The Resy Hit List: Where In New Orleans You’ll Want to Eat Right Now
There’s no question we hear more often: Where should I go eat? And while we at Resy know it’s an honor to be the friend who everyone asks for restaurant advice, we also know it’s a complicated task. That’s where the Resy Hit List comes in.
Consider it your essential resource for dining in New Orleans: a monthly-updated guide to the restaurants that you won’t want to miss — tonight or any night.
Five Things In New Orleans Not to Miss This Month
- Puttin’ on the Dog: The team behind Pigeon and Whale recently opened The Husky, a stunner across Freret Street focusing on steaks. Starters include tuna crudo, roasted bone marrow, and French onion soup. The elegant bar aims for a Gatsby vibe with martinis and old fashioneds as house specialties. The dining room has a lodge feel, with cozy booths and brass-trimmed tables. And of course we have more new arrivals; New on Resy will keep you current.
- Now Open: Celebrated New Orleans burlesque performer Bella Blue and partners recently opened Pulcinella! in the Seventh Ward. Here, Blue serves as “Headmistress of Hospitality,” and runs the upstairs Original Nite Cap Speakeasy for drinks and performances. Chef Matty Hayes explores his Sicilian heritage downstairs with classic dishes like meatballs with red gravy and whipped ricotta, and seafood cannelloni. Pole and burlesque classes will soon be offered at the Nite Cap. The first floor is family friendly, the second floor, not so much.
- Muffaletta Joy Resumes: In 2021, Central Grocery, which has been around since 1906 and claims to be the originator of the muffaletta, was forced to close following a Hurricane Ida roof collapse. The closure sent shudders through a populace addicted to this most fulfilling of sandwiches. Fret no more; it reopened to long lines last month.
- King of Cakes Reigns Again: NOCCA recently launched its annual king cake program, featuring two classics and a rotating series of limited-edition flavors, all made by NOCCA Culinary Arts students and faculty. The king cakes are priced from $25 and are available to pre-order now at NOCCAMarketplace.com with U.S. shipping available). Proceeds from the program support the school’s Culinary Arts department. Cakes are available for pickup from January 6 – March 2 at NOCCA and select local retailers, including King Cake Hub. The season’s flavors include cinnamon (gluten-free), satsuma almond, salted caramel, and a special Valentine’s Day edition.
- Going Once, Going Twice: Galatoire’s Restaurant and the Galatoire Foundation has postponed their annual Mardi Gras Table Auction, auctioning seats in the downstairs main dining room for the Friday before Mardi Gras (February 28). Proceeds benefit the Galatoire Foundation and eight local non-profits, including STEM NOLA and Volunteers of America of Southeast Louisiana, as well as six micro-grant recipients: Edible Schoolyard, Ignatian Volunteer Corps New Orleans, NOCHI, Son of a Saint, The Big Easy Wing of the Commemorative Air Force, and The Bright School. We’ll bring you more when we know the new date.
New to the Hit List (Jan. 2025)
The Bell, Carousel Bar & Lounge, Fritai, Manolito.
1. Acamaya Bywater
James Beard Award-nominated chef Ana Castro opened this Mexico City-style restaurant with her sister in early July. The hot and cold seafood-centric menu celebrates the sisters’ native culture through foods both comforting and complex, as does the design by Farouki Farouki. Pro tip: For an offbeat experience, try the bass ceviche with cherries, jicama, and unsweetened chamoy. The most personal dish on the menu is the earthy arroz negro, which is jammed with mussels, squid, and huitlacoche, a fungus grown among corn crops (known also as “corn smut” or Mexican truffle). So central is it to her style that Castro has the highly regional, highly perishable ingredient overnighted from a purveyor on the West Coast. All the serveware and fixtures were collected from Mexico City, creating a transformative experience.
2. St. Pizza Lower Garden District
St. Pizza gained popularity after its Mardi Gras opening, perhaps capped by a New York Times mention as one of the top 22 pizza spots in the nation. Co-owner Tony Biancosino partnered with his wife Leslie Pariseau and Abhi Bhansal to create pizzas that track with his upbringing in southern New Jersey, not far from Philadelphia, but also with their own unique style. The result is a thin, crisp crust topped with high-quality ingredients like house-made fennel sausage and sweet ricotta. The bright and flavorful sauce is a vital presence on pizzas, meatballs, and chicken Parmesan. Pizzas are available at a walk-up window by the slice or pie, while whole pies can be enjoyed at the tavern, which offers well-crafted cocktails and low-intervention wines.
No reservations. No cash. Find more info here.
3. Pêche Downtown
Donald Link, Stephen Stryjewski, Ryan Prewitt and now Nicole Cabrera Mills — recently named one of Food & Wine’s 2024 Best New Chefs — can probably take the credit for re-popularizing the trend of whole fish at the table that returned with staying power ten years ago. People here stare as the fish, often with their heads and tails flopping off opposite ends of the oblong plates upon which they rest, are paraded through the dining room. Preparations and combinations are numerous: baked drum with corn, squash, coconut and cashews; grilled tuna with okra, chile, garlic, and tamarind; whole roasted flounder with lemon-caper beurre blanc; grilled mangrove snapper with Louisiana shallots and criolla sella vinaigrette; roasted redfish with salsa verde. You can’t go wrong.
4. The Wine Bar at Emeril’s Warehouse District
Emeril Lagasse and his son, E.J. Lagasse, have partnered to create a wine bar accessible through the Julia Street entrance of Emeril’s flagship restaurant. It offers a casual vibe with an impressive wine cellar, music, art, and a selection of small plates, including caviar service. The duo enjoys experimenting with unique ingredients from various purveyors, with recent offerings like foie gras and satsuma tart, shrimp toast with lemon aioli, and duck confit bao buns. Their cocktail program features both classic and seasonal drinks, including the intriguing reserve martini made with Zapp’s potato chip-washed vodka and caper-infused gin.
5. Clancy’s Audubon
The recent death of longtime owner Brad Hollingsworth brought heartache to this unpretentious spot, which holds fond memories for generations. But the pleasure lives on, with a quadfecta of an unpretentious dining room, a resistance to change, a killer wine list, and a seasonally driven menu. The linens are white. The prices are reasonable. The lack of foolishness is comforting. Fried Gulf oysters might show up with roasted delicata squash, blue cheese, and a red wine gastrique. The unorthodox combination remains within the confines that allow the 38-year-old restaurant to remain true to itself. Pro tip: Get a pile of jumbo lump crabmeat dumped on top.
6. Del Porto Ristorante Covington
Chefs David and Torre Solazzo, three-time James Beard award finalists, have been turning out rustic Italian fare and handmade pasta here since 2014. It’s hard to go wrong on the menu, which currently oozes comforting warmth during the region’s brief “winter.” Still, the promise, or fantasy, of cooler weather brings cravings for the duck leg lasagnette, a personal-sized portion of something you do not want to share, anyway. Housemade pappardelle is served with red wine-braised rabbit ragu. Kick things off with creamy, earthy local chicken liver pâté with fresh fruit marmeletta. Pro tip: Check out the sensational happy hour daily from 5-6 p.m.
7. Dakar NOLA Uptown
Chef Serigne Mbaye’s tribute to the culinary contributions enslaved Africans made to the foodways of the American South was named Best New Restaurant by the Beard Foundation. Mbaye’s ever-changing seven-course pescatarian tasting menu explores the intersection of his native Senegambian cuisine of West Africa with that of his adopted New Orleans. Each dish arrives with a explanation of its evolution from Africa, through the slave-run kitchens of the South, to modern day. Though the subject matter is heavy, the menu of carefully sourced Gulf seafood is not. Mbaye brings levity and warmth by serving most dishes family-style. Consider it part dinner party, part history lesson — and substance for both body and soul.
8. Carousel Bar and Lounge French Quarter
Housed within the historic Hotel Monteleone, the Carousel has been in operation for 76 years; it was originally known as the Swan Room, where Liberace was the first performer to take the stage. Today, the revolving bar sees the stools complete a full rotation every 15 minutes under an intricately carved canopy adorned with jesters and cherubs, which was installed in 1992. The Vieux Carré cocktail was created here in 1938 and remains a house favorite. The bar bites menu may be small, but it’s essential for enjoying the strong drinks in the slowly spinning space. Highlights include blue crab and corn beignets with remoulade, caviar service (kaluga and osetra), and a Creole Monte Cristo sandwich.
9. Palm & Pine French Quarter
The fierce sense of community that chef-owners Jordan and Amarys Herndon share with other members of the industry first developed when they worked as sous chefs in different restaurants. (After hours they hosted a pop-up, the Old Portage, in the Black Penny bar.) Soon they’ll turn the corner on Palm & Pine’s fifth anniversary. Check out the Soiled Dove pop-up lesbian bar every 3rd Thursday at 10 p.m. And pro tip: Don’t leave without trying the country ham with melon, black garlic Dijon, chow chow, marañones, and smoked cashews. Sounds like overkill but it’s perfection. Ditto the Parisa: Texas-style steak tartare with fermented serranos, Havarti, and egg jam served with potato chips.
10. Gautreau’s Restaurant Uptown
Just over a year in, the sale of Gautreau’s has played out successfully against a backdrop of cautiously implemented adjustments. Since 1982, the pristine restaurant has served as an incubator for talented chefs who proceed to prominence — and since the sale, chef Rob Mistry has successfully led the kitchen, subtly introducing more worldly influences. A foie gras torchon is served with Celeste figs, sunchoke puree, and foie beignets. A slab of redfish is shingled with translucent slices of potato and briny trout roe, atop smothered cabbage flavored with nuanced Vadouvan curry. Next up? In the coming weeks, the restaurant will open Avegno, a new lounge next door.
11. Tatlo French Quarter
Part speakeasy, part Filipino witch bar, and part absinthe den, chef Cristina Quackenbush and her coven hope to create a place for locals to get in touch with their inner divinity. In September, Quackenbush merged her decades-long witchcraft practice with her lifelong immersion in Southeast Asian cuisine. The food menu is a nurturing, modern celebration of the Filipino flavors Quackenbush is known for, paired with a drink menu that channels astrology and uses medicinal ingredients. To wit: the Triquetra is three pork ribs with a sticky lemongrass barbecue sauce arranged in the shape of a trinity knot and served with red cabbage, candied mango, and herbs.
Find more info here.
12. Fritai Treme
Chef Charly Pierre, a James Beard Award nominee in 2023, offers a Haitian street food-inspired menu influenced by his mother’s cooking and his father’s culinary skills. After starting as a pop-up, Fritai opened its brick-and-mortar location in the Treme neighborhood in 2021, featuring vibrant artwork by Haitian artists. The menu highlights include Creole chicken, a griot plate with braised and fried pork, and espageti, a traditional Haitian spaghetti with smoked herring and sausage. The bar, curated by Ian Julian, focuses on clairin, a unique Haitian spirit, and features a variety of cocktails, wine, beer, and set-ups — similar to bottle service but with half-pints of liquor.
13. Jacques-Imo’s Carrolton
Jacques-Imo’s opened in 1996, on a funky stretch of Oak Street next to a music club popular for poetry readings and impromptu chess tournaments. The quirky mural-covered spot has been a destination for singular Creole cuisine ever since. The shrimp and alligator cheesecake is a house specialty, and don’t forget an order of Austin Leslie-style fried chicken for the table to share. Pro tip: Go with people you find amusing, as you will wait up to two hours for a table. Just deal with it. If you’re dining with only one other person, ask for the table in the back of the pickup truck parked out front — because when else will that be an option?
Call 504-861-0886 for reservations, which are granted only to parties of five or more.
14. The Chloe Uptown
The Chloe is a stylish hotel on St. Charles Avenue that blends historical charm with contemporary design, creating intimate gathering spaces throughout its property. Culinary and cocktail services are offered in all communal areas, making the whole hotel a dining experience. After serving as sous chef, Ben Triola has debuted a contemporary Creole menu with standout dishes like braised lamb shoulder and mushroom risotto — both recommended for sharing. Don’t miss the brown butter ice cream sandwich for dessert.
15. Manolito French Quarter, New Orleans
Manolito is a tribute created by Nick Detrich (Cane & Table) to Manuel “Manolito” Carbajo Aguiar, the legendary bartender at El Floridita bar in Havana. This cozy space has expanded to include a larger kitchen, service bar, and additional seating while retaining its original charm on Dumaine Street. While cocktails are the main draw, the food is impressive as well. The menu features a fantastic Cuban sandwich, red wine-and-sofrito-braised Black Angus ropa vieja, and a pork and beef smash burger. Pro tip: Add an egg for $2. Bar snacks for accompanying potent cocktails include black bean hummus with Tajin crackers, melted Oaxaca cheese corn arepas, and ham and cheese croquettes with chimichurri. The selection of blended daiquiris, including the Floridita, is outstanding.
16. Restaurant R’evolution French Quarter
Drama ensues as guests enter Restaurant Revolution through a long lantern-lit bar, followed by a tour through a succession of dining rooms that set the stage. The showpiece: a live-fire exposition kitchen in the main dining room. Last year’s multi-million dollar renovation and the quiet dissolution of his 10-year partnership with chef Rick Tramonto freed chef John Folse to return to his roots. Now, the menu includes the famed Death by Gumbo, as well as caviar service. And try the redfish Bienville, a throwback from Folse’s erstwhile Lafitte’s Landing — served with a charred lemon beurre blanc and roasted root vegetables.
17. The Bell Bayou St. John
Brooks Reitz, a popular Charleston restaurateur, is getting heroic reviews for this cozy Brit-style pub and restaurant set along an oak-draped section of Esplanade Avenue near City Park. Reitz embraced the location’s three small interior rooms with a masculine aesthetic, including tartan fabric, Brist sports implements and photography, leather stools, and throwback lamps. The kitchen is overseen by chef Marcus Jacobs, formerly of Marjie’s Grill and Seafood Sally’s, and current co-owner of Porgy’s Seafood Market. The menu rides the line between elevated pub fare and Southern specialties. Look for Indian spiced onion and carrot dumplings, shrimp cocktail with Brist condiment Marie Rose, sauce, a crispy fish sandwich, fishmonger’s pie, and an impressive array of salads. Outdoor seating will come in the spring.
18. Hot Stuff University Area/Uptown
Chef Mason Hereford, New Orleans’ oddball culinary kingmaker, has done it again with Hot Stuff, a Southern meat and three lunch spot on Maple Street. In opening the venture, he partnered with long-time Turkey and the Wolf kitchen employee Nate Barfield, whom he put at the helm. Guests visit a central steam table with cafeteria trays to select from changing daily offerings that may include hamburger steak au poivre, fried chicken or catfish, marinated cucumbers fired up with chili crisp, red beans and rice, miso-enlivened green beans, and a cheese spread made with minced pickles and served with saltines. Pro tip: Arrive early to secure a Mountain Dew cake finished with lemon and lime — they sell out fast. Need a cocktail? They will pour your choice of liquor into a paper cup, and you finish it off from the self-serve soda fountain.
No reservations. Find more info here.
19. LUVI Uptown
Somehow the energy, passion, and pure thrift that brought together this cozy, Technicolor space renders it perfect, only acceptable backdrop for Chef Hao Gong’s exotic, playful Asian hybrid cuisine. Gong’s cooking draws on elements of his Shanghai upbringing, his stints at restaurants around the U.S., and his decade-long career as the head sushi chef at Sake Cafe. Some dishes, such as spicy Sichuan dan dan noodles and Mala Holla (razor thin slices of beef shank in ghost-chile oil) hearken to Asian traditions. Others, like the Monkey Snack—raw salmon, sesame-crusted banana and a spicy-sweet sauce—are his own creations. A new monthly supper club provides all you need for a dinner party at home.
20. Bar Pomona Marigny
If plates of crunchy crudites with fine cheese and the soft layers of mortadella flecked with pistachio are enough to get you there, this small, perfect, oh-so-Frenchified neighborhood restaurant and bar with a great wine list is your place. A small spot with low ceilings, the bar takes up most of the room, and details both epicurean and adorable fill the rest. The menu is a short roster that splits the difference between snacks and a proper supper. The wine list is imposing for its size, selection, and value, with most bottles under $50. For brunch, spiced garlic yogurt is topped with two poached eggs, then hit with dukkah, chili crisp, and fresh dill, and served with Sara’s peerless focaccia. Bliss.
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