CREOLE

21 W RESTAURANT
100 Tyler Square, Covington, (985)-892-3982; www.21wrestaurant.com
Chef Grant Wallace creates a menu that reflects his Creole-Cajun and classical French training. Cases in point are the rabbit tenderloin appetizer, fried rabbit tenderloin topped with a mushroom demi-glace and the baked fresh Gulf fish stuffed with mirliton, shrimp and tasso dressing, topped with béarnaise and served with asparagus. Reservations recommended. Lunch, Mon.-Fri., dinner Mon.-Sat. Credit cards and checks. $$


THE ALPINE
620 Chartres St., 523-3005; www.thealpinebistro.com
Though its name sounds lofty, the Creole and Cajun cuisine that the Alpine turns out is strictly bayou. Jambalaya, red beans and rice and etouffée all make appearances. Original dishes range from the smoked duck to grilled ahi tuna "La Boheme," topped with spicy barbecue shrimp. Reservations recommended. Lunch and dinner daily, brunch and late-night Sat.-Sun. Credit cards. $$


ANTOINE'S RESTAURANT
713 St. Louis St., 581-4422; www.antoines.com
Antoine's is the city's oldest restaurant and remains true to its French-Creole heritage and menu of original creations. Filet de Truite aux Ecrevisses/Crevettes Cardinal features grilled or fried trout with crawfish tails and shrimp in white wine sauce. For an appetizer, the Huitres á la Foch rests fried oysters on toast buttered with paté de foie gras and adds Colbert sauce. Reservations recommended. Lunch Fri., Dinner Thu.-Sat. and Mon., brunch Sun. Credit cards. $$$


ARNAUD'S RESTAURANT
813 Bienville St., 523-5433; www.arnauds.com
For more than 80 years, Arnaud's tuxedoed waiters have been serving classic French Creole dishes in highly civilized form just steps from the chaos of Bourbon Street. Legend has it that the special soufflé potatoes were inadvertently created by the French King Louis Philippe's chef when he double-fried the monarch's side dish to reheat it. Dipped in rich béarnaise sauce, they're a royal treat. The restaurant also is known for its signature spicy remoulade sauce. Reservations recommended. Dinner daily, brunch Sun. Credit cards. $$$


BRENNAN'S RESTAURANT
417 Royal St., 525-9711; www.brenn ansneworleans.com
Brennan's storied breakfast represents the pinnacle of culinary decadence. Start the day with the brandy milk punch and ease into rich hollandaise-laden courses of poached eggs or veal and crabmeat. For dessert there is the restaurant's original creation, bananas Foster, made tableside. In the evenings, classics like the trout amandine and crabs béarnaise shine in traditional Creole style. Reservations recommended. Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. Credit cards. $$$


BROUSSARD'S RESTAURANT
819 Conti St., 581-3866; www.broussards.com
This French Quarter institution is known for both its pretty courtyard and elegant dining rooms. Pompano Broussard's combines grilled pompano, scallops and shrimp in a phyllo pastry shell complemented by a mustard-caper sauce. The Louisiana bouillabaisse simmers shrimp, scallops, mussels, fish and oysters in a savory saffron-tomato broth and is garnished with crabmeat and rouille croutons. The veal chop and the wild game grill are popular meat selections. Reservations recommended. Dinner Mon.-Sat. Credit cards. $$$


CAFÉ ADELAIDE AND SWIZZLE STICK BAR
300 Poydras St., 595-3305; www.caféadelaide.com
Chef Danny Trace brings a master's approach to contemporary Creole cuisine by turning Southern favorites like corndogs into something new but familiar: Shrimp and Tasso Corndogs with a five-pepperjelly, pickled okra, chicory greens and Crystal hot sauce butter. Warm up with Trace's three-course winter package: absinthe oysters and caviar followed by a main course of cracklin'-crusted duck breast and concluding with Ponchatoula strawberry cheesecake. Reservations recommended. Breakfast and dinner daily, lunch Mon.-Fri. Credit cards. $$$


CAFÉ ATCHAFALAYA
901 Louisiana Ave., 891-9626; www.caféatchafalaya.com
The bright and spacious renovated interior of this edge-of-the-Garden District café is a pretty spot to enjoy creative Creole cooking. Redfish Barataria is a breaded and pan-seared fillet topped with shrimp, crab and smoked tomato cream, resting on a bed of artichoke and fennel relish. Stuffed flounder actually wraps fillets around a Louisiana oyster dressing and is complemented with a spicy sriracha butter sauce. Reservations recommended. Lunch Wed.-Fri., dinner daily, brunch Sat.-Sun. Credit cards. $$


CAFÉ PONTALBA
546 St. Peter St., 522-1180
From its perch right on the corner of Jackson Square, Café Pontalba offers a menu tour of New Orleans favorites. Dishes like etouffée, jambalaya, gumbo, red beans and po-boys are mainstays. Fried seafood options like shrimp, oysters and catfish also are popular choices. No reservations. Lunch and dinner daily. Credit cards. $$


CAFÉ RECONCILE
1631 Oretha Castle Haley Blvd., 568-1157; www.caféreconcile.com
There are two missions at this nonprofit Central City café. One is to help young people gain experience for productive careers in the restaurant and hospitality industries. The other is to provide delicious home cooking in a cafeteria format. The menu changes daily, but some of the regular dishes include smothered pork chops, fried catfish, shrimp etouffée, shrimp Creole and white beans and shrimp. For dessert, try the bananas Foster bread pudding. No reservations. Lunch Mon.-Fri. Credit cards. $


CLANCY'S
6118 Annunciation St., 895-1111
With a collection of dining rooms tucked away in a quiet Uptown corner spot, Clancy's has emerged as a bastion of modern Creole cooking. Starters include fried oysters topped with Brie and served on a bed of wilted spinach. A popular entrée is the smoked pork loin served with green peppercorn demi-glace. The entrées change frequently but stay focused on local seafood and high-quality steaks and chops. Reservations recommended. Lunch Thu.-Fri., dinner Mon.-Sat. Credit cards. $$$


COPELAND'S RESTAURANT
680 N. Hwy. 190, Covington, (985) 809-9659; 1001 S. Clearview Pkwy., Jefferson, 620-7800; 1319 W. Esplanade Ave., Kenner, 617-9146; 1337 Gause Blvd., Slidell, (985) 643-0001; 1700 Lapalco Blvd., Harvey, 364-1575; www.alcopeland.com
Al Copeland's flagship restaurant showcases his take on many of the most popular Cajun and Creole dishes. There are traditional offerings like shrimp Creole and etouffée as well as seafood combinations like crab-stuffed catfish bordelaise. Pasta dishes include shrimp and tasso over bowtie pasta and chicken Alfredeaux. No reservations. Lunch and dinner daily, brunch Sun. Credit cards. $$


COURT OF TWO SISTERS
613 Royal St., 522-7261; www.courtoftwosisters.com
Jazz brunch is a daily affair at the Court of Two Sisters. The seafood omelet is a mix of crawfish, crabmeat, shrimp, onions, red and green peppers and garlic with cream sauce on top. Buffet dishes range from boiled shrimp, pasta salads and hot entrées like grits and grillades to pies, cakes and ice cream. The á la carte dinner menu favors classic dishes like veal Oscar, cutlets of baby white veal crowned with crabmeat, asparagus and hollandaise. Traditional Creole dishes include turtle soup, baked oysters and many others. Reservations recommended. Lunch, brunch and dinner daily. Credit cards. $$$


CRABBY JACK'S
428 Jefferson Hwy., Jefferson, 833-2722
Creole touches are a hearty lunchtime attraction on Jefferson Highway. Chef Jack Leonardi of Jacques Imo's takes more refined dishes and makes them into big po-boys and lunch plates. The duck po-boy uses slow-cooked duck bathed in Jack's famous brown gravy on French bread. Fried green tomatoes come in a po-boy topped with remoulade sauce. Side dishes include jambalaya, dirty rice and potato salad. Delivery available . No reservations. Lunch Mon.-Sat. Credit cards. $


DICK AND JENNY'S
4501 Tchoupitoulas St., 894-9880; www.dickandjennys.com
A sturdy little bargeboard house on Tchoupitoulas Street might not seem like a likely culinary attraction, but try telling that to the people waiting for a table at Dick and Jenny's. Meals start with local seafood in appetizers like corned-fried Louisiana oysters with Southern slaw and New Orleans remoulade . Entrées include dishes like grilled sea scallops and Gulf shrimp drizzled with wasabi vinaigrette around a seared pineapple ring topped with coconut rice and Asian sesame slaw. The menu also offers a vegetarian plate and children's entrées. No reservations. Dinner Tue.-Sat. Credit cards and checks. $$$


DOOKY CHASE RESTAURANT
2301 Orleans Ave., 821-0535; www.dookychaserestaurant.com
"And still I cook," world-famous Chef Leah Chase once said in the title of one of her cookbooks. This New Orleans Creole soul-food landmark, in business since 1941, returned last fall for takeout and private events only thanks to a massive renovation featuring colorful dining rooms and a new bar. Chase still delivers the classic items, including stuffed shrimp, fried chicken and rich Creole gumbo thick with seafood and sausage. There are tentative plans, labor issues depending, to open back up the dining room for the spring. No reservations. Lunch and dinner takeout Tue.-Fri. Credit cards. $$


FEELING'S CAFE
2600 Chartres St., 945-2222; www.feelingscafe.com
Housed in a historic former home in the picturesque Marigny, Feelings café is both cozy and elegant with an old New Orleans vibe. Try the fried eggplant medallion topped with shrimp, crawfish and sausage in hollandaise sauce over rice. No reservations. Dinner Thu.-Sun., brunch Sun. Credit cards. $$


FRENCH MARKET RESTAURANT
1001 Decatur St., 525-7879
A bounty of boiled and fried seafood from the Gulf awaits visitors to the French Market Restaurant. The Bayou platter is a popular option to get a taste of classic local dishes, including red beans and jambalaya. Snag a table on the balcony for a view overlooking the French Market itself. No reservations. Lunch and dinner daily. Credit cards. $$


FRENCH QUARTER BISTRO AT THE MAISON DUPUY
1001 Toulouse St., 586-8000; www.maisondupuy.com/fqbistro.html
Patrons can take in a nice view of the Quarter while enjoying some of the Creole cuisine that New Orleans is famous for. The "Taste of New Orleans," with ample portions of jambalaya, crawfish etouffe, gumbo and red beans and rice allows guests to sample a little bit of everything. No reservations. Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. Credit cards. $$


GALATOIRE'S RESTAURANT
209 Bourbon St., 525-2021; www.galatoires.com
Legendary Friday afternoon lunches at Galatoire's famed hundred-year-old first-floor dining room are a veritable who's who of New Orleans' society. Seeing and being seen takes second place, though, to chef Brian Landry's touch with tried-and-true specialties like crabmeat a la maison, shrimp remoulade and trout meuniere. Finish a meal with a festive flaming café Brulot. Reservations accepted for the upstairs dining room. Lunch and dinner Tue.-Sun. Credit cards. $$$


GUMBO SHOP
640 St. Peter St., 525-1486; www.gumboshop.com
Soaring ceilings and a lush courtyard set the scene at this modern French Quarter classic. Most meals begin with one of the kitchen's namesake gumbos and while the jambalaya, etouffée and po-boys are popular options some lesser-known gems include the alligator sauce piquant and the chicken espagnole simmered in a brown sauce with mushrooms, shallots, wine and garlic. Reservations accepted for large parties. Lunch and dinner daily. Credit cards. $$


IGNATIUS EATERY & GROCERY
4200 Magazine St., 896-2225
Ignatius is a fun eatery with old corner grocery charm. Cans and boxes of familiar local staple products line the walls of the dining room. The menu of Creole favorites includes seafood gumbo, roast beef po-boys, red beans and rice, jambalaya and bread pudding. Start off with a cup of crawfish corn chowder then look to the board for a daily or weekly special. No reservations. Lunch and dinner. Wed.-Mon., brunch Sun. Credit cards. $


JACQUES-IMO'S Café
8324 Oak St., 861-0886; www.jacquesimocafe.com
Jacques-Imo's Café boisterous bar, funky murals and spirited take on Creole cooking make it a favorite with locals and visitors alike. No dish is too down-home or refined for its kitchen to work into its repertoire from fried chicken to blackened fish to Cajun bouillabaisse. The bronzed veal chop is accompanied by "red flannel" hash made with beets, potatoes and Brussels sprouts and topped with tasso-scallion cream sauce. Shrimp and alligator sausage cheesecake is one of the café's classics. Reservations accepted for five or more. Dinner Mon.-Sat. Credit cards. $$$


JEAN LAFITTE'S RENDEZVOUS
240 Bourbon St., 523-6820; w ww.jeanlafittesrendezvous.com
Named for New Orleans' citizen pirate, this bustling eatery serves up treasure troves of seafood and other dishes that have made the city famous. Entrées range from zesty New Orleans barbecue shrimp served over garlic mashed potatoes to the Cajun rib-eye, which is seasoned with Cajun spices and blackened in a skillet. Reservations accepted. Lunch Sat.-Sun., dinner and late-night daily. Credit cards. $$$


JUNIPER
301 Lafitte St., Mandeville, (985) 624-5330; www.juniperrestaurant.net
At Juniper, the menu changes every week, so serving contemporary Creole cuisine is always an evolving work. You might try the quail stuffed with crawfish and andouille, served with Jack Daniels cane syrup and grits. The fried eggplant pirogue carries shrimp, crabmeat and crawfish tails all simmered in garlic cream and topped with choron sauce. The filet Juniper with a crab and crawfish cake and Creole hollandaise is also popular. Reservations recommended. Lunch Tue.-Fri., dinner Tue.-Sat., brunch Sun. Credit cards. $$$


MANDINA'S RESTAURANT
3800 Canal St., 482-9179; 4240 Hwy. 22, Mandeville, (985) 674-9883; www.mandinasrestaurant.com
The New Orleans Mandina's is remodeled and back to normal, but one of the benefits of Katrina is that now diners on the Northshore can enjoy the same Creole classics on their side of the lake. Stacks of fat onion rings are popular appetizers. House specialties also include starters like turtle soup with sherry, and the standby entrée is the trout meuniere with a thick brown sauce. No reservations. Lunch and dinner daily. Cash only. $$


MÉLANGE
Ritz-Carlton Hotel, 921 Canal St., 524-1331; www.ritzcarlton.com
The aptly named Melange serves a mix of its own dishes and some classic creations from the city's most popular traditional restaurants. The trio of crab combines crabmeat imperial, a crab cake with remoulade sauce and a Napoleon of crabmeat and avocado with cilantro and diced tomato with red onion and basil. The redfish is blackened and served with a decadent saffron crab risotto and shrimp bisque sauce. Reservations recommended. Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily, late-night Thu.-Sat., brunch Sun. Credit cards. $$


NEW ORLEANS BISTRO
27431 Hwy. 190, Lacombe, (985) 882-7282
Even though this restaurant is on the Northshore, traditional Creole cuisine is at the heart of the menu. House specialties include stuffed shrimp Creolaise (Louisiana shrimp stuffed with white lump crabmeat and fried till golden) and redfish Toulouse (fried redfish fillet topped with artichokes, mushrooms and shrimp in white wine cream sauce. There are also staples such as rib-eye steaks, salads, wraps and the spicy Voodoo Shrimp appetizer. Reservations recommended on weekends. Lunch Tue.-Fri., dinner Tue.-Sat. Credit cards and checks. $$


NEW ORLEANS FOOD AND SPIRITS
208 Lee Lane, Covington, (985) 875-0432, www.neworleansfoodandspirits.com
This seafood specialist serves up a boatload of dining options. Voodoo rolls are stuffed with crawfish and cheese, flash fried and served with Creole honey mustard. Seafood entrées include a sampler platter and the popular crab cakes Pontchartrain. For landlubbers, the smothered rabbit with white beans and rice is a popular lunch special. No reservations. Lunch Mon.-Tue., dinner Wed.-Sat. Credit cards. $$


OLD COFFEE POT RESTAURANT
714 St. Peter St., 524-3500;
The Old Coffee Pot is one of the few restaurants where diners can still find the traditional Creole rice cakes called calas, a breakfast treat sprinkled with powdered sugar and served with syrup. Breakfast also features eggs Jonathan, a variation on eggs Benedict that adds tomato and shrimp. Lunch and dinner offer an array of fried local seafood and crowd pleasers like gumbo, crawfish etouffée, shrimp Creole, bread pudding and bourbon pecan pie. Reservations recommended for 10 or more. Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. Credit cards. $$


OLIVIER'S CREOLE RESTAURANT
204 Decatur St., 525-7734; www.olivierscreole.com
The Creole rabbit with oyster dressing is a perennial favorite at Olivier's. Starters include a gumbo sampler (three kinds) and new potatoes with caviar. Entrées include classic shrimp Creole and crawfish etouffée. For dessert, try homemade bread pudding or fruit cobbler. Reservations recommended. Dinner Thu.-Tue. Credit cards. $$


PALMETTOS ON THE BAYOU
1901 Bayou Lane, Slidell, (985) 643-0050; www.palmettosonthebayou.net
Diners couldn't ask for much more from a bayou location than they'll find at Palmettos. The deck is a perfect place to dine overlooking the cypress lined bayou. Eggplant Palmettos starts with crispy eggplant and adds a shrimp- and crab-laden seafood sauce. Palmettos' shrimp pasta is flavored with roasted garlic, tomato and artichoke hearts. Steaks, fish and other Louisiana specialties complete the menu. Live jazz livens things up on Friday nights. Reservations recommended. Dinner Thu.-Sat. Credit cards and checks. $$

PAMPY'S CREOLE KITCHEN
2005 N. Broad Ave., 949-7970
With Chef Mike Jacobs at the helm, Pampy's lives up to its name by serving Creole classics, particularly the seafood-stuffed bell pepper and fried chicken made famous by the late Austin Leslie. Other Creole favorites include the deep-fried Cornish hen and New Orleans barbecue shrimp served with the heads and tails on. Reservations accepted for large parties. Lunch and dinner Mon.-Sat. Credit cards. $$

Pere Antoine
741 Royal St., 581-4478
This French Quarter mainstay boasts an ample menu of local favorites including Cajun crawfish pie, two pies stuffed with spicy crawfish tails, deep fried, served on a bed of rice and topped with etouffée. St. Nona's Catch is the restaurant's version of a fish-of-the-day, which is served on crisp eggplant medallions and topped with crabmeat with lemon butter sauce. Reservations recommended. Breakfast Fri.-Sun., lunch, dinner and late night daily. Credit cards. $$

PETUNIA'S
817 St. Louis St., 522-6440; www.petuniasrestaurant.com
This cozy Quarter café specializes in enormous crepes named after saints (Marie, Michael, Peter and James), each offering a choice of meats, sauces, cheese and vegetables. The menu boasts many Cajun dishes from jambalaya to blackened steak, plus a few offbeat creations like the shrimp Barataria in a smothering curry and dill sauce over rice. Reservations recommended for dinner. Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. Credit cards. $$$

TUJAGUE'S RESTAURANT
823 Decatur St., 525-8676; www.tujagues.com
After 150 years of business, Tujague's is one of the city's senior Creole establishments. It adheres to its longtime prix fixe menu with a small number of entrée selections complemented with other signature courses. The chicken Bonne Femme is seasoned chicken pan-fried with garlic and served with cottage fries. Crawfish Bayou Teche serves crawfish tails over fried eggplant with a crabmeat dressing. The brisket with tangy horseradish sauce is a signature dish. Reservations recommended. Dinner daily. Credit cards. $$$

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