Mandina's Restaurant

Description

Mandina's attracts legions of locals and more adventurous tourists. Suits, older folks and hard-smoking regulars fill the large main room. Veteran waitstaff negotiates the narrow aisles with an old-school mix of grace and authority. Simple but extensive. Go with the seafood selections--hugely portioned fried shrimp po' boys and buttery trout amandine are prepared perfectly. Variations on "red gravy and pasta" are also remarkably strong. Start off with a steaming bowl of peppery turtle soup spiked with a splash of sherry, or oyster and artichoke or seafood gumbo. Fried soft-shell crabs are also top-notch. Daily specials cover the home-style bases (smothered chicken on Monday, shrimp etouffee on Friday, corned beef and cabbage on Saturday).