Restaurants

Upscale

Lilette
This is a vibrant restaurant in a beautiful space on Magazine Street. The food is contemporary French, although several dishes have an Italian flair. We always get the braised veal cheek salad and often end up with the potato crusted black drum. The hanger steak is also wonderful. Chef John Harris has received piles of accolades lately including Food & Wine’s “America’s Best New Chefs.” Uptown.

Gautreau's
This is an elegant, Uptown restaurant with an unpretentious atmosphere and excellent service. The contemporary American cuisine is also elegant. We think Mat Wolf is at his best when preparing his seared grouper with fava bean, asparagus and braised fennel ragout or the grilled scallop appetizer, but lately the rack of lamb has made us change our routine. His seasonal soups are also not to be missed. Uptown.

Clancy's
This was one of the first nouvelle Creole bistros, and it has become a classic. A local place where the food is always top notch and the atmosphere relaxed. Nash, the Maitre D’, makes everyone feel welcome and is very helpful with the wine list. The crab cakes are a must and if you like oysters, the oyster and brie appetizer is, frankly, indescribably good. The filet mignon and smoked softshell crabs are two of our favorites for dinner. Uptown.

Peristyle
Undoubtedly one of the best restaurants in town. The French-American cuisine is superb and the wine list perfectly matches the food. The crispy sweetbreads and poached oysters are delicious - actually we didn’t taste anything that wasn’t delicious. If you are a foie gras fan, you won’t be disappointed. The Zagats Survey agrees with our opinions and has Anne Kearney listed as the best chef in town. French Quarter.

Bayona
You can’t have a list of great New Orleans restaurants without including Susan Spicer’s Bayona. Her Creole restaurant always gets top marks and we always love eating there. It’s a very pretty, romantic spot with a great courtyard for outdoor dining or a cocktail. The wine list is very interesting and reasonable. We prefer the veal, lamb and pork dishes. French Quarter.

Moderate

Lulu’s
A small, 25-seat restaurant in Exchange Alley, Lulu’s doesn’t take reservations and is only open for dinner on Friday and Saturday. Breakfast and lunch are served Tuesday through Saturday. The food is awesome. Chef Corbin Evans finds the freshest ingredients and then creates about five simple, delicious entrees for dinner. Get the salmon if it is on the menu. Bring your own wine. French Quarter.

La Crepe Nanou
A French bistro that is a local hangout with great people watching. Uptown.

Herbsaint
A new Susan Spicer restaurant, a little more informal, great prices for such great food. Get the Kobe Beef. Warehouse/Arts District.

Olivier’s
A great family Creole restaurant. They use recipes that have been handed down for generations and actually have sections of the menu dedicated to the different family members who created the dish. The gumbo sampler is one of our favorite things because you get to taste three different versions in one sitting. We also love the scampi and broiled catfish. French Quarter.

Dick and Jenny's
The chef is a local and his Louisiana-inspired menu is exceptional and one of the best values around. Fried green tomatoes and fried oysters are always among our favorites, and his gumbo is superb. Duck is almost always on the menu and always outstanding. The wine list is also great and reasonably priced. Reservations are not accepted so you will always wait about 45 minutes. Great patio for a pre-dinner drink while waiting. Uptown.

Casual

Central Grocery
When you come to New Orleans, you have to try a muffaletta and this is the place to get it. A muffaletta is a sandwich on a special round bread with layers of Italian meats and cheese and topped with an olive salad. The line around the block lets you know how good they are. French Quarter.

Mother’s
Don’t be afraid of the line of people coming out of the door at this famous New Orleans institution. Mother’s has the best Po-boys around. The dressed (with toppings) oyster Po-boy is the best we have ever tasted. All of the food is great and cooked from scratch on the premises. Go through a cafeteria-style line and grab a table where you can. Central Business District.

Deanie's Seafood
This is a slicker French Quarter version of one of our favorite casual family seafood restaurants in the Bucktown area. This is the place for awesome onion rings, fried crawfish tails and huge platters of catfish. The etouffee (meaning “to smother”) is wonderful and they also serve a good version of the New Orleans style barbecue shrimp. French Quarter.

Franky and Johnny’s
This is a real New Orleans neighborhood seafood joint. It’s a dive. Be ready to relax, enjoy pitchers of beer with your favorite fried seafood platter or boiled crabs, crawfish, shrimp, whatever is in season. The gumbo is great and the po-boys are big. Come hungry. Uptown.

Port of Call
This place has the best burgers we have ever tasted - and we have eaten a lot of burgers. It’s a hole in the wall where you often have to wait for a table. The loaded baked potatoes are also outstanding. Edge of the French Quarter.

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