Marigny

On the top edge of the Marigny Triangle lies a delicious and slightly unexpected Italian restaurant with a light heart--to judge by the pun-laden descriptions of the many fresh pastas and ingredients to toss it with. It harbors a small array of salads and appetizers, but the focus is on the sizable portions of pasta. I’m in a pasta-hungry stage lately, and I've been hooked by Arabella since the place opened. The staff is happily involved in serving your pick from the myriad possibilities that come about with seven pasta shapes (one of them gluten-free), six sauces, and seven miscellaneous toppings.

Bywater & Downtown

Near the train tracks separating the Marigny and Bywater neighborhoods is a place I've recommended to friends for quite a while. Red's is just what those of us who would love to see more adventuresome Chinese menus have been waiting for. It is not for people who eat the same dishes in the same two or three local Chinese restaurants. Forward-looking cookery pulls Chinese and local ingredients into create a bold contrast to the typical New Orleans Chinese food. And did I say it's delicious?

Metairie 2: Orleans Line To Houma Blvd