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Liuzza's By The Track
This is a great little neighborhood joint with friendly atmosphere - the sort of place people don't mind schlepping to from other parts of town. It has the atmosphere of a corner bar with tables. The specialty is po'boys, and Liuzza's roasted meats, barbecue shrimp and deep fried garlic oysters are legendary. Before ordering one of these huge sandwiches, though, first inspect the daily specials (red beans and rice, pork chops, and the like), which are always up to scratch.
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Louisiana Pizza Kitchen
Opposite the Old US Mint, this is a popular local chain offering wood-fired, individual pizza crusts that resemble toasted pita bread and are topped with a delicious array of ingredients. Try a Caesar salad and the pizza with garlic, sundried tomatoes and feta cheese. Pastas, wraps and salads round out the menu.
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Louisiana Products
On historic Julia Row, Louisiana Products has the feel of an overcrowded country store, but it's really a deli, with limited seating and inexpensive breakfasts and lunches. If you're headed to a nearby museum, join the construction workers and office workers for ham, eggs and cheese on a French roll for breakfast or a mini-muffuletta for lunch.
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Mona Lisa
An informal, quiet, local spot in the lower Quarter. Kooky renditions of da Vinci's familiar subject hang on the walls. In hair curlers, or 50lbs heavier, or in the form of a cow, she stares impassively at diners munching on pizzas, pastas and spinach salads. Bring your own wine for a budget candlelight dinner.
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Mr B's Bistro
Run by a branch of the Brennan family, Mr B's is a clubby, attractively designed restaurant that appeals to a variety of tastes. Expect sophisticated Creole dishes with rural Cajun overtones. The 'gumbo Ya-Ya' with chicken and andouille is excellent, and the 'barbecued' shrimp, sautéed in a delicious buttery sauce, is a fun and messy dish served with a paper bib to protect your shirt. Chops, steaks, grilled fish and rabbit anchor the rugged menu.
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Nola
Chef Emeril Lagasse's French Quarter outpost, Nola's kitchen staff deftly cull local, Asian and Californian traditions for more subtle combinations. The fresh fish and the roasted filet mignon, cooked rare, are amazingly tender. NOLA also scores high for its wood-fired pizzas (a good starter for a group) and its 27-page wine list (with many affordable choices). Excessively noisy dining rooms and an energetic staff help make this an exciting place to eat.
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Palace Café
Another dining establishment operated by the Brennan family, the Palace Café makes a strong first impression, with a striking interior that combines modern and classic designs. When it opened in 1990 in a former music store, the building's original tile floors and interior columns were retained and a corkscrew staircase was added. Businesspeople, conventioneers and office workers seem to have laid claim to the place.
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Parasol's
Locals have long insisted that this Irish Channel institution is one of the best places to get a po'boy sandwich. No argument here. The shredded roast beef po'boys are superb and eating one is a sloppy, joyful business. Fine catfish and other varieties are also available.
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Port Of Call
Locals head here for hefty half-pound burgers, frequently touted as the best in town, and for piping hot baked potatoes with slabs of melting butter. It's a basic bar and grill, but the kitchen also serves up individual pizzas and steaks. Reservations are not accepted and waiting on the sidewalk is not uncommon.
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Reginelli's Pizzeria
A casual and upbeat place for lunch near Audubon Park. The crowd is a friendly mix of university students and gallery hoppers. Pizzas and focaccia sandwiches get the contemporary treatment, with ingredients such as sundried tomatoes, goat and feta cheeses, artichokes and roasted walnuts making frequent appearances.
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Restaurant Indigo
With its exquisite tropical suavity, Indigo creates a sultry mood. It's set in a 19th century corner grocery, a rustic touch that is played off and elevated by a veranda that opens to a garden filled with palmettoes and other leafy plants that thrive in balmy climes. Colorful cocktails add a festive look on the tables. Polished service and Chef Michael Sichel's contemporary regional cuisine buoys the experience.
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Trolley Stop
This old standbye has several virtues, none of which is the greasy food. First and foremost, the diner is set in a former gas station, and locals now regard it as a filling station of another sort. New Orleanians of all stripes pull up to this convenient pit-stop along the St Charles Ave corridor for ham and eggs and the usual assortment of sandwiches and burgers. There's always an interesting crowd on hand.
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Tujague's
Tujague's (' two -jacks') has been quietly holdling down its corner forever - since 1856, making it the second-oldest eatery in New Orleans. It's classy and old-fashioned, but far more casual than insitutions like Antoine's. Patrons enter the small dining room via a narrow barroom, where you can still envision a past century's moustachio'd, jauntily hatted crowd.
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Verti Marte
Handy for a quick, sodium-rich meal after everything else is closed. The take-out menu seems endless, but stick with basics like po'boys, seafood sandwiches and the daily chef specials and you'll do all right. The main selling points are the traditional seamy atmosphere and free delivery within the French Quarter and Faubourg Marigny.
