Susan Spicer's French Quarter cottage has been one of New Orleans' most beloved fine-dining rooms since 1990 — the James Beard winner cooks a globally-influenced menu in a romantic 200-year-old Creole building with a lush courtyard. The garlic soup and the smoked duck "PB&J" are longtime signatures; the cooking draws from the Mediterranean, Asia, and the Gulf with equal confidence. Quiet, gracious, a chef's restaurant in the best sense. For a NOLA meal that looks beyond Creole tradition.