzzi's Mid-Century 
I can’t get this video to play 😦
By the way, is there a search bar eluding me? I’d like to be able to search your blog entries for things like “Forum of the Twelve Caesars”….but I don’t see it. Amazingly rich blog, Peter!!! I feel like I’m so “there,” child of the 50s that I am.
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This is very odd. The video plays when I click on it. As for blog entries, they are all listed on the right side. However, you can scroll down from the top to find them, too. Click on “Peter Moruzzi’s Mid-Century” at the top of the page.
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It worked for me on Chrome, but not Firefox or I.E. I loved it when I finally did get to view it. I have my own Antoine’s story….
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I was going to ask the most important question of all, which was to know what number order of Oysters a la Rockefeller was commemorated in this re-creation process, but you have already answered that, thankfully.
I wonder what commemorative celebration occurred on the centennial of the dish’s invention in 1989? Not to mention what was done at the serving of orders numbered 2,000,000, 3,000,000, and 4,000,000? (We know that number 1,000,000 was documented in the photo on the postcard.)
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We were there on that same day and had order number 4,035,175. That was our first time trying them, and they were delicious!
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I’m not positive, but I think order number 4,035,174 was a bit better. The chef left them in the oven a tad longer, which is the way I like ’em.
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I’ve had the Rockefeller at Antoine’s. Very good. But I prefer the way they do the dish at Galatoire’s. Of course, I prefer just about everything at Galatoire’s to just about anywhere else!
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I must say that I recently had one of the great dining experiences of my life at Galatoire’s in New Orleans. Everything about it was magical.
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Can’t wait to return to New Orleans so I can try this too! And I REALLY can’t wait for the book!!
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Pete – it’s so nice to see you having all this fun! Enjoy!
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This photo safari to New Orleans was really the crowning finale to our expeditions to various American cities for Pete’s new book. It’s gonna be a good one!
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Now that’s what I call research!
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