Tops of the Town

counting the popular vote

We seem to recall hearing about some sort of other election held last November. While we aren’t sure who won, ours certainly trumps any other balloting, for we were out to determine the city’s Tops of the Town. In the spirit of true democracy we made it easier for the voter. Ballots were placed in our October 2016 issue as well as on our website. While we received a staggering number of returns, more than 9,500 votes, no category was included in our final list unless the winner received a significant cluster of votes. We were on the lookout for vote fraud and ballot stuffing, and eliminated a few votes accordingly. Overall, though, it was a true expression of public opinion. Congratulations to the winner but remember, there’s always someone planning for the next election.

Favorite craft cocktail bar

Cure

quick & easy

favorite place for po boys

1. Parkway Bakery and Tavern

2. Bear’s Poboys at Gennaros

3. Parran’s Po-Boys & Restaurant

4. Johnny’s Po-Boys

5. Domilise’s Po-Boy and Bar

Favorite place for King Cakes

1. Nonna Randazzo’s Bakery

2. Manny Randazzo King Cakes

3. Haydel’s Bakery

4. Sucré

5. Antoine’s Bakery

Favorite place for fried chicken

1. Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen

2. Willie Mae’s Scotch House

3. Mr. Ed’s

4. Dooky Chase’s Restaurant

Favorite place for tacos

1. Taqueria Corona

2. Juans Flying Burrito

3. El Gato Negro

4. The Rum House

5. Felipe’s Mexican Taqueria

Favorite place for wings

1. Hooters Restaurant

2. Buffalo Wild Wings

3. Bayou Hot Wings

Favorite place for onion rings

1. Charlie’s Steak House

2. Liuzza’s Restaurant & Bar

3. Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen

Favorite place for pizza

1. Reginelli’s Pizzeria

2. Theo’s Neighborhood Pizza

3. Pizza Delicious

4. Domenica

5. Mid City Pizza

Favorite place for snowballs

1. Hansen’s Sno-Bliz

2. Sal’s Sno-Balls

3. Williams Plum Street Snowball

4. Casey’s Snowballs

5. Pandora’s Snowballs

Favorite local grocery store

1. Rouses Supermarkets

2. Dorignac’s Food Center

3. Canseco’s Markets

4. Langenstein’s

5. Zuppardo’s Family Supermarket

Favorite local sandwich shop

1. World Deli Restaurant and Catering

2. Parkway Bakery & Tavern

tie 3. Central Grocery

tie 3. Cochon Butcher

tie 4. Bear’s Poboys at Gennaros

tie 4. Martin Wine Cellar

tie 4. St. James Cheese Company

tie 4. Stein’s Market & Deli

Favorite buffet

1. The Court of Two Sisters

2. The Buffet at Harrah’s New Orleans

Favorite food truck

1. Taceaux Loceaux

2. Crêpes à la Cart

cuisine

favorite place for raw oysters

1. Drago’s Seafood Restaurant

2. Acme Oyster House

3. Casamento’s Restaurant

4. Felix’s Restaurant & Oyster Bar

Favorite place for Cajun

1. Mulate’s

2. K-Paul’s Louisiana Kitchen

3. Copeland’s of New Orleans

Favorite place for Creole

tie 1. Dooky Chase’s Restaurant

tie 1. Commander’s Palace

2. Copeland’s of New Orleans

tie 3. Galatoire’s Restaurant

tie 3. New Orleans Creole Cookery

tie 4. Brigtsen’s Restaurant

tie 4. Muriel’s Jackson Square

Favorite place for Middle Eastern

1. Byblos

2. Mona’s Cafe

3. Shaya

4. Lebanon’s Cafe

Favorite place for Italian

1. Vincent’s Italian Cuisine

2. Red Gravy

3. Irene’s Cuisine

4. Marcello’s Restaurant & Wine Bar

Favorite place for Asian

1. Five Happiness

2. Pho NOLA

3. La Thai Uptown

Favorite place for Japanese

1. Shogun

2. Sake Cafe

3. Mikimoto Japanese Restaurant

Favorite place for Chinese

1. Five Happiness

tie 2. Northshore Empress

tie 2. Trey Yuen

tie 3. Little Chinatown

tie 3. Royal China Restaurant

Favorite place for Vietnamese

1. Namese

2. Pho NOLA

3. Pho Orchid

4. 9 Roses

Favorite place for Thai

1. La Thai Uptown

2. SukhoThai

3. Cafe Equator

Favorite place for Korean

tie 1. Korea House

tie 1. Little Korea BBQ

Favorite place for Indian

1. Taj Mahal

2. Nirvana Indian Cuisine

Favorite place for Mexican/Southwest

1. El Gato Negro

2. Taqueria Corona

3. Superior Grill

4. The Velvet Cactus

5. Casa Garcia

Favorite place for tapas

1. Avo

2. Vega Tapas Café

soup

Favorite place for gumbo

1. Gumbo shop

2. Mulate’s

tie 3. Copeland’s of New Orleans

tie 3. Mr. B’s Bistro

Favorite place for turtle soup

1. Commander’s Palace

2. Mandina’s Restaurant

Favorite place for burgers

The Company Burger

meat

Favorite place for steaks

1. Ruth’s Chris Steak House

2. Desi Vega’s Steakhouse

3. Dickie Brennan’s Steakhouse

4. Crescent City Steaks

5. Mr. John’s Steakhouse

Favorite place for burgers

1. The Company Burger

2. Port of Call

3. Five Guys

4. Phil’s Grill

Favorite place for hot dogs

1. Dat Dog

2. Lucky Dogs

Favorite craft onion rings

Charlie’s Steak House

Favorite place for barbecue shrimp

Pascal’s Manale

seafood

Favorite place for seafood

1. Drago’s

2. Mandeville Seafood

tie 3. Blue crab

tie 3. GW Fins

tie 4. Acme Oyster House

tie 4. Deanie’s

Favorite place for boiled crawfish

1. Deanie’s Seafood Restaurant

2. Kenner Seafood

Favorite place for barbecue shrimp

1. Pascal’s Manale

2. Mr. B’s Bistro

Favorite dessert menu and sweet shop

Sucré

coffee & desert

favorite coffee house

1. Coast Roast Coffee

2. PJ’s Coffee of New Orleans

3. CC’s Coffee House

4. Café Du Monde

5. Perks Coffee & Cafe

Favorite coffee house for food

1. Caffe! Caffe!

2. Coast Roast Coffee

3. HiVolt

Favorite dessert menu

1. Sucré

2. Commander’s Palace

tie 3. Angelo Brocato

tie 3. Copeland’s of New Orleans

Favorite sweet shop

1. Sucré

2. Angelo Brocato

Favorite bakery

1. Nonna Randazzo’s Bakery

2. Haydel’s Bakery

3. River Bend Bakery

4. Gambino’s Bakery

5. Maurice French Pastries

Favorite ice cream/gelato shop

1. Angelo Brocato

2. The Creole Creamery

3. Sucré

ambiance

Favorite outdoor dining

1. Avo

2. The Court of Two Sisters

3. The Velvet Cactus

tie 4. Bacchanal Wine

tie 4. Café Amelie

Favorite place for fine dining

1. Commander’s Palace

2. Galatoire’s Restaurant

3. GW Fins

Favorite place for a power lunch

1. Galatoire’s Restaurant

Favorite neighborhood restaurant

1. Katie’s Restaurant

2. Vincent’s Italian Cuisine

3. Clancy’s

4. Red Gravy

Favorite place for casual dining

1. Mulate’s

2. Red Gravy

3. Copeland’s of New Orleans

tie 4. Mandina’s Restaurant

tie 4. Mr. Ed’s

cuisine places

Favorite restaurant

1. Commander’s Palace

2. Galatoire’s Restaurant

tie 3. Copeland’s of New Orleans

tie 3. Desi Vega’s Steakhouse

tie 3. GW Fins

Favorite restaurant opened in 2016

1. Josephine Estelle

Favorite restaurant worth the drive

1. Middendorf’s Restaurant

2. Mosca’s Restaurant

Favorite caterer

1. Pigéon Caterers

2. World Deli Restaurant and Catering

Favorite place to buy liquor & wine

Martin Wine Cellar

drinks

Favorite place for a margarita

1. Superior Grill

2. El Gato Negro

3. Sante Fe Restaurant

Favorite place for a bloody Mary

1. The Ruby Slipper Café

2. Molly’s At the Market

Favorite wine list

1. Commander’s Palace

2. Marcello’s Restaurant & Wine Bar

Favorite sports bar

1. Manning’s

2. Walk-Ons Bistreaux & Bar

3. Lucy’s Retired Surfer Bar & Restaurant

Favorite dive bar

1. Lucy’s Retired Surfer Bar & Restaurant

Favorite hotel bar

1. Carousel Bar & Lounge at Hotel Monteleone

2. The Sazerac Bar at The Roosevelt New Orleans

3. Alto at ACE Hotel

Favorite local beer

1. Abita Amber

2. Abita Strawberry Harvest Lager

3. NOLA Blonde Ale

Favorite happy hour

1. Lucy’s Retired Surfer Bar & Restaurant

Favorite craft cocktail bar

1. Cure

2. Carousel Bar & Lounge at Hotel Monteleone

Favorite place for Thai

La Thai Uptown

places & events

favorite place to gamble

1. Harrah’s New Orleans

2. Treasure Chest Casino

Favorite place to hear live music

1. Tipitina’s

2. House of Blues New Orleans

tie 3. Frenchmen Street

tie 3. Snug Harbor Jazz Bistro

Favorite jazz club

1. Snug Harbor

2. House of Blues New Orleans

tie 3. Preservation Hall

tie 3. The Spotted Cat Music Club

Favorite live theater company

1. Jefferson Performing Arts Society

2. Le Petit Théâtre du Vieux Carré

3. Saenger Theatre

tie 4. Rivertown Theaters for the Performing Arts

tie 4. Southern Rep Theatre

Favorite local actress/actor (local theater)

1. John “Spud” McConnell

Favorite local radio station

1. WWOZ 90.7FM

2. WWL AM870 105.3FM

3. WWNO 89.9FM

4. B97 97.1FM

Favorite Carnival parade

1. Krewe of Muses

2. Krewe of Endymion

3. Krewe of Orpheus

4. Krewe of Bacchus

5. Krewe of Nyx

Favorite state festival

1. New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival

2. Louisiana Crawfish Festival

3. Louisiana Shrimp & Petroleum Festival

4. French Quarter Festival

5. Ponchatoula Strawberry Festival

Favorite New Orleans festival

1. French Quarter Festival

2. New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival

3. Voodoo Music + Arts Experience

Favorite museum

1. New Orleans Museum of Art

2. The National World War II Museum

3. Louisiana Children’s Museum

4. Ogden Museum of Southern Art

Favorite art gallery

1. M.S. Rau Antiques

2. New Orleans Museum of Art

3. Octavia Art Gallery

4. Ashley Longshore Studio Gallery

Favorite bookstore

1. Maple Street Book Shop

2. Octavia Books

3. Barnes & Noble

4. Garden District Book Shop

Favorite antiques store

1. M.S. Rau Antiques

Favorite furniture store

1. Comeaux Furniture & Appliance

2. Doerr Furniture

3. Hurwitz Mintz Furniture

4. M.S. Rau Antiques

Favorite lawn/garden supply

1. Perino’s Garden Center

2. Jefferson Feed

3. Urban Roots

Favorite place to buy liquor & wine

1. Martin Wine Cellar

2. Dorignac’s Food Center

3. Rouses Supermarkets

4. Elio’s Wine Warehouse

Favorite bank

1. Whitney Bank

2. Chase Bank

3. Capital One Bank

4. First NBC Bank

5. IberiaBank

Favorite realtor

1. Kyle Moity

2. Robert Ripley

Favorite hotel

1. Windsor Court Hotel

2. Hotel Monteleone

3. ACE Hotel

4. Roosevelt New Orleans

5. The Ritz-Carlton

Favorite bed-and-breakfast

1. Grand Victorian Bed & Breakfast

2. Degas House

Favorite fitness studio

Pure Barre

miscellaneous

Favorite French bread

1. Leidenheimer Baking Company

Favorite place for breakfast

1. The Ruby Slipper Café

2. Another Broken Egg Cafe

3. The Camellia Grill

tie 4. Brennan’s Restaurant

tie 4. Russell’s Marina Grill

Favorite place for vegetarian dishes

1. Byblos

Favorite place for a salad

1. Caffe! Caffe!

2. Houston’s

3. City Greens

Favorite place for brunch

1. Red Gravy

2. The Ruby Slipper Café

3. The Court of Two Sisters

4. Commander’s Palace

5. Brennan’s Restaurant

Favorite place for a margarita

Superior Grill

places & events

Favorite golf course

1. Audubon Park Golf Course

2. City Park Golf Courses

3. TPC of Louisiana

4. English Turn Golf & Country Club

Favorite gym

1. New Orleans Jewish Community Center

2. Pure Barre

Favorite yoga/pilates studio

1. Wild Lotus Yoga

2. Pure Barre

tie 3. Nola Pilates

tie 3. Romney Studios

tie 3. Uncle Joe’s Pilates

Favorite fitness studio

1. Pure Barre

2. X-Trainers

3. New Orleans Jewish Community Center

Favorite day spa

1. EarthSavers

2. Woodhouse Day Spa

3. The Ritz-Carlton Spa

4. The Spa at Windsor Court

Favorite dry cleaner

1. Young’s Dry Cleaning

2. One Cleaners

tie 3. Classic Dry Cleaning

tie 3. Liberto Cleaners

Favorite men’s clothing store

1. Rubensteins

2. Perlis Clothing

Favorite women’s boutique

1. Chatta Box Botique

2. Fleurty Girl

3. Hemline

4. Trashy Diva

Favorite children’s boutique

1. Little Pnuts Toy Shoppe

2. Pickleberry Boutique

3. Pippen Lane

4. Little Miss Muffin

Favorite local shoe store

1. Allen Edmonds

2. Feet First

Favorite local jeweler

1. M.S. Rau Antiques

2. Adler’s

3. Lee Michaels

tie 3. Southern Bridal

tie 3. Yvonne LaFleur

Favorite wedding reception location

1. Southern Oaks Plantation

tie 2. Benedict’s Plantation

tie 2. City Park

3. New Orleans Board of Trade

Favorite Gulf Coast getaway

1. Destin, Florida

2. Pensacola, Florida

3. Biloxi, Mississippi

4. Orange Beach, Alabama

Favorite Gulf Coast hotel

1. Beau Rivage in Biloxi, Mississippi

2. Scarlet Pearl Casino Resort in D’Iberville, Mississippi

Favorite local charity

1. Rau for Art

2. Hadassah

3. The Al Copeland Foundation

4. Covenant House

editor's pick

Remembered

New Orleans musician

We lost Pete Fountain this year. He was as warm as a personality as he was great on the clarinet. We will always remember Fountain during Mardi Gras leading his Half-Fast Marching Club. The group, we hope, continues – and that’s double good.

New Orleanian of the Year

Congressman Cedric Richmond had two big victories in 2016. He was re-elected easily to Congress and then was elected to chair the Congressional Black Caucus. The latter is huge, especially for a state whose overall legislative strength has been weakened over the years. Richmond joins Steve Scalise, the House Majority Whip, in giving the state some muscle where it’s needed most. The lawmaker, who was born and raised in New Orleans and who graduated from Ben Franklin High School and Tulane University, will direct a group that’s 49 members strong. His Second Congressional District seat includes most of New Orleans and the upriver parishes, including part of East Baton Rouge Parish. He will give New Orleans a badly needed voice in high places.

Favorite Pelicans player – in addition to Anthony Davis

Jrue Holiday started the season on leave to care for a pregnant wife who was diagnosed with brain cancer. The cancer operation was reportedly successful and the baby is doing fine, plus Holiday can still play basketball. His return to the court helped inspire the team, which got off to a slow start. Davis is still the man, but Holiday in the lineup helps him stand tall.

Favorite Saints player – in addition to Drew Brees

Mark Ingram had a fumble problem early in the season, but for most of the season he showed flashes of brilliance. The former Heisman Trophy winner seems poised to bring his collegiate brilliance to be the big show.

Adopted New Orleanian of the Year

Broadway star Michael Ceveris has twice won Tony Awards for best performance in a musical, but ever since he had a role in the TV series “Treme,” New Orleans has increasingly been his stage. He now owns a home in Marigny and comes here as often as he can, performing in bars around town, sometimes with his country band Loose Cattle. As for his favorite getaway, he says flying to New Orleans is easier than driving to Connecticut.