Creole red beans and rice are the icons and holy cows of the Monday lunch menu in New Orleans, observes Mrs. M.  After Hurricane Katrina every restaurant in New Orleans was shut down.  It's a good sign as the third anniversary of Katrina approaches that there are 950 restaurants up and running.  And there's a revival of classic New Orleans cuisine.

Some foodistas think the hurricane ‘corrected' the tendancy of New Orleans restaurants to ape dishes that are more at home in New York or LA. The rich traditions of southern cooking in the city were being neglected for food fashions.

The Times-Picayune is once again critiquing local restaurants and handing out bean awards for excellence in local cuisine.  The city is definitely on the mend.  And what a joy that barbecued shrimp, bread pudding, po'boy loaves and beloved fried Hubig pies are back in style.

Soul food like gumbo and garlic butter are as celebrated in New Orleans as Carnival.  It's good to hear the old favourites are up and running, and that the city of jazz and Satchmo is recovering its' Big Easy appetite.