You have to go to the Sazerac Bar in the Roosevelt Hotel 123 Baronne St - just outside the Quarters - a Ramos Gin Fizz is the drink to have there

Carousel Bar in the Hotel Monteleone on Bienville between Chartres and Royal

Arnauds French 75 - also on Bienville - but there may be cigars involved

Bar Tonique - 820 North Rampart St

It's way way down in the Bywater, but Maurepas Foods has one of the best bars in town - 3200 Burgundy St

Remember - Hurricanes and Hand Grenades are for tourists -

classic NO cocktails include Sazeracs, Ramos Gin Fizzes, Vieux Carres, Pimm's Cups, French 75s

and my take - based on a meal last week was -

service was actually quite attentive, verging on intrusive - the waiter was extremely knowledgeable - perhaps a tad dictatorial - and we had a nice chat about our respective genealogies

the food was excellent - but some of the presentation was lacking.

I find the "tong" method of serving bread off-putting - it seems both parsimonious and pretentious

Death by Gumbo is a wonderful conceit - and the gumbo base was excellent - but the whole quail thing really doesn't work. Additionally - the large shallow bowl allowed the silverware to slip into the food --

I had the same china/flatware issue with my entree - duck breast. My companions entree - scallops with foie gras, was fine -

I allowed myself to be cajoled into the bananas foster souffle - i normally avoid flaming desserts and beverages unless i have an child or an aging relative with me - and it was actually good. My date had the creole cream cheesecake triptych - which was the best part of the meal

So - in summation -

good to excellent food, but not the best I've had in NO - and somewhat overpriced

a handsome but large space - and somehow slightly sterile -

huge wine list - with a decent assortment of wines by the glass

knowledgeable wait staff

we'll give it another try in a month or so to see if we have a different experience

I would say August for a high end experience, Antoine's or Galatoire's for an old school Creole experience, and Bayona, Herbsaint, or Brigtsen's for a contemporary take on South Louisiana cooking.

If by Jaques you mean Tujagues or Jacque-Imos, avoid both - the former has been coasting for decades and the latter is for frat boys and tourists

For a completely different but thoroughly NO experience, try Coops Place on Decatur St - a dive bar with cheap but surprisingly good cajun inflected food

Three Muses down the block on Frenchmen St is a good choice for small plates and live music - good drinks as well

Marigny Brasserie has improved over the last year or so, but still not what it was 10 years ago. The drinks are good, however

I like Adolfo's, but it's not for everyone. The food is generally good, but the ambiance is in the negative numbers. I characterize it as 80% of the quality of a fine restaurant at about 60% of the cost.

Irene's is relatively close on Chartres St, but they generally don't take reservations unless you're a regular. If you get there for the 5:30 opening you'll be seated right away: 10 or 15 minutes later and you'll be waiting an hour or more

Down in the Bywater, @ 3200 Burgundy St, is Maurepas Foods. No reservations, small plates of innovative food and a great bar. It's a bit of a hike from Frenchmen St, but you can always call a cab to get back ( United Cabs - 504-524-9606