AMERICAN CONTEMPORARY
5FIFTY5
Marriott Hotel, 555 Canal St., 553-5638
The menu at 5Fifty5 offers a unique blend of sophisticated and home-style comfort foods. The lobster mac and cheese is smothered in a special three-cheese sauce, topped with fresh Maine lobster and served with grilled crostini. The double-cut Silverado lamb chop dish is succulent marinated chops cooked on an open wood-burning grill, served with Abita Amber greens and boudin made in house. Reservations recommended. Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. Credit cards. $$
ARDOISE
4300 Veterans Memorial Blvd., Metairie, 885-5566
The chefs at Ardoise offer exciting intercontinental versions of refined seafood and steak dishes. Try the sweet Thai chili calamari or the coffee-rubbed New York strip served with sweet potato hash. Daily lunch specials are also available. Reservations recommended. Lunch Mon.-Fri., dinner Tue.-Sat. Credit cards. $$$
BAYONA
430 Dauphine St., 525-4455; www.bayona.com
Celebrity chef and now cookbook author Susan Spicer may have made some of her creations available for fans to attempt at home, but for the full effect, it's better to leave it in the hands of the master. Don't miss the grilled duck breast with a pepper jelly glaze or her renowned goat cheese croutons with mushrooms in Madeira cream. Reservations recommended. Lunch Wed.-Sat., dinner Mon.-Sat. Credit cards. $$$
BEEBE'S
7224 Pontchartrain Blvd., 302-9657
At the Lakefront, Beebe's offers local seafood and a worldy approach to fine dining. Chef Kristen Olsen serves Gulf shrimp tempura with spicy Thai curry and soy and sake steamed mahi mahi is served with soba noodles, ginger and lemongrass. Handmade pasta is served with wild mushrooms, Reggiano cheese and truffle oil. Brunch features crepes with Gulf shrimp and blue crab. For a final course, sample from the cheese selection or try a dessert like hot donuts with chicory sauce and Kahlua cream. Reservations accepted. Dinner Tue.-Sat., brunch Sun. Credit cards. $$
BISTRO DAISY
5831 Magazine St., 899-6987
The bright exterior of this upscale Uptown bistro is as cheery as a daisy. Inside, deep purple walls make for an intimate atmosphere. Chef Anton Schulte creates daily specials in addition to regular items, which include the Daisy salad, composed of fresh mozzarella, roasted peppers, baby arugula, pine nuts and white balsamic vinaigrette. Entrées are equally elaborate; celebrate crawfish season with the crawfish mascarpone ravioli. Reservations recommended. Dinner Tue.-Sat. Credit cards. $$$
BULL'S CORNER
1036 W. Airline Hwy., Laplace, (985) 652-3544; www.bullscorner.com
The filet Norton, chargrilled filet mignon served on top of marinated portobello mushroom and topped with Danish blue cheese and garlic butter, is still Bull's signature dish, but the fresh Maine lobster could be a good alternative. Daily lunch specials include baby-back ribs and save room for one of the special desserts such as bread pudding or chocolate overload, which is a hot brownie topped with ice cream, chocolate sauce and whipped cream. Reservations recommended. Lunch and dinner daily. Credit cards. $$
CHAD'S BISTRO
3216 W. Esplanade Ave., Metairie, 838-9935; www.chadsbistro.com
Chad's Bistro has something for everyone, with entrées ranging from fried seafood to pasta dishes to steaks. Options include the chicken Parmesan, which features an 8-oz. boneless breast grilled or fried and served in an Italian herb sauce over angel hair pasta with mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. Big enough for two people, the super seafood platter includes golden-fried shrimp, oysters, catfish, stuffed crab, stuffed shrimp, a jumbo soft-shell crab, plus a potato, salad and Texas toast. Reservations accepted. Lunch Sun.-Fri., dinner daily, late-night Fri.-Sat. Credit cards. $$
CRYSTAL ROOM AT LE PAVILLON
833 Poydras St., 581-3111; www.lepavillonhotel.com
The elegance of this Poydras Street hotel carries into its regal dining room, where hot and cold buffets, cooked-to-order stations and a dessert bar offer a selection of food fit for a king. At breakfast, order a custom omelet or eggs Benedict. At lunch, choose from healthy salad options, New Orleans specialties and pasta dishes. Reservations accepted. Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. Credit cards. $$$
DOMINIQUE'S RESTAURANT
1001 Toulouse St., Maison Dupuy Hotel, 522-8800; www.dominiquesrestaurant.com
Dominique Macquet, a classically trained chef and native of Mauritius, combines fresh local ingredients with exotic influences from around the globe for a distinctive cuisine at his namesake restaurant in the Maison Dupuy hotel. Seared Moulard duck breast and duck leg confit are served with parsnips en crepinette, a masala pear fondant and duck-fig jus. Seared pompano is served on a fricassee of rock shrimp and hearts of palm with lobster-lemon oil. Reservations recommended. Dinner Tue.-Sat. Credit cards. $$$
IRIS
8115 Jeannette St., 862-5848; www.irisneworleans.com
An intimate and cozy atmosphere makes dining on classic French dishes with Asian accents all the better at this Uptown locale. Among the most popular are dishes like the ricotta gnudi, house-made ricotta cheese and dumplings with a truffle filling served with basil, tomatoes and Parmesan cream. The braised Niman Ranch lamb shank is complemented by wild mushrooms, housemade pappardelle, lacinato kale, roasted shallots and basil. The bar mixes an array of creative cocktails with fresh fruit. Reservations recommended. Dinner Mon.-Sat. Credit cards. $$$
MR. JOHN'S RISTORANTE
2111 St. Charles Ave., 679-7697; www.mrjohnssteakhouse.com
Half of the menu at Mr. John's reads like that of a classic New Orleans steakhouse, while the other half offers a tour of northern Italian specialties. From shrimp scampi to crabmeat-stuffed ravioli to grilled seafood dishes, the kitchen satisfies a wide range of cravings. When it comes to steaks, Mr. John's broils strips, filets, rib-eyes and other cuts to order and serves them sizzling with butter. Reservations recommended. Dinner Tue.-Sat. Credit cards. $$$
NEW CITY GRILLE
2700 Metairie Road, Metairie, 888-8484
Mixing Creole favorites with updated classics gives the menu at New City Grille a unique twist. Shrimp remoulade, jumbo lump crab cakes and oysters en brochette are familiar appetizers. Popular entrées include the spice-rubbed rib-eye with garlic mashed potatoes and grilled vegetables, and the Gulf fish pecan. There are also burgers, steaks and seafood entrées like grilled redfish with lump crab and lemon butter. Reservations recommended. Lunch and dinner Mon-Sat. Credit cards. $$
PELLICANO RISTORANTE
4224 Williams Blvd., Kenner, 467-2930; www.pellicanoristorante.com
Pellicano's menu is a melting pot of exotic ingredients and culinary influences. Duck confit spring rolls are stuffed with duck, wild mushrooms, caramelized leeks and pine nuts and are served with a pomegranate reduction. Caribbean lobster is poached in butter and served with lemongrass, asparagus and crab succotash with lemon verbena roasted garlic mashed potatoes and roasted fennel vinaigrette. For dessert there are sweet concoctions like Kona coffee-infused Belgian chocolate flourless cake and hazelnut crusted Meyer lemon cheesecake with blackberry sauce. Reservations recommended. Dinner Tue.-Sun. Credit cards. $$$
VERANDA AT THE HOTEL INTERCONTINENTAL
444 St. Charles Ave., 585-4383
European flair and Southern hospitality mix and mingle at the flagship restaurant of the Hotel Intercontinental, where local chefs have been given a free hand to put their own stamp on the menu. The Sunday jazz brunch features the Gregg Stafford Trio, bubbly, carving stations and made-to-order omelets and desserts. Reservations recommended. Breakfast Mon.-Sat., lunch and dinner daily, brunch Sun. Credit cards. $$$
INDEX:
African
American
American Contemporary
Bar & Grill
Barbecue
Belgian
Brewpub
Burgers
Café
Cajun
Caribbean
Chinese
Coffee & Dessert
Creole
Deli
Diner
Fondue
French
Gourmet to Go
Greek
Indian
Italian
Japanese/Sushi
Korean
Latin American
Louisiana Contemporary
Mediterranean/Middle Eastern
Mexican/Southwestern
Music and Food
Neighborhood
Pan-Asian
Pizza
Sandwiches and Po-boys
Seafood
Soul Food
Steakhouse
Tapas/Spanish
Thai
Vietnamese
