Lucile's Creole Cafe

The simple things -- a long bowl of sliced bananas and heavy cream dusted with brown sugar, eggs Benny done Creole style, a Cajun breakfast of red-bean-and-ham hash -- prove that Lucile's knows how to do comfort food right. For more than 25 years, Lucile's has made everything from its own hot sauce and apple butter to pepper-spiked sausage gravy, Creole seasoning (which the house also sells) and a proprietary blend of house coffee. In all, Lucile's serves up the best New Orleans breakfasts this side of the bayou; the biscuits alone are reason to beatify the chef.