Tuesday, October 25, 2011

The 2011 Fall Dining Guide

And now, for a little Tuesday morning quarterbacking...

The biggest news in the NOLA dining scene over the weekend was the publication of this year's Fall Dining Guide by the Times Picayune. The guide always features 100 Great Places to Eat, and in a town with more than 1200 restaurants (according to Uncle Tom), there are bound to be many of our favorites who missed the cut.

But if whittling down the list to 100 seems difficult, imagine the task of choosing the Top 10. Each year the Times Pic chooses then restaurants that "uphold New Orleans’ reputation for world-class fine dining."

Here is this year's list, in alphabetical order:
  • Bayona
  • Clancy's
  • Cochon
  • Domenica
  • Emeril's
  • Gautreau's
  • Herbsaint
  • La Petite Grocery
  • Patois
  • Restaurant August
Would that be my personal Top 10? No. Can a fair argument be made for each of the restaurants on this year's list? Absolutely. Will some people think that Brett Anderson is a moron for not having included _______? Without a doubt.

The guide also includes a list of this year's Top 5 New New Orleans restaurants, as well as interviews with 4 Chefs to Watch, courtesy of Todd Price.  My personal favorite segment of this year's guide? Brett Anderson showing honesty to name Popeye's as one of five spots to find red beans and rice. I couldn't agree more. And while we are not holding back the truth, I have a confession to make. I have been known to order a family size red beans and rice for my own personal consumption, only to increase the gluttony by tearing off the skin from a 3 piece order of legs and thighs and adding the crispy fried goodness to my styrofoam container of red beans.

Blackened Out is in the midst of preparing for our own end of the year awards, and we want to know what restaurants would be in your personal Top 10. Think that Stella! was unfairly snubbed or that Boucherie has more class than other restaurants at twice the price? The comments are open for business.

6 comments:

Emily said...

Yes, I am surprised to see that Boucherie is not on the list. Such stellar food, borderline laughable prices, with tons of local color, to boot. A shining example of the way we eat in this city. Hey, at least we know it!

Bloggle said...

Where is a good place to get a beer with my dog?

Anonymous said...

coquette?

Unknown said...

Boucherie, Patois, Dante's...

Rebecca said...

ugh! Cochon is so unworthy, the menu hasn't changed for years. I agree that coquette should have gotten some love.

Anonymous said...

I guess I'm most suprised to see places that don't even qualify as fine dining, e.g., Domenica, Cochon? Both places are great, but . . .

And Lilette overlooked? That's painful. And for Le petit? And Emeril's? (Apart from bing self-important and over priced, I just don't see Emeril's as top 10 material. It is ine dining, though. Where is mention of what's happening at Martinique? And Mila? Clancy's is a sentimental favorite of us all, but top 10? I'm just not sure on that.

Stella has gotten sooooo expensive and so over the top as to take it out of the running, however beautiful it at be. I'd love to see that guy use half as many ingredients in a dish. I've always preferred elegant simplicity, which I think best showcases to subtlties of the ingredients.