For those of you in doubt, I can assure you that French Quarter dining is thriving. On each visit to New Orleans, I’ve tried to have at least one new place on my list of dining spots and, in recent years, have avoided dining in the Quarter as it seemed that most of the exciting new spots were popping up in other neighborhoods. As that’s no longer the case, this time I visited two new(ish) places in the Quarter.

On my first night I stopped at Sobou, which the Commander’s Palace team opened in July of last year. I had one of the best duck dishes I’ve tasted in quite a while (foie gras dirty rice OMG!) and met Jay and Brooke from LA (Los Angeles not Louisiana). Brooke grew up in New Orleans, works as a software engineer and loves to write. We all talked about places that tend to draw creative types and, in particular, the connection between NO and SF and how both places celebrate the quirky and eccentric while also being protective of the cultural identities each city has fostered.

I also discovered a Bay Area connection: Laura, one of the bartenders, went to Berkeley High and ended up in NOLA a couple of years ago after graduating college in the Northeast. Walking back from dinner in the afterglow of good food and wonderful conversation, I gloried in the damp streets and practically empty Quarter.

On Tuesday night, I checked out a gastropub that opened in 2010: Sylvain. The dark, spare interior – imagine if a group of Shakers had designed a bar –  contrasts with the complexity of the food menu and drink offerings. I had an amazing pulled-pork sandwich topped with pickled mustard greens and roasted garlic and chili oil. Add some house-made mustard and hot sauce and it’s hard to comprehend a better modern interpretation of a Southern classic.