PRICE:
Frommer's Very Highly Recommended

Not to be confused with Liuzza's, above, and not to be overlooked either. This Liuzza's is a near-flawless example of a corner neighborhood hole in the wall. In one visit, you will either get the point or not; by the second visit, the staff will know your name. By the third visit, you might wonder why you would eat anywhere else. It's not just the fact that they serve what may be the best gumbo and red beans 'n' rice in the city, it's the monster perfect po' boys, including a drippy garlic-stuffed roast beef (with a pinch of horseradish in the mayo) and a rare barbecued-shrimp po' boy (about 3 dozen shrimp in a hollowed-out po' boy loaf, soaked in spicy butter). It's also the surprise of serious daily specials such as "grilled crab cheese" and shish kabobs. It's the salads as well, huge and full of leafy greens (the healthy aspects of which we like to ruin by having ours topped with fried crawfish and green-onion dressing); vegetarians will be thrilled with the portobello mushroom version. Try the sweet potato and andouille soup. Space is at a premium (they don't have a lot of tables), and it is not out of the question that you could show up and simply never, ever get seated. (Or you could just as easily be the only diner. It's unpredictable.) Call ahead or plan for, say, lunch (the most popular time) at 11:45am instead of noon.

Copyright: Excerpted from Frommer's New Orleans 2009, (c) 2008, Wiley Publishing, Inc.

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