French Quarter

Marrero To Lafitte

Uptown 2: Washington To Napoleon

Marigny

Uptown 3: Napoleon To Audubon

Metairie 3: Houma Blvd To Kenner Line

Uptown 1: Garden District & Environs

New Orleans East

West End & Bucktown

French Quarter

French Quarter

Uptown 3: Napoleon To Audubon

Covington

For me, all Italian food falls into two categories. There's the cooking that blows me away every time I go to Italy, or to a few restaurants in this country. And then there's everything else. I like the food in the latter category, but not nearly as much as I like the former. In New Orleans we only occasionally get the memorable stuff. Even when it appears, it has a way of morphing into Category Due. Del Porto is the only restaurant in the New Orleans area that has managed to keep that amazing, herbal, rustic, robust style of cooking over the long term.

Uptown 2: Washington To Napoleon

CBD

French Quarter

French Quarter

Marrero To Lafitte

Uptown 3: Napoleon To Audubon

It's not true that New Orleans diners hate beautiful restaurants with atmosphere. But it's easy to come to that conclusion, given the number of ramshackle dining rooms that attract large, loyal clienteles. The premises are interesting in decor, but are spartan and less than comfortable. For most of its history, you couldn't get a reservation for fewer than five people, and waiting out back with a glass of wine was inevitable. And, somehow, chic. But time goes on. Under the new ownership, reservations are easy to get and the menu is a little more expensive. The place looks the same.

Covington

Slidell

French Quarter

Covington

Marrero To Lafitte

Algiers

Covington

Gretna

Warehouse District & Center City

New Orleans East

Uptown 1: Garden District & Environs