Top Best Italian Restaurants in Terrytown

"Come to Paladar for the pizza (where the lamb sausage and tzatziki pie will bowl you over), but the menu offers many Italian delights if you’re willing to share some of the small plates. Try the lovely fried arancini or the fantastic chicken liver mousse, before moving on to other pleasures. Super bonus points, too, for Paladar’s wallet-friendly prices -- $11 for the house-made raviolo with egg yolk, ricotta, maitake mushrooms, porcini cream, and truffle pecorino?"

"511 Marigny St. I love that this restaurant is located in our building. But even if it wasn’t, we would eat brunch here, often. For a casual brunch, this would be my top choice."

"I highly recommend Paladar 511 for anyone traveling to New Orleans. My friends and I started our Saturday evening eating here before going out on Frenchm..."

"For a taste of the Creole-Italian cuisine that is one of New Orleans’ culinary signatures, follow the smell of garlic to Irene’s new French Quarter home. The family-owned restaurant has cooked classics like house-made pasta topped with soft shell crab and a cream sauce, duck St. Philip, and lasagne Bolognese since 1992. The new location on Bienville exudes all the charm of the original."

"529 Bienville St., (504) 529-8811; www.facebook.com/irenesnola. Oysters Irene are baked on the half shell with pancetta, pimento and Pecorino Romano cheese. Reservations recommended."

"Since 1993, upscale Italian classics draw crowds to this homey yet elegant dining room with a piano bar. 529 Bienville St, in the heart of the French Quarter."

"You know an Ace Hotel isn’t going to mess around when it comes to dining, and that’s surely the case with Josephine Estelle’s entry into the NOLA dining scene. The pasta list alone is something of a marvel, with entries ranging from a killer bucatini amatriciana and short rib fusilli with mushroom and taleggio cheese, to gemelli with duck confit. The simple canestri cacio e pepe will make you weep for your gluten-free friends."

"600 Carondelet St | Warehouse District | josephineestelle.com. Italian culture has always been consistent when it comes to one thing in particular: the love that they have for their families. Think about every movie you’ve ever seen that features a big Italian family and what the common tropes you saw across each one were, and what do you see?"

"Ace Hotel, 600 Carondelet St., (504) 930-3070; www.josephineestelle.com. Fried Brussels sprouts salad includes lima beans, golden raisins and yogurt. Reservations accepted."

"Located in the swanky Roosevelt Hotel on Canal Street, on the edge of the French Quarter and the CBD, Domenica dazzles with chef, co-owner Alon Shaya's regional Italian cuisine and what may be the best thin crust pizza in town. Shaya gets ingredients from partner John Besh's farm, so the emphasis is on seasonal freshness. Pastry chef Lisa White, a CIA grad, gives Italian desserts a New Orleans sensibility - as in her zuppa inglese made with rum-soaked banana cake, fresh bananas butterscotch mousse and peanut brittle and a light and slightly fizzy Zabaione made with Lambrusco (instead of traditional Marsala) and fresh Louisiana strawberries."

"Domencia in Italian translates to “Sunday” as its a Sunday tradition to explore your taste palettes and gorge on delicious foods. At Domencia, they do just that with all of their, at home, prepared pastas and freshly roasted vegetables. Even their Napolitano style Pizzas are carefully handled and placed inside of their famous wooden oven."

"Oddly enough, the New Orleans barbeque shrimp that made Pascal’s Manale famous over the last century is actually not barbequed at all. Instead, these crustaceans are cooked in a peppery butter sauce, though you won’t mind the misnomer when they’re melting in your mouth. Elsewhere on the menu, you’ll find classic Italian and Louisiana dishes with delicious variations."

"This birthplace of New Orleans-style barbecue shrimp, Pascal’s Manale opened in 1913. Today, you'll still find great service, and killer oyster bar with friendly shuckers, and a laid back attitude at this Uptown legend."

"Signature New Orleans barbecue shrimp features head-on Gulf shrimp in tangy butter sauce served with French bread. Reservations recommended. Lunch Mon.-Fri., dinner Mon.-Sat."

"741 Bonnabel Blvd., Metairie, (504) 835-8593; www.giorlandos.com. Mama G’s battered and fried eggplant medallions are served atop angel hair pasta with shrimp au gratin sauce. Reservations accepted for large parties."

"Head over to Arabella, housed in the space next to Kajun’s Pub on St. Claude Street. Choose your fresh, house-made pasta style, sauce, and any add-ins (gluten-free and vegan options are available for all). There are also small plates and salads."

"Crawfish pasta Estrellita features sauteed crawfish tails in cream sauce over penne pasta topped with a crawfish cake and Parmesan. Reservations accepted. Lunch, dinner and late-night daily."

"3150 Calhoun St., (504) 301-3790; www.moesoriginalbbq.com/lo/nola. Smoked turkey breast is topped with coleslaw, pickles, Alabama-style white sauce and sweet-and-tangy barbecue sauce."

"500 9th St., Gretna, (504) 500-0997; www.bananablossom504.com. Larb gai is a salad with ground chicken, onion, cilantro, mint and toasted rice-lime dressing. Reservations accepted."

"The quintessential museum of Louisiana, the permanent collection includes nearly 40,000 world-class works of regional, national and international art, such as Picasso, Braque, Dufy and Miró, and drawings by Degas, who worked just blocks from the museum when he visited maternal relatives in the early 1870s. Lectures, book clubs, film presentations, art classes and musical performances are all presented with aplomb – and you can even take yoga classes in the sublimely beautiful Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden, where works of the 20th century's master sculptors reside in a sub-tropical sanctuary. 1 Collins C Diboll Circle, noma.org."

"New Orleans Museum of Art, 1 Collins Diboll Circle, (504) 482-1264; www.cafenoma.com. An Americana grain bowl includes chicken breast over wild rice, sweet potatoes, cranberries and baby spinach with warm bacon vinaigrette."

"Located on Magazine Street, The Vintage is a coffee shop cafe that also serves up some of the most unique beignet options in town. Some of them change seasonally (like the pumpkin spice beignet we had on our visit), and others are staples, like the beignet bites that you can also get in a to-go cone. My personal favorite was the cinnamon sugar beignet."

"Bayou Beer Garden is a quaint cottage-turned-bar with a sprawling outdoor courtyard and bridge that connects to sister bar, Bayou Wine Garden. The beer side features a huge beer list, pub fare, TVs, and a front porch and back patio. The casual atmosphere blends well with the food menu, which includes everything from burgers and sandwiches to flatbreads and salads."

"Bayou Beer Garden is a large space where most people find themselves outside on two large decks, with multiple seating options for large and small groups. During crawfish season, plates of potatoes, crawfish and corn are given out, and the area can get rather packed. Menu items include both small bites and heftily portioned choices to fill you up."

"Lakeside Shopping Center, 3301 Veterans Memorial Blvd., Suite 79A, Metairie, (504) 833-7906; www.smashburger.com. A barbecue, bacon and cheddar burger is topped with fried onions on an egg bun."