N7

Here are a few things N7, the hidden gem of a French restaurant in the upper 9th ward doesn't have: a phone, live music, creole cuisine, New Orleans-inspired decor, a website. Now here's what you will get if you track down this unassuming bistro tucked behind a wooden fence just off of St. Claude Avenue: a gorgeous, candlelit courtyard complete with an old Citroen off to one side; cool retro meets French pop music; a menu that includes expected favorites like steak au poivre and mussels, along with the unexpected presence of mostly imported seafood in a can - think smoked sardines, spiced calamari, escabeche. There's a good rose by the glass, a nice wine list overall and a small bar at which to drink same. N7 is the roadway that goes between Paris and the Italian border, but you probably already know that.