[QUOTE=Delta Hog]I can't believe this thread has made it to the third page without mention of the best restaurant in New Orleans (and one of my favorites anywhere, anytime) . . . Galatoire's.

For 60 of my 65+ years, first with my grandfather, and for most of those years with the same waiter, now sadly gone to the Great Table in the Sky, I have made it a habit to dine at Galatoire's at least once a year, arriving at 2PM on a weekday, preferably in party of no more than four, ordering no more than 2 appetizers or entrees at a time, and winding thru an afternoon to emerge gorged and slightly a'buzz a decent, modestly priced wine(s).

Whether to choose trout ("speck"/"sand") in brown butter with almonds or the eggplant stuffed with shrimp and crab has too often left me with no alternative than to order both.

It is among the last places to remain true to tradition and history (other than the new entrace, only modestly offensive to traditionalists), and is the sort of restaurant a lone business man or well dressed traveler can arrive and (with modest demeanor and good manners) be well served and well fed. By comparison to many of the currently "chic" restaurants, the prices, semi-expensive, are not extortionate.

While tradition demands a three piece seersucker or cream linen suit (and big napkins protect them), a simple jacket will suffice these days, while women should strive for either gorgeous or professional (business, not the oldest trade).