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Winter Restaurant Guide by Cuisine
AMERICAN CONTEMPORARY
56 DEGREES
610 Poydras St. (Wyndham Hotel) 212-5658
The Asian-influenced menu at 56 degrees has recently expanded to offering
32 dishes. New specialties include the mixed grill of a lamb filet, a six-ounce
filet, grilled vegetables, grilled jumbo shrimp and veal demi-glace, all flavored
with ginger. A popular appetizer is the seafood gratin, featuring lump crabmeat,
shrimp, oysters, crawfish and baby spinach with tomato veloute. Reservations
recommended. Lunch weekdays, breakfast and dinner daily. Credit cards. $
ANGELI ON DECATUR
1141 Decatur St. 566-0077
The devil on your left shoulder might coax you to order the Lucifer Special pizza,
with marinara, mozzarella, pepperoni, Italian sausage, ham, caramelized onions,
roasted red peppers and jalapenos. But the angel on the right would point you
to the Gate to Heaven: garlic sauce, mozzarella, portobellos, roasted red peppers
and garlic, red onions and goat cheese. No reservations. Delivery available from
11 a.m. to 2 a.m. Breakfast, lunch, dinner and late-night daily; open 24 hours
on Friday and Saturday. Credit cards.
ANTONIO'S WINE CELLAR
601 Terry Pkwy., Gretna 361-1332
Antonio's is an Italian restaurant within a wine store -- a natural combination.
Buy a bottle of vino at retail prices to pair with linguine carbonara (cream
sauce with bacon, peas, onions and Parmesan) or lasagna made with ground beef,
sausage, herbs and cheeses. Call Antonio's to learn about free wine tastings.
Reservations recommended. Lunch weekdays, dinner Friday and Saturday. Credit
cards and checks. $
AQUARIANS
2601 Royal St., balcony level 944-7770
With a name like Aquarians, is it any wonder that ultra-fresh seafood reigns
supreme here? Grilled mahi mahi and tuna are two best bets, though there are
plenty of steak and pasta dishes too. Barbara Ann's famous carrot cake is another
winner. With an eclectic ambience and menu chock-full of unconventional ingredients,
this is a place to explore. Reservations accepted. Dinner and late-night Tuesday
through Sunday. Credit cards. $
AUSTIN'S RESTAURANT
5101 W. Esplanade Ave., Metairie 888-5533
Mr. Ed's newest restaurant embodies his usual New Orleans neighborhood flair
with an element of fine dining. Paneed veal Austin is topped with a saute of
crabmeat, mushrooms and green onions; Chicken Roulade Marsala is a chicken breast
stuffed with prosciutto, Boursin cheese, spinach and basil, served with a Marsala
wine sauce. No reservations. Dinner Monday through Saturday. Credit cards. $
BELLA LUNA
914 N. Peters St. 529-1583
www.bellalunarestaurant.com
Bella Luna is forever making the lists of New Orleans' most romantic restaurants.
Enjoy a view to the Mississippi river while you tuck into a mixed greens salad
tossed with sun-dried cranberry vinaigrette, blue cheese, pears and candied pecans.
Yellowfin tuna is served with wasabi mashed potatoes, capers and olives in lemon-butter
sauce. Reservations recommended. Dinner daily. Credit cards. $
BELLE FORCHE
1407 Decatur St. 940-0722
www.belleforche.com
With a menu incorporating Louisiana's diverse influences from around the
world, Belle Forche (a Caribbean term for 'bon appetit') boasts a distinctive
ambience and menu. Chef-owner Matt Yohalem presents the Oysters In Tuxedo: flash-fried
oysters with black and white truffles and watercress, and Callaloo, an eggplant,
crabmeat and hot pepper gumbo with coconut and coriander. Reservations recommended.
Dinner Tuesday through Sunday, late-night Thursday through Saturday. Credit cards.
$
THE BOMBAY CLUB
830 Conti St. 586-0972
www.thebombayclub.com
Many Orleanians know The Bombay Club as a quietly jazzy spot perfect for
grabbing a cocktail and possibly an earful of live music when the bustle of the
Quarter gets tiresome. It's also a fine-dining venue, offering contemporary Louisiana
dishes like marinated pork loin served with Creole-style white beans. The Beggar's
Purse involves chicken, Boursin cheese and shiitake mushrooms wrapped in puff
pastry and served with sweet soy sauce. Reservations recommended. Dinner daily,
late-night Thursday through Saturday. Credit cards. $
BULL'S CORNER
1036 W. Airline Hwy., LaPlace (985) 652-3544
LaPlace stays well fed with this casual restaurant that provides a wide range
of steaks, seafood and food with a New Orleans flavor, like the fried alligator
tenderloin with Creole remoulade. Also try the Parmesan-crusted snapper with
sauteed shrimp and tomato pesto sauce, or the filet mignon pot pie. Reservations
accepted for parties of six or more. Lunch and dinner daily. Credit cards. $
BULL'S CORNER LAKEFRONT
316 Old Hammond Hwy., Metairie 832-0017
A limited, "mom's kitchen" style of lunch is served Fridays, with specials
including a seafood etouffee. Bull's Corner Lakefront started out 2003 by switching
focus to concentrating on catering banquets and private parties. The bar area
remains open, with boiled shrimp always available from the kitchen. Credit cards.
$
COBALT
333 St. Charles Ave. 565-5595
www.cobaltrestaurant.com
Chefs Susan Spicer and Brack May collaborate on the menu for this now-established
CBD restaurant. Try seared tuna crusted with ancho chile powder; it's served
with a goat cheese tamale, cilantro-marinated shrimp and black bean sauce. Venison
grillades with poblano grits and pan gravy puts a unique twist on a regional
dish. Reservations recommended. Lunch weekdays, breakfast and dinner daily. Credit
cards. $
COPELAND'S CHEESECAKE BISTRO
2001 St. Charles Ave. 593-9955
4517 Veterans Memorial Blvd., Metairie 887-3125
Copeland's inventive entrees are highlighted by the barbecued shrimp linguine:
the jumbo shrimp are sauteed with green onions and lemon butter, then tossed
with linguine and served over their original cheese pizza bowl. Most people hang
around for dessert. After all, there are over 40 types of cheesecake to choose
from, as well as sweet concoctions like the white chocolate bread pudding with
Frangelico cream sauce and blanched almonds. Reservations accepted. Lunch and
dinner daily, brunch Saturday and Sunday. Credit cards. $
CRYSTAL ROOM
833 Poydras St. (Le Pavillon Hotel) 581-3111
www.lepavillon.com
The Victorian splendor of the Crystal Room is home to breakfast buffets of
scrambled eggs, andouille sausage and housemade grits; but the morning highlights
come when Chef Pat's bananas Foster waffles are flamed tableside, served with
a scoop of homemade vanilla bean ice cream. For lunch go a la carte or try the
expansive pasta and salad bar. Reservations recommended. Breakfast, lunch and
dinner daily. Credit cards. $
CYPRESS BISTRO
115 Gerard St., Mandeville (985) 727-9909
Focusing on contemporary American and regional flavors, Cypress Bistro offers
duck breast or crabcakes set over mixed greens salads at lunch. The dinner menu
is more elaborate, with sesame-crusted ahi tuna, slow-roasted duck and bouillabaisse
listed as "old favorites." Reservations recommended. Lunch weekdays, dinner Monday
through Saturday. Credit cards. $
CYPRESS BISTRO DOWNTOWN
1011 Village Walk, Covington 985-893-3080
The sister restaurant to Cypress Bistro in Mandeville, Cypress Bistro Downtown
offers a similar cuisine blending both contemporary American and regional flavors.
Try tuna glazed with ginger and tamarind, or pan-seared veal with white truffle
risotto and crabmeat, for lunch. Dinner entrees include braised beef short ribs
and sauteed veal with crawfish-corn polenta. Reservations recommended. Lunch
weekdays, dinner Monday through Saturday. Credit cards. $
KABBY'S ON THE RIVER
2 Poydras St. (Hilton Hotel) 584-3880
Kabby's keeps tourists and locals alike coming back for hearty entrees like
the veal Porterhouse: Midwestern, milk-fed veal char-grilled and served with
zucchini spears and fried sweet potatoes. Another popular choice is roast prime
rib of black Angus beef on the bone. The Sunday champagne jazz brunch features
an omelette station, a beef-carving station and a seafood station. Reservations
accepted. Lunch and dinner Tuesday through Saturday, brunch Sunday. Credit cards.
$$
HERBSAINT BAR & RESTAURANT
701 St. Charles Ave. 524-4114
Chef Donald Link, with help from business partner Susan Spicer, has earned
Herbsaint's food endless accolades over the past couple of years. Small plates
like shrimp with green chile grit cakes may be ordered at the bar with a selection
from the well-chosen wine list, or as an appetizer to precede entrees such as
Muscovy duck leg confit with dirty rice. Reservations recommended. Lunch weekdays,
dinner Monday through Saturday. Credit cards. $
RED BIKE BAKERY & CAFE
746 Tchoupitoulas St. 529-2453
The Red Bike offers healthful cuisine in a light and airy Warehouse District
setting. Try the popular curry turkey salad sandwich with chunks of slow-roasted
turkey, spiced apples and honey in a savory curry or delightful gourmet pizzas
with homemade dough. Delivery available. Check out Brazilian Night on Thursdays
featuring free black beans and rice and two-for-one caipirihna and live music
from Riccardo Crespo. Friday's Wine Lovers Night offers flamenco music with Franco
and half-price on bottles of wine. Reservations accepted. Breakfast Saturday,
lunch Monday through Friday, dinner Thursday through Saturday. Credit cards.
ETOILE
407 N. Columbia St., Covington (985) 892-4578
Etoile is a French-style bistro that boasts an extensive wine list that complements
such offerings as the grilled tilapia topped with an artichoke heart, caper and
tomato relish. Also look up the filet with a wild mushroom marchand de vin sauce,
served with haricots vert and chevre potatoes. Reservations for parties of more
than five. Lunch Monday through Saturday, dinner Tuesday through Saturday. Credit
cards. $$
GALLAGHER'S
1630 N. Hwy. 190, Covington (985) 892-1444
Gallagher's menu is chameleonic in its ability to keep just about everyone
happy with its American-style cuisine. For starters, try splitting a platter
of ribs slowly cooked over a hickory fire. Seafood lovers opt for the grilled
ahi tuna, and diners seeking a good old-fashioned steak should order Pat's Special:
a thick, pepper-crusted, sizzling filet. Lunch and dinner Monday through Friday,
dinner Saturday. Credit cards and checks. $
THE GRILL ROOM
300 Gravier St. (Windsor Court Hotel) 522-1992
www.windsorcourthotel.com
Since a Thanksgiving arrival from Le Manor in his native England, new Grill Room
Chef Jonathan Wright has introduced his own signatures to the acclaimed restaurant.
One new entree is the shoulder of rabbit braised in red wine with roasted loin
and rib potato puree, prepared with roasted parsnips and chanterelles mustard-seed
tarragon jus. Another is the roasted rib of veal, coming with osso bucco and
wild-mushroom ravioli. The Sunday brunch is three courses with a glass of Don
Perignon for $45. Reservations recommended. Breakfast and dinner daily, lunch
Monday through Saturday, brunch Sunday. Credit cards. $$
LILETTE
3637 Magazine St. 895-1636
Lilette began featuring outdoor seating in October, though you may want to
eat inside until things warm up. Chef-owner John Harris tempts the palate with
delicate, gourmet cuisine, such as the white truffle oil parmigiana toast with
crimini, shiitake and oyster mushrooms, marrow and veal glace appetizer. For
dinner, try the sauteed shrimp with braised escarole, roasted fennel and edamame
vinaigrette. Reservations recommended. Lunch and dinner Tuesday through Saturday.
Credit cards. $
LULU'S
307 Exchange Alley 525-2600
www.eatatlulus.net
Looking for simple, fresh food cooked like your mama might have if she had
had a full farm and sea at her disposal? Then you're looking for Chef Corbin
Evans. One of his dinner specialties, Pizza Fish, is a crustless casserole of
tilapia, marinara sauce, spinach and mushrooms topped with broiled feta and Provolone
cheeses. At brunch, try shaved country ham with braised greens and poached eggs.
Breakfast and lunch Tuesday through Saturday, dinner Friday and Saturday, brunch
Sunday. Credit cards. $
MAPLE STREET CAFE
7623 Maple St. 314-9003
The chef at Maple Street Cafe melds flavors to create fine continental cuisine,
as evidenced in both the regular menu and the rotating array of daily specials.
Unusual dishes like pepper-crusted duck breast with blueberry cognac sauce or
stuffed shrimp wrapped in phyllo dough reward the adventurous appetite. Reservations
recommended. Lunch and dinner Monday through Saturday, dinner Sunday. Credit
cards. $
NOLA
534 St. Louis St. 522-6652
www.emerils.com
If Emeril's is a tuxedo, NOLA is a sharkskin suit: hip, loud and sassy. This
is where Lagasse, inside his second New Orleans restaurant, lets his hair down
serving Creole classics and beyond. The Vietnamese-influenced appetizers include
Ms. Hay's stuffed chicken wings with hoisin sauce and Rock Shrimp-Pepperjack
Spring Rolls. For seafood options, check out the grilled prosciutto-wrapped salmon
and a cedar plank-roasted redfish. For dessert, toss a coin between the banana
pudding layer cake and the chicory coffee créme brulee. Reservations recommended.
Lunch Monday through Saturday, dinner nightly. Credit cards. $
OLIVE BRANCH CAFE
1995 Barataria Blvd., Marrero 348-2008
The Olive Branch is a West Bank favorite of Italian food diners, and the
homemade bread and gourmet pizzas are just two reasons why. But there's also
the shrimp scampi, featuring jumbo shrimp tossed with mushrooms in a white wine
garlic sauce and fettuccine. Last fall, they revamped a New Orleans classic,
serving pasta jambalaya: chicken and sausage in a reduced garlic cream sauce.
Lunch and dinner daily. Credit cards.
ORLEANS GRAPEVINE
720 Orleans Ave. 523-1930
Before we talk wine, know that the Grapevine also provides a foundation for
oenophiles with its eclectic menu of contemporary dishes. Sampling and sharing
among diners is highly encouraged. International cheeses, pates, petit filets
and fresh fish all go wonderfully with a choice a variety of wines. From a wine
menu featuring 250 bottles, you can choose from 60 different wines by the glass.
Dinner nightly. Credit cards. $
RESTAURANT INDIGO
2285 Bayou Road 947-0123
www.indigonola.com
Award-winning Chef Kevin Vizard is now offering appetizers such as the duck
crepe, complete with pistachios in a sun-dried cherry sauce, and poached mussels
and chorizo. While taking in the view of the gardens at adjoining House on Bayou
Road, enjoy an entree dish of veal with crabmeat and potato gnocchi. Reservations
recommended. Dinner Tuesday through Sunday. Sunday brunch. Credit cards. $$
SPORTING HOUSE CAFE
916 Lafayette St. 561-0605
www.sportinghousecafe.com
Housed in one of Storyville's famed bordellos of the past, the Sporting House
Cafe is a haven for many CBD workers with the weekly "Hump Day Happy Hour" on
Wednesdays. Available for private parties, it's also a lunch spot with menu favorites
like the Lulu White salad: grilled vegetables (including eggplant and zucchini)
and a tomato vinaigrette over mixed greens. Reservations for parties of six or
more. Delivery available. Lunch Monday through Friday, happy hour Wednesday.
Credit cards.
VICTOR'S
921 Canal St. (The Ritz-Carlton Hotel) 524-1331
Victor's is putting on the Ritz this winter with delectable interpretations
of intercontinental cuisine. Order the lobster wrapped in bacon with Chantrelle
mushrooms and corn timbale, or the veal trio with mushroom lasagna and fried
artichokes. Reservations recommended. Breakfast daily; dinner served Tuesday
through Saturday. Credit cards. $$
ZEA ROTISSERIE CAFE
1655 Hickory Ave., Harahan 738-0799
Sliced pork with rosemary and sliced beef with mushroom burgundy glace are
among the "meat of the day" specials diners will find at this kid-friendly restaurant.
The famished can choose the rotisserie platter of the day, which includes either
8-oz. of the meat of the day with two side items or a half chicken and 6-oz.
of meat with sides. End with a sweet potato bread pudding with rum praline sauce.
Look for a new Zea Rotisserie Cafe in the old Ruby Tuesday's location inside
the Esplanade Mall in March. No reservations. Lunch and dinner daily. Credit
cards. $
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