New Orleans Restaurants & Top Chefs

Award winning restaurants have become part of the scenery in New Orleans to the point that the locals probably do not even blink when some magazine or other proclaims another Crescent City winner. Those awards indicate to all travelers, however, that New Orleans is the place to go for great food.

One of the more recent winners is Rene Bistrot, voted one of the country's best new restaurants by Esquire magazine in 2002. The menu of Rene Bistrot uses ingredients and techniques from the four regions of France - Alsace, Bordeaux, Burgundy, and Provence. The restaurant prepares its sausages, pates and smoked salmon in-house for a wonderfully fresh and unique flavor. Wines are chosen from small but select wineries, and the decor is warm and elegant..

Another noteworthy restaurant, Bayona has been recognized along with its chef, Susan Spicer, by Food and Wine, Zagat, Bon Appetit, Elle, Esquire, The New York Times, Time and many more respected food critics. Spicer is known for her ability to fuse Creole dishes with Indian, Asian and even Southwest spices and ingredients without invoking a riotous cacophony of flavors. Instead, her creations are harmonious and delectable, and not easily imitated..

Other chefs recognized recently by Food and Wine magazine include Greg Sonnier of Gamay Bistro and Anne Kearney of Peristyle. At Gamay Bistro, a light airy room with an attractive patio offers pleasant surroundings in which to savor dishes like Andouille Crusted Grouper or Slow Roasted Duck..

Voted one of the best hotel restaurants by Food and Wine, Gamay is yet one more reason to stay at the Bienville House Hotel. At Peristyle, Kearney creates exquisite dishes heavily influenced by Southern France cuisine, and her presentation is just as innovative as her food. Kearney and Peristyle have also received recognition from Robert Mondavi, Gourmet, and Wine Spectator. Lofty ceilings, polished brass and antique mirrors combine for an attractive and pleasant dining experience..

These chefs and others gain national attention year after year, providing more reason to travel to New Orleans. If you are stopping by on business, or for a single weekend, you can increase your culinary experience tenfold by visiting one of the award-winning restaurants in the Big Easy..

More about New Orleans Cuisine and her Chefs

One of the biggest benefits of a vacation in New Orleans, besides the moderate weather if you happen to take time off in the winter, is the spectacular cuisine.

Local Creole and Cajun flavors have attracted the attentions of travelers for years, and the city has gained some national credit according to respected magazines such as Food and Wine, Gourmet and Travel and Leisure. Consider these options when you think about planning your vacation.

Local chefs have gained national prominence, such as Emeril Lagasse (think BAM!) and Chef Paul Prudhomme, creator of the delightful Chef Paul Prudhomme's Magic Seasoning Blends. Emeril's restaurant will not disappoint. Located in the trendy Warehouse District, Lagasse reworks Creole flavors with innovative fervor. Abstract paintings, appropriate for an art district restaurant, and hardwood floors will add polish to your contemporary dining experience.

Multiple other local chefs have achieved national reputations for fine cuisine, but the food itself is notable, whether you order a full sit-down dinner at a four star restaurant, or stop by for a po-boy in a local dive.

Creole and Cajun food, not to be confused, provides an entirely new experience for the taste buds if you are not from the area. Featuring exotic-sounding dishes like spicy gumbo, grillades or maque choux; sauces based on roux; bisque soups; and ingredients like andouille sausage, boudin and mirliton; the food of New Orleans is from a world of its own.

Creole dishes typically have rich cream sauces with a roux base--a brown base of flour and either butter, oil or lard mixed with celery, bell peppers and onions. Cajun food does not have the cream, but it makes up for that in spices. More and more you may see chefs experiencing with mixing the two, but whether you try Cajun, Creole or a hybrid, you will not be disappointed.

For the curious, andouille and boudin are two types of spicy Cajun sausage. Grillades are thin slices of veal or beef rounds in a tomato and gravy sauce, often served with grits for breakfast.

While you might find crab or lobster bisques in many other places around the country, the bisque has Cajun origins and typically features crawfish in New Orleans.

Maque choux is a side dish of seasoned corn, and mirliton is a local squash. No matter if you come for the world-famous chefs or just to try something a little different, the New Orleans cuisine is reason enough to vacation in the Big Easy.