New Orleans Vieux Carre

New Orleans Vieux Carre Restaurant Review:

What a shame that most Angelenos have never wandered south to Leimert Park, the historic artistic hub of the city’s African-American community. Ray Charles and Ella Fitzgerald were once residents, and the jazz and blues scene is still top-rate. Also top-rate is the filé gumbo served at New Orleans Vieux Carré, a family-owned restaurant featuring all the Big Easy classics. The chef hails from New Orleans’ 7th Ward and puts just the right touch in his jambalaya and crawfish etouffée. Other Southern standards are done right, although the barbecued baby-back ribs are not quite as good as Phillips, the no-frills institution a block away. The dining room here, with linen-clad tables and Mardi Gras-inspired décor, is charming, and the staff is gracious. For lunch, stop in for a more-than-respectable po’ boy sandwich.