Boswell's Jamaican Grill

Boswell’s Jamaican Grill is a beloved Caribbean restaurant in New Orleans, known for its authentic Jamaican flavors and relaxed atmosphere. Founded by Boswell Atkinson, a Jamaican native, the restaurant has become a staple in the city’s diverse culinary scene. Originally located on South Broad St., Boswell’s was forced to close after Hurricane Katrina, in 2005. After a three-year hiatus, the restaurant reopened at its current address, 3521 Tulane Avenue, continuing to serve the community with its signature dishes. Boswell’s offers a menu that combines traditional Jamaican cuisine with New Orleans flavors, featuring popular items such as jerk chicken, oxtails, and brown stew chicken. The restaurant prides itself on providing a “home away from home” experience, encouraging patrons to relax and enjoy genuine Jamaican hospitality.  

Angelo Brocato Original Italian Ice Cream Parlor

Angelo Brocato Original Italian Ice Cream Parlor has been operated by the Brocato family in New Orleans for over one hundred years, but its history reaches back even farther, recalling nineteenth-century Sicilian culinary traditions. The establishment’s founder, Angelo Brocato, began his apprenticeship in one of the most elegant ice cream parlors in Sicily’s capital city, Palermo, at the age of twelve. He learned special recipes that had been handed down from generation to generation. During the cold seasons, he began to master the production of assorted biscotti and torrone and, most importantly, to learn the techniques necessary to manufacture the famed cannoli Siciliana. In 1905, Angelo opened his first storefront in the 500 block of Ursulines Street in the French Quarter. He churned the ice cream by hand, producing flavors that had not been known before in New Orleans.  After almost eighty years in the French Quarter, the Brocato family decided to move the store to its current location in Mid-City. The North Carrollton Avenue store still retains the Old-World atmosphere that had been carefully created on Ursulines Street—slowly turning ceiling fans, rows of apothecary jars containing colorful candies, and white, glass-topped tables that transport customers back to the era of Angelo Sr.  The third-generation proprietor, Arthur Brocato, who currently runs the shop with his wife, Jolie, and the help of multiple family members, is vigilant about using Sicilian recipes and techniques, many of them were passed down from Angelo himself.  

Chicken's Kitchen

Chef Marlon is a self-taught cook from New Orleans, raised in the Lower Ninth Ward. Chef began cooking at the tender age of four. As a child, he could always be found in one place: in the kitchen, serving as his mom’s most loyal taste tester and student. And his most favorite food to feast upon: chicken. So much so that he earned the nickname “Big Fat Chicken Marlon.” This would become a term of endearment, gradually evolving to “Big Fat Chicken,” “Big Chicken,” and finally just plain ol’ “Chicken.”  

With the boom of social media, Chef took to the web and started sharing his self-prepared meals with friends. As he began to grab folks’ attention, a friend provided him with an opportunity to cater a wedding. After taking the job and loving the experience, he felt like he had found his niche and was ready to take the plunge into catering full-time.   

After six years catering from home, Chef opened his first storefront in 2020. A family road trip to Lafayette gave him a glimpse of that city’s lunch-plate culture and motivated him to bring that same model back home. A week after the restaurant's second anniversary, the New York Times ranked Chicken's Kitchen in its 2022 “Top 50 Restaurants in America” list.    

Dooky Chase's Restaurant

Dooky Chase’s Restaurant opened its doors for business in 1941. What was initially a sandwich shop and lottery ticket outlet in 1939 blossomed into a thriving bar and later a respected family restaurant in Treme. Founded by Emily and Edgar “Dooky” Chase Sr., Dooky Chase’s Restaurant soon became the meeting place for music and entertainment, civil rights, and culture in New Orleans.  

In 1946, Dooky Chase Jr. married Leah Lange. Through the vision of Leah Chase, the barroom and sandwich shop grew into a sit-down restaurant wrapped within a cultural environment of African American art and Creole cooking. Later known as the Queen of Creole Cuisine, Leah Chase would introduce one of the first African American fine dining restaurants to the entire country.   

After Hurricane Katrina, the restaurant closed for two years to rebuild—but with the assistance of many, Dooky Chase’s remains the premier restaurant for authentic Creole cuisine. Leah Chase died on June 1, 2019.  Since her passing, Leah’s legacy lies in the hands of her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.  

Li’l Dizzy’s Cafe 

At Li’l Dizzy’s, producing great fried chicken is a matter of historical pride. Founder Wayne Baquet Sr. learned the restaurant trade from his father, Eddie Baquet Sr., namesake of the legendary Seventh Ward restaurant Eddie’s. After stepping away from the restaurant industry in 2002, Wayne got restless and began to think about opening a new restaurant. His grandson, Zachary, was a talented trumpeter in the band at St. Augustine High School—and Wayne decided to give his grandson’s nickname to his new enterprise. Li’l Dizzy’s Cafe opened in 2005 on the corner of Esplanade Avenue and N. Robertson Street, not too far from where the Chicken Coop once stood, and soon became one of the city’s iconic restaurants.  

Wayne Sr. retired in November 2020. Li’l Dizzy’s, the only Baquet-owned restaurant still going, is now owned and operated by Wayne Jr. and his wife Arkesha. They are making the Creole-soul tradition proud.

Napoleon House

Napoleon House, located in the French Quarter, boasts a rich history dating to the early nineteenth century. Built in 1797, the building originally served as the residence of Nicholas Girod, then mayor of New Orleans. The property earned its name from the mayor's offer, in 1821, to provide refuge to Napoleon Bonaparte during his exile. Napoleon never took up the invitation, passing away that same year on Saint Helena, but the association stuck.  

Over the years, the property transitioned from residential to commercial use. In 1914, it was purchased by the Impastato family, and under the ownership of J. Impastato—affectionately known as Uncle Joe—the building evolved into the iconic Napoleon House restaurant and bar. To create ambiance, “Uncle Joe" played opera for customers on his Victrola. Keeping the tradition alive, opera and classical music is still played at Napoleon House almost a century later.  

In 2015, Ralph Brennan, whose family is a longstanding institution of New Orleans hospitality, accepted stewardship of Napoleon House from the Impastato family, declaring his intention to maintain its relaxed and historic character. Its patrons can still expect a soundtrack of classical music and the best muffulettas in town, as well as the same warm welcome first inspired by Napoleon and practiced here for over a century.  

Tia Maria’s Kitchen

Honduran restaurant Tia Maria’s Kitchen has become a local favorite. The welcoming atmosphere and flavorful dishes at Tia Maria’s Kitchen resonate well for those with an interest in Honduran culinary delights. The current location is the second for the Almendares family. Their first restaurant, called simply Tia Maria’s, operated for three years in Gretna. It closed shortly after the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The menu is packed with selections such as Pastelitos de Harina, Bistec Encebollado, and pupusas.  

Lilly’s Cafe

The first Lilly’s opened at 1813 Magazine Street in 2011 and, from the small confines of this colorful storefront location, it has built a wide following. The interior is simple and clean, but the rich pho broth simmered for eight hours has a decadence that puts it at the top of the city’s crowded pho list. Lilly’s Café serves a variety of traditional Vietnamese dishes, including pho, spring rolls, and banh mi (customers claim the peanut dipping sauce is addictive). Some New Orleanians claim the rich pho broth and the spicy shrimp are a known cure for colds.  

Lilly’s Café has always been a family restaurant. While Lilly Vuong runs the front of the house, her husband Kiet, her mother, and other family members keep the kitchen at full tilt