Crescent City Brewhouse

Crescent City Brewhouse Restaurant Review:

About the restaurant: Ostensibly, beer is the calling card at Crescent City Brewhouse. But its rather ambitious menu is somewhat unexpected for a French Quarter brewpub. Robust flavors rule, enabling such dishes as redfish Pontchartrain (topped with fried soft-shell crab), grilled rib-eye steaks with andouille-laced mashed potatoes, and jumbo shrimp stuffed with Louisiana crab meat and jalapeños. Bavarian-born brewmaster Wolf Koehler's vats take up a good part of the two floors; he produces at least four beers on a given day, including a fine pilsner and a semi-sweet weissbeer that's ideal for the tropical climate.

Food & Drinks: Try Koehler's German sausage platter with sauerkraut and potatoes with a full-bodied dark Black Forest beer --- or two. Desserts are made in house; consider peanut butter pie and an almond cup. The owner has a penchant for local art and features rotating exhibitions throughout the establishment. This is also an in-demand spot for watching Saints games.

SUGGESTED READING: GAYOT's Beer Guide.