Best New Restaurants

There is a certain niche of New Orleans restaurant where entertainment, décor and peoplewatching all converge. Enter Justine, a French Brasserie with plenty of extras from restaurateur Justin Devillier and his wife and business partner Mia Freiberger-Devillier. The result is a destination where DJs and burlesque acts are as much of the landscape as excellent platters of fruits de mer.

The huge restaurant unfolds like a picture book through a series of thematically distinct dining rooms. Many of the accent pieces were purchased over a long trip to France where the team went to do research prior to opening. Executive Chef Dan Causgrove, formerly of Seaworthy, runs the kitchen. The menu is grounded in brasserie classics like onion soup and steak tartare, yet has plenty of room to stretch. For example, a menu section entitled Le Bouf Gras offers so many variations of Steak Frites it almost qualifies as an American steakhouse. But

there is no mistaking French technique; the Filet au Poivre with its crust of crushed peppercorns and decadent cognac pan sauce offers a spectrum of flavor and taste not found in your local Ruth’s Chris. And the sharp, clean bite of the dijonnaise with the salty frites satisfies at an elemental level. “One of the things I missed at Seaworthy was braising meats and making reduction sauces,” Chef Causgrove said. “The smell of a braised lamb shank coming out of the oven or slowcooked duck confit – I get that here.”

Seafood also shines at Justine – consider the Lobster Tartine, a generous mound of lobster salad seasoned with fennel, tarragon and lemon atop a thick slab of brioche. Also the ceviche-like West Indies Crab salad with its chopped onion and fresh herbs is recommended.

The later you go, the more spectacle awaits. “The idea is to feel good, feel a little bit fancy but also to be laid back because you are there to have a good time,” Devillier said. – JF

Justine, 225 Chartres St., 218-8533, JustineNola.com.