Dining in Louisiana

New Orleans food is some of the best in the world. Don’t be surprised if your New Orleans vacation leaves you dreaming of the delicious food for years to come. There are plenty of New Orleans restaurants, so you will never run out of places where you can sample the local cuisine. Every New Orleans vacation should include at sample of the best New Orleans dining.

The New Orleans restaurants range from the café and inexpensive sandwich shop to the mid range lunch and pub food to the five star elegant. You should try to budget for at least one of the grand dames of the Creole five star restaurants like Brennan’s, Antoine’s or Emeril’s. The New Orleans dining and atmosphere at these elgant restaurants is a one of a kind experience.

Breakfast and brunch are famous in this historic city. So make sure you put on your New Orleans itineraries a stop off at the Café du Monde near the French Market to try their famous coffee (café au lait is my favorite!) and don’t miss the beignets (delicious deep fried donuts with powdered sugar). Also schedule at least one day for brunch at either Brennan’s or the Court of Two Sister’s, both five star restaurants with amazing eggs benedict and live jazz music (and don’t forget to try the bread pudding, it’s to die for!). If you want a cheaper breakfast, Rosie’s grill has the traditional fare and is open all night, there are also a few French pastry shops around the French Quarter like the one in front of the St. Louis Cathedral in Jackson Square where you can take up some shopping while munching on croissants.

Lunch is a good time to sample the famous Louisiana Po-Boys. These submarine sandwiches are made on delicious French bread and can range from the benign to the Louisiana eccentric, but I vote for trying the local excitement of a fried oyster or barbeque shrimp variety. The best restaurants in New Orleans that serve po-boys are the Red Grill on Bourbon Street or Johnny’s in the French Quarter. If you want to eat po-boys like the locals, try Mother’s near the convention center.

Typical New Orleans food is either Creole, a more refined food that takes French cooking and mixes influences from Spain, Africa, Germany, Italy, and the West Indies. Cajun food is the hearty, peasant food, a little more pungent and very spicy! Either type of New Orleans food is very unique and unforgettable. The best restaurants in New Orleans feature either Cajun or Creole food, so make sure you sample both during your stay!

For dinner, try some of the finest New Orleans restaurants, owned by the famous chef Emeril Lagasse. The two best are his signature restaurant, Emeril’s New Orleans or Nola Restaurant serving up delicious gourmet dishes with New Orleans flair, these are the best of the best in New Orleans dining. There is also one of the best restaurants in the New Orleans Garden District, the Commander’s Palace. The Commander’s Palace is a well known Creole restaurant where some of the famous New Orleans chefs got their start. Some other Creole favorites are Arnaud’s, Broussard’s and the Palace Café with its unforgettable savory crabmeat cheesecake.

For some Cajun cooking, try the Alex Patout’s restaurant or the Cajun Cabin on Bourbon street where you can munch on some real “down home” Louisiana food like fried spicy shrimp, alligator and crawfish pies.

There are also plenty of New Orleans delicious seafood restaurants with fresh fish, shrimp and oysters straight out of the nearby Gulf of Mexico. Acme Oyster House is famous for its seafood dishes and so is Dominique’s who incorporate the French flair and West Indies spice to their seafood dishes.

Other casual New Orleans dining includes the Gumbo Shop with the traditional New Orleans favorites of crawfish etouffee and jambalaya. You can also try the cafes like the Five o’Clock grill where you can eat New Orleans pub food and drink cocktails while watching the action on lively Bourbon Street.

There are plenty of Asian and American restaurants if you get tired of the rich French or spicy Cajun fare, but one thing’s for sure, you will never run out of places to eat in the “Big Easy”.