More often than not, tipsters, readers, friends and family of Eater ask us: Where should I eat right now? What are the new restaurants? What haven't I heard of? What's everyone talking about? And while the Eater 38 is a crucial resource covering old standbys and neighborhood essentials across the city, it is not a chronicle of the 'it' places of the moment. Thus, we offer the Eater Heatmap, which will change continuously to always highlight where the foodie crowds are flocking to at the moment.
With so many new restaurants opening this year, there's bound to be a few shake ups, and this month brings it on: Much-loved Bywater hotspot Mariza bows out gracefully after eleven months on the map, with Doris Metropolitan nabbing the spot. Uptown favorite Dominique's on Magazine also hops off to make way for Ivy.
Been to any of these restaurants and had a great or a terrible experience? Let us know in the comments or by email.
January 2013, Added: La Fin Du Monde February 2013, Added: Mariza March 2013, Added: Wayfare, Dominique's on Magazine April 2013, Added: Tivoli & Lee May 2013, Added: Peche, Tableau, Kingfish June 2013, Added: Lucky Rooster, Ba Chi Canteen July 2013: Casa Borrega August 2013: McClure's September 2013: Noodle & Pie, Cane & Table October 2013: Broussard's November 2013: Marti's
Eater maps are curated by editors and aim to reflect a diversity of neighborhoods, cuisines, and prices. Learn more about our editorial process.
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Peche is a pitmaster dreamland and seafood mecca from the can-do-no-wrong Link Group. Chefs Donald Link, Stephen Stryjewski, and Ryan Prewitt's trips to Uruguay and Spain inspired the restaurant, which focuses on asado cooking. Located in the Warehouse District in a historic building where Jefferson Davis was embalmed, Peche features a giant hearth/wood fire grill (handbuilt by Link's cousin), a raw bar, and the sort of casual fine dining vibe perfected by sister restaurant Cochon with a menu of comparable merit. Peche is to fish as Cochon is to pig.
Dickie Brennan's newly opened Tableau, attached to Le Petit Theatre, serves French Creole overlooking Jackson Square. Long time Palace Cafe chef Ben Thibodeaux mans the kitchen, and the building underwent a huge and beautiful renovation to arrive at its plantation/Spanish manor feel with three stories of dining (300+ seats), including balconies,private rooms, and a sweeping staircase. The restaurant has a wine carafe program, and is working to build a large repertoire of cognacs.
Kingfish is home to Louisiana comfort food with a surprising global twist in the Quarter. Located on Chartres and Conti, the restaurant (from the owners of Broussard's) features two of New Orleans' culinary heavyweights, including legendary barkeep Chris McMillian, who turns out impeccable classic libations and service. And former Gabrielle owner/chef Greg Sonnier, whose menu is packed with Cajun and Creole classics on crack and cracklins— from a 'pirogue' of barbecue shrimp to a Cajun-injected "junky chick." The dining area has sort of a dark man-cave feel (and a few nods to Huey P. Long), a nice contrast to an afternoon spent roaming the Quarter.
Operated by Phat Vu and Quinn Nguyen of Westbank favorite Tan Dinh and located in the old Figaro's space across from Satsuma Maple Uptown, Ba Chi Canteen is kind of like Tan Dinh's punkrock younger sibling. Amidst traditional Vietnamese fare like bahn mi and pho, the wilder side of the menu shines with Bacos (steam bun tacos), Kim Chi Fries, pork belly galore and tons of cray specials that make this a culinary destination for broke college kids, star chefs like John Besh and Aaron Sanchez, and everyone in between.
Lucky Rooster is a casual noodle house/Asian snack attack charmer in the CBD from the Juan's and Slice team. Chef Neil Swidler, a Delmonico alum, boasts a wickedly tasty menu of Asian street food at price points that won't break the bank or morale. His obsession with the housemade extends all the way to the sauces and dessert, so don't skip the sriracha or fortune cookie. Christine Jeanine Nielsen is the mastermind behind the exotic cocktails and housemade sodas. And GM/wine guru Joe Briand (Herbsaint alum) has a slew of interesting whites, and is also busy starting a sherry revolution among a younger, amply tattooed crowd.
Hugo Montero and Linda Stone's salvaged 19th Century house on OCH is already a cultural hub, featuring food truck nights, live music, fundraisers, and now a Mexican street food and cocktail menu available Thursday-Saturday nights, with the likes of tostadas, gorditas, and more. By fall, the restaurant should expand to have breakfast and lunch as well.
Finally Uptown has a delicious barbecue joint thanks to Neil McClure's smokin' hot pop-up turned brick-and-mortar. Brisket, ribs, barbecue sandwiches on Dong Phuong French bread, and sauces that cover all good regions of the Southern barbecue paradigm are causing lines out the door. BBQ BFF sides likes coleslaw and mac n cheese abound, and it won't set you back too much either.
After a month in, Adam Biderman and Ean Bancroft have proven that their take on Colonial dishes, influenced by Jamaican, Latin, and island fare, stands on its own as a new hot addition to the New Orleans dining scene. Add that to the killer cocktails made by Nick Detrich, and you realize this isn't just bar food. Plus, they make some killer rice calas.
What's not to love about Dante's brick and mortar noodle house Uptown? Brian Armour is making a name for himself by bringing the ramenvasion to NOLA with gorgeous bowls of noodles, yakitori, and lots of Japanese snacks. Mimi Assad throws down with a selection of classy pies for dessert. Add in some housemade shrub sodas, shrimp cracker fries, a floor that spawkles like water, and an affordable meal, and yeah, it's so on.
After a million dollar renovation, the Grand Dame on Conti is back open and better than ever. New chef Guy Reinbolt creates Louisiana-inspired French/International cuisine and the swanky, new Empire Bar manned by legendary curmudgeon Paul Gustings turns out pre-prohibition classics and modern craft cocktails. All that, plus the best courtyard in New Orleans (which also happened to just get a $40K upgrade, y'all), make Broussard's a newly revamped hottie.
The legendary restaurant, which closed up shop in 1988— the space also housed popular Peristyle and shortlived Wolfe's after that— has been lovingly resurrected by the owner of Gautreau's, Patrick and Rebecca Singley. Chef Drew Lockett cooks impressive rustic bistro fare, and a wealth of raw bar options that dazzle. Also, they're open until midnight, Wednesday-Saturday.
This sleek new steakhouse in the Quarter from international restaurateurs Doris Rebi Chia and Itai Ben Eli includes an in-house butcher shop and extensive wine list. It's all the buzz with restaurant critics of late, making this a hotness that can't be denied if you're in the mood for luxurious dry-aged beef and a taste of the Mediterranean.
Gautreau's Patrick Singley and chef Sue Zemanick bring small plates and craft cocktails to a lounge setting, in this tiny ivy-covered restaurant on Magazine Street.
Peche is a pitmaster dreamland and seafood mecca from the can-do-no-wrong Link Group. Chefs Donald Link, Stephen Stryjewski, and Ryan Prewitt's trips to Uruguay and Spain inspired the restaurant, which focuses on asado cooking. Located in the Warehouse District in a historic building where Jefferson Davis was embalmed, Peche features a giant hearth/wood fire grill (handbuilt by Link's cousin), a raw bar, and the sort of casual fine dining vibe perfected by sister restaurant Cochon with a menu of comparable merit. Peche is to fish as Cochon is to pig.
Dickie Brennan's newly opened Tableau, attached to Le Petit Theatre, serves French Creole overlooking Jackson Square. Long time Palace Cafe chef Ben Thibodeaux mans the kitchen, and the building underwent a huge and beautiful renovation to arrive at its plantation/Spanish manor feel with three stories of dining (300+ seats), including balconies,private rooms, and a sweeping staircase. The restaurant has a wine carafe program, and is working to build a large repertoire of cognacs.
Kingfish is home to Louisiana comfort food with a surprising global twist in the Quarter. Located on Chartres and Conti, the restaurant (from the owners of Broussard's) features two of New Orleans' culinary heavyweights, including legendary barkeep Chris McMillian, who turns out impeccable classic libations and service. And former Gabrielle owner/chef Greg Sonnier, whose menu is packed with Cajun and Creole classics on crack and cracklins— from a 'pirogue' of barbecue shrimp to a Cajun-injected "junky chick." The dining area has sort of a dark man-cave feel (and a few nods to Huey P. Long), a nice contrast to an afternoon spent roaming the Quarter.
Operated by Phat Vu and Quinn Nguyen of Westbank favorite Tan Dinh and located in the old Figaro's space across from Satsuma Maple Uptown, Ba Chi Canteen is kind of like Tan Dinh's punkrock younger sibling. Amidst traditional Vietnamese fare like bahn mi and pho, the wilder side of the menu shines with Bacos (steam bun tacos), Kim Chi Fries, pork belly galore and tons of cray specials that make this a culinary destination for broke college kids, star chefs like John Besh and Aaron Sanchez, and everyone in between.
Lucky Rooster is a casual noodle house/Asian snack attack charmer in the CBD from the Juan's and Slice team. Chef Neil Swidler, a Delmonico alum, boasts a wickedly tasty menu of Asian street food at price points that won't break the bank or morale. His obsession with the housemade extends all the way to the sauces and dessert, so don't skip the sriracha or fortune cookie. Christine Jeanine Nielsen is the mastermind behind the exotic cocktails and housemade sodas. And GM/wine guru Joe Briand (Herbsaint alum) has a slew of interesting whites, and is also busy starting a sherry revolution among a younger, amply tattooed crowd.
Hugo Montero and Linda Stone's salvaged 19th Century house on OCH is already a cultural hub, featuring food truck nights, live music, fundraisers, and now a Mexican street food and cocktail menu available Thursday-Saturday nights, with the likes of tostadas, gorditas, and more. By fall, the restaurant should expand to have breakfast and lunch as well.
Finally Uptown has a delicious barbecue joint thanks to Neil McClure's smokin' hot pop-up turned brick-and-mortar. Brisket, ribs, barbecue sandwiches on Dong Phuong French bread, and sauces that cover all good regions of the Southern barbecue paradigm are causing lines out the door. BBQ BFF sides likes coleslaw and mac n cheese abound, and it won't set you back too much either.
After a month in, Adam Biderman and Ean Bancroft have proven that their take on Colonial dishes, influenced by Jamaican, Latin, and island fare, stands on its own as a new hot addition to the New Orleans dining scene. Add that to the killer cocktails made by Nick Detrich, and you realize this isn't just bar food. Plus, they make some killer rice calas.
What's not to love about Dante's brick and mortar noodle house Uptown? Brian Armour is making a name for himself by bringing the ramenvasion to NOLA with gorgeous bowls of noodles, yakitori, and lots of Japanese snacks. Mimi Assad throws down with a selection of classy pies for dessert. Add in some housemade shrub sodas, shrimp cracker fries, a floor that spawkles like water, and an affordable meal, and yeah, it's so on.
After a million dollar renovation, the Grand Dame on Conti is back open and better than ever. New chef Guy Reinbolt creates Louisiana-inspired French/International cuisine and the swanky, new Empire Bar manned by legendary curmudgeon Paul Gustings turns out pre-prohibition classics and modern craft cocktails. All that, plus the best courtyard in New Orleans (which also happened to just get a $40K upgrade, y'all), make Broussard's a newly revamped hottie.
The legendary restaurant, which closed up shop in 1988— the space also housed popular Peristyle and shortlived Wolfe's after that— has been lovingly resurrected by the owner of Gautreau's, Patrick and Rebecca Singley. Chef Drew Lockett cooks impressive rustic bistro fare, and a wealth of raw bar options that dazzle. Also, they're open until midnight, Wednesday-Saturday.
This sleek new steakhouse in the Quarter from international restaurateurs Doris Rebi Chia and Itai Ben Eli includes an in-house butcher shop and extensive wine list. It's all the buzz with restaurant critics of late, making this a hotness that can't be denied if you're in the mood for luxurious dry-aged beef and a taste of the Mediterranean.
Gautreau's Patrick Singley and chef Sue Zemanick bring small plates and craft cocktails to a lounge setting, in this tiny ivy-covered restaurant on Magazine Street.
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