When I began describing the restaurants of New Orleans, French cooking was king here. Even unarguably Creole restaurants like Arnaud's, Antoine's, and even Tujague's said they served French food, and used the French language heavily (exclusively, in the case of Antoine's) in their menus. The few non-Creole French restaurants tended toward the most formal end of the dining spectrum, and were among the most expensive and ceremonious restaurants in town. That condition peaked in the early 1980s, when palatial restaurants like Louis XVI, the Sazerac, L'Escale, Les Continents, and Maison Pierre created a buzz in gourmet circles.
But not for long. Suddenly, all of those were gone, with no more of their ilk to take their place. The restaurants people went to for a Big Occasion were the new kind of chef-driven Creole restaurants. The French restaurants that survived the mass extinction were all bistros like La Crepe Nanou, Chateau du Lac, and Cafe Degas. Escargots, onion soup gratinee, mussels mariniere, poulet a la grandmere, steak and frites, and tarte Tatin were everywhere. Restaurants along those lines blossomed all around New Orleans in the 200s, but now they seem to be on the downswing in terms of numbers. As for the big, expensive, formal French restaurant, it never came back, and I don't expect it ever will. It's dying even in France.
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La Provence dining room.[/caption]
1. 
La Provence. Lacombe: 25020 US 190. 985-626-7662. The unique goodness of La Provence is that of the rustic but sophisticated country inn, the kind you find all over Europe. It's better now than it's been at any time since the hurricane, and founder Chris Kerageorgiou must be smiling down on it.
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Chef Justin Devillier.[/caption]
2. La Petite Grocery. Uptown 2: Washington To Napoleon: 4238 Magazine. 504-891-3377. The Grocery's menu reads like something from the French Riviera. The flavors are big and rustic, and although most of the menu is French, you get some Italian flavors, too. Chef-owner Justin Devillier is now firmly in charge of the restaurant's style.
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Charcuterie at Chateau du Lac.[/caption]
3. 
Chateau Du Lac. Metairie 1: Old Metairie: 2037 Metairie Rd. 504-831-3773. Chateau du Lac is one of the few restaurants anymore with a French chef-owner cooking classical French dishes. Jacques Seleun hails from Brittany--something that shows n his cooking. The sauces in particular reach deep into the French repertoire.
4. La Crepe Nanou. Uptown 3: Napoleon To Audubon: 1410 Robert. 504-899-2670. Long before French bistros were all over New Orleans, La Crepe Nanou felt and tasted like a dislocated slice of Paris. The food is classic bistro fare: fresh, French, inexpensive, and more delicious than you anticipate.
5. Lilette. Uptown 2: Washington To Napoleon: 3637 Magazine. 504-895-1636. In a time when the city is full of French bistros, this one is unique. The menu is unlike any other hereabouts, using offbeat ingredients in polished recipes. If you want boidin noir, you have to come here.
6. 
Cafe Degas. Mid-City: 3127 Esplanade Ave. 504-945-5635. Café Degas makes you feel as if you're on vacation in the Loire Valley. No other restaurant makes it so clear how interwoven with France our food culture is. Time seems to go by more slowly. You may as well have another glass of wine.
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Baie Rouge dining room and bar.[/caption]
7. Baie Rouge. Uptown 2: Washington To Napoleon: 4128 Magazine. 504-304-3667. The many new openings on Magazine Street in the past year include this unexpectedly excellent, inexpensive French-and-Spanish bistro. It looks like a neighborhood cafe, but the food is ambitious and creative, with a sure sense of taste.
8. Meauxbar. French Quarter: 942 N Rampart. 504-569-9979. The original Meauxbar closed early in 2014, but its owners sold it and the mis-name (it's decidedly a restaurant, not really a bar) to the owners of Ste. Marie. They were looking for a new location, and this one across from the Mahalia Jackson Theater suited them well. Same menu they had on Poydras Street--basic French bistro fare, with a New Orleans accent.
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Pheasant at Patois.[/caption]
9. Patois. Uptown 3: Napoleon To Audubon: 6078 Laurel. 504-895-9441. Chef Aaron Burgau built out his menu with the close-to-the-ground French country flavors in mind. The New Orleans touches are from so long ago that they were much more Gallic than they are now. Yet it feels innovative.
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Brisket at Luke.[/caption]
10. Lüke. CBD: 333 St Charles Ave. 504-378-2840. Lüke is the most eccentric yet most successful of Chef John Besh's group of six restaurants. It's patterned on the bistros of Alsace, France, including the flavors there that have a decidedly German quality. You find dishes here found nowhere else in New Orleans.
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Courtyard at Martinique.[/caption]
11. Martinique. Uptown 3: Napoleon To Audubon: 5908 Magazine. 504-891-8495. Martinique is one of the surprisingly few restaurants in New Orleans that serve respectable, interesting food in an outdoor setting. Although the space is distinctly Uptown, the menu is that of a French bistro, but in a fresh, slightly island-influenced style.
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Moules et frites, Ciro's Cote Sud.[/caption]
12. Ciro's Cote Sud. Uptown 4: Riverbend, Carrollton & Broadmoor: 7918 Maple. 504-866-9551. Pizza and French food came together here as an accident, but new trends in cooking and dining caught up with them. Now the idea of pizza and moules et frites sharing the same menu doesn't seem strange at all.
Written by Tom Fitzmorris September 05, 2014 11:01 in
