Winter Restaurant Guide (By Cuisine)
by Shala Carlson, Frank Etheridge, Kandace Power Graves, Allen Johnson Jr, Katy Reckdahl, David Lee Simmons, Eliza Strickland and Michael TisserandThat's why our annual Winter Restaurant Guide is categorized by cuisine and why, this year, we've even added another category: Pan-Asian, which reflects the increase of Asian fusion approaches in area restaurants. It all plays into the "what's in a name" game we play when trying to place labels in a region that so often defies labels. Maybe "guideline" is a better term, for this is the restaurant guide we provide for those moments when you know you're in a certain kind of mood ("Let's get some Creole tonight"). Here's to getting it right.
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KEY: $ -- $5 to $10 $$ -- $11 to $20 $$$ -- $21 or more |
African - Exotic offerings from the continent
American - More than just burgers and
not exactly diners, our American is as down-home familiar as all-day breakfasts,
chunky blue-cheese salads and super-stuffed potatoes.
American Contemporary
- This is where fusion takes familiar ingredients into unimagined realms
of flavor, such as salmon served with sauerkraut, scrambled eggs on pizzas and
chipotle Caesar salads.
Bagels - If it's round and boiled with
a hole in the middle, you're in the right place.
Bar & Grill - Where more drinks come
from the tap than from a sommelier and where food tastes better in a pair of
blue jeans.
Barbecue
- Sticky and sweet, meaty and smoky, a pile of cole slaw and a ladle of
beans ... you get the picture.
Brewpub - It's homebrew with a legitimate
label and contemporary American eats to match.
Burgers -
All-American, all-beef, all day.
Cafe - They simmer a soup and build
a sandwich as well as they pull an espresso and pour on the froth.
Cajun - The Acadiana roots show through
in dark roux, while a Prudhommian flair for blackening counts, too.
Caribbean - Jerk chicken, curry goat, ackee and salt fish.
Chinese - The many ways of China are represented, from straight-up
stir fries to dim sum for dinner.
Coffee & Dessert -
A cup of java (or several) and a pastry make even Mondays and exam weeks bearable.
Creole - With many Cajun-Creole hybrids
in the bunch, gumbos, turtle soups and paneed meats tend to rule the roost.
Deli -
There's only a counter between you and the sliced meats and cheeses, plate lunches
and prepared foods, olive salads and cheesecakes.
Diner - American-style eats with an
attitude, often served late into the night
French - Coq au vin, moules, pate, Champagne
... bon appetit.
Gourmet-to-Go - Bring 'em in, pack it
up, move 'em out in gourmet fashion ... unless they'd like to stay and eat for
a while.
Greek - Sun-drenched salads and spit-roasted meats.
Indian - Try a mango lassi or steamy
chai tea while you wait for heady curries, peppery lentils and soft, stuffed
naans.
Intercontinental
- Not exactly fusion cuisine, these restaurants tend to feature one continent
per plate, but a worldly variety on the menu.
Italian
- It would take years to taste all the red sauces, antipasti plates and
wedges of tiramisu.
Japanese - Bring on the wasabi; sushi
takes the day.
Korean - Opera singers and whole roasted
fish, or tableside grilling for the wary.
Latin American - Guanabana juice, black beans with rice and tres
leches cakes.
Louisiana Contemporary - Creole traditions
meet cutting-edge ingredients and today's techniques, such as foie gras with
lobster cream, Brie-stuffed duck breast and crabmeat with lemon confit.
Mediterranean - The cuisine of garlic and
capers, lots of olive oil and roasted peppers.
Mexican & Southwestern
- Tacos, burritos, flautas and quesadillas, all washed down with an ice
cold Corona.
Middle Eastern - Vegetarians adore this
category of fried chickpeas, stuffed grape leaves and tangy yogurt dips.
Music & Food - Where the music might be the reason for eating.
Neighborhood - Those places where red beans on Monday and
a perfect brisket is sacred and where your father might have eaten before you.
Pan-Asian - Blending the influences of Chinese, Japanese, Korean
dishes and beyond, the essence of Asian fusion.
Pizza - From caviar and capers to the
plain cheese pie -- they're all here.
Sandwiches & Po-Boys - The heart and
soul of comfort food.
Seafood - The prime suspects are the swimmers, the bottom
trollers and the shell dwellers -- grilled, broiled, boiled or fried.
Soul -
What real soul does to food: fried chicken, turkey necks, smothered okra and
ham hocks.
Steakhouse - Let the meat speak for itself.
Thai -
While paht Thai might have the final say, don't forget the coconut soups, the
minty beef salads and that orangey bittersweet tea.
Vegetarian & Health Food
- For the meatless, or when the rest of you have had your fill of cream
sauces and can't eat another fried morsel.
Vietnamese - Steaming bowls of pho,
stretchy spring rolls, tangy fish sauce, icy coconut desserts.
