Gretna

The most ambitious Vietnamese restaurant in the area, Hoa Hong 9 (it means "Nine Roses") not only cooks every Vietnamese dish you ever heard of, but also a full Chinese menu, too. That adds up to almost 300 dishes, including many found in no other local restaurants. A major renovation since the hurricane makes it the most welcoming of all the Vietnamese places, and a good place for the uninitiated to begin their discovery of this exciting cuisine. Prices are almost laughably low.

Kenner

Metairie 2: Orleans Line To Houma Blvd

Oh, how we love unassuming little cafes hidden away on side streets. Especially if the food is good and the people pleasant. That's how it is at Buddy's, a tight but cute little dinette with a classic New Orleans neighborhood menu. Plus fried chicken. My hat is off to them for using the spelling "poor boys" in their official logo.