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Oyster & absinthe dome

What: Slight bend of the EYW rules here: This dish is unique to one restaurant so can’t exactly be considered classic NOLA cuisine, but its ingredients are very New Orleans. And we think you’ll forgive us if you taste it: A puff pastry “dome” floats atop a creamy, rich, absinthe-spiked sauce dotted with poached Gulf oysters and bacon, served hot. For the anise averse, the absinthe flavor is subtle but definitely present—yet the finish is clean. Break the pastry up and dunk it into the sauce to create an oyster chowder of sorts.

Where: Famed Commander’s Palace (1403 Washington Ave., map) in the Garden District claims this unique dish.

When: Mon-Fri, 11:30am-2pm and 6:30pm-10pm; Sat jazz brunch, 11:30am-12:30pm, and dinner, 6:30pm-10pm; Sun jazz brunch, 10:30am-1:30pm, and dinner, 6:30pm-10pm. This dish is usually available on all three menus (items change frequently, so call ahead to check).

Order: Have this as an appetizer ($12), along with the turtle soup and the shrimp & tasso henican—and we recommend you end with the bread pudding soufflé. What can we say; this restaurant has a lot of winners!

Good to know: 90% of the ingredients used at Commander’s Palace comes from within 100 miles.