Mid-City

For at least two generations of New Orleanians, the joys of restaurant dining were introduced in restaurants a lot like Mandina's. Or at Mandina's itself. Until the gourmet bistro era began in the 1980s, restaurants like this were in every New Orleans neighborhood. By then Mandina's had become not only a rarity but seemed to be every Orleanian's idea of what a neighborhood restaurant should be. Then Katrina came though and reminded us how important restaurants like this are to our cherished dining practices.

Esplanade Ridge

In New Orleans we have no shortage of Mediterranean restaurants, but in recent years a decline in overall quality has afflicted the category. At the same time, the opening of Shaya by Alon Shaya and John Besh demonstrated the possibilities in the food of the Middle East. Meanwhile, there was this food truck serving Middle Eastern food, almost all of it vegetarian. It found a permanent spot last year, and began extending their menu to include seafood, chicken and lamb--although the vegetarian aspect offers plenty of meatless choices.

French Quarter