See Nola

Tiger's Creole Cuisine

1612 Basin St. (Treme) 504.529.3750. Credit Cards. Monday through Friday: 11am to 7pm. Tiger, the man behind the food, is helpful, friendly, mellow and contemporary, just like his restaurant. No falling down plaster, no mismatched plates and -- as a friend of ours remarked -- no tables squeezed together like a jigsaw puzzle. A totally renovated dining room looking out to Basin Street makes this an airy, cheerful place to catch lunch or early dinner.  The menu consists of typical New Orleans favorites (poboys, seafood plates, stuffed vegetables), but Tiger's versions are presented with contemporary minimalism and taste fresher, vibrant. You'd expect to pay more for this kind of food, but the prices ($4.00 poboys, $9.00 specials) are incredibly reasonable. We just wish Tiger's was open later for dinner. No booze. Muzak versions of Hip Hop hits.

Willie Mae's Scotch House

2401 Saint Ann St. (Treme) 504.822.9503. No credit cards. Lunch only. Call ahead for hours as they might be irregular.  After a storm-induced break, Willie Mae's is again serving its fabulous fried chicken in its old location -- a corner shotgun house a few minutes from the French Quarter. Willie Mae's chicken is delicate, coming out of the fryer almost like a tempura with a dash of hot pepper kick: crunchy, juicy and just enough grease. There are other dishes but the chicken is what we go for, usually with a side of butter beans and rice. So, the food is delicious, yes. But the restaurant still appears be struggling under the weight of reopening. The last time we visited it took a good two hours to get our plates, which was quite a wait considering this scotch house doesn't serve booze.