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Lilette
Lillette is a lively little bistro with a very traditional European vibe. But tradition is not an obsession here, as Chef John Harris works wonders with familiar dishes, making them subtly new. Start with the irresistible white truffle parmigiano toast with wild mushrooms, then pick from a solid line up entrées. Grilled hanger steak comes with fries and marrowed bordelaise sauce. Potato crusted black drum is served with mixed mushrooms, baby vegetables and beurre rouge.
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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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Lola's
An energetic and fun little place serving good, inexpensive Spanish food. Cool, soothing gazpacho is a smart way to start. Elaborate paellas and fideuas (an angel-hair pasta variation on the rice-based paella) are specialties here - they're feasts for the eyes as well as the stomach, and great for sharing. Fish, meats and stews are also good and reasonably priced.
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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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Martinique Bistro
French cuisine with a little snap from the island of Martinique. It's a cottage bistro with a lush courtyard. In a pleasant warm twilight, with the doors flung open, the atmosphere is both exotic and convivial. The cooking has an accomplished simplicity.
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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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Olivier's
Olivier's has its loyal followers, who appreciate authentic, inexpensive Creole food in the French Quarter. It's run by an African-American Creole family that has been in the restaurant business for five generations, and the recipes here have been handed down and refined over the decades. Share a gumbo sampler, an education in local cuisine, before digging into regional specialties such as Creole rabbit, crabcakes and broiled catfish. Save room for bourbon-pecan pie.
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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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Pascal's Manale
Pascal's Manale is an Uptown tradition, est'd 1913, with walls bedecked with black and white photos of staff, patrons and the odd celebrity. It claims to have invented the local take on barbecue shrimp that requires no grill. (It's sautéed in a garlicky sauce.) Specialties are mostly Italian standards - lotsa veal, seafood, steaks.
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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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Powell's
You don't have to trek far from the French Quarter for honest to gosh soul food, but you do have to be somewhat adventurous. Often, you'll know you're approaching it because it's the only place on the block you're likely to see people hanging out on the sidewalk. It's the real deal, where friendly folks are pleased to set you up with heaping plate lunches of red beans and rice, pork chops, smothered chicken and the like. It's all slid into a styrofoam container for your takeaway pleasure.
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Praline Connection
Here's where you can get soul food without venturing into the 'hood. The kitchen gets it right where it counts. Fried chicken and catfish platters are aces, and greens come in all the right varieties - collards, mustards and cabbages. Diners can have their choice of red beans, white beans, lima beans or crowder peas, as well as stewed chicken, turkey necks and fried chicken livers. Not bad for a slick joint like this one. It's all served up by cool waiters decked out like blues brothers.
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Red Eye Grill
A grungy bar in the Warehouse District (for those 21 years and up), the Red Eye is strictly for greasy burgers and fries. It's convenient if you're seeing a show at one of the nearby clubs.
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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 August
In a 19th-century tobacco warehouse converted into a very swanky upscale dining room, August is a Warehouse District highlight. The emphasis here is Creole-French, and dishes aim to surprise and satisfy contemporary palates. Dinner standouts include tender slow roasted pheasant with wild mushrooms and bread dumplings, Morccan-spiced duck with polenta and foie gras, and prime filet of beef with short ribs and smoked marrow.
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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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Royal Blend
Has a pleasant courtyard in which to sip coffee and chew a toasted bagel and other baked goods. They also serve a passable gumbo and light lunch fare. The courtyard is a free wi-fi zone.
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Rue De La Course
An ideal rest stop on a busy shopping block, Rue de la Course is your basic coffee shop where quality coffee and tea beverages are served in heavy mugs. The place has style, though, and attracts a diverse crowd. Many come with laptops, books or newspapers and spend hours at the sturdy wood tables. Cakes, brownies and biscotti are about all there is to eat, but they're good.
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Slim Goodie's Diner
Among the first restaurants to reopen after Hurricane Katrina was this hip retro diner. Burgers, shakes, all-American breakfasts and other short-order standards are on offer. A standout is the one-eyed bacon cheeseburger, a real eye-opener with a fried egg slipped into the bun. The extensive menu includes varied vegetarian delights, such as potato latkes and blackbean nachos.
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Snowizard Sno Ball Stand
A corner take-out stand worth finding when you've overheated. A shaved-ice 'sno ball,' with 80 different flavors to choose from, will cool you off right away. They can also provide you with milk shakes, cones and soft drinks. Cash only.
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Taqueria Corona
A regular crowd of students jams into this casual spot for inexpensive Mexican fare. The menu features a variety of grilled meat and fish tacos prepared on soft, flour tortillas. They're small and packed with flavor, and many can put away two or three for a meal. The burritos are just the right size - not quite gut-busting - and are filled with rice and high quality meats.
