Where to Eat in January: Commander’s Palace, Tell Me Bar, Daiwa, and More

On paper, one could argue that the combination of Italian technique and Southeast Asian flavors couldn’t possibly work. The dishes that Michael Gulotta and his crew are serving at this breezy downtown restaurant prove, definitively, otherwise. Go hard on the carbohydrates with one of the pastas, like house charcuterie ragu on garganelli with shredded burrata and chile oil. And get some annatto bread rolls with coconut butter and shellfish-pepper jam for bowl-swiping.

Touted as the third-oldest restaurant in the Quarter, Café Sbisa is now Black-owned, thanks to native New Orleanian Alfred Singleton, who is also the restaurant’s executive chef. The trout Eugene is legendary: a filet covered in Champagne-cream sauce with crawfish tails, shrimp, and crab fingers. Should you want to go even grander, you could add (additional) crab, crawfish, shrimp, or fried oysters to any main course. Carnival is all about excess, right?

Call 504-522-5565 for more info.

Everyone knows — locals and visitors alike — that Commander’s is nigh unbeatable for a sumptuous celebratory meal. And Carnival season demands a sequence of celebratory meals. Because that’s how we do in New Orleans. Current chef Meg Bickford is cooking precise, crowd-pleasing food. The Commander’s classics, such as the turtle soup with a fillip of sherry and the shrimp Henican, are going nowhere. But now there are also singular additions like the smoked and fried cauliflower with garlicky whipped Creole cream cheese.

For reservations, call 504-899-8221. (Members of Global Dining Access by Resy can also book here.)

The natural-wine boomlet continues apace. Now, there’s a fresh natural-wine bar in the LGD from Uznea Bauer, Cory Cartwright, and Tyler Robinson. Tell Me has been popping up at venues across the city for a few years and has accrued quite the following. Now you can experience first-hand the group’s passion for natural wine in a low-key space replete with lots of seating and, of course, some mighty tasty pours.

No reservations.

This New Orleans fixture has been open since 2008 and remains a fine destination to either grab a drink and snacks at the miles-long bar or, seated at a table, commit to the $80 five-course tasting menu with an always-clever wine pairing for an additional $40. Whichever approach you choose, expect a panoply of crafty flavors presented in an unpretentious environment.

Want to feel festive without the flavor profile of south Louisiana? This Mexico-influenced venue is built for a party. Rock-n-Taco isn’t striving for authenticity, as you may have surmised from its name. But then what is authenticity anyhow? There are a range of large-format set-ups including the Borachisimon, a play on “borracho,” the word for “drunk.” It is a 56-ounce frozen margarita accompanied by Dos Equis. And if you want to keep the food in a similar vein, order the Molcajete. It’s a, yes, stone mortar filled with carne asada, chicken, and shrimp smothered in a cheesy salsa roja.

We’ve seen the marquee for this Indian restaurant in a strip mall in Kenner. But we didn’t know quite what was afoot there until the Advocate’s intrepid Ian McNulty unearthed Punjabi Dhaba’s story — and menu. At lunch, there’s a sprawling $16.99 buffet. Come nightfall, the menu dives into a range of dishes less common in Orleans and Jefferson Parishes. Those include dum, a style of cooking in which the ingredients are sealed in a pot and steamed. It’s a delicate, refined approach and the special paan bahaar biryani with cottage cheese, basmati rice, and vegetables, shows it off well. Speaking of cottage cheese, the restaurant serves at least five different main courses that feature paneer.

Call 504-441-2323 for more info.

This Japanese restaurant in Jefferson Parish is keen on pleasing every kind of diner. You can veer toward the simple with sashimi and sushi. You can go easy-access with smoked salmon cream cheese tempura or Nanami chicken nuggets. You can be a Daiwa groupie and order one of their signatures, like the Two Face Roll with snow crab, salmon, tuna tataki, and both wasabi and spicy mayos.

There’s fresh catfish and then there’s Williby’s. Arguably unbeatable on the freshness front, Williby’s is also a catfish farm. So these filets’ leap from tank to plate is a very short one. The catfish itself is some of the best in the city, and the sides are classic — as they should be. They regularly include staple dishes like mac ‘n’ cheese, peas, potato salad, and fries. Get your Louisiana or Crystal armed and ready.

Call 504-354-9371 for more info.

An easygoing bistro with endlessly satisfying, smart food: That is the magic of Patois. Its location on the residential corner of Laurel and Webster is part of its charm, and its stellar cuisine ensures return visits. During brunch service, you could dine on a breakfast chimichanga alongside a Holy Spritz with red wine, blood orange aperitif, and sparkling wine. Dinner brings andouille-laced Bolognese, deviled eggs with furikake, and panéed veal with lump crab in lemon-caper sauce.