Ralph's on the Park
900 City Park Avenue. Telephone: (504) 488-1000.

Yet another Brennan has a new place – Ralph's on the Park, a beautiful two-story restaurant in a landmark 1860s property across from the oak-columned City Park. The veranda here is one of the loveliest perches in New Orleans. Ralph's motto is "For locals by locals," but I guarantee you'll be welcomed with all the genuine bonhomie for which the Brennans are famous.

Chef Gerard Maras has plenty of good ideas to go with some well-founded ones: He'll start you off with a plate of first-rate charcuterie – pates, terrines, and galantines – and his crab cake, with roasted beets, arugula and a sauve Ravigote, is plump, meaty and delicious. Typical of "new creole cuisine" is his Louisiana crawfish fetruccine in which the beloved mudbugs are sauteed with red and green peppers, tomatoes and seasonings, and then tossed with house-made pasta. So, too, his braised rabbit, stuffed with chard and rabbit mousse, then drizzled with truffle sauce, exhibits the kind of finesse that makes Maras a standout chef.

The wine list here, with about 200 selections, has plenty of heft for his kind of food. Complementary bottlings on a recent visit included Miner Sangiovese Mendocino Gibson Ranch '01 ($49), and "Unusual Suspects" such as Dormaine Chandon Pinot Meunier Carneros '01 ($63) and an Austrian St.-Laurent Weingut Schloss Gobelsburg '01 ($48). Wines priced at more than $90, such as the Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage '01 ($200), are kept on a separate "Vin du Parade" list.