Dauphine's

The old adage "Never judge a book by its cover" couldn't be more apt for this operation, which seems a most unlikely candidate for "serious food." It's vast and spread over three levels, but when you're seated in that perfect nook full of pretty people and tantalizing cocktails you'll start to get the drift.
There is no denying Chef Kristen Essig's immense skill, as she prepares a delicious tapestry of New Orleans dishes—with zero fuss and maximum flavor. Make a hearty start with fresh-baked bread and cultured Poirier’s cane butter. Then dive into a platter of silky oysters Dauphine, tailed by blackened soft-shell crab with creamed Prairie Ronde rice. Carry on carb loading at dessert with dark chocolate crémeux and vanilla rice pudding—you won't be sorry.