Irene's Cuisine

Located on the quieter end of the French Quarter, this family/locally owned Creole Italian is a real gem. Follow your nose - you can smell the garlic a half-block away - for an inevitable seat in the piano bar for well-shaken cocktails while you wait for a table - limited reservations are taken, but in general it's first come, first served. Eventually you'll be show through the charming warren of dining rooms to your table, and then the fun begins. Settle in for a treat, from house made pasta topped with soft shell crab in a divine cream sauce to an assertive osso buco and the wonderful duck St. Phillip lacquered with a raspberry-pancetta demi-glace. Service is exceptional, as is the bread pudding du jour and the ricotta cheesecake.