Whether you think of this time of year as spring or crawfish season, it's a good time to dine out. Gambit Weekly's Spring Restaurant Guide surveys the city's dining scene from Cajun and Creole institutions to po-boy and pizza places. With restaurants arranged from A to Z, the guide has the latest news on menu items, hours of operation, reservation policies and more. Enjoy.

Prices

$ = $1-$10
$$ = $11-$20
$$$ = $21-up

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N

NACHO MAMA'S MEXICAN GRILL
1000 S. Clearview Pkwy, Harahan, 736-1188; 3242 Magazine St., 899-0031; www.nachomamasneworleans.com
Nacho Mama's serves Tex-Mex favorites and sweet-and-tart margaritas. Mama's Nachos are a pile of corn tortillas with a choice of chicken, ground beef, steak or pork loaded with black olives, jalapeños, sour cream, fresh pico de gallo and melted Monterey Jack and cheddar cheeses. The grilled 8-oz. salmon steak is rubbed with sugar and spices, grilled, topped with mango salsa and served with Spanish rice, black or refried beans and tortilla chips. No reservations. Lunch and dinner daily. Credit cards. $

NAPOLEON HOUSE
500 Chartres St., 524-9752; www.napoleonhouse.com
Napoleon House is iconic with its charming French Quarter atmosphere, specialty drinks like the refreshing Pimm's Cup, and its preference for classical music. Its version of the muffuletta is heated to draw out its flavor. The ratatouille calzone combines roasted seasonal vegetables in Dijon vinaigrette. Sandwiches include po-boys of roast beef, corned beef and pastrami, as well as a variety of vegetarian paninis. No reservations. Lunch daily. Credit cards. $$

NATZ Café
2101 Paris Road, Chalmette, 278-1998
Natz Café offers salads, wraps and daily specials. The Izzy salad is piled with ham, turkey, bacon, tomato and mixed greens with honey-mustard aioli. Or the Izzy can be made into a wrap. The equally popular Flour Power salad features mixed greens, goat cheese, fresh sliced strawberries, candied pecans and homemade balsamic vinaigrette. The café is still in the Flour Power family, offering Flour Power cakes, pastries and king cakes year-round. No reservations. Lunch Mon.-Sat. Credit cards and checks. $

N'AWLINS FLAVA CAFÉ
830 N. Rampart St., 324-6420; www.nawlinsflavacafe.com
Get your taste buds ready for a menu that offers a selection of Creole, Cajun and soul food dishes. There's pecan-crusted salmon, redfish courtbouillon stuffed with crabmeat and baked in red sauce, smothered pork chops, hog maws and oxtails in brown gravy. If that's not enough, check out the chitlins, collard greens, seasoned rice and cornbread. Delivery available in the French Quarter. No reservations. Breakfast, lunch and dinner Wed.-Mon. Credit cards. $$

NEW CITY GRILLE
2700 Metairie Road, Metairie, 828-8484; www.newcitygrille.net
Mixing Creole favorites with updated classics gives the menu at New City Grille its flavorful twist. Shrimp remoulade, jumbo lump crab cakes and oysters en brochette are familiar appetizers. Burgers, salads and sandwiches make appearances on the menu, as do more elaborate options like a spice-rubbed rib-eye, crawfish spring rolls and redfish topped with jumbo lump crabmeat. Reservations recommended. Lunch and dinner Mon.-Sat. Credit cards. $$

NEW ORLEANS BISTRO
27431 Hwy. 190, Lacombe, (985) 882-7282
Traditional Creole cuisine is at the heart of the menu at this Northshore restaurant. House specialties include redfish Toulouse with a fried fillet topped with artichokes, mushrooms and shrimp in white wine cream sauce. Stuffed shrimp Creolaise features golden-fried Louisiana shrimp stuffed with white lump crabmeat. 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 BREAKFAST & PANCAKE HOUSE
101 Lapalco Blvd., Gretna, 394-7272; 4301 Veterans Memorial Blvd., Metairie, 281-4510
These comfortable cafés are open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Start the day with the Big House omelet made with four eggs, bacon, sausage, peppers, onions, mushrooms and cheese. No reservations. Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. Metairie location open 24 hours Thu.-Sat. Credit cards. $

NEW ORLEANS CAKE CAFÉ & BAKERY
2440 Chartres St., 943-0010
This cozy bakery offers its own home-baked goods and full breakfast and lunch menus. Bagels, bread, cakes, Danishes and pastries are made on the premises. Creative takes on old favorites include an apple goat cheese king cake. For breakfast, try an omelet of spinach, bacon and Brie. Lunch sandwich options include fresh roasted turkey with roasted sweet red pepper aioli on a choice of house-baked bread. No reservations. Breakfast and lunch Tue.-Sun. Credit cards. $

NEW ORLEANS FOOD AND SPIRITS
208 Lee Lane, Covington, (985) 875-0432
Smothered rabbit with white beans and rice is a popular lunch special at this casual café. Seafood choices offer a boatload of dining options. Voodoo rolls are stuffed with crawfish and cheese, flash fried and served with Creole honey mustard. Entrées include a fried seafood sampler platter and crab cakes Pontchartrain. No reservations. Lunch Mon.-Tue., dinner Wed.-Sat. Credit cards. $$

THE NEW ORLEANS GRILL AT THE WINDSOR COURT
300 Gravier St., 523-6000; www.windsorcourthotel.com
The Windsor Court is always an elegant spot to enjoy a refined meal. The New Orleans Grill features a mix of contemporary French and Louisiana cooking. The wine cellar is well stocked for any occasion. Reservations recommended. Breakfast daily, lunch Mon.-Fri., dinner daily. Credit cards. $$$

NEW ORLEANS HAMBURGER AND SEAFOOD COMPANY
817 Veterans Memorial Blvd., Metairie, 837-3382; 1005 S. Clearview Pkwy., Jefferson, 734-1122; 6920 Veterans Memorial Blvd., Metairie, 455-1272; www.nohsc.com
It's hamburger, seafood and a contemporary menu that includes entrées like barbecue ribs, grilled salmon, steaks, catfish pecan and crawfish etouffée. True to its burgers-and-seafood roots, there are still old favorites like half-pound burgers and the original one-handed barbecue shrimp po-boy. On the garden side is the Strawberry Fields salad with grilled chicken, fresh sliced strawberries, blue cheese and red onions in poppy seed dressing. No reservations. Lunch and dinner daily. Credit cards. $$

NEW YORK PIZZA
5201 Magazine St., 891-2376
New York Pizza serves up thin-crust pies with a wide variety of toppings. The Super Big Apple pizza piles on almost every ingredient in the kitchen. The Queen's pizza pairs spinach, artichoke, mushrooms and feta with a white olive oil-based sauce. Grab it to go or enjoy the Magazine foot traffic at one of the sidewalk tables. Delivery available. No reservations. Lunch and dinner daily. Credit cards. $$
NILE CAFÉ
3100 Magazine St., 897-0920
To see for yourself what sets this Magazine Street restaurant apart from its peers, start with the red lentil soup or the baba ghanoush dip. A delectable blend of seasonings spices up the kebabs and the other grilled meat plates. No reservations. Lunch and dinner daily. Credit cards. $$

NINJA SUSHI
8433 Oak St., 866-1119
Guests wait in Ninja's ground-level bar before heading to the spacious dining room upstairs for meals. Fresh cuts of maguro, salmon and snapper issue forth from the long sushi bar, and the kitchen produces a full array of soups and cooked Japanese dishes, including broiled neck of yellowtail and ice cream balls in rice paper wrappers. No reservations. Lunch and dinner Tue.-Sun. Credit cards. $$

NIRVANA INDIAN CUISINE
4308 Magazine St., 894-9797; www.insidenirvana.com
The lunch buffet is a consistent draw at this Uptown go-to for curry and naan, though at night the á la carte menu offers many more options. Specialties include butter chicken, a roasted chicken breast in a tomato and butter sauce. The Saag paneer is a dish of curried spinach made with Indian cheese. For dessert, try rice pudding or saffron kulfi and Indian-style ice cream. Reservations recommended for five or more. Lunch and dinner Tue.-Sun. Credit cards. $$

NOLA RESTAURANT
534 St. Louis St., 522-6652; www.emerils.com
With its French Quarter address, central elevator and three floors, NOLA may be the most urbane setting for celebrity chef Emeril Lagasse's cooking, but the cuisine has plenty of rustic accents. Appetizers include crispy veal sweetbreads and roasted clams with apple-smoked bacon in beer broth and focaccia bread. Entrées include garlic-crusted Texas redfish and grilled pork porterhouse with brown-sugar-glazed sweet potatoes. Reservations recommended. Lunch Sat., dinner daily. Credit cards. $$$

N'TINI'S
2891 Hwy. 190, Suite D, Mandeville, (985) 626-5566
Straightforward seafood and steak are given a facelift at N'Tini's with New Orleans-accented versions of classic dishes. The popular soft-shell crab comes topped with crabmeat, and the beef tournedos feature two 6-oz. filets atop fried eggplant medallions. Match one of N'Tini's martinis with the crab cake Napoleon, two crab cakes and eggplant topped with lobster meat in a brandy cream sauce. Reservations recommended. Lunch Mon.-Fri., dinner Mon.-Sat. Credit cards. $$$

NUVOLARI'S
246 Gerard St., Mandeville, (985) 626-5619; www.nuvolaris.com
Originally a country store dating back to the 1930s, Nuvolari's long ago evolved into a showcase for refined, Louisiana-influenced Italian cuisine. The menu changes regularly, and Nuvolari's deep wine list can match the variety. Try the redfish (with citrus meuniere, haricots verts and jumbo lump crabmeat) or the osso buco. Reservations recommended. Dinner daily. Credit cards. $$

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