The menu was composed of various traditional New Orleans and Louisiana favorites with a tempting tasting portion (for$36) that included six tasting-size portions of items like duck etoufee, corn cakes with pepper jelly, andouille gumbo, turtle soup, fried green tomatoes with remoulade sauce, bread pudding and pecan pie. Unfortunately, we had had a rather large lunch and none of us felt able, in good conscious, to tackle such a repast. We did sample the fried green tomatoes (of movie fame). They were delightfully crisp and the spicy remoulade sauce was the perfect compliment. We also sampled spicy shrimp with jalapeno cornbread (the cornbread was four-stars!) and crispy oysters with aioli. Two of us decided on Cane River shrimp (a house specialty. The men went with Towman's Duck (I tasted it-yum), and Salmon with Spinach. It was all a delight to the senses, but we had not a speck of room left for dessert, although they sounded terrific. Never eat a large lunch and plan to eat a large dinner in New Orleans! Our reservations had been made for 6:30pm, which was way too early to accommodate our appetites.

The dining area itself is very cozy and homey in that it has art all over the walls, flowers, and warm colors. You will also immediately notice the presence of the owner who acts as the maitre de. At first I thought she was an eccentric older woman. The reality is that she knows exactly what she is doing. She greets everyone and personally walks them out. She really wants to make sure you had a good experience. Odds are you will, because the food and service is exceptional.

The food is classic New Orleans with some unique twists. I ordered the five course meal which let me taste several different items...a good choice. The entree was the best duck I have ever had and the bread pudding dessert was fantastic. All the while you are waited on hand and foot...listen to the waiters, they make good recommendations.

The restaurant is about 10-15 minutes from the French Quarter. If you are looking for some good entertainment afterwards, check out the Maple Leaf Bar.