How to enjoy Coolinary in New Orleans (plus where not to go)

Aimee Boudreaux MacIver
Aug 6
4 min read

It's pretty hard to have a mediocre dinner in New Orleans. Honestly, a mediocre meal is downright shocking when you've been conditioned by your Mamere's pain perdu, and your dad's smoked chicken and andouille gumbo, and your mom's red beans, and your brother's jambalaya that he makes in a cauldron on the Endymion parade route.

In Louisiana, you go to your grandma's house when you're five years old, and she serves you thick coffee with chicory and heavy cream. You go to work in February and find at least five king cakes. You go to the gas station and they’re selling hot boudin. You go to a Catholic church on a Friday in Lent and you still won't escape the fried catfish and shrimp. In Louisiana, we generally spend our meals and time between meals talking about other meals and where we ate them.

Occasionally a mediocre dud sneaks up on you, but it's usually your own fault for choosing any place using the word "Nola" or "authentic" on its signage and menus. Happily, it's especially easy to find the good stuff in August when many of the best restaurants participate in the annual Coolinary promotion. Coolinary prix fixe menus allow you to enjoy some eateries that your budget might not typically accommodate. And best of all, Coolinary also promotes and collects donations to our local Second Harvest Food Bank.

We always make two annual Coolinary dates, one in early August and one at the very end. You can see all the participating restaurants and their special menus here. Some general tips:

Double check your dates; most participating restaurants offer Coolinary menus on all their regular open hours, but a few offer the promotion on weekdays only.
Absolutely make a reservation. This is a popular local promotion, plus it's ten thousand degrees in August, so everyone and their mama will be seeking out frosty AC.
Beverages are generally not included in the promotional menus.
Take the opportunity to mark a special-occasion. You can easily spend at least double on many of the upscale restaurants' regular menus, so use Coolinary as a chance to celebrate somewhere that wouldn't usually be in range. And please dress up! It's worth it to engage all your senses in making a special memory.

Below are my top picks for this year's event, which runs August 1 through 31.

Bacchana l: One of the city's most unique restaurants is serving gazpacho, duck fat confit chicken, panzanella, and dark chocolate bark for $58.
Brigtsen's: Don't worry about trying to get the name correct; worry about whether you'll choose the curried shrimp bisque or grilled redfish. A venerable restaurant whose tabs usually run much higher than the Coolinary promo of $58 for three courses.
Cafe Degas: Our favorite restaurant in the city has a wonderful $42 three course (!!!) Coolinary menu of beef bordelaise and warm almond-pear tarte, but remember to go back for an amazing paté board, moules frites, gorgeous salads, and roasted lamb. Bottles of wine are 30 percent off on Thursdays at Cafe Degas, all year round.
Commander's Palace: You will never forget the turtle soup au sherry, wild white shrimp provençal, or Creole bread pudding soufflé. Their Coolinary menu offers by far the greatest range of options and is one of the few that encompasses brunch, lunch, and dinner menus. As low as $44 for dinner of three courses—a steal for this special-occasion icon.
Compére Lapin: I'd say this is such an original place with a creative menu, but that's kind of the definition of New Orleans restaurants. $58 for three courses of elevated Caribbean-New Orleans fusion like fried chicken with coconut grits and jerk peanuts.
Costera: This will be one of our picks. Costera perfects coastal Spanish flavors paired with a great wine list. I'm already torn over the beef shank and potato bombas and the seared redfish with pistachios. $58 for three courses.

Deanie's Seafood Kitchen: This is a very casual local joint, which we don't usually think of during Coolinary, but the promotional menu is an excellent price if you're looking for reliably delicious fried seafood. You just can't beat $34 for three courses of fried crab balls, bayou seafood salad (my favorite), and coconut custard bread pudding (among other options).
Gabrielle: Located in Treme and run by a James Beard finalist, Gabrielle offers fine dining that feels simultaneously special and comfortable. The wonderful $56 three course menu includes smoked gumbo, fried eggplant pirogues (my grandmother made these for holidays!), and apple upside-down bread pudding.
Galatoire's: Another opportunity to enjoy a very upscale legend at a wonderful price. If you're in the French Quarter, this is one of the few places you should actually eat. $58 for three courses.
La Petite Grocery: I love this charming historic place and their grilled broccolini Caesar and butterscotch pudding and the most delicious pickles that exist. As low as $40 for three courses!
Toups Meatery: Take your carnivores to Toups for an incredible meal at $58 for three courses. You can go stroll City Park afterward to walk off the braised pork belly, lamb neek lasagna, and coconut cake with white chocolate ganache.
Zasu: Head to this tiny Mid-City outpost for James-Beard-winning chef plates like braised leeks, wild mushroom pierogies, and salted butterscoth pot de creme for $58.

Where not to go

If you decide to browse the whole lineup, here's my quick list of a few to avoid, mostly just because they're overrated and you can do so much better: