Restaurants in Louisiana
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A
Café Degas
A full-grown pecan tree thrusts through the floor and ceiling of the enclosed deck that serves as Café Degas’ congenial dining room. This is a rustic and romantic little spot that warms the heart with first-rate, very reasonably priced French fare. The casual atmosphere is accentuated by eccentric, exceedingly polite waiters. Meals that sound familiar on the menu – steak frites au poivre, parmesan-crusted veal medallions, seared duck breast with mushroom spaetzle – are arranged with extraordinary beauty on their plates. You might feel guilty for disturbing art like this, but it’s a crime for which you will be amply rewarded.
reviewed
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B
Muriel’s
Good food, sultry atmosphere and location, location, location make Muriel’s hard to pass up. You have your choice of settings: the main dining room evokes the lurid pomp of Storyville, with deep-red walls and chandeliers; in the eclectic bistro, 19th-century art hangs from exposed brick walls; the courtyard bar exemplifies traditional tropical decadence with potted palms and marble-topped cafe tables; while the balcony seating affords an elevated view of Jackson Sq’s motley krewe of musicians, magicians, painters and tarot readers. The kitchen tinkers with the Creole ethos enough to steer clear of stodginess without alienating the average patron. It’s also a good spot for…
reviewed
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C
Café Adelaide
The Brennan family tribute to their endearingly eccentric aunt Adelaide is as funky as you like; try dining in the ‘Turtle Room, ’ where two shelled lovers dance a reptilian pas de deux on the wall. The motto here is the namesake’s own: ‘Eat, drink and carry on, ’ a philosophy realized by haute Creole cuisine cooked, apparently, by a pleasantly insane jester. Examples? Steak with brie mashed potatoes, a truffled crab-claw ‘cake’ and a brilliant take on biscuits and gravy, where the ‘biscuit’ is duck cracklin’ and confit, and the ‘gravy’ is foie gras mustard. It’s all as good as it sounds, and the attached Swizzle Stick is one of downtown’s better…
reviewed
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D
Dick & Jenny’s
You could easily accuse New Orleans of doing the contemporary Creole thing to death, but Dick and Jenny (a real couple) have breathed life into this overdone genre. Hidden away in what looks like grandma’s shack by the river is a warm dining room packed with artsy accents, laughing locals, families out for a good night and couples on romantic dates. The food is a good example of what can be done when a profound respect for local ingredients meets a talent that goes beyond craft into art; the last time we visited, a roasted duck seemed to melt off the plate onto a bed of pecan risotto. We wanted to sleep a happy nap right there and then, and that’s the essence of D&J’s –…
reviewed
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E
Crescent City Brewhouse
A micro-brewery that produces passable pilsners and wheat beers. The menu features Louisiana standards, with a seafood emphasis: redfish, softshell crabs, crabcakes, steaks and burgers. There's often live music. It's a lively, upbeat place that can take care of an entire family's needs.
reviewed
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F
Port of Call
The Port of Call burger is, simply put, one of the best we’ve had, anywhere. The meat is unadulterated and, well, meaty, and the burger is enormous – a half pound that easily looks the size, and we mean this, of your face. There are a lot of other menu items, but we can’t get enough of that burger-y heaven, and neither can the locals, who willingly wait outside in long lines for a seat (no reservations).
reviewed
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G
Café Maspero
Maspero's is another New Orleans restaurant that oozes atmosphere without trying very hard. Its smoky, brick arches make its street-level eating rooms feel underground. Its large menu touches all the bases of cheap local cuisine: fried catfish sandwiches, red beans and rice, cold Abita on tap delivered to your table by an alert waitstaff.
During peak tourist season out-of-towners are usually lined up on the sidewalk to get in, but during the slow season, many locals sneak back in to reclaim an old haunt. Cash only.
reviewed
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H
Angeli on Decatur
Great philosophers have long debated one of the most pressing of human questions: what makes a late-night place great? We humbly submit: the food tastes as good sober as when you’re trashed at 3am. Enter Angeli: decked out with hipster art and patrons, the food here is wonderful no matter your state of mind/inebriation/whatever. It serves burger, pasta and pizza fare, but it’s top-of-the-line stuff, especially if you need to layer your tummy after a long night out. Early music sets by solid live acts are a good way to launch your evening, but bring cash – credit cards are not accepted. Good range of vegetarian dishes.
reviewed
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I
Café du Monde
Du Monde is overrated, but you're probably gonna go there, so here goes: the coffee is decent and the beignets (square, sugar-coated fritters) are inconsistent. The atmosphere is off-putting: you're a number forced through the wringer, trying to shout over Bob and Fran while they mispronounce 'jambalaya' and a street musician badly mangles John Lennon's 'Imagine.' At least it's open 24 hours.
reviewed