Welcome to the Best of New Orleans! Cover Story 04 08 03

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DAKOTA'S RESTAURANT
629 N. Hwy. 190, Covington (985) 892-3712
www.thedakotarestaurant.com
Fans of fine dining on the Northshore have grown accustomed to the inspired Creole cuisine at Dakota's, evident in such signature items as the mega-popular, cream-based crabmeat and Brie soup. For an entree, try the Hallelujah softshell crab, which comes served with Louisiana seafood stuffing and sauce Creollaise. Reservations recommended. Lunch and dinner Monday through Friday, dinner Saturday. Credit cards. $$$

DAMON'S GRILL
1200 S. Clearview Pkwy., Harahan 734-7428
www.damons.com
Lunch specials, such as the chicken salad sandwich and chicken quesadilla, change daily and cost only $6.99. Other items include spicy grilled shrimp and a classic housemade meatloaf served with potatoes au gratin, or try the St. Louis-style barbecue ribs, prime rib or grilled pork chop. No reservations. Lunch and dinner daily. Credit cards. $$

DANIEL'S ITALIAN AND LATIN CAFE
3200 N. Arnoult Road, Metairie 888-6105
With 20 years' experience in South America, Europe and the United States, Chef Daniel Tobar celebrates Old World culinary traditions in his new kitchen on Metairie Road. His creations are rich in heritage, but with a contemporary sensibility. A perfect example is the braised lamb shank, prepared over the course of eight hours with fresh rosemary, garden vegetables, Roma tomatoes and red wine. Lunch Tuesday through Friday, dinner Monday through Saturday, and late-night grill Friday and Saturday. Reservations recommended. Credit cards. $

DANNY AND CLYDE'S
801 Behrman Hwy., Gretna 392-6783
1944 Belle Chasse Hwy., Gretna 392-2242
2201 Clearview Pkwy., Metairie 885-1332
3441 Manhattan Blvd., Harvey 362-5637
3450 Kabel Drive 394-0240
4101 E. Ames Blvd., Marrero 348-9650
4320 Clearview Pky., Metairie 888-0129
5869 Citrus Blvd., Jefferson 734-0090
68083 Hwy. 59, Mandeville (985) 809-2133
www.dannyandclydes.com
At any time of the day or night, Danny and Clyde's has a hot meal waiting for you. Morning sandwiches and egg breakfasts are a satisfying start; an overstuffed po-boy makes for a good lunch, and chicken tenders, hamburgers and hot dogs complete the day. No reservations. Breakfast, lunch, dinner and late-night daily; some locations open 24 hours. $

DANTE'S KITCHEN
736 Dante St. 861-3121
www.danteskitchen.com
It always feels like springtime at this sunny Riverbend spot, located in a quirky Creole cottage next to the levee. Chef Emanuel Loubier takes an expansive approach to local favorites with dishes like the falafel-crusted Gulf fish entree, served with Chinese black rice, slow-roasted tomatoes, shaved Parmesan and garlic chips in a grilled green onion vinaigrette. Reservations for parties of five or more. Lunch Monday through Friday, dinner daily, brunch Saturday and Sunday. Credit cards. $$

DEANIE'S SEAFOOD
841 Iberville St. 581-1316
1713 Lake Ave., Metairie 831-4141
www.deanies.com
Whether you visit the Deanie's flagship restaurant in Bucktown or the newer French Quarter location, the scent of fresh seafood will make you ravenous before you even sit down. If you're too hungry to study the book-length menu, here's a catch: the giant seafood platter, with piles of shrimp, oysters, catfish, two softshell crabs and crawfish-dressing balls. No reservations. Lunch and dinner daily. Credit cards. $$

DEJA VU RESTAURANT AND BAR
400 Dauphine St. 523-1936
www.dejavurestaurant-bar.com
You can count on the lively bar atmosphere and comforting food to cheer you up if you're feeling low. The half-pound char-grilled burgers are always a good start for serious carnivores, and the turkey and veggie burgers should please everyone else. There are plenty of lively appetizers, such as the peppers stuffed with sour cream and a large butterflied shrimp. No reservations. Open 24 hours. Credit cards. $

DESIRE OYSTER BAR
300 Bourbon St. (Royal Sonesta Hotel) 586-0300
www.royalsonestano.com
Make an executive decision: order the oysters Desire, select mollusks baked with Parmesan cheese, Creole seasonings and dreamy garlic butter. Proceed to the spicy sauteed New Orleans barbecue shrimp, one dozen shrimp sauteed in New Orleans spices and Dixie beer, and served with French bread for dipping. Final decision: the Desire's bread pudding in whiskey sauce. No reservations. Lunch, dinner and late-night daily. Credit cards. $

DIA ROMA CAFE
3712 Williams Blvd., Kenner 443-6663
Specialty pizzas, pasta dinners, sandwiches and salads are the fare of the day at Dia Roma Cafe. For dinner, try the shrimp, chicken and artichoke pasta; the angel hair pasta is smothered in butter garlic sauce and onions, tomatoes, shrimp, chicken and artichokes. If you don't want all the bread in a muffaletta, try the Dia Specialty pizza; it is made with ham, salami, pepperoni, onions and black olives. No reservations. Lunch and dinner daily. Credit cards and checks. $

DICK AND JENNY'S
4501 Tchoupitoulas St. 894-9880
With a menu reflecting the seasons with a regular overhaul every two months, Dick and Jenny's this spring offers tempting entrees such as the pecan-crusted Gulf fish, which comes with braised leeks, crabmeat meuniere and asparagus. The grilled pork tenderloin comes stuffed with goat cheese, pine nuts and basil and is topped with a smoked-tomato balsamic vinaigrette. No reservations. Dinner Tuesday through Saturday. Credit cards and checks. $$

DICKIE BRENNAN'S STEAKHOUSE
716 Iberville St. 522-CHOP (2467)
www.dbrennanssteakhouse.com
Beef rules supreme here, but it shares room with seafood in dishes such as the house filet, an 8-ounce filet topped with flash-fried Louisiana oysters and bearnaise sauce and served with creamed spinach and Pontalba potatoes. New to the menu is a coconut chiffon cake layered with Italian butter cream, topped with toasted coconut and finished with Captain Morgan rum glaze. Reservations recommended. Lunch Monday through Friday, dinner daily. Credit cards. $$$

DINO'S BAR AND GRILL
1128 Tchoupitoulas St. 558-0900 This pleasant Uptown eatery offers classics such as veal parmesan and a Philly cheese steak, as well as a few surprises -- the Fried Martini is a martini glass filled with cheese-stuffed and deep-fried green olives. Come in on Wednesday for an all-you-can-eat crawfish night, Tuesday for steak night. No reservations. Lunch, dinner and late-night daily. Credit cards. $

DINO'S LAKEVIEW PIZZA, CHICKEN & RIBS
339 W. Harrison Ave. 484-6460
Dino's treats its Lakeview neighbors right by providing the perfect spot for a tasty, laid-back evening. The pizza special features two medium pizzas for just $9.99. Also consider the crawfish mirliton soup made with a mirepoix of celery, green peppers and shallots and cooked down with heavy cream. After 14 hours of slow cooking, the saucy ribs are worthy of the Texan spelling -- as in "bar-b-q" -- and the accompanying baked beans, coleslaw and biscuits will put Lone Stars in your eyes. Reservations accepted for large groups. Lunch and dinner daily. Delivery available. Credit cards. $

DIXIE CHICKEN & RIBS
6264 Argonne Blvd. 488-1377
This Lakeview spot is the kind of place where everybody calls you "dawlin'." The chicken comes fried, baked or barbecued and ribs are served up by the pound. The menu also features daily specials, children's dinners and a hearty selection of po-boys and seafood platters. They don't deliver, but the takeout menu includes chicken by the box. No reservations. Lunch and dinner Monday through Saturday. Credit cards. $

DIXIE GYROS
110 Carondelet St. 523-6614.
A perfect spot for lunch or an early dinner in the CBD, Dixie Gyros is a little Greek oasis amid the hubbub of Canal Street. The diner is well known for its beef, lamb, chicken or falafel gyros. The gyro sandwiches are served on a choice of grilled pita bread or baguette with a side of steak fries, and the entrees come with a Greek salad and either rice or fries. Breakfast options include straight-up New Orleans beignets. No reservations. Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. Delivery available. Credit cards. $

DOC SMITH'S
1009 Poydras St. 561-0528
Created with the sports fan in mind, this annex of Smith & Wollensky's boasts several televisions tuned to various events, a fitting environment in which to sample the bar's dizzying array of creative cocktails including local staples the hurricane, mojito and mint julep. From the kitchen, a bite-size way of dining is offered with Doc's version of pig-in-a-blanket with andouille, mini-burgers and muffalettas. No reservations. Dinner and late-night daily. Credit cards. $$

THE DOCK AT NEW ORLEANS
1926 West End Park 284-3625
www.thedockno.com
This new restaurant set up its own little dining port on Lake Pontchartrain on New Year's Eve and has been celebrating ever since with its array of fried seafood (including a fish of the day), po-boys, burgers and steaks. The nautically themed decor insists on a casual vibe in which to sample the blackened grouper. The seafood boat for two ($28) features fried catfish, shrimp, crawfish, crab cakes and oysters with sides of French fries and onion rings. There's already an oyster bar, but also look for a sushi bar within the next few weeks. No reservations. Lunch and dinner daily. Credit cards. $

DOLLY'S DELI
5151 Canal Blvd. 486-8600
If you're looking for a po-boy, you've come to the right place. Dolly's serves a good selection including meatball, roast beef, shrimp and oyster. During the week, the hot lunch plates change daily, and there's a slate of egg breakfasts to start off each morning: the bacon, egg and cheese sandwich is one hearty pick. No reservations. Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. Credit cards. $

DOMILISE'S PO-BOYS
5240 Annunciation St. 899-9126
Miss Dot and the rest of the gang at Domilise's will see to it you don't go hungry, with a long list of po-boys such as shrimp, oyster, roast beef, meatball and ham and cheese. For 75 years, regulars have flocked to Domilise's for tempting sandwiches dressed with mayo, lettuce, pickles, and condiments including brown gravy, Creole mustard sauce and the house special sauce. No reservations. Breakfast, lunch and dinner Monday through Saturday. Cash only. $

DOMINIQUE'S
1001 Toulouse St. (Maison Dupuy Hotel) 522-8800
www.dominiquesrestaurant.com
Chef Dominique Macquet's roots are on Mauritius, a tiny island in the Indian Ocean, and his passion for its culture and many others, is evident in his creations at this romantic and elegant restaurant. Witness the "study of lamb," a grilled demi-rack of lamb, lamb confit, three-potato chevre terrine and sausage in Rosemary Merlot jus. Reservations recommended. Breakfast and dinner daily, brunch Sunday. Credit cards and checks. $$$

DON'S SEAFOOD HUT
4801 Veterans Memorial Blvd., Metairie 889-1550
Don's offers a wide selection of fish, oysters, crab, shrimp and crawfish. And there's plenty of dine-in-only specials, from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday. Chase away the Monday blues with 25-cent oysters or the all-you-can-eat fried catfish and fried shrimp for 10.99. If it's Tuesday night, it must be Don's famous seafood platter; Wednesday and Thursday nights are boiled crawfish for $1.25 a pound. Still got room? Try the house bread pudding or a slice of cheesecake. Reservations accepted. Lunch and dinner daily. Credit cards. $$

DONG PHUONG ORIENTAL BAKERY AND RESTAURANT
14207 Chef Menteur Hwy. 254-0214
During the chilly months, warm up with Dong Phuong's signature duck soup with bok choy and shiitake mushrooms. The bakery sells fresh French bread, cream puffs and other baked delights. No reservations. Breakfast, lunch and dinner Wednesday through Monday. Credit cards. $

DOS JEFES UPTOWN CIGAR BAR
5535 Tchoupitoulas St. 891-8500
The cigar bar has a lot to offer besides its wide selection of premium stogies. There's a menu featuring pub food, appetizers and specialty sandwiches, such as the grilled portobello mushroom sandwich. And then there's the live music nightly, with no cover charge, with regular performers including the jazzy chanteuse Leigh "Little Queenie" Harris and Tom Hook. No reservations. Dinner and late-night daily. Credit cards. $

DOSON'S NOODLE HOUSE
8128 Oak St. 861-9724
When the former Chinese's Chinese changed its name in January, it also wrought subtle changes in the kitchen. For example, there's a new emphasis on soups, with the beef noodle pho a specialty. However, many staples combining the flavors of Vietnam and China remain, including seafood-rich entrees like the black pepper shrimp and tilapia. Another favorite is the Mu Shu pork, served with broccoli and Chinese eggplant in a hot garlic sauce. Reservations accepted. Lunch Monday through Saturday, dinner daily. Credit cards and checks. $$

DOT'S DINER
2317 Jefferson Hwy., Jefferson 831-3681
4150 Jefferson Hwy., Jefferson 833-9349
6633 Airline Drive, Metairie 734-0301
6701 Jefferson Hwy., River Ridge 738-9678
It is always nice to find a diner that makes healthy food, particularly when it is open 24/7. Consider the Heart Healthy Omelet: six egg whites, onions, green peppers, mushrooms, tomatoes and Swiss cheese. But for the hungry meat eater the 6-ounce ham steak -- for breakfast or for dinner -- is a logical choice. No reservations. Breakfast, lunch and dinner until 10 p.m. daily at the 4150 Jefferson Hwy. location; open 24 hours at other locations. Cash only. $

DRAGO'S SEAFOOD RESTAURANT AND OYSTER BAR
3232 N. Arnoult Road, Metairie 888-9254
www.dragosrestaurant.com
Drago's is locally renowned for its charbroiled oysters, but an "inside source" tells us the proud Croatian owner's new personal favorite dish is the "Shuckee Duckee," a blackened duck breast with a demi-glace sauce served with oyster pasta. Popular menu standards include the Lobster Marco stuffed with shrimp and the Lobster Empire stuffed with oysters. No reservations. Lunch and dinner Monday through Saturday. Credit cards. $$