Ann Benoit spotlights New Orleans seafood restaurants in latest cookbook by Pelican Publishing

Ann Benoit and photographer Thomas Fortier Dalferes spotlight the cuisine of the Crescent City in “New Orleans’ Best Seafood Restaurants,” published by Pelican Publishing of New Orleans. A daunting task, to say the least. There’s Acme Oyster House, Deanie’s Seafood of Bucktown, Borgne of the John Besh restaurants, Morton’s in Mandeville, Dickie Brennan’s Bourbon House and plenty more. Each spotlight comes with photos and a recipe.

As many restaurants are included in the book are those that are not. And for every restaurant known to most people, residents included, are those you may not recognize. Or maybe I’m being too ambitious to consider a book of this title would have every one of my favorite New Orleans restaurants. (That’s the problem, dear readers, with a cookbook reviewer from New Orleans.)

It’s a lovely cookbook penned by the award-winning Benoit, with nice restaurant write-ups, recipes and photos. Heck, the recipe for Pascal’s Manale Restaurant’s barbecue shrimp is worth the price alone.
            Benoit has also published “New Orleans Best Ethnic Restaurants” as well as “Broussard’s Restaurant and Courtyard Cookbook,” both of which received the Editor’s Choice for Top 20 Louisiana Cookbooks for Great American Eats — Amazon's Favorite Cookbooks Coast to Coast.

Cheré Dastugue Coen is the author of several Louisiana romances under the pen name of Cherie Claire. She is also the author of “Forest Hill, Louisiana: A Bloom Town History,” “Haunted Lafayette, Louisiana” and “Exploring Cajun Country: A Historic Guide to Acadiana” and co-author of “Magic’s in the Bag: Creating Spellbinding Gris Gris Bags and Sachets.” Write her at cherecoen@gmail.com.