FRENCH
ANTOINETTE 1910 Magazine St. 671-3990 Start off with light and fluffy beignets stuffed with fresh Louisiana crawfish to get your appetite piqued, then moved on to smoked rabbit stew made with rabbit that's slowly braised with tomatoes and herbs. Reservations accepted. Lunch Tuesday through Friday, dinner Tuesday through Saturday, brunch Saturday and Sunday. Credit cards. $$
CAFE DEGAS 3127 Esplanade St. 945-5635; www.cafedegas.com The veal Parmesan is a best seller, classically prepared with lemon butter and capers, with seasonal vegetables. The pastry chef has some tricks up his sleeve too, like the white chocolate coconut decadence. Reservations recommended for parties of three or more. Lunch Tuesday through Saturday, brunch Sunday, dinner daily. Credit cards. $$
CAFE LISÉ 1111 S. Tyler St., Covington (985) 892-3838; www.cafelise.com At lunch, the pecan-crusted chicken salad is a hot item, with pecan-crusted chicken on a bed a romaine lettuce and blue cheese with balsamic vinaigrette and a pecan glaze. At dinner, the shrimp and crawfish Lisé and the shrimp Francisco are popular. Reservations accepted. Breakfast and lunch Monday through Saturday, dinner Wednesday through Friday. Credit cards and local checks. $
DAVE'S PETIT PARIS 730 Common St. 524-7660 New management ushered in a few changes at the former Le Petit Paris, as the menu now incorporates more of a local flavor with dishes such as crawfish etouffee and andouille gumbo. French staples remain, and regulars line up for lunch specials such as Wednesday's brucceloni: beef wrapped around tomato, boiled egg, Italian seasonings and Parmesean cheese, served in a marinara sauce over pasta. No reservations. Breakfast and lunch Monday through Friday, brunch Sundays. Major cards. $
FLAMING TORCH 737 Octavia St. 895-0900 For French continental food, try the shellfish Pernod: sauteed shrimp, scallops and jumbo lump crabmeat wrapped in a savory crepe with Pernod cream sauce. Or try the magret au poivre: pepper-encrusted duck breast glazed with honey, lime and peppercorn sauce. Reservations recommended. Lunch and dinner Monday through Saturday. Credit cards. $$
INDIGO 2285 Bayou Road 947-0123; www.indigonola.com Indigo now focuses on small dishes, appetizer sized portions that allow diners to sample several tastes. Try the mustard seed-glazed pork tenderloin, quail stuffed with cornbread and andouille sausage or the Lamb Lollipops with pepper jelly glaze. Reservations recommended. Dinner Wednesday through Sunday. Credit cards. $$$
LA CREPE NANOU 1410 Robert St. 899-2670; www.lacrepenanou.com La Crepe Nanou is elegant enough for a date and comfortable enough for an impromptu weeknight dinner. The kitchen makes both savory and sweet crepes, rich fondues and steaming pots of moules marinieres -- mussels steamed in white wine, garlic and cream. No reservations. Dinner daily. Credit cards. $$
LA PROVENCE 25020 Hwy. 190., Lacombe (985) 626-7662; www.laprovencerestaurant.com The rack of lamb roasted with fresh herbs and garlic demonstrates why many gourmets consider the delicate flavors of Provence the most satisfying in the world. The quail gumbo shows that Chef Chris has adopted some local tastes since he left France. Reservations recommended. Dinner Wednesday through Sunday, brunch Sunday. Credit cards and checks. $$$
LILETTE 3637 Magazine St. 895-1636; www.americascuisine.com/neworleans/lilettemenu.html This season star chef John Harris adds a dash of Italian to his French country cooking is offering Alaskan king crab claws with passionate butter, and the sauteed day boat cod with chanterelles. Reservations recommended. Lunch and dinner Tuesday through Saturday. Credit cards. $$
LOUIS XVI RESTAURANT FRANCAIS 730 Bienville St. (St. Louis Hotel) 581-7000; www.louisxvi.com The beef Wellington, a pastry wrapped filet covered in foie gras, and Poisson Louisiane, seasonal fish sauteed with bananas and bell peppers covered with a beurre meuniere, would satisfy the palate of a king. Reservations recommended. Breakfast and dinner daily. Credit cards. $$$
MEAUXBAR BISTRO 942 N. Rampart St. 569-9979 Asian flavors can be found in appetizers like ginger crawfish dumplings and Paradise spring rolls filled with jumbo shrimp, pork and crawfish. Contemporary French entrees include the tarragon- and thyme-roasted chicken, whole trout with bacon and sage topped with lemon butter and a New York strip with steak frites. Reservations accepted. Dinner Tuesday through Saturday. Credit cards. $$
MIDI 614 Canal St. (JW Marriott Hotel) 527-6712; www.midirestaurant.com The cheery decor lets guests know they have entered a restaurant imbued with the traditional thyme, garlic and rosemary flavors of southern France. The dishes, like the baked Bourbon Street grouper coated in crushed pecans or the crown point beef filet stuffed with Boursin cheese and wrapped in apple-smoked bacon, blend French cuisine with Louisiana ingredients. Reservations recommended. Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. Credit cards. $$$
MIRABELLE 3216 W. Esplanade Ave., Metairie 833-8108; www.mirabelledining.com Management recommends the veal sweetbreads meuniere served with capers in a lemon beurre blanc followed by the signature coq au vin, chicken simmered in red wine sauce with mushrooms, bacon and pearl onions. Reservations recommended. Lunch Monday through Friday, dinner Monday through Saturday. Credit cards. $$
RENÉ BISTROT 817 Common St. (Renaissance Pere Marquette Hotel) 412-2580; www.renebistrot.com Chef Rene Bajeux brings a sophisticated flair to the humble dishes of French country cooking. The updated menu might include bouillabaisse, a rotisserie roasted duck with vinegar and honey glaze or the Saint Jacques, a dish of sea scallops with orange, fennel and black olive salad in a basil vinaigrette. Reservations recommended. Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily, brunch Sunday. Credit cards. $$
ZOE 333 Poydras St. 207-5018; www.zoebistrot.com This hip eatery in the W hotel boasts a menu of elegant dishes from starters like the fried green tomato Napoleon to entrees like the redfish sauteed in brown butter and topped with lump crabmeat. Reservations recommended. Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. Credit cards. $$$$
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