French Quarters

Tremont may be miles from the Big Easy, but thanks to the November opening of Bourbon Street Barrel Room, the neighborhood now has a small slice of the Deep South. While chef Johnny Schulze's menu of down-home classics such as a crispy catfish po'boy sandwich ($11.50) and sugar-dusted beignets ($6) delight us, we are equally dazzled by the cozy interior. After a 14-month renovation led by owner Justin Clemens, the former art gallery has been transformed into a bayou beauty with cherry-wood floors, New Orleans-made Bevolo gas lamps, ivy-ring railings and a stamped, copper-tile ceiling. "I wasn't trying to do what I call iconic symbolism," says Clemens. "I was really trying to do something honestly authentic." 2393 Professor Ave., Cleveland, 216-298-4400, bsbr.squarespace.com