My husband and I recently traveled to New Orleans with my sister-in-law and brother-in-law. We hadn’t been in the Crescent City since before the COVID-19 pandemic began, and we were excited to get back to one of our favorite cities. The trip was short, as we went on to Charleston to attend a music festival with friends immediately after, but we had time to visit some old favorites and places we hadn’t yet explored.

On the last day of our stay, my husband and I enjoyed lunch at Herbsaint. The French-American restaurant comes from award-winning restauranteur and chef Donald Link. My husband and I wanted to try the spot for years, and the experience did not disappoint.

The menu changes frequently to reflect the best, seasonal fare and boasts daily specials. We decided to share the fried green tomatoes to start, which came topped with a crawfish remoulade. It was a surprisingly light dish and one of my favorite bites from the entire trip. We usually order different entrées so we can try two different dishes, but we both were set on the fish of the day. On our visit, it was sheepshead — which neither of us recognized. The roasted fish was accompanied by spring greens and white beans in a vinaigrette. The dish was light and packed with bold flavors from the vinegar and accompaniments. We wanted to end the meal on a sweet note, so we split the fried apple hand pies with caramel ice cream. The hand pies reminded me of McDonald’s apple pie in the best way possible.

Our meal at Herbsaint was a highlight of our trip and one of my favorite meals I’ve ever had in New Orleans.

— Katie Skrzek, vice president/digital director