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A few days ago, my dining plans fell through. I was in the Riverbend area and mentally took inventory of the restaurants around there. We are getting into the slow season for restaurants, I thought, and I wondered what my luck would be like if I took a long shot. Brigtsen's is so well known - not merely to locals, but to visitors to our city from all over the country - that it's not a place I'd ordinarily attempt without a reservation. But tonight was magic. A table was just emptying and the next occupants were late. Marna Brigtsen manages the dining room as if it were in her own home and you were a lifetime friend.
WHY IT'S NOTEWORTHY
The very best of the local Creole bistros, Brigtsen's got that way by putting all its efforts into cooking delicious food. No menu posturing. No quirky ingredients or oddball cooking techniques. Only moderate emphasis on decor, ceremony or wine. It's all about cooking up the best local flavors possible, a project at which Frank Brigtsen and his tight little kitchen consistently succeed.
WHY IT'S GOOD
Every ingredient is fresh, local and...