The Top List of Great Restaurants - New Orleans, LA
New Orleans is an overwhelming culinary adventure! by Jewel Bush
Despite the wreckage that remains in many parts of the city post-Katrina, the dining environment in New Orleans is still as delectable, diverse and intact as ever. Eating is a big to-do in the Big Easy with tourists flocking to the Mecca of mouthwatering fare not only for Mardi Gras or to listen to the best in live jazz and blues, but oftentimes exclusively to sample the finest in cuisine – a medley of Cajun, African, French and Creole. In the Crescent City, there’s something to suit chowhounds accustomed to five-star restaurants and even regular Joes with simpler taste buds. Listed below are a few spots to indulge in vittles that are naturally Nawlins!
Known worldwide for her pastries and gourmet pralines like rum raisin, Loretta S. Harrison, the New Orleans confectionary queen serves up more than candy at her Fabourg Marigny eatery. You can grab an early morning breakfast in the soul food tradition of grits, eggs, sausage and biscuits at the quaint diner or try a daily plate lunch special like fried catfish, jambalaya and potato salad. Not hungry? Have a cup of java or tea in the newly created coffeehouse. Complete with sofas and bookshelves teeming with free books, this is the ideal setting for sipping expresso. There’s ice cream too. Estimated cost per person for breakfast: $4; lunch: $7
Sounds of the Middle East and the Mediterranean set the tone at Mona’s, a locally-owned chain of like fare. The cafés have quite a following in the Big Easy with a reputation of being a cheap means to filling up on tasty gyros, baba ghanoush and falafel. For under 20 bucks, two can dine on sandwiches as well as appetizers and desserts. At $1.99 per serving, the pastries are a must try, especially the buttery baklava and honeyed nammura. The atmosphere is low key, the service is swift and the vittles are inexpensive and scrumptious. What more can you ask? Estimated cost per person for dinner: $10
The French Quarter destination has been around for more than a century and dubs itself the “grand dame of New Orleans’ old-line restaurants.” And indeed it is. Many a French-Creole culinary delight has emerged from Galatoire’s, where heavenly food is created (poisson meuniére amandine, sautéed filet of fish topped with a browned butter, lemon juice and red wine vinegar sauce, for example) and served in a formal locale. Gentlemen must wear jackets during dinner and on Sundays. The pricey fare is worth the splurge. Try the appetizer Galatoire grand gouté, heapings of shrimp rémoulade, shrimp maison and crabmeat maison costing $26.50. Estimated cost per person for dinner: $25-$35
Port of Call Restaurant and Bar 838 Esplanade Ave.; (504) 523-0120 (Sun.-Thurs.) 11 a.m.-1 a.m.; (Fri.-Sat.) 11 a.m.-3 a.m.
Port of Call is one of the best places to satisfy late night munchies after an evening spent bar-hopping on Bourbon Street. Lunch also works well at the spot known for its monster burgers, a half pound of ground meat piled with cheese, lettuce, tomatoes and mushrooms. Not one for the fixings, order yours plain and it has just as much appeal. Forget about fries on the side. A baked potato loaded with sour cream, butter, cheese and chives is this eatery’s tradition. You can order that plain too. Steaks and drink specialties like Neptune’s monsoon are standout menu items too. Estimated cost per person for dinner: $12
Named for a free woman of color who was the first coffee vendor in New Orleans in the 1800s, Café Rose Nicaud serves customary coffeehouse items – quiche, salads, tea, sandwiches and assorted desserts. However, the fare is anything but ordinary. Day old baked goods remain flavorsome till the last morsel, and breakfast bagels are so hearty they soothe hunger pangs well into the afternoon. The homemade cream cheese is a Rose Nicaud treat with an array of flavors like tomato jalapeño and blueberry. This gathering post is usually packed with patrons settling in early to discuss worldly events inside and out. Estimated cost per person: $10
Lil’ Dizzy’s Café’s owner Wayne Baquet has been in the Creole soul food business for four decades dating back to his family’s legendary diner Eddie’s, and it’s evident. Walking into his charming bistro sends your senses into overload. The lip smacking trout baquet and bottomless gumbo beckons as do most dishes at this gem located in Treme, one of the city’s oldest neighborhoods. The breakfast menu’s bright spot is the waffles topped with strawberries or bananas. Don’t forget about gourmet lunch specials and entrées to die for. The café’s slogan: “Always hot and straight from the pot” is on target. Estimated cost per person: $10-$15
Bayona 430 Dauphine St., (504) 525-4455 Hours: Closed Sundays and Mondays; Lunch (Wed.-Thur.) starting at 11:30 a.m.; Dinner (Tues.-Sat.) starting at 6 p.m.
Bayona head chef and co-owner Susan Spicer has pushed the limits of cuisine in New Orleans for 16 years, mixing and pairing ingredients with a bold flare. The menu doesn’t restrict itself to a particular genre. There are hints of Mediterranean, Italy, France, North Africa and the Far East. It’s hard to resist Bayona’s charm. The restaurant is nestled in a 200-year-old Creole cottage in one of the oldest sections of the French Quarter with three dining rooms, a romantic courtyard and a wine room. Looking for a meal outside the realm of traditional Big Easy fare? Head to Bayona. Estimated cost per person for dinner: $25-$30
Ralph & Kacoo's has been a French Quarter Tradition since 1969. The seafood restaurant has three other locations in Louisiana and two in Texas. One of its draws is that all of the food is prepared and cooked per table order. Oysters and raw shrimp aren’t even battered until the order is placed, and the restaurant’s homemade tarter sauce and hush puppies have gained quite a following. Beef entrees boast hand cut selects, and the desserts are luscious. Try the crawfish bisque, a soup of crawfish tails simmered in a deep, brown roux and the catfish, available broiled or blackened. Estimated cost per person for dinner: $20-$25
For po-boys and New Orleans-style seafood as well as soups and appetizers, La Peniche is the place. The diner may come off as a dive, but don’t be discouraged, the food is quite yummy. There are daily lunch and dinner specials and the menu is all around tasty. The smoked sausage po-boys are good same as the soft-shell crab po-boys. The white bean and red bean meals are extra meaty, in true Crescent City fashion. The seafood platters boast an overwhelming bounty from the sea – shrimp, oysters and fish. The menu also includes cold cut sandwiches, chicken fingers and steaks. Estimated cost per person: $10-$12
Sweet Fire and Ice 701 Veterans Blvd., Metairie, (504) 831-3437 Hours: (Sun.-Thurs.) 11 a.m.-11 p.m.; (Fri.-Sat.) 11 a.m.-midnight Located five miles outside of New Orleans in Jefferson Parish, Sweet Fire and Ice is upscale dining in a comfortable environment. Patrons walk in under a blue waterfall entryway and are greeted by a fire-and-water sunken pit in the Intrigue Lounge, which serves 125 different martinis. The elegant eatery is New Orleans restaurateur Al Copeland’s latest offering. The wide-ranging menu emphasizes Creole and Cajun infused dishes but also includes American fare. It also features reasonably-priced lunches and a typical kiddy menu as well as a variety of cheese cake concoctions served in martini glasses. There’s an aromatherapy oxygen bar too. Estimated cost per person for dinner: $15-$25
The Top List of Great Restaurants - New Orleans, LA