Best Of New Orleans #22

Every day during the month of August, we're highlighting one restaurant from our recent ranking of the 31 Best Restaurants in New Orleans. Today's restaurant, Gastreau's, is #22 on our list.

At a time when some the most celebrated restaurants in the country boast a casual and relaxed atmosphere, Gautreau's remains unapologetically fine and formal. Chef Sue Zemanick is the star of this culinary show, as for years she has garnered critical acclaim: in 2008, she was included in Food & Wine's "Top 10 Best New Chefs" and was named "Chef of the Year" in New Orleans Magazine; Zemanick participated in Bravo's Top Chef Masters Seriesin 2011 and2012, and was a guest judge on Top Chef New Orleans in 2013; in 2009, 2010, and 2011 the chef was a James Beard Award finalist for "Rising Star Chef," and a 2012 James Beard Award finalist for "Best Chef — South" — an award she actually won this year. Her menu is a mix of classic American and French dishes with signature New Orleans flavors added to the mix, like crispy sweetbreads with crawfish tails, brabant potatoes, braised greens, and spicy beurre blanc; wild mushroom crepes with goat cheese, tomato confit, and ramp vinaigrette; and seared pork chop served with mustard jus, cornbread, turnips, and cabbage-celery seed slaw.

Here's our complete ranking:
#31. Maurepas Fine Foods
#30. Boucherie
#29. Mother's
#28. Luke
#27. The Joint
#26. Dickie Brennan's Steakhouse
#25. Mahony's
#24. MiLa
#23. La Petite Grocery
#22. Gautreau's
#21. Coquette
#20. Parkway Bakery
#19. Clancy's
#18. Dooky Chase
#17. Drago's
#16. Emeril's
#15. Redfish Grill
#14. Jacques-Imo's
#13. Bayona
#12. Camellia Grill
#11. Domilese's
#10. Willie Mae's Scotch House
#9. SoBou
#8. Root
#7. Herbsaint
#6. Domenica
#5. Cochon
#4. Peche
#3. August
#2. Galatoire's
#1. Commander's Palace