The January Hit List: Bar Brine, Galatoire’s, Pho Tau Bay, Marjie’s Grill, and More

The nighttime-only venture plays with the same bold, global palette and vegan leanings as its daytime sibling, Sneaky Pickle. That means even more starters, like housemade charcuterie with pretzel crostini and fried pickled onions with ranch. There is a robust collection of pastas, too, including squid ink hand-pulled noodles with daikon, shrimp, and chile. And, unlike the Pickle, there’s a full battery of main courses! Hanger steak with beet-molé marinade; grilled romanesco with grits and pistachio salsa verde; and, blessedly, the famed smoked-tempeh reuben from the Sneaky Pickle.

There might be no better time to go big at Galatoire’s than during Carnival. Dining at Galatoire’s is always all about a glorious extremeness: Cocktails like brandy milk punch to start; a glut of fried eggplant, oysters en brochette, and crab maison to facilitate the ongoing drinking; and whichever of the manifold seafood preparations suits your tipsy whims that day. Go for lunch; go for dinner. Just go.

The burgers are a certifiable draw at this Harvey spot, but the item guests lose their minds about are the sweet potato fries. These are no ordinary sweet potato fries. The wedges are thick; the seasoning bold. Most deliriously sublime of all is the option to have the fries slicked with vanilla cream cheese sauce or honey-barbecue sauce. Yes, have a burger with deep-fried bacon. Don’t forget the spuds though.

For more information: bigpoppaburgers.com

Donald Link and his crew have opened another New Orleans restaurant, this one situated high up in the Four Seasons Hotel and paying broad homage to (mostly) seafood through a French-Creole lens. The restaurant is now serving food for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The room is swank, the views glorious, and the food, as you might expect, thoughtful and satisfying. You could have a Cognac milk punch and an omelette with mushrooms and taleggio for breakfast, a Passion Royale (passion fruit, falernum and Champagne), and pan-seared shrimp with cauliflower-rice gratin; and the Gulf South classic West Indies Salad alongside a côte de boeuf for two.

Call 504-434-5100 for reservations.

A plan for this wonderful dessert and dim sum café near Lakeside Mall, in two parts: 1) At the counter, order a few savory plates to dine in. Maybe beef-and-onion gravy noodles and crawfish pocket dumplings, or spicy dumplings in soup and hot and spicy beef salad; 2) Before you leave the counter, order a cake to go. A slice of rainbow crepe cake or taro chantilly cake, if you’re feeling demure. A whole Wishing Cake loaded with fresh fruit, if you’re feeling grand.

The smoke coursing over Marjie’s stretch of Broad Street is an intoxicating beacon: It signals the bold flavors of Marcus Jacobs’s signature hybrid of Southern barbecue styles and Southeast Asian flavor profiles. That means there will be cracklins, grilled fresh seafood, and lots of smoked meats, such as lamb ribs with pickled Thai chiles or pork spare ribs with lemongrass jaew sauce. Be sure to load up on sides of braised greens, cornbread and coal-roasted sweet potatoes. And if you and your crew are feeling especially lively, the wine list has superb options for magnum-format bottles.

Every meal at Commander’s is an occasion. Why not celebrate Carnival, then, at this grande dame of New Orleans dining? Under recently minted executive chef Meg Bickford, the menu still turns on classics like shrimp henican and turtle soup — with a fillip of sherry, of course. But there is also oyster-and-artichoke linguini, veal chop Tchoupitoulas, and green beans with mushroom velouté and Gruyère. There will be bread pudding soufflé for dessert. Obviously.

Luvi has a fervent fan base. That’s understandable, because the Tchoupitoulas spot is easygoing and has a fresh, inventive way with fish. There might be yellowtail crudo tiled with dragon fruit or lemon fish with feta, kiwi, and dill oil. Fish isn’t the only move in chef-owner Hao Gong’s playbook though. Sliced cutlets of bam bam chicken are crisp and addictive; the Golden Nugget is a fried, crackling, shrimp-centric take on soup dumplings. You might be the newest Luvi aficionado after your first meal here.

It will be cold in January. You will likely be hungover at some point in January. Pho Tau Bay is always a solid solution to both new year developments. The pho, whether you choose beef, chicken, or vegetarian, is lovely, as is the wonton soup. Should you seek a heartier alternative, the bo kho (beef stew) is an aromatic wonder. Just remember: They’re only open on weekdays, during the day.

The Freret location of this beloved breakfast-and-lunch fixture spawned a newer CBD location — and with it, the same kind of queue to dine. The menu features a something for every kind of someone. A handful of biscuit preparations, a collection of burritos, a paleo/vegan section, and a gut-buster zone with a chicken-fried steak sandwich and scallop and grits. If you’re one for planning ahead, make a reservation.