McNulty Still Likes Lilette, Fitzmorris Checks Out Vizard's

When Lilette opened in 2000, it "seemed every bit the hip Uptown bistro of the moment," writes Ian McNulty in this week's Gambit. McNulty continues to write that, over a decade later, that description still holds true. And while the specials board changes, many of the restaurant's favorites have remained on the menu: "With a little selectivity, diners can assemble the same meal here in 2011 they had a decade earlier, course by course." In the end, McNulty had only one complaint:

While Lilette's bouillabaisse ranks among the best in town, I've had less luck with other seafood dishes here. A paneed black drum came out overdone and somewhat lost under its breading, for instance. But don't miss the crudo, an ever-changing Italian view of sashimi dressed with olive oil and thin, crisp vegetables.

And in Sunday's Times-Pic, Brett Anderson managed to steal some time away from making that whole Dining Guide thing and revisit Ste. Marie, which received "three beans" in July, a return apparently prompted by the fact that Mike Pedranti took over the kitchen this summer. Anderson was generally pleased, writing that much of the food does indeed "meet the expectations of diners who strap on high heels to enjoy it."

Tom Fitzmorris also got in on the action this past week, reviewing Vizard's in CityBusiness yesterday. Opened in the current space in 2008, Vizard's is owned and operated by Kevin Vizard, a graduate of Commander's Palace. Tommy Boy says Vizard is "one of the best gourmet Creole bistro chefs" and "Although some dishes sound like jokes at first — ask Kevin about his greens, egg and ham — you rarely find a dish that fails to ring a familiar chord."

Finally, the guys at Blackened Out put out the second review in their Burger Bonanza series, reviewing Cowbell. They describe it as "a full service restaurant which just happens to serve one hell of a burger." The Oak Street operation rated a Birdie.

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[Photo: Lilette]

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Lilette

3637 Magazine Street, , LA 70115 (504) 895-1636 Visit Website