Arnaud's Restaurant is a fine dining establishment in the heart of New Orleans.

In 1918, a colorful, French wine salesman named Arnaud Cazenave opened the grand New Orleans restaurant that bears his name with a commitment to serving quality Creole cuisine. Arnaud believed, quite simply, that the pursuit of the pleasures of the table is as worthy as anything else one chooses to pursue in life. 

Sixty years later, in 1978, Arnaud’s was acquired by Archie and Jane Casbarian, the second family of proprietors the restaurant has ever known. Casbarian sought to return Arnaud’s to the roots from which it had strayed by both restoring the property and reinvigorating the cuisine. In so doing, Casbarian brought world renown and widespread acclaim to Arnaud’s. 

Presently, Arnaud’s Restaurant is being operated by a fourth generation of owners, Katy and Archie Casbarian along with their mother Jane. They, too, remain committed to carrying on the traditions originated by Arnaud Cazenave. More importantly, they are committed to staying true to the vision of their father as the restaurant nears one hundred years of operation.

I made reservations at this fancy restaurant after Kaitlynn already headed out of town, but the staff made me feel completely comfortable.

The menu is elaborate, and every single item sounded delicious.

First, some fresh, warm bread! I love this - every restaurant here does it!

I ultimately decided on "Crabmeat Karen" - Delectable Louisiana crabmeat and mushrooms baked in puff pastry. Served with White Wine Sauce.

And, oh my gosh, look at how cute this thing is.



It's like a potpie with crabmeat and mushrooms. You can't really go wrong with that.






And then they convinced me to get pecan pie. I couldn't help myself: Old Fashioned Pecan Pie - Served with whipped cream, spiced pecans and Salted Caramel.

I think I had to roll home this night.

When I was walking back to my hotel, I passed "Cafe Beignet," and decided to get my coffee fix.

This small shop is sweet looking, and even had live music while I was there!

Café Beignet is a cup full of New Orleans’ best European traditions. For two hundred years, New Orleanians have savored every sip of their rich coffee accompanied by delicate, crisp beignets (ben-yays). 

These golden squares, usually dusted with powdered confectioner's sugar, can best be described as a cross between a French pastry and an American doughnut. In New Orleans, beignets are enjoyed at a breakfast, for dessert, or any time for a special treat. 

New Orleans’ Café Beignet provides a grand cafe setting outside and in, and the best coffee and beignets anywhere. Breakfast Served All Day. New Orleans Cajun Specialties and Fried Seafood Also Available.

So, I ended up actually getting a hot chocolate. But it was fabulous!

I've already had gumbo at least twice in New Orleans so far, but I stilled wanted to check out The Gumbo Shop.

New Orleans is a Mecca of culinary temptations and as a native I wouldn't want it any other way. Temptation and atonement are part of our culture. With religious roots that are primarily Catholic, thanks to our French founders, the church affects our calendar in a rather unique way: we celebrate Mardi Gras, or Fat Tuesday, the final day of feasting before 40 days of Lent. The traditional abstinence from meat during this time leading up to Easter means that we have to "sacrifice" by enjoying the bounty from nearby waters: fish, shrimp and oysters from the Gulf of Mexico, crabs from Lake Pontchatrain, and crawfish from area swamplands. 

New Orleans was founded by the French in 1718 and named after the regent, the Duke d’Orleans. Passed to the Spanish for a while, it went back to France long enough for Napoleon to sell it to a fledgling United States of America in 1803. 

In New Orleans, the French influence over local cooking was just the beginning. Throughout the years African slaves were often the cooks. Through one of the nation’s busiest ports have come new citizens from Germany, Ireland, the French Caribbean Islands, Italy, Greece, Croatia and more recently, Asia. The Choctaw Indians were already living in this swampy mosquito-infested piece of land, below sea level and shaped like a crescent on the Mississippi River. They introduced powdered sassafras or file_ which they called “kombo” to settlers as a staple for one of many styles of the indigenous soup we call gumbo – from the African word “kingumbo” meaning the vegetable okra. A gumbo usually contains either file_ or okra as a thickener. Just as gumbo is a blend of many cultures, so is the origin of the word. However, the base of most gumbos is “roux” – flour and fat with seasonings that is browned to provide an almost nutty flavor.

The menu featured many classic cajun and creole dishes like gumbo, jambalaya, shrimp creole, etc. And, of course, I wanted a taste of each.

But the special that day sounded too good: crabcakes topped with a shrimp cream sauce. I got a side of mashed potatoes and I got a side of crayfish etouffee.

But first, bread. Always bread.

Mm, then look at this entree! I love a good crab cake. And I think the only way to make it better is to smother it with shrimp and cream. This was outstanding.

The side of crayfish etouffee was not so much my cup of tea. It's hard for me to get over the fact that I used to catch crayfish in the creek to use as fishing bait. But, not bad.

And that side of mashed potatoes was a little touch of comfort that I needed.

Do you have a favorite cajun/creole dish?

Le Croissant D'Or Patisserie is a French pastry shop that looks like it was straight from my dreams.

Coop's Place became an inside joke for Kaitlynn and me after we tried to go on the first night, and they closed early. After that, we kept trying to make it back but it wasn't until the last day we were able to swing by.

Coop's Place is a laidback, down-home bar and kitchen. We were ID'ed as soon as we stepped in, but then we took a seat and looked over the menu.

I ordered the "Coop's Taste Plate" which had a cup of seafood gumbo, shrimp creole, cajun fried chicken, red beans & rice with sausage, and rabbit & sausage jambalaya. It was all sort of mixed up on this one plate of goodness.

The gumbo was good - much lighter than the prior one I tried. And the rest was all just so, so good. The shrimp creole blew my mind, and the jambalaya was right there, too. My mouth is watering as I write this.

Brennan's Restaurant stands out with its salmon pink exterior along the street.

Brennan's Restaurant is a New Orleans restaurant tradition since 1946. Chef Slade Rushing's innovative Creole menu borrows influences from French and Spanish ancestry with modern updates and distinct seasonal offerings. Old-world elegance inspired dining rooms, and personable, attentive service, create a unique and sophisticated experience.

It has been named one of the top 100 brunch places in America. Oh, and one more thing: They created bananas foster.

We'll get to that in a second. Let's start with brunch.

I ordered "Eggs Sardou," which had Crispy Artichokes, Parmesan Creamed Spinach, and Choron Sauce. Just, wow. I want more crispy artichokes in my life.

So, so good. Crispy and creamy and veggies and eggs. Just delish.

Then, we ordered bananas foster at the end of our meal.

It's prepared tableside.

Butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, dark rum and banana liqueur and bananas are cooked. The alcohol is added and ignited. It then caramelizes the bananas a bit, which is served over vanilla ice cream. Ours didn't really ignite. So we ended up with the sauce, but not so much the flambe. Still tasty!

And, look at these bathrooms.