NEW ORLEANS— 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 almost six decades eating my way through New Orleans. Granted, the Crescent City is a second home for me, but I still log in over 150 New Orleans restaurant meals there 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 | laboulangerienola.com
Most mornings I drive from the Marigny to Uptown Magazine just west of Napoleon, because the croissants are worth the drive.
Other Breakfast Joints I Frequent:
Toast 5433 Laurel Street | toastneworleans.com
I bounce between the Uptown location and the one near the fairgrounds. Toast is 100% local New Orleans in the morning.
Willa Jean 611 O’Keefe Avenue | willajean.com
A solid breakfast venue. Pre-Covid they made some wicked pecan sticky buns every Sunday morning. I miss those.
MY FAVORITE BRUNCH SPOT:
PALADAR 511 511 Marigny Street | paladar511.com
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.
Other Brunches I Frequent:
Justine 225 Chartres St. | justinenola.com
Justin Devillier’s French Quarter spot, and the sister restaurant to La Petit Grocery, is fun, lively, and all of the offerings are excellent.
Brennan’s 417 Royal Street | brennansneworleans.com
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.
MY FAVORITE DINNER SPOT:
BRIGTSEN’S 723 Dante St | brigtsens.com
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 often features Warren LeRuth’s baked oyster recipe, and 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 | lapetitegrocery.com
The birthplace of the Blue Crab Beignet
Coquette 2800 Magazine St | coquettenola.com
Solid offerings from a team with excellent “touch” who always seem to be working together as a team.
Lilette 3637 Magazine St | liletterestaurant.com
Also a perfect spot for lunch.
Bywater American Bistro 2900 Chartres St | bywateramericanbistro.com
Nina Compton runs my wife’s favorite New Orleans restaurant.
August 301 Tchoupitoulas Street | restaurantaugust.com
Probably still my favorite fine-dining spot in the city after all of these years.
MY FAVORITE STEAKHOUSE:
Doris Metropolitan 620 Chartres St | dorismetropolitan.com
Their aged prime beef is excellent. My son loves this place.
Other steakhouses I frequent:
Mr. John’s Steakhouse 2111 St. Charles Avenue | mrjohnssteakhouse.com
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 | domilisespoboys.com
My go-to for po-boys for over 30 years.
Other po-boy shops I frequent:
Parkway Bakery and Tavern 538 Hagan Avenue| parkwaypoorboys.com
There’s always a line so schedule accordingly.
R&O Restaurant and Catering 216 Metairie-Hammond Highway | r-opizza.com
A great roast beef po-boy, and excellent fried seafood.
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.
MY FAVORITE BLOCK FOR FOOD (*the three-fer)
The Italian Barrel 1240 Decatur St | theitalianbarrel.com
Solid Italian (my favorite in the city).
Dian Xin 1218 Decatur St | dianxinnola.com
Solid Chinese (my favorite in the city).
El Gato Negro 81 French Market Place | elgatonegronola.com
Solid Mexican (my favorite in the city).
MY FAVORITE PIZZA:
PIZZA DELICIOUS 617 Piety Street | pizzadelicious.com
Excellent pies.
MY FAVORITE BURGER
COMPANY BURGER 4600 Freret Street | thecompanyburger.com
Everything I want in a burger joint.
(Note: Those who wait in line at Port Of Call can get the same burger at Sung Harbor without the wait)
MY FAVORITE THAI RESTAURANT:
SUKHO THAI 2200 Royal St | sukhothai-nola.com
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 | pascalsmanale.com
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 | seaworthynola.com
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 | rosedalerestaurant.com
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.
MY FAVORITE TACOS:
GALAXIE TACOS 3060 St. Claude Avenue | galaxietacos.com
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 | valsnola.com
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 | station6nola.com
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 | herbsaint.com
MY FAVORITE SOUP
SHRIMP AND SQUASH BISQUE, BRIGTSEN’S, 723 Dante St | brigtsens.com
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 | herbsaint.com
Cochon 930 Tchoupitoulas Street | cochonrestaurant.com
Pêche 800 Magazine Street | pecherestaurant.com
OTHER RANDOM FAVORITES
N7— cool outdoor area; Upperline— Joanne is the reigning grande dame of New Orleans’ dining rooms; Gris Gris— solid food, fun brunch; Horn’s— another great locals-only breakfast spot; Red’s Chinese— three words: kung pao pastrami; Gabrielle— glad they’re back; Saint Germain— the best fine dining meals I’ve eaten in New Orleans in years, those 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.
