The French Quarter is home to some of the best restaurants that New Orleans can offer. But I’m here to tell you that there are so many amazing restaurants if you venture even just 15 minutes away. While GW Fins had my favorite dish during my week and a half in New Orleans, some of the best meals we had were outside of the French Quarter. If you’re open to exploring – and leaving the FQ – I would highly recommend all of these restaurants.

Helmed by Chefs Donald Link and Stephen Stryjewski, Cochon captures the true essence of Cajun and Southern cooking. Featuring a menu of small plates and larger entrees, Cochon brings together rustic, American cuisine in a contemporary, open dining room. The restaurant, and its sister, Cochon Butcher up the block, is an amazing option if you’re by the Convention Center for work. But it’s also worth the trek from the FQ even if you’re not. Highlights include BBQ Short Ribs with Grits as well as Wood Fired Oysters with Chili Garlic Butter. Their bread rolls are absolutely delicious – warm, fluffy, and buttery. I could easily eat like 8 of these bread rolls alone.

Further out from the FQ is N7. Located in the Bywater neighborhood of New Orleans, it specializes in French cuisine infused with a Japanese touch. Hidden behind a singular wood door, N7 gets its name from Nationale 7, the highway that ran from Paris to Italy. The menu features smaller plates than large ones, and is perfect for sharing. We opted to order a bunch of dishes and split everything so we could try more things. Highlights include the Duck Liver Pâté, Pan-Roasted King Trumpet Mushroom with Butternut Squash Puree, the Coq au Riesling, and Soy Sauce Crème brûlée.

If you’re in New Orleans, you have to try the ever popular Willie Mae’s Scotch House, a family-owned spot since 1957. They are famous for their fried chicken and soul food. In fact, they’re so famous that sometimes the lines can get to 2 hours long! There’s really only one thing that you should have here – the fried chicken. The order comes with 3 pieces of chicken, with your choice of dark or white meat, and your choice of a side. Trust me, it is worth the wait and the hike out from the FQ. The fried chicken is so juicy and moist on the inside, but with such crispy and crunchy skin.

Another restaurant that’s a bit off the usual FQ track is Shaya, a James Beard Award winning restaurant that shares its take on modern Israeli cuisine in New Orleans. If you’re looking for a change of pace from all the gumbo and shrimp & grits, Shaya is the perfect spot for you. We had the Hanger Steak with za’atar toum, fingerling potatoes, coriander chili butter. We also ordered the Kvaroy Salmon with caramelized harissa, couscous “risotto”, and sweet corn. The couscous “risotto” was fantastic and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The salmon was tender and cooked perfectly.

One of the most popular dishes in New Orleans are oysters – raw, char-broiled, grilled. Gulf oysters are large, juicy, and abundant in the city. You really cannot go wrong anywhere you go and with any preparation. But if you’re looking for a fantastic selection of oysters at an affordable price, go no further than Sidecar Patio. Nestled in the Warehouse District, Sidecar offers fresh seafood and sub-tropical cocktails in their lush patio seating. On Wednesdays, they offer their Wednesday Special from 5pm – 9pm. For $15, which is half price, you get their Shucker’s Selection: 6 Grand Isle Grandes from Louisiana Oyster Co + 6 Dealer’s Choice Coast to Coast Oysters (2 each: East Coast, West Coast, and Southern). It’s so much fun going through the variation of oysters on each coast. It’s also just an amazing deal.

For a fantastic brunch or breakfast outside of the FQ, I highly recommend District All Day Delicious. From the FQ it’s a short 10-15 minute walk and they have really great dishes. On our first visit, I had the BBQ Shrimp and Grits, with giant gulf shrimp over smoked gouda grits. This was, quite honestly, the best shrimp and grits that I had during my entire trip. They also have more common breakfast options like Lemon Ricotta Pancakes and Fried Chicken Eggs Benedict. Their original spot serves delicious, giant doughnuts, which they have here too!

And lastly, I have nothing but good things to say about Herbsaint, the flagship of the Link Restaurant Group, which also runs Cochon, Cochon Butcher, and Peche Seafood Grill, amongst others. Herbsaint offers upscale French & American fare in an airy space with St. Charles Avenue views. We had our last meal in New Orleans at Herbsaint and it was a great one. Their Gumbo with turkey, tasso, and andouille, was fantastic and really hit the spot on a cool, Louisiana night. We both had the House-made Spaghetti with Guanciale and Fried-Poached Farm Egg. This was very good, and a hearty portion, since it was a small plate. I highly recommend sitting at the bar, as you get to watch all the bartenders in action, making classic and new cocktails.