PRICE:
Frommer's Very Highly Recommended

This is one of the few restaurants that received serious physical damage from Katrina, because of both its proximity to the flooded parts of Canal and its own sub-street level location. Nonetheless, aficionados won't be able to tell the difference in this handsome steakhouse, thanks to a laborious reconstruction. It looks gorgeous, but not as much so as its prime steaks. We are hard-pressed to choose our favorite between the 14-ounce rib-eye, the 16-ounce cast-iron-seared filet, or the house filet topped with béarnaise sauce, flash-fried oysters, and creamed spinach. Each is tender and juicy and seasoned to give it an enhancing kerwallop but not enough to overpower the flavorful meat. Prime rib is less impressive, as it's a bit pallid compared to a hearty aged steak. Finding the steaks a bit costly? Split one (they aren't small), and then you can order plenty of sides and appetizers, all of which are sterling as well. And even fish entrees are entirely successful, particularly the grilled red fish topped with lemon beurre blanc sauce and the terrific crab cake appetizer, which tastes like all crab and no filling. Save room for desserts such as the family's Creole cream cheese cheesecake (not an ordinary cheesecake by any means), bananas Foster bread pudding (a new twist on an old faithful dish), coconut cake, and a chocolate-café mousse.

Copyright: Excerpted from Frommer's New Orleans 2008, (c) 2008, Wiley Publishing, Inc.

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