FRENCH

BISTRO 38
3838 N. Causeway Blvd., Metairie, 836-5253; www.bistro38restaurant.com
Rustic, hearty dishes comprise the menu at this country French bistro. The 12-oz. rib-eye is prepared with Dijon, parsley and butter and served with wedged potatoes and French green beans. For those in the mood for seafood, Dominique's Louisiana bouillabaisse combines fresh fish, shrimp, oysters and crawfish in a rich seafood broth. For dessert, there are crepes, bananas Foster and chocolate mousse. Lunch features more New Orleans-style salads and sandwiches. Reservations recommended. Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily, Sun. brunch. Credit cards. $$$

CAFÉ DEGAS
3127 Esplanade Ave., 945-5635; www.cafédegas.com
Springtime along Esplanade Avenue practically insists on a stop at Café Degas and its quintessential French bistro atmosphere and covered-patio dining area. For starters, try the pan-fried sweetbreads served over citrus-marinated artichokes with Meyer lemon marmalade for dipping. Popular dishes for spring include Dijon-crusted rack of Australian lamb, served with hushpuppies and a rosemary demi-glace. Housemade hogshead cheese is served with baby greens, Creole mustard and pickled okra. Reservations recommended. Lunch Wed.-Sat., dinner Wed.-Sun., brunch Sun. Credit cards. $$

CAFÉ LYNN
3051 E. Causeway Approach, Mandeville, (985) 624-9007; www.cafélynn.com
A contemporary restaurant with a romantic atmosphere, Café Lynn serves classic French-Creole cuisine with local flair. The restaurant's signature dish is a blend of local seafood stuffed inside roasted eggplant. The scallops Provencal is a dish of pan-seared sea scallops served with fresh herbs, persillade and pistou, blends of parsley, basil, olive oil and garlic. No reservations. Lunch Tue.-Fri., dinner Tue.-Sat. Credit cards. $$

CHATEAU DU LAC WINE BISTRO
2037 Metairie Road, Metairie, 831-3773; www.chateaudulacbistro.com
Unlike its French-Creole cousins, this recently re-located bistro is exclusively French, with a menu relying on continental classics like escargot bathing in garlic butter, seared foie gras with port, coq au vin and the timeless steak au poivre, an 8-oz. filet with a black pepper crust. Lighter fare includes a goat cheese papillotte with goat cheese, artichoke and tarragon. Reservations preferred. Lunch and dinner Tue.- Sat., brunch Sun. Credit cards. $$$

CIRO'S COTÉ SUD
7918 Maple St., 866-9551; www.cotesudrestaurant.com
A charming bistro located among the quaint shops and storefronts of Maple Street, this French restaurant serves up classics and house favorites like the Moules au Bleu, a bowl of steamed mussels in a bleu cheese cream sauce, as well as other specialties like the Magret de Cannard aux Peches, a crispy skin duck breast served on a bed of house mashed potatoes and topped with a bourbon reduction sauce with prunes, apricot and peaches. Reservations recommended. Dinner Wed.-Mon. Checks. $$

FLAMING TORCH RESTAURANT
737 Octavia St., 895-0900; www.flamingtorchnola.com
A quietly unassuming neighborhood restaurant, the Flaming Torch's menu is anything but. In addition to traditional dishes like the Daube with its fine slices of top-round beef braised in red wine for hours with vegetables, it also offers tasty seafood entrées like the Oyster la Madrague, pan-fried oysters rolled in a grilled eggplant tomato sauce and topped with melted Gruyere, or the Crevettes Sazerac, jumbo shrimp with red bell peppers, herbs, saffron, rye bourbon and beer, served with toasted baguette slices. Reservations recommended. Lunch and dinner daily, brunch Sun. Credit cards. $$$

LA CREPE NANOU
1410 Robert St., 899-2670; www.lacrepenanou.com
With dining rooms that seem to be pulled straight from a Parisian restaurant, La Crepe Nanou offers classic bistro cuisine and a bit of a Francophile experience. Steamed mussels and fondue are great starters to share. Classic mussels are steamed in white wine with garlic and fresh herbs and served in a big bowl. Entrées include savory crepes, steak, roasted chicken and whole fish off the grill with a sauce of capers and lemon butter. No reservations. Dinner Mon.-Sat. Credit Cards. $$

LA PROVENCE
25020 Hwy. 190 E., Lacombe, (985) 626-7662; www.laprovencerestaurant.com
French master chef Rene Bajeux straddled two worlds when he brought French provincial cooking to his urbane downtown bistro. Now he brings his touch with terroir, or cooking "of the earth," to the more rural setting at La Provence. The menu changes every day, but in wintertime you might find lamb shank, bouillabaisse or the lavender duck, accompanied by local produce. Reservations recommended. Lunch Fri., dinner Wed.-Sun., brunch Sun. Credit cards. $$$

LILETTE RESTAURANT
3637 Magazine St., 895-1636; www.liletterestaurant.com
Lilette features chef/proprietor John Harris' refined French cooking combined with Italian and Spanish influences. For an appetizer, try the braised baby veal cheeks. The veal is slowly braised in red wine and veal stock and then served with greens in horseradish vinaigrette. Kurobuta pork belly is marinated, roasted and served with a salad of cucumber, tomato and basil, and a parsley crouton. Changing seafood dishes include fish such as cod, grouper and yellowfin tuna. Reservations accepted. Lunch and dinner Tue.-Sat. Credit cards. $$$

MARTINIQUE BISTRO
5908 Magazine St., 891-8495
When there's a chill in the air, the bistro is a great place to warm your body and spirit with satisfying French fare like the Guinness-braised lamb shank with leeks, fennel, apple-smoked bacon and caramelized onions. Molasses-cured duck breast is oven-roasted and served with a leg of duck confit and dried cherry Kirsch demi-glace . Reservations recommended. Lunch Fri.-Sat., dinner Tue.-Sun., brunch Sun. Credit cards. $$

ORLEANS GRAPEVINE WINE BAR AND BISTRO
720 Orleans Ave., 523-1930; www.orleansgrapevine.com
Duck into this urbane hideaway just behind St. Louis Cathedral for creative bistro cuisine and one of the city's largest selections of wine by the glass. Dig into plates of sautéed calamari served with sun-dried tomatoes, Kalamata olives and green onions in a Dijon-vermouth beurre blanc, or an entrée of pan-seared ahi tuna crusted with sesame. The double-cut pork chop is served with sweet potato and wild boar sausage hash on the side. No reservations. Dinner nightly. Credit cards. $$$

RICHE BY TODD ENGLISH
228 Poydras St., 533-6117; www.harrahs.com
Housed in the ground floor of Harrah's hotel, celebrity Chef Todd English's Riche pampers diners with classic French cuisine. Favorites include the cassoulet of white beans with lardons, andouille, merguez sausage and pulled duck meat baked in the oven with toasted breadcrumbs and served with a braised lamb shank. The bouillabaisse is a savory catch of Maine lobster, Littleneck clams, Prince Edward Island mussels, scallops, Gulf shrimp and potatoes in a lobster-saffron broth. Save room for Riche's delectable desserts like Grand Marnier soufflé. Reservations recommended. Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily, brunch Sat.-Sun. Credit cards. $$$

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