Antoine’s restaurant first served Oysters Rockefeller in New Orleans in 1889. Jules Alciatore created the dish at his family’s restaurant as a response to a shortage of French escargots.
The original preparation used oysters baked on the half shell beneath a rich green sauce. Antoine’s has kept the exact original formula secret, so later recipes often use finely chopped herbs, leafy greens, butter, and other seasonings to imitate its color and richness.
The dish was named for John D. Rockefeller, then famous for immense wealth, because the sauce was considered exceptionally rich. Oysters Rockefeller is not the same as Oysters Bienville, another New Orleans restaurant specialty that usually includes a baked topping with seafood, mushrooms, and cream. Antoine’s, founded in 1840, remains one of the city’s landmark restaurants.