To anyone living in and around New Orleans at the present time or recent past, are there
any recommendations of great places to go for groups of 5-8 people - places where I'd kick
myself for missing when in a great food town like New ORleans - where I can make reservations
in the next week or so? (I know a lot of good places the reservations are to be made
exactly 30 days in advance.)

I'm there in a little more than a month for a conference, and I wanted to make reservations
for a few nights (probably 3 total - Weds., Friday, Saturday), partly to make sure that I hit
some of the real highlights, and also very much to avoid the typical conference pattern of
starting to walk out the doors with a couple of friends, and slowly accreting stragglers,
until suddenly you're a group of 18 or more and can only fit in the Applebee's. I'm looking
for good places that can fit a small, managable group (but not necessarily the cozy, romantic
restaurant for two - I'm not *that* fond of any of my colleagues).

Thanks in advance.

-Mike Nowak,