New Orleans

UPTOWN/THE GARDEN DISTRICT 117
wish that the chef (who worked at Lilette before this and clearly
learned well from the experience) would be just a little more bold
and audacious, since he’s currently sticking to some tried-and-true
local contemporary formulas, not that one can really blame him.
The menu changes daily, but possibilities include hamachi with
grilled green garlic, sunchoke and cauliflower soup with sunflower
shoots, and a pretty piece of Yukon salmon with a side of English
peas and spinach. It’s all very pretty, fresh food, meticulously prepared
and a delicate contrast to heavier Creole fare around town.
Portions are modest compared to other places, and the prices are a
bit high for what you get.
8115 Jeannette St. & 504/862-5848. www.irisneworleans.com. Main courses
$23–$29. AE, DISC, MC, V. Mon–Sat 6pm–“until.”
La Crêpe Nanou FRENCH La Crêpe Nanou is another notso-secret
local secret. It’s always crowded. It’s a romantic spot (windows
angled into the ceiling let you gaze at the stars) that is
simultaneously 19th century and quite modern. You can order
crepes wrapped around a variety of stuffings, including crawfish.
But you might want to save your crepe consumption for dessert (big
and messy, full of chocolate and whipped cream) and concentrate
instead on the big healthy salads and moist, flaky fish, particularly
the whole grilled fish with herbs. It’s big enough for two and is done
to perfection. You can usually find knowledgeable locals ordering
the mussels and extra bread to sop up the garlic white-wine sauce.
Meat dishes come with your choice of sauce (garlic or cognac, for
example).
1410 Robert St.&504/899-2670. www.lacrepenanou.com. Main courses $12–$23.
MC, V. Fri–Sun 6–11pm.
La Petite Grocery BISTRO This Uptown restaurant, a pretty, if
underlit, room with a relatively low noise level, generated big buzz
when it opened, thanks to its pedigree (the owners are alums of the
Anne Kearney Peristyle years); and thanks to some excellent reviews
it quickly became one of the hottest culinary spots in town. But a
sampling of visits came up with several quite good, one abysmal,
and the rest firmly with a vote for “fine, but forgettable.” The disappointment
would probably be less if the hype weren’t so great.
The menu features nothing you won’t find in similar bistro-style
restaurants in town: unmemorable braised lamb shank, a pedestrian
filet mignon over pommes lyonnaise, and dry pork shank. A foie
gras pâté is good enough to finish, except for the bits of connective