Gambit Weekly : Endearing Edibles : June 6, 2006

COVER STORY

06 06 06

Endearing Edibles

From alligator to zucchini, Gambit Weekly's 2006 Summer Restaurant Guide features your favorite foodstuffs.

by Daniel Castro, Will Coviello, Frank Etheridge, Kandace Power Graves, Adrienne Lamb, Vi Landry, Ian McNulty, Billy Thinnes and Sam H. Winston

The diverse culture of New Orleans has given rise to all kinds of fused and sometimes exotic cuisines, and diners here are very open minded -- even adventurous -- about what tastes they want to grace their palate. With such a receptive audience, chefs are expected to step outside the box to create innovative dishes that surprise us alongside traditional favorites and good old comfort foods.

One thing is for sure, anything that even vaguely qualifies as a foodstuff will become an artwork in some local chef's kitchen and a delight to the taste buds of some diner.

Gambit Weekly's Summer Restaurant Guide focuses on the individual ingredients that make our cuisine and our restaurants truly unique. From alligator to zucchini, with a whole alphabet of endearing edibles in between, you'll find your favorite foodstuffs crammed into the following pages -- along with the restaurants that serve them up day and night. When you find a dish you simply must try, turn to the directory that starts on page 51 for information about the restaurant, its location, hours, reservations policy and price range.