Central Grocery Co

This crowded storefront just off the Mississippi River is really more like an old-time Italian deli than a restaurant. Shelves are piled high with pastas, canned mushrooms, sardines, tomato sauces and the like, but locals swear by the house specialty: plate-sized muffulettas. Don't look for tables here; diners sit on bar stools at long wooden countertops. If the crowds are too thick, consider taking your food to go and finding a bench along the river.

A New Orleans favorite, the muffuletta starts with a whole loaf of round Italian bread, which is stuffed to overflowing with Italian meats and cheeses, then topped with a rich olive salad