This city is, unquestionably, one of the top five restaurant cities in America. I would imagine that if one were to poll national food critics New Orleans would be listed among the top three. To my taste— and I’ve eaten extensively in most of America’s top restaurant cities— New Orleans is number one. Period. No question. End of discussion.
As a citizen, I consider myself
fortunate to have grown up 90 minutes away from this culinary mecca. As a
restaurateur, I consider myself blessed to have spent over six decades eating
my way through New Orleans. Granted, the Crescent City is a second home for me,
but I still log in over 120 New Orleans restaurant meals each year.
For the past couple of decades, I have kept a running journal of my restaurant visits in New Orleans. I also keep a to-do list of new restaurants that I have yet to visit, and a separate list of restaurants that I plan to re-visit. I also field a lot of requests for restaurant recommendations in New Orleans. There are a few dozen restaurants that aren’t on any to-do or re-visit list because they are places that I frequent on a regular basis. The following is that list.
Author’s Note: Everyone has an
opinion on restaurants, and all restaurant opinions are 100% subjective. You
have yours. These are mine:
MY
FAVORITE BREAKFAST SPOT: LA BOULANGERIE, 4600 Magazine St— Most mornings
I drive from the Marigny to Uptown Magazine just west of Napoleon, because the
croissants are worth the drive. I have been doing a deep dive into bakeries for
the past year as we prepare to open one in Hattiesburg. I have yet to find one
that tops La Boulangerie.
Other
Breakfast Joints I Frequent: Toast, 5433 Laurel Street— I bounce
between the Uptown location and the one near the fairgrounds. Toast is 100%
local New Orleans in the morning.
MY
FAVORITE BRUNCH SPOT: PALADAR 511, 511 Marigny Street— This is the place
I eat brunch most often, and not just because it’s in our building. The huevos
rancheros and the lemon-ricotta blueberry pancakes are stellar. I can never
choose between the two, so I always order both. The new dinner menu is
excellent, too.
Other
Brunches I Frequent: Justine, 2440 Chartres St.— Justin Devillier’s
French Quarter spot, and its sister restaurant to La Petit Grocery, are fun,
lively, and all the offerings are excellent.
Brennan’s,
417 Royal Street— Of the four old-line French Quarter institutions,
Galitoire’s, Arnaud’s Antoine’s, and Brennan’s, I eat at the latter most often.
Ralph Brennan did the city a huge favor when he took over the reins several
years back.
Gris
Gris, 1800 Magazine Street— Eric Cook is a hard-working, dedicated chef
who has excellent touch when it comes to food and a keen eye to know what his guests
want. The brunch is great, but so are lunch and dinner. Great Sunday/Monday
spots. The newly opened Saint John in the French Quarter is hitting on all
cylinders as well.
MY
FAVORITE DINNER SPOT: BRIGTSEN’S, 723 Dante St— This restaurant and this
chef have been at the top of my list for over three decades. Frank Brigtsen is
the heir apparent to his longtime mentor, Paul Prudhomme. The Butternut Shrimp
Bisque is one of the best soups I have ever tasted (second only to Paul Bocuse’s
mushroom soup in Lyon). The seafood platter is off the menu these days, but
components of it— such as Warren LeRuth’s baked oyster recipe— still remain. I
could seriously make a meal of just the crawfish cornbread, alone. Long live
Frank Brigtsen.
Other dinner spots I frequent:
La Petit Grocery, 4238 Magazine St— The birthplace of the Blue Crab Beignet
Coquette, 2800 Magazine St— Solid offerings from a team with excellent “touch” who always seem to be working together as a team.
Lilette, 3637 Magazine St— Also a perfect spot for lunch.
Bywater American Bistro, 2900 Chartres St— Nina Compton runs my wife’s favorite New Orleans restaurant.
August, 301 Tchoupitoulas Street—
Probably still my favorite fine-dining spot in the city after all of these
years.
MY
FAVORITE STEAKHOUSE: DORIS METROPOLITAN, 620 Chartres St— Their aged
prime beef is excellent. My son loves this place.
Other steakhouses I frequent: Mr.
John’s Steakhouse 2111 St. Charles Avenue— It always feels very “Uptown
New Orleans” in that room, and the steaks are great, too.
MY
FAVORITE PO-BOY SHOP: DOMILISE’S, 5240 Annunciation Street— My go-to for
po-boys for over 30 years.
Other po-boy shops I frequent:
Parkway Bakery and Tavern 538 Hagan Avenue— There’s always a line so schedule accordingly.
R&O Restaurant and Catering, 216 Metairie-Hammond Highway— A great roast beef po-boy, and excellent fried seafood.
If there’s
not a line out of the door at the Acme in the Quarter, dash in, be seated,
order the best roast beef po-boy intown, and a dozen on the half shell with the
hottest horseradish known to man. Excellent.
MY
FAVORITE SANDWICH— THE SAM AT STEIN’S DELI, 2207 Magazine St— In years
past I have driven from Hattiesburg, ordered this sandwich, eaten it, and
driven home.
Other
awesome and original sandwiches:
Turkey & the Wolf, 739 Jackson Avenue— A few years ago Mason Herford
turned the sandwich world upside down, in the most beautiful and hilarious way.
The Collard Green Melt and Fried Bologna Sandwiches are, on one hand, everyman’s
food, and on the other hand, brilliantly inspired.
MY
FAVORITE APPETIZER: OYSTER BLT, GRIS GRIS, 1800 Magazine Street— Perfection
on a plate. Smoked pork belly, tomato jam, crispy fried oysters, and sugarcane
vinegar with a touch of heat.
Other
Favorite Appetizers:
Shrimp and Tasso Henican, Commander’s Palace, 1403 Washington Avenue
MY FAVORITE BLOCK FOR FOOD (*the three-fer)
The Italian Barrel, 1240 Decatur St— Solid Italian (my favorite in the city).
Dian Xin, 1218 Decatur St— Solid Chinese (my favorite in the city).
El Gato
Negro, 81 French Market Place— Solid Mexican (my favorite in the
city).
MY
FAVORITE PIZZA: PIZZA DELICIOUS, 617 Piety Street— Excellent pies.
MY
FAVORITE BURGER: COMPANY BURGER, 4600 Freret Street— Everything I want
in a burger joint.
(Note:
Those who wait in line at Port Of Call can get the same burger at Snug Harbor a
few blocks away, without the wait)
MY
FAVORITE THAI RESTAURANT: SUKHO THAI, 2200 Royal St— My family eats a
fair amount of Thai food. This place is always spot on.
MY
FAVORITE OYSTER BAR: PASCAL’S MANALE, 1838 Napoleon Avenue— It’s an
old-school stand-up oyster bar. The oysters are always cold and salty. My son
and I go there for the raw oysters and typically eat dinner somewhere else.
Though he would probably tell you that Casamento’s is his favorite. Lately, the
four of us have been eating oysters at Cooter Brown’s at the Riverbend (oysters
always taste better in a dive bar).
MY
FAVORITE ATMOSPHERE: SEAWORTHY, 630 Carondelet Street— The designers did
such a great job on all aspects of this interior. I love it. Killer oyster
selection, too.
MY
OFF-THE-BEATEN-PATH FAVORITE: ROSEDALE, 801 Rosedale Drive— You have to
be going there to get there, but this Susan Spicer restaurant almost feels as
if it were 100% tailor made for me— very casual, comfortable, with great
service and excellent food. The barbeque shrimp served there should be the gold
standard for all others. The fried chicken thighs perfect.
MY
FAVORITE TACOS: GALAXIE TACOS, 3060 St. Claude Avenue— the barbacoa
tacos here are spot on. The converted gas station vibe is perfect, and there’s
almost always a place to park on the neutral ground of St. Claude.
Other taco joints: Val’s, 4632 Freret—
there must be something about tacos served in a converted gas station that
appeals to me.
MY FAVORITE GUMBO: STATION 6, 105
Metairie-Hammond Highway— I have yet to finish a giant bowl of this gumbo
that always comes out piping hot and loaded with large shrimp and plenty of
oysters and crabmeat.
Other gumbos I like:
Herbsaint, 701 St. Charles Avenue
Gris Gris 1800 Magazine Street
MY FAVORITE SOUP: SHRIMP AND SQUASH
BISQUE, BRIGTSEN’S, 723 Dante St— So good it’s worth mentioning twice in
this list.
MY OFTEN-RECOMMENDED NOT-IN-ANOTHER-CATEGORY FAVORITES (the Link trifecta)
Herbsaint 701 St Charles Avenue
Cochon 930 Tchoupitoulas Street
Peche 800 Magazine Street
OTHER RANDOM FAVORITES
Mosca’s— the best red gravy in town. Also, the spot for Monday lunch Red Beans and Rice.
N7— cool outdoor area. Solid French-inspired cuisine.
Horn’s— another great locals-only breakfast spot.
Red’s Chinese— three words: Kung Pao Pastrami.
Gabrielle— glad they’re back.
Saint Germain— one of the best fine dining meals I’ve eaten in New Orleans in years. The chefs have excellent “touch.” It’s a tough reservation to get. Partially because there are only 12 seats inside, but also because it is so good.
Mosca’s— No need to make decisions, get the Spaghetti Bordelaise and the Oysters Mosca and eat them together.
Crabmeat Holleman
1 /2 cup Mayonnaise
2 Egg Yolks
1 Tbl. Sherry
1 Tbl. Creole Mustard
1 Tbl. Lemon juice, freshly squeezed
1 tsp. Crescent City Grill Creole Seasoning
1 tsp. Worcestershire
1 tsp. Crescent City Grill Cayenne & Garlic Sauce
1 /3 cup Red bell pepper, small dice
1 /3 cup Green bell pepper, small dice
1 lb. Jumbo lump crabmeat
1 /2 lb. Backfin lump crabmeat
2 8oz. wheels Brie or Camembert cheese, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
6 Tbl. Seasoned breadcrumbs
8 Oven-proof
ramekins or scallop shell
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Combine the first eight ingredients
and mix thoroughly with a wire whisk. Stir in peppers. Gently fold crabmeat
into liquid mixture making sure not to break up the crabmeat lumps.
Place a layer of crabmeat mixture
into a 6 oz. ramekin, then 2 cubes of Brie and another layer of crab. Top with
seasoned breadcrumbs and bake for 10 – 12 minutes or until bubbly and
breadcrumbs are brown. Garnish with chopped parsley.
15 comments:
The carjacking and armed robberies in New Orleans are just as bad as in Jackistan. Stay away.
I need to check these places out. Last time I went, it seemed like there were a lot of tourist trap places that numbered in the hundreds.
Ho hum! Robert St John is a third rate Richard Collin knock off!
While adding or subtracting one or two restaurants, seems he copies and pastes this same article a few times per year.
And how many times does he have to tell us how close Hattiesburg is to NOLA ... (and that he often makes a round trip down there just to eat something)?
I wish I could.
Hell, I also wish I could spend many months per year in Italy.
I do like RSJ, but was he in that Jeff Good crew bitching about the Jackson water ?
@2:48
You can catch the City of New Orleans Amtrak train at Union Station in Jackson for like $50 and spend the day. I recommend staying the night in a hotel and catching the return train the next day.
It is quicker to drive a car though. Just leave the metro before sunrise and leave New Orleans before sunset. I can make the round trip in my NX450h on a single tank of gas.
The Robert St. John Heart, Diabetes, Liver and Gout Clinic at St. D's.
Most of us find St. John's posts interesting, informative and worthwhile.
Why does it trigger the trolls with "Shitty-Life-Syndrome" to pounce every damn time he posts?
" You can catch the City of New Orleans Amtrak train at Union Station
in Jackson for like $50 "
I agree that driving down 55 is a much
more pleasant experience.
Have you ever taken that Amtrak train "City of New Orleans" to
New Orleans ?
(It ain't as romantic and nostalgic as the Arlo Guthrie song makes
it out to be).
But if Robert St.John has the money to drive down and back
just for a shrimp po-boy ... more power to the man.
@7:40 PM Because we can trash blue progressive high crime cities at will.
I appreciate this article and look forward to some of his recommendations for my trip there this fall. Thank you!
Almost all these restaurants are not ones I knew living in ew Orleans in the '00s. I'm happy to have the recommendations. (And that's all they are and we can ignore them if we want.).
I'll bet all these eateries can count on clean running water. For now, anyway.
I do my Creole dining at Popeyes in Madison. It’s whole lot closer, cheaper, and I don’t get shot.
We had dinner last night at Brigtsen’s, and I agree 100%. You absolutely cannot go wrong with anything on that daily changing menu. But I am surprised not to see G W Fin’s on St John’s list. We had dinner there Tuesday night and the food, service, and ambiance are as near perfect as you’ll find in a restaurant (though it is a bit loud).
"I still log in over 120 New Orleans restaurant meals each year."
No one but a wannabe nouveau riche redneck would say that and beg for taxpayer support in the same period of a pandemic in which hourly workers - some of which I suspect you laid off - were having trouble feeding their kids. I doubt this will make it but St. John, you are a nouveau riche redneck. Plain said, heartfelt, and as a regular in some of the places you list, if we ever cross paths I'll gladly say it to your face.
It's always interesting to read the Comments concerning Mr St-John. He's invested a lot of $$'s in Ms eateries & I appreciate that very much. I'm sure many of You have ever left the Jackson Metro area, others seem to always criticize his opinions thru & thru. I appreciate his opinion, his willingness to share his opinions along the way. Thanks Sir
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