Parisa Pick-Up: How to Plate a Texas Tartare Cousin Quickly and Elegantly

On a busy night at Palm & Pine, Amarys and Jordan Herndon welcome 150 diners into their 55-seat restaurant in New Orleans. Yes, that’s three turns, with most tables ordering a cascade of Southern/Caribbean/Latin-influenced starters, plus entrées like Texas barbecue shrimp and benne-crusted Gulf fish. The couple, both Texas natives, lead service from a 12-foot, diner-style line, plus a satellite garde manger station. 

“The setting is...