New Orleanians have traditionally had a strong aversion to outsiders and outside influence. One of the more trivial and obvious ways this mindset has been made manifest is in the upper crust's rejection of chain restaurants. While many areas of similar size welcomed the 1980s explosion of chain stores and chain restaurants, New Orleans resisted. While there remains a proprietary bent against chains, chains have, for the majority of native-born New Orleanians, become part of local culture. The 1990s and 2000s saw an explosion of chain restaurants and stores not only in the suburbs of New Orleans but also in the city proper. This trend was underscored by the coup of all chain coups: the opening of a Super Walmart near the Garden District. Today, the city and its environs are not that unlike any other major American city in terms of the number of chain restaurants per capita, as detailed in the modern Food Board classic, TulaneLSU's stats and analysis on the most restauranted cities per capita.

It has been a long time coming in my life, but slowly I have been liberated from my older view that all chain restaurants are evil and should be boycotted. I still much prefer to eat at locally owned restaurants, but I will not make a wholesale rejection of all chain restaurants. Apart from two fabulous meals in my youth at Red Lobster during trips to Orlando, chain restaurant dining is new, so this list is not as comprehensive and as well-informed as some of my others. I ask for your grace.

For the matters of this list, locally owned chains like Copeland's, the Brennan owned restaurants, and Zea's will not be included. They are chains, and perhaps we should make a different top ten for the ten best locally owned chain restaurants. That may come at a later date, so watch this space!

10) Don's Seafood - I'm not sure if this is locally owned or not, but Don's makes a gum-licking good gumbo. Oyster specials are also noteworthy.

9) Picadilly (Jefferson) - A solid, well-rounded meal that may not get love from many foodophiles, but it's good.

8) La Madeleine's (St. Charles) - Few places make a better chicken Caesar salad and the desserts are as good as any baker in town. Free bread and jelly! Don't be jelly.

7) Landry's On the Lake - The food is just okay. The location is one of the best in the city.

6) Houston's (Veterans) - The food is solid all around, from salads to burgers to steaks. It's expensive, but it is quality.

5) Bravo! Cucina Italiano - I only recently ate here, and I didn't want to like it because it felt so fake. But the food itself was decent.

4) Chick-fil-A (Veterans) - They make one of the best chicken breasts in town. And their shakes are better than any local shake, including Creole Creamery and Scott Boswell's new ice cream shop in Jackson Square.

3) Outback Steakhouse (Severn) - Count me as a fan. Their sirloins are better than I can make. That's saying something.

2) Houston's (St. Charles) - Jazz and consistent, steady, very tasty food.

1) Ruth's Chris (Veterans) - I still believe it to be the best steakhouse in the metro area. Since Katrina, it is not locally owned, and I have some misgivings about what happened with corporate at that time, but based on food alone, this Ruth's is the best chain restaurant in the area.

This post was edited on 1/20/12 at 9:54 am