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SPRING RESTAURANT GUIDE
2003

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

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F&M PATIO BAR
4841 Tchoupitoulas St. 895-6784
When most restaurants and bars are shutting down for the night, the party at F&M is just getting started. Food is served late into the night, with favorite munchies including the deluxe cheese fries with cheese, chili, jalapenos and shallots. The fajitas are served as tortillas stuffed with Monterey Jack cheese, grilled onions, peppers, homemade salsa and your choice of chicken breasts or alligator sausage. No reservations. Late-night Monday through Saturday. Cash only. $

FAUSTO'S BISTRO
530 Veterans Memorial Blvd., Metairie 833-7121
This family-owned neighborhood restaurant is a Jefferson Parish favorite for Italian food. The quality home-style cooking is evident in Fausto's fruitti di mare, a veritable fruit basket of underwater delights. Crab claws, oysters, mussels, fish, shrimp, calamari, and softshell crab are sauteed with fresh herbs and served in a seafood sauce reduction. Reservations recommended. Lunch Monday through Friday, dinner Monday through Saturday. Credit cards. $$

FAZZIO'S
3805 Hessmer Ave., Metairie 780-1700
This relatively new restaurant makes true homemade Italian food and serving it up at a reasonable price. The atmosphere is elegant but casual. The chicken Rossini is a chicken breast stuffed with ham, cheese and spinach and topped with a mushroom cream sauce. Reservations recommended Friday and Saturday. Lunch Monday through Friday, dinner Thursday through Saturday. Credit cards. $$

FEELINGS CAFE
2600 Chartres St. 945-2222
www.feelingscafe.com
Located slightly off the beaten path, this elegant Faubourg Marigny restaurant will dazzle even the most jaded New Orleanian. The seafood baked eggplant consists of shrimp, crab and crawfish blended with a spicy casserole of dirty rice and sausage, served on fried eggplant and topped with a seafood butter sauce. Reservations recommended. Lunch Friday, dinner daily, brunch Sunday. Credit cards. $$

FELIX'S RESTAURANT AND OYSTER BAR
739 Iberville St.; 210 Bourbon St. 522-4440
www.felixs.com
Felix's is so famous for its raw oysters on the half shell at the bar that we're going to remind you that it's also a full-service restaurant with Creole, Cajun and even vegetarian fare. Delectable items on the menu include seafood gumbo, steaks, salads and po-boys. Still want oysters? Try the oysters Rockefeller, baked oysters with freshly made Rockefellers with spinach, laid on a bed of rock salt. The oysters Bienville features tasty cheese, mushroom sauce and various liqueurs. Reservations recommended for eight or more. Late breakfast, lunch, dinner and late-night dining daily. Credit cards. $$

FELLINI'S CAFE
900 Carrollton Ave. 488-2155
Located in a former service station in Mid-City, Fellini's celebrates its architectural heritage with retro decor and an expansive patio. For starters, try the sampler plate, which includes three popular appetizers: hummus, roasted eggplant dip and Mediterranean dip. Another much-loved house specialty is the chicken portabella roll: grilled chicken breast, portobello mushrooms, baby spinach, mozzarella and feta are sauteed in Fellini's signature roasted red pepper cream sauce and rolled into Armenian lavash bread. No reservations. Lunch and dinner daily. Credit cards. $

FIESTA LATINA RESTAURANT
2440 Veterans Memorial Blvd., Kenner 468-2384
If you like your south-of-the-border fare spicy, try Fiesta Latina's chicken and beef fajitas. Or try the pupusas, shrimp cocktail and baleadas made with puffy tortillas. Breakfast brings huevos rancheros, and any dish can be paired with fresh pineapple and melon juices. No reservations. Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. Checks and cash. $

FIGARO'S PIZZERIA
7900 Maple St. 866-0100
This stretch of Maple Street has all the charm of a small university town, and Figaro's boasts one of its most inviting patios. Not surprisingly, pizza is a proud staple here, but the Neopolitan-style gourmet pizzas and wide variety of fresh toppings will please the palate long after graduation. No reservations. Lunch and dinner daily. Delivery available. Credit cards and checks. $$

FIORELLA'S CAFE
45 French Market Place; 1136 Decatur St. 528-9566
Fiorella's has two addresses, but only one restaurant because hungry diners can wander in from either the French Market or Decatur Street. In addition to daily specials, po-boys, gumbo and fried chicken are among the classic dishes you can depend on finding here. Thursday night brings a twisted bingo game and live entertainment for only $5. Delivery available. Breakfast weekends, lunch and dinner daily. Credit cards. $

FIVE HAPPINESS
3605 S. Carrollton Ave. 482-3935
www.fivehappiness.com
Favorite Chinese dishes abound at the popular Five Happiness. Standards include General Tsao's chicken and Mongolian beef, but there are also a number of signature dishes. One house specialty is the Double Feature Szechuan Style, which consists of shrimp and diced chicken with dried hot peppers and cashews. Delivery available. Reservations accepted. Lunch and dinner daily. Credit cards. $$

FLOUR POWER CONFECTIONERY & TEA ROOM
2101 Paris Road, Chalmette 276-9005 This cutely named pastry shop opened in Chalmette last fall with an amazing array of specialty cakes, pies and pastries, but also offers sandwiches served on artisan breads. High tea service is provided by reservation Tuesday through Saturday. Cakes are prepared at 8 or 10 inches, including wedding cake, chocolate decadence and the strawberry cream cheese Bavarian. Reservations for high tea. Breakfast Tuesday through Saturday, lunch Tuesday through Friday. Credit cards and checks. $

FLYIN' COW
5219 Elysian Fields Ave. 288-8979
The Flyin' Cow is a favorite with UNO students, who often travel the quarter mile from campus when a craving hits for potato skins and a Purple Cow milkshake made with French vanilla ice cream and root beer. The homemade hot sausage is a new treat, and the onion rings and veggie burgers are still made from scratch. Burgers, sandwiches, salads and seafood platters round out the menu nicely. Delivery available for orders of $7 or more. No reservations. Lunch and dinner daily, late-night Friday and Saturday. Credit cards. $

FONG'S CHINESE RESTAURANT
2101 Williams Blvd., Kenner 467-9928
Fong's menu offers popular Chinese standards along with a distinguished selection of Cantonese specialty dishes and family dinners. Celebrate spring with Fong's four seasons dish, a medley of delicious meats and seafood with fresh vegetables and scrumptious sauces. Reservations accepted. Lunch and dinner daily, late-night Friday and Saturday. Credit cards. $

FOODIES KITCHEN
7457 St. Charles Ave. 865-8646
720 Veterans Memorial Blvd., Metairie 837-9695
www.foodieskitchen.com
For gourmet to go, stop into Foodies on your way home. The Metairie location offers a hotline for dine-in or take-out, and is also expanding its wine selection. At either location you can pick up a prepared meal (such as buttermilk pecan chicken), soup (including turtle soup), an appetizer or pizza. Look for the number of seafood dishes including the seafood boat on Friday. Lunch and dinner daily, brunch Saturday and Sunday. Credit cards and checks. $

FORTISSIMO DELI
3331 St. Charles Ave. 899-5313
Swing by this Uptown deli to pick up a quick meal, or linger in the dining area. Continental breakfasts serve fresh fruit, bagels, cinnamon rolls, sour cream coffee cake, quiche, muffins and sausage-egg biscuits. Lunch and dinner options include oven-roasted chicken salad and lamb shanks braised in red wine and served with pasta. No reservations. Breakfast Monday through Friday, lunch and dinner Monday through Saturday. Credit cards. $

FOX & HOUND
1200 S. Clearview Pkwy. (Elmwood Village Shopping Center), Jefferson 731-6000
This sports bar's specialty is a smokehouse menu with smoked brisket, pork and chicken platters, served with Texas toast and two sides: coleslaw, barbecue beans, potato salad, French fries or corn on the cob. As well as turning out burgers, sandwiches and pizzas, the Fox & Hound does a brisk business in baby back ribs, which are slow-cooked over hickory. No reservations. Lunch and dinner daily. Credit cards. $

FQB
921 Canal St. (The Ritz-Carlton Hotel) 524-1331
www.ritzcarlton.com/hotels/new_orleans/dining/venues/fqb
The FQB kitchen specializes in a barbecue shrimp appetizer and a crabcakes entree. Vegetarians are accommodated easily, but meat-lovers will rejoice over the filet Gulfport, where a filet mignon is topped with lump crabmeat and a bearnaise sauce and served with asparagus. Reservations recommended Thursday through Saturday. Lunch Monday through Saturday, dinner and late-night daily, brunch Sunday. $$

FRANK'S RESTAURANT
933 Decatur St. 525-1602
The same family, now in its second generation, has owned and operated this Sicilian-American restaurant for 38 years. It is no wonder once you have tried its classic Italian dishes. Try the Snapper Jack, a deep-fried fillet smothered in shrimp, crawfish and softshell crab topping over pasta. Frank's also serves a hefty 1-pound ribeye cooked how you like it. Reservations accepted. Lunch and dinner daily. Credit cards. $

FRANKY AND JOHNNY'S
321 Arabella St. 899-9146
www.frankyandjohnnys.com
Enjoy a pitcher of Abita or a cold Barq's while you and your crowd wait for one of the red-checkered tables to open up. In the meantime, ponder the menu on the walls for your choices. A few of the classic New Orleans selections at this legendary cafe include boiled shellfish in season, a half or whole muffaletta, and platters featuring chicken fingers, pork chops, hamburger steak, crab steak or a variety of fried seafood. No reservations. Lunch and dinner daily. Credit cards and checks. $

FRENCH MARKET RESTAURANT AND BAR
1001 Decatur St. 525-7879
The blackened redfish is hard to pass up at the French Market Restaurant and Bar, but it is worth it if only to try the lobster etouffee served over rice with shrimp and crawfish. With everything on the menu sounding so good, the indecisive will enjoy the Bayou Platter -- a combination dish of red beans, jambalaya and assorted seafood. Reservations accepted for five or more. Lunch and dinner daily. Credit cards. $$

THE FRENCH TABLE
3216 W. Esplanade Ave., Metairie 833-8108
www.frenchtableonline.com
Stop by for happy hour at the bistro bar, a new addition to this Metairie restaurant. If you decide to stay for dinner, the staff will de-bone your sole tableside; the house specialty sole is served meuniere style. Coq au vin -- chicken simmered in red wine with pearl onions -- is another timeless dish. Of course there is creme brulee for dessert, but chocolate lovers will be happy to see chocolate mousse. Reservations recommended. Lunch Monday through Friday, dinner Monday through Saturday. Credit cards. $$

FRESCO'S CAFE AND PIZZERIA
7625 Maple St. 862-6363
Enjoy a sunny afternoon or balmy spring evening out on the deck at Fresco's, which offers a variety of pizzas, salads, sandwiches, soups and appetizers. Some favorites are the chicken Caesar salad with juicy grilled chicken, and the veggie wrap: hummus, roasted red peppers and eggplant, red onions, spinach, calamata olives, feta and sun-dried tomato mayo, all wrapped up in a pita. No reservations. Lunch and dinner daily. Credit cards. $

FRIAR TUCK'S
5130 Freret St. 891-4080
Friar Tucks is proof that a restaurant can be successful doing simple things very well. Most people go for the Tuck's Burger, a hand-packed half-pounder served with cheese and fries made from either sweet or regular potatoes. No reservations. Dinner Monday through Friday, late-night Saturday and Sunday. Credit cards. $

FRIENDS ON THE TCHEFUNCTE
407 St. Tammany St., Madisonville (985) 845-7303
Nestled on the Tchefuncte River, this cottage eatery serves up favorites such as the reliable eggplant Tchefuncte, eggplant rounds topped with crabmeat and shrimp in a light cream sauce. Or try the blackened pork medallions finished with pepper jelly sauce. Reservations recommended. Lunch and dinner Tuesday through Sunday. Credit cards and checks. $$

FROSTY'S CAFFE
3400 Cleary Ave., Metairie 888-9600
Best known for its 80 flavors of bubble tea (AKA tapioca pearl drink), Frosty's also serves up Vietnamese fare with aplomb. The favored pork chop is marinated with lemongrass and five spices before it's cooked, then it's served with white rice, an egg fried any way you want it and an egg roll, lettuce, tomato, and cucumber. No reservations. Lunch and dinner daily. Credit cards. $

FUJI TAIPEI
3525 Williams Blvd., Kenner 443-1318
The all-you-can-eat buffets are Fuji Taipei's specialty. With both a $5.95 lunch buffet and a $10.95 dinner buffet, Japanese and sushi fans can literally get their fill. The buffets also feature a wide range of both Japanese and Chinese dishes, soups, appetizers, and even desserts -- if you have room. Reservations accepted. Lunch and dinner daily. Credit cards. $

FUNKY BUTT
714 N. Rampart St. 558-0872
Befitting its name, Funky Butt's menu boasts some of the wittiest culinary one-liners in town. Take the Chicken Marsalis (AKA Marsala): "Ellis, Branford, Wynton, Delfeayo and Jason eat it, so you should too." The sentiment's tongue-in-cheek, but the food is serious: check out the shrimp remoulade or insalada appetizers, then dig into Crawfish Naylet or Big Butt Special, a combo platter featuring gumbo, jambalaya, red beans and rice and smoked sausage. For dessert, try bread pudding or the Creole brownie sundae. No reservations. Dinner and late-night daily. Credit cards. $$

FURY'S
724 Martin Behrman Ave. 834-5646
Regulars at Fury's find it hard to resist the trout Carrie. The tender fillet is either fried, broiled or grilled and topped with sauteed lump crabmeat. Finish up with a serving of the housemade bread pudding in rum sauce. No reservations. Lunch and dinner daily. Credit cards. $$