The Food of New Orleans. John DeMers

      Chef Emeril Lagasse, though originally from the East Coast, is a celebrity in his adopted city He started at Commander's Palace and has since opened several successful restaurants of his own.

      Arnaud's (813 Bienville Street) began operation in 1918 under the care of Arnaud Cazenave, a Frenchman so classy that before long he was known universally as "Count Arnaud." (He wasn't a count, in France or anywhere else—except maybe along Bienville Street!) With help from his daughter Germaine Wells and Archie Casbarian in the 1970s, Arnaud's today is as wonderful as anyone can remember it. The Shrimp Arnaud and Trout Meunière are musts here, and the bread pudding is the best.

      Brennan's (417 Royal Street), while most famous for serving egg after egg after egg with too many cocktails at breakfast, is an insufficiently recognized gem for lunch or dinner. Many Creole classics were invented here, which makes Brennan's not only an interesting tourist spot but a part of history.

      Commander's Palace (1403 Washington Avenue) in the Garden District remains a bridge between the Old World and the New, having reinvigorated traditional Creole cooking through the years with such well-known chefs de cuisine as Paul Prudhomme and Emeril Lagasse. With Jamie Shannon running the kitchen now, the Brennan family has every right to be confident that Commander's selection as a 1996 James Beard Award winner is no flash in the pan.

      Near Commander's Palace, JoAnn Clevenger and chef Richard Benz keep creating wonderful things at the Upperline (1413 Upperline Street). In particular, Upperline is known for its "festival fetish," producing such events as a garlic festival, a duck festival, and festivals about whatever big event is in town.

      A bit farther away from the maddening crowd, there's Brigtsen's (723 Dante Street), in the River-bend section. Just past its tenth anniversary, Brigtsen's and its chef-owner, Frank Brigtsen, put one of the best spins going on creative Creole-Cajun flavors. Whatever Brigtsen is doing with rabbit, don't let it get away.

      Closer to downtown, the born-again Warehouse District has become a true restaurant row. Leading the renaissance has been Emeril's (800 Tchoupitoulas Street), established by former Brennan's chef Lagasse and reflecting his open-ended, highly personal style of cooking. If you sit at Emeril's food bar, you can even watch him cook.

      Also in the Warehouse District (sometimes called the Arts District) you'll find Mike's on the Avenue (628 St. Charles Avenue), the restaurant that has done the most to convince locals that they can eat any cuisine on earth-all on the same plate, if they want to. Chef Mike Fennelly came to the city from New York by way of Santa Fe, and he offers the best of Thai-Southwestern-Mediterranean food. Mike's is chic, bright, airy, and deliciously unforgettable.

      Lest you think a chef's departure is the worst thing in the world, you can walk around the corner and try the Grill Room at the Windsor Court (300 Gravier Street). Under Jeff Tunks's Asian-influenced hand, there's been no dramatic change of direction—it's just some of the world's best ingredients served in the city's most luxurious dining space.