Galatoire's

Friday lunch at Galatoire's survives because it earned its place, not because the city is sentimental. The downstairs room is where you want to be — no reservations, jackets required after 5pm, the same waiters who served your grandfather if your grandfather was lucky.

Order the Crabmeat Maison to start. Then Trout Meunière Amandine, or Shrimp Rémoulade if you want to be precise about it. A Sazerac before the menu arrives is not optional. Locals start lunch around 11:30 and finish when finishing seems appropriate.

Skip Sunday brunch and skip the upstairs room. The magic is Friday afternoon downstairs, where conversations across tables are not just permitted but expected, and the service has the rhythm of a place that has been doing this since 1905.