Elizabeth's Redneck Eggs / Sam Hanna for DRAFT
Gourmet New Orleans hasn’t forgotten its Bourbon Street crowd: Its hangover cures—that is, outlandishly delicious Southern-style breakfasts—are better than ever.
Elizabeth’s
Praline Bacon. Yes, all you need to know about this laid-back, Louisiana-bent corner kitchen is that the bacon’s tossed in brown sugar and pecan crumbs, then cooked to a sinful crisp. Sweet-meets-savory on steroids, the treat’s a local delicacy, and a no-brainer side for orders like Redneck Eggs—delicately fried green tomatoes topped with perfectly poached eggs and hollandaise—or the Bayou Breakfast, a plate of hearty fried catfish alongside two eggs cooked any way you like. 601 Gallier St., elizabethsrestaurantnola.com
Somethin’ Else Café
Comfort food meets Cajun at this French Quarter nook, known as much for its black-berry-rum sauce bread pudding as its down-home breakfasts. Go straight for the biscuits—freshly handmade and done a handful of ways: One’s drowning in cochon (that’s slow-cooked pork); another’s oozing creamy red beans. Still hungry? The Trinity omelet’s a protein diet
on a plate, stuffed with shrimp, crab and pepperjack cheese and crowned with fresh fried fish. 620 Conti St., somethinelsecafe.com
Slim Goodies Diner
Tucked amid the endless shops and eateries of New Orleans’ famed Magazine Street, the homey if not slightly kitschy Slim Goodies serves Uptown’s best a.m. eats at an old-timey counter and retro red booths. Eclectic egg dishes span Guatemala (two eggs, black beans, tortillas and plantains) to Mexico (huevos rancheros with chili instead of black beans, if you like), but the stars are dishes smothered in the house crawfish etouffee: Opt for the Heavy Rae, a house biscuit drowning in the stuff, or the Bon Ton omelet with the stew stuffed inside. 3322 Magazine St., slimgoodiesdiner.com
LATE-NIGHT BITE: Sister restaurants The Camellia Grill in Uptown and The Grill in the French Quarter plate up breakfast and burgers long into the night—on weekends, until at least 2 a.m. If you dare, try the monstrous Chef’s Special omelet, stuffed with turkey, bacon, ham, potatoes, and cheese and crowned with thick chili. Leave room for pecan pie.
