Mr. B's Bistro

With marble tabletops and lots of dark wood, Mr. B's is on the ritzy side of bistro casual, with a touch of deco on the side. Since it's within easy walking distance of the CBD, the restaurant is a popular "power lunch" spot with local suits, and tourists alike. Crackerjack service controls the bustling room.

Creole classics and post-trendy "comfort foods" (gumbos, grilled everything, pasta variations) from the restaurant's 20-year run. Good news for bread dippers: The seafood gumbo is a dark, chunky bowl of flavorful crab and oysters. The barbecue shrimp are enormous and are served floating in a pool of sop-friendly butter gravy; accept the waitstaff's offer of a bib for the gloriously messy dish. Mr. B's signature jambalaya pasta features fowl (duck and chicken breast) with shrimp and yet another pool of thick sauce