Dining at GW Fins is like taking a culinary expedition around the globe, dining on the finest quality seafood at every port. Diners might begin their journey with fresh King Crab from Alaska, head south to sample a whole roasted Red Snapper and fly halfway around the world to enjoy Blue Nose Bass from New Zealand. Best of all, diners can enjoy this fabulous seafood all in one meal from their comfortable seats at GW Fins, a restaurant located in the heart of New Orleans’ French Quarter. This unique concept and its execution has worked well for GW Fins, earning it Esquire magazine’s designation as “One of America’s Top 20 Best New Restaurants Award,” just months after opening.

Locally owned by Gary Wollerman and Tenney Flynn, GW Fins’ menu philosophy is simple. Chef Flynn locates the finest quality seafood from around the world, and develops cooking techniques that simply enhance the already wonderful flavors. This philosophy is not new for Chef Flynn, who in his former culinary life, worked with the finest quality prime beef as Executive Chef of Chops in Atlanta and as the Director of Culinary Operations for Ruth’s Chris Steak House.

“We look at GW Fins as a Prime Seafood House,” says Chef Flynn. “We offer our guests the opportunity to sample some of the best seafood in the world.  Our preparation methods bring out the true flavors of that seafood, rather than masking them with heavy sauces and overwhelming spices.”

The menu features an assortment of seafood from around the globe, and also offers a bounty of wonderful varieties that are available from the Gulf Coast.

“One of the most enjoyable aspects of developing the menu at GW Fins has been learning which type of seafood that each of the sources specialize in, and of those, who only sends me the finest products available,” Chef Flynn says. “Every day I work with dozens of suppliers, because I know that one might have the best crab from Australia, another might have the highest quality shrimp and oysters from the Gulf and another brings me the best quality Alaskan Halibut.”

To take advantage of these opportunities and to ensure everything is served at its seasonal peak, the menu at GW Fins is printed daily.

Some of the most popular items on GW Fins’ menu include Lobster Dumplings served with Fennel and Tomato, Cold Smoked Oysters with a lemon butter sauce, Cashew- and Peppercorn-Crusted Swordfish, Wood Grilled New Bedford Sea Scallops served with Mushroom Risotto and Mushroom Butter, Chilean Sea Bass braised in a hot and sour shrimp stock and served with sesame spinach, and individual homemade apple pie served warm with a cheddar cheese straw crust and vanilla ice cream.

The wine list at GW Fins, which has been awarded the prestigious Wine Spectator Award of Excellence for several years, features more than 100 labels, more than 70 of which are available by the glass. Co-owner Gary Wollerman drew on his depth of experience working at other top restaurants to create this diverse selection.

“I am a big believer in exploring new wines,” Wollerman says. “The way we organize our list makes exploration easy and risk-free. By offering so many different wines by the glass, we encourage guests to sample a variety of wines they may be interested in, in order for them to become more familiar with them.”

GW Fins is located in the heart of the French Quarter at 808 Bienville Street, between Bourbon and Dauphine streets. The restaurant is open for dinner on Sunday through Thursday until 10:00 p.m., and on Friday and Saturday until 10:30 p.m. Reservations are recommended and can be made either by calling (504) 581-FINS (3467) or using Open Table. The dress code at GW Fins is “dressy casual.” Collared shirts are required for gentlemen.  T-shirts and/or flip-flops are not allowed.Step inside GW Fins and prepare to take your taste buds on a flavorful and exciting journey. GW Fins prides itself on serving the freshest and finest quality seafood available from around the world.

Owners Gary Wollerman and Tenney Flynn have created a simple yet sophisticated menu philosophy. Chef Flynn incorporates cooking techniques that enhance the bright flavors of the seafood, rather than masking them with heavy sauces and other ingredients.

The result is a delicious and memorable dining experience. And because GW Fins’ menu changes to reflect the seasonality of various ingredients, guests will always find something new and inventive to sample.