Madisonville

Warehouse District & Center City

New Orleans differs from most other great restaurant cities in that its menus are dominated by seafood. Even in grand old restaurants in which beef and lamb are prime, it's the allure of the fish and shellfish that sets them apart. ¶ Part of this can be explained by the difficulty of buying good seafood. Although that's easier here than in most places, it still requires spending lots of time on the phone tracking down the good stuff. ¶ With a long history of great food and service and a chef who came from Galatoire's, Tommy's seafood side is very strong. You could eat here ten times without ever leaving the fish, oysters, shrimp, crawfish, soft-shells, and especially the crabmeat.

CBD

The dining room of the Loews Hotel is a kicky, casual branch of Commander's Palace, with the service standards of the mother ship and an accessible, interesting menu. ¶ A visit here begins with one of the best bars town, with an imaginative program of creating new and old cocktails with fresh juices, house-made mixers, and great care. ¶ The food is more rustic than at Commander's, with ingredients and techniques that have a homestyle quality. Cafe Adelaide does a brisk lunch business, but at dinner it's a good place to remember, because it usually has tables available.