Bacco

Any affection we already had for Bacco increased exponentially the day, about a month after Katrina, it became the first major Quarter restaurant to reopen. Did it matter the menu was limited to five items, all grilled and served on plastic dinnerware? Heck, no. It was New Orleans food, again, and even taking obvious joyful bias into account, it was delicious. (President Bush dined here just a few days later, during his first post-hurricane trip to the city.)

At night it's romantic and candlelit; at lunchtime it's more affordable and casual, with particularly well-priced lunch specials (three courses for around $15). Don't expect spaghetti and marinara sauce here. The menu changes regularly, but our latest trip produced a superior take on New Orleans BBQ shrimp (with a spicy finish) and terrific hickory-smoked redfish. Most of the pasta dishes are probably sure things, but skip the crawfish ravioli. Mr. Ralph's ice-cream sandwich -- moist chocolate cake layered with Louisiana strawberry ice cream -- made up for the disappointing espresso cupcake.

Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.

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