Rob Mangione

Tim Zagat announced that everyone should come back to New Orleans because it’s the “patriotic” thing to do, so who are we to argue? (Unfortunately, though, the crime issue isn’t going away – it got worse over the weekend, and even the tourist board is issuing angry statements now – murder, bad!)

But forget crime for a minute – and let’s talk about eating. Which restaurants are best? According to the survey, they are:

Alberta: A post-K success story. New American/Italian on Magazine Street. A bit s’pensive.

August: Locally-focused fare in the city’s fanciest room. A definite jewel in New Orleans, but not exactly groundbreaking on a national scale. What’s groundbreaking though: the prices, some of the lowest for this calibre cooking we’ve ever seen.

Bayona: Far-reaching menu in an old creole cottage on the fringes of the Quarter. Used to be a huge star. Hasn’t gotten a lot of buzz lately, though.

Brigtsen’s: Frank’s House o’ Creole, tucked in the Riverbend district. Old School. Ehh.

Cuvée: Creole-Continental in a slick, red-brick space in the CBD. Supposed to be good but never could really be bothered. Looks like it could be anywhere. Would prefer that nearby Herbsaint had beat it out.

Stella!: We know a few people who think Scotty Boswell’s Quarter joint is now the best restaurant in town, period. Clearly, plenty of survey participants agreed. Desserts are a highlight.

Oh, and if you were wondering where all the places you’ve actually heard of were on this list, don’t worry – winner of the Most Popular category was, are you surprised, Galatoire’s.

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