New Orleans Restaurants

buzd504

Foghorn said:

Thanks @buzd504, that all makes sense.  However, where The Gumbo Shop is concerned, I've only ever heard about it from locals.  The first time I went to New Orleans (1992 I think) I wasn't making much money so I asked a cab driver and the hotel desk employee where they would recommend that wouldn't break the bank and they both recommended The Gumbo Shop.  Almost 20 years after that I asked the same question of similar people and got the same answer.  They have a lot more than gumbo.  Now you can get on the waiting list and walk 1/2 block to Jackson Square to take in the street performers until you get a text that your table is ready.

I agree with you about the food at Antoine's.  We enjoyed it mostly because there were 10 of us and we got a private dining room with a very knowledgeable waiter who told us the history of the place and after dinnere he gave us a tour of all the dining rooms and the wine cellar.  The food was standard New Orleans excellent but it didn't stand out from the crowd.

What do locals think of the Carrollton St. places - like Boucherie or DTB?

Actually, I have heard good things about the gumbo shop as well, but it's just not somewhere it ever occurs to me to go.  Maybe one day.

I love DTB (although the chef recently passed after a battle with cancer - RIP).  It's one of my standard "off the beaten path" places to take guests.  It's a perfect blend of New Orleans, trendy and casual.  I am also a fan of Boucherie - although for a time it was really hard to get in there, so I haven't been as much as I would like.

And while we are on Carrollton, there is a little Italian deli on Carrollton right off of Oak (where DTB is) called Cibo that makes killer sandwiches and simple Italian dishes (think chicken parmesan).  Red tablecloths, simple wine and beer - it's one of my favorite lunch spots.