From the culinary adventures of Bob & Sue

Photo by Graham Blackall

August

John Besh’s signature restaurant features high quality ingredients and creative tasting menus in a clubby setting. Recent choices included a preparation of three fois gras, spaghettini and tripe with a harissa and smoked tomato sauce, a feather like gnocchi with crab in a black truffle cream sauce, and octopus and tete de cochon with black garlic, olives and roasted peppers. Tops for white tablecloth dining.
301 Tchoupitoulas Street. 504.299.9777. restaurantaugust.com.

Herbsaint

Donald Link’s original restaurant offers delicious comfort food including hard to beat gumbos which change nightly, lump crab in watermelon gazpacho, jumbo shrimp in a spicy tomato sauce with collard greens, and a memorable coconut cream pie. Run don’t walk (or take the streetcar) to this still exciting foodie destination.
701 Saint Charles Avenue. 504.524.4114. herbsaint.com.

Coquette

Michael Stoltzfus offers a creative take on New Orleans classics. Lunch included tempura fried shrimp with chili jam, horseradish and scallions, a decadent pimento cheese and oxtail marmalade sandwich with homemade chips, and gulf shrimp in tomato gravy with grits, okra and tasso cubes (a peppery smoked ham). Highly respected by other chefs.
2800 Magazine Street. 504.265.0421. coquettenola.com.

Elizabeth’s

The best breakfast in the city can be found in the Bywater neighborhood east of the French Quarter. Delicious choices might include boudin cakes with poached eggs, fried green tomato benedict, smoked pork chops, fried chicken livers with pepper jelly, shrimp and grits in creole gravy, and praline bacon. The setting is modest, but the lines can be long.
601 Gallier Street. 504.944.9272. elizabethsrestaurantnola.com.

Photo by Ron Manville

Gumbo Tour

Our favorites (in order) from “drop-in” samplings of local gumbos included Herbsaint (chicken and andouille sausage), R’evolution (Rick Tromanto’s Death by Gumbo featuring a whole stuffed baby quail), Mr. Bs (both the ya ya chicken and andouille sausage and the seafood versions), and the seafood gumbos at the Acme Oyster House and The Gumbo Shop.
R’evolution. 777 Bienville Street. 504.553.2277. revolutionnola.com.
Mr. Bs. 201 Royal Street. 504.523.2078. mrbsbistro.com.
Acme Oyster House. Multiple locations. acmeoyster.com.
The Gumbo Shop. 630 Saint Peter Street. 504-525-1486. gumboshop.com.