Archived Article By Tom Fitzmorris Published October 28, 2005 Click here for the current edition Ten Best Restaurants Open Now Gourmet Division 1. Restaurant August. 301 Tchoupitoulas. 299-9777. Chef John Besh was ready to go weeks ago, but he cooked red beans for relief workers until he could use china and silverware. Back to greatness. 2. Dakota. 629 N. US 190 . 892-3712. The first major gourmet establishment to open after the storm, Dakota instantly began to pack them in on the North Shore, giving an advance indication of how the restaurants would fare if they opened. 3. Clancy’s. 6100 Annunciation. 895-1111. I got more e-mail asking about the reopening of Clancy's than any other. They picked up right where they left off, great wine cellar and all. Soft-shells are still good! 4. Cuvee. 322 Magazine. 587-9001. The South Shore restaurant of the Dakota guys was one of the pioneers to resume full service, real cooking in the CBD. 5. Le Parvenu. 509 Williams Blvd., Kenner. 471-0534. Chef Dennis Hutley got in there as soon as he could, with a menu split between his polished Creole food and some inexpensive dishes like white beans and sausage. 6. La Petite Grocery. 4238 Magazine. 891-3377. Back open a couple of weeks ago, with a limited menu and no reservations. 7. Lilette. 3637 Magazine. 895-1636. Chef John Harris is back to his country-French menu, whose casual goodness fits the mood. 8. Herbsaint. 701 St. Charles Ave. 524-4114. They were one of the restaurants that went for a few days using bottled water for everything. But the menu was distinctive from the outset, and the food delicious. 9. Muriel's. 801 Chartres. 568-1885. Another early opener, Rick Gratia found few problems with his historic building next to St. Louis Cathedral, and resumed cooking and serving its first-class, underpriced menu. 10. La Crepe Nanou. 1410 Robert . 899-2670. Another much-awaited reopening, the French bistro took the plunge two weeks ago, and the lines for the mussels and roast chicken began immediately. © 2005 Tom Fitzmorris. All rights reserved. news@nomenu.com