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The Bar & Bistro at La Louisiane
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The Bar & Bistro at La Louisiane, affectionately called "La Lou," is back. An on-again, off-again restaurant since 1881, it's so discreet as to be invisible, slipped between a French Quarter gentlemen's club and a parking garage. While the restaurant's legacy may be as mired in nostalgia as the hollandaise at Galatoire's, avant-garde portraits of women in all stages of undress now cover the walls, and Chef Agnes Bellet stretches the Orleanian culinary imagination with Gulf fish en escabche and Abita Turbo Dog beer-braised short ribs. The far-reaching wine list is similarly progressive, touring Europe, skipping over to Australia, and running all up and down the West Coast. Many selections, like the Languedoc rosé from Mas Cal Demoura (recommended with the Bouillabaisse Thackery), are light and mouthwatering, smart relief in a neighborhood not exactly known for its delicacy.
- Sara Roahen
The Bar & Bistro at La Louisiane, 725 Iberville St., New Orleans, LA; 504-378-8200
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Bourbon House
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Bourbon House is a triple entendre. The name of Dickie Brennan's latest seafood-focused project points to Bourbon Street, seen through the giant windows in one endless, often surreal, take. Second, the original Bourbon House was once a locals' hang-out; the new restaurant's raw bar captures that old-time neighborhood spirit. Finally, there's Bourbon, which Brennan obviously wants you to drink. Rarities such as George T. Stagg and Jim Beam's 20-year Distiller's Masterpiece appear on the extensive list, along with cocktails like Manhattans made with vanilla-scented Buffalo Trace; sippers of Knob Creek, ginger ale and lime; and Old Forester frozen milk punch dusted with nutmeg. Drinks like these could make a wine list obsolete.
- Sara Roahen
Bourbon House, 144 Bourbon St., New Orleans, LA; 504-522-0111
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Lilette
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Lilette has been crammed with locals since opening day three years ago. It's only lately, though, that there are enough seats to satisfy demand, since a new dining room has been added to the tight corner space. And it was just in time, now that chef-owner John Harris's hangar steak with marrow-enriched bordelaise sauce has become the buzz around New Orleans. Lilette's 100-bottle wine list (10 half-bottles) has also hit its stride, thanks to sommelier Jason Baas: Check out that steak with a plucky red from Washington's Cayuse Vineyards, or a sparkling Australian Shiraz from Yalumba.
- Sara Roahen
Lilette, 3637 Magazine St., New Orleans, LA; 504-895-1636
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The Long branch
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The Long branch requires a bit of a drive from New Orleans, but it's well worth the effort. Determined chefs Allison Vines-Rushing and Slade Rushing opened their restaurant after Hurricane Katrina ravaged the region. After making waves at Jack's Luxury Oyster Bar in NYC, the pair now serves their inventive cuisine in Deep South tradition and flawless classical execution. The wine list showcases bottles from France, Italy, Germany and Africa-places, Vines-Rushing explains, that influenced Creole cuisine. Check out the silky deconstruction of oysters Rockefeller with Château du Cleray Muscadet.
- Pableaux Johnson
The Longbranch, 21516 Hwy. 36, Abita Springs, LA; 985-871-8171
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Marigny Brasserie
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Marigny Brasserie was the dry Cafe Marigny until recently, when it moved up the street to a corner formerly occupied by a nightclub. Thanks to a long-awaited liquor license, chef/sommelier Steve Zucker now offers 130 wines, including 30 smart finds by-the-glass, like Egon Müller's '97 Scharzhofberger Riesling - just the thing for the fried, bacon-wrapped oysters or Creole tomato salad. Floor-to-ceiling windows front the buzzing sidewalk all around the restaurant, where dinner is served until 2 a.m. As the night progresses, it becomes difficult to tell on which side of the windowpane rages the bigger party.
- Sara Roahen
Marigny Brasserie, 640 Frenchmen St., New Orleans, LA; 504-945-4491
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