The Country Club

The Country Club may just be the best kept 40-year-old secret in New Orleans. Located in a stunning circa 1884 Italianate manse in Bywater, the restaurant resort celebrated four decades with a slew of changes, all of them great. Top of the list is new executive chef Chris Barbato, formerly chef de cuisine at Commander's Palace. Barbato has reinvigorated the locally-inspired menu, with its nod to Italian-French and Creole-Southern heritages, with dishes from barbecue shrimp and grits to Chateaubriand, jumbo sea scallops and Louisiana speckled trout. Long known for its free-wheeling back courtyard chilled and heated saltwater pool scene, The Country Club has been spruced up inside and out with eye-popping murals by local artist Cindy Mathis and artwork from Louis St. Lewis, and a lush redo of the outside space, including the addition of an outdoor kitchen for poolside nibbles. Guests can pay a day rate to swim and lounge or pay an annual membership for unlimited privileges. Locals may recall that the pool was once clothing optional. That is no longer the case. Drag brunch on Saturdays is a hoot, with the crowd usually dominated by gaggles of lively bachelorette parties. Reserve well in advance, as the two seatings tend to fill up quickly. It's all great fun, but chef Barbato's food is the real star here. Don't miss his truffled mac-n-cheese and the debris and eggs is to die for. This place feels like being on vacation. What's not to love about that?