Muriels
(http://www.muriels.com/)
801 Chartres Street
Reservations, 504-568-1885
Palace Cafe
(http://www.palacecafe.com/)
Dickie Brennan's Palace Café is located at 605 Canal Street, at the entrance to the French
Quarter, between Chartres and Royal Streets.
Bourbon House
(http://www.bourbonhouse.com/)
144 Bourbon Street
Brennans
(http://www.brennansneworleans.com/)
417 Royal Street, In the French Quarter
Phone: (504) 525-9711
Gumbo Shop
640 St. Peter St.
504-525-1486;
(www.gumboshop.com)
It's not hard to remember where to find good gumbo, but it may be hard to choose once you get there. In the heart of the French Quarter, the Gumbo Shop simmers down the choice to seafood and okra gumbo with crab, shrimp and a touch of tomato and a chicken and andouille gumbo enriched with a chicken stock. You're bound to be bowled over by one of them.
Port of Call
838 Esplanade Ave., right across from where the reception is)
504-523-0120
(www.portofcallneworleans.com)
Port of Call's big, thick, juicy burgers tower almost like a lighthouse on the edge of the French Quarter. The ever-popular bar and burger joint draws crowds early on weekends and late at night. As always, the burgers come with a couple of options like cheese or mushrooms and a baked potato on the side.
Camilia Grill
626 S. Carrollton Ave., 309-2679
If absence makes the heart grow fonder, it might also have made the burgers, omelets, chili cheese fries and chocolate freezes all the more irresistible at this landmark Riverbend diner. Reopened this spring after a long, storm-induced hiatus, the Camellia Grill has new owners and several significant upgrades -- but it retains all its old charm for readers who gladly throw diets to the wind and join the lunchtime line to wait for a counter seat. About Camilia Grill
Columns Hotel
(great brunch, streetcar uptown)
3811 St. Charles Avenue
http://www.thecolumns.com/
The Grocery
(streetcar uptown, great muffaletta)
2854 Saint Charles Avenue
http://www.thegroceryneworleans.com/
GW Fins
(French Quarter, great seafood)
808 Bienville Street - 504.581.(FINS) 3467
http://www.gwfins.com/nola/
Commanders Palace
1403 Washington Ave., 899-8221;
(www.commanderspalace.com)
Breakfast may be the most important meal of the day, but many Gambit readers consider brunch at Commander's the most celebratory. The stately dining rooms are decorated with balloons, and a jazz combo roves around playing cheerful New Orleans tunes. The traditional jazz brunch table d'hote special starts out with a Commander's Palace Bloody Mary and concludes with a bread pudding souffle for dessert.
Liuzzas
3636 Bienville St., 482-9120;
(www.liuzzas.com)
It will take more than ceiling-high floodwaters to keep this favorite New Orleans neighborhood restaurant down. Freshly repaired and renovated after Katrina, Liuzza's continues to win over readers with its fantastically frigid beer mugs, local Creole-Italian comfort food, a dining room as bustling as a family dinner and creations like the Frenchuletta -- Liuzza's own take on the muffuletta, served hot on French bread with housemade olive salad.
Deanies
841 Iberville St., 581-1316
(http://secure.deanies.com/restaurant.html)
Boiled, fried, stuffed or sauteed, local seafood and Deanie's are practically synonymous for many of our readers. With its own seafood market located right next door, Deanie's keeps the spirit of the old Bucktown fishing village alive. It is famous for its formidable portions and family-friendly pricing. Just try tackling the towering seafood combo platter if you have any doubts.
Dragos
2 Poydras St., 888-9254
(www.dragosrestaurant.com)
With its own refrigerator truck shuttling between the restaurant and the docks, Drago's literally goes the extra mile to ensure the freshest local seafood. The shuckers here go through an especially prodigious volume of oysters, whether plated raw or charbroiled with garlic butter. Drago's is also a destination for Maine lobsters and other specialties like the "shuckee duckee," a blackened duck breast over linguini pasta.
Napoleon House
(500 Chartres St., 524-9752)
www.napoleonhouse.com
Jacques-Imo's Cafe
(8324 Oak St., 861-0886)
www.jacquesimoscafe.com
The word has been out now for years about this offbeat, eclectic Creole cafe in the Riverbend, but popularity and large crowds thronging its doors have done nothing to dampen its fans' enthusiasm. Spirited cooking, huge portions, a seemingly endless list of specials and a loose, party atmosphere have cemented Jacques-Imo's in the hearts of many.
Galatoire's Restaurant
(209 Bourbon St., 525-2021)
www.galatoires.com
It just doesn't get any more "New Orleans" than Galatoire's, the 102-year-old culinary landmark that offers a slice of old Creole elegance and hospitality in the heart of bawdy Bourbon Street. Classic dishes like fried eggplant, souffle potatoes, trout meuniere and pompano with crabmeat are favorites here. The first-floor dining room, with its antique atmosphere and no-reservations policy, remains the place to see and be seen.
Acme Oyster House
(724 Iberville St., 522-5973)
http://www.acmeoyster.com/
Acme has the right touch with oysters, whether you want them raw or fried. Readers prefer the revered restaurant's oyster po-boys to other popular sandwich makers' versions. Acme keeps it simple with golden fried oysters on French bread, dressed to order. Some locations also offer a traditional oyster loaf with butter and pickles.
Mother's Restaurant
(401 Poydras St., 523-9656)
www.mothersrestaurant.net
Red Beans and Rice, poboys, sandwiches - Featured on Travel Channel, etc.
