Louisiana Cuisine in Nashville with guest chefs...help me pick...

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KRISTEN ESSIG & MICHAEL STOLTZFUS, Coquette

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This and I doubt it is even close.

I haven't eaten at some of those other restaurants so I obviously can't say for sure, but Coquette is nothing short of fantastic, and I've never had anything bad from Essig or Stoltzfus anywhere they have been.

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The Coquette one, no questions asked.

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I third this

This is tough.

I've been to Blue Dog, Oxlot, Sac-a-lait, BRQ, Coquette, and L'auberge.

BRQ sucks. Coquette is by far the best out of those. L'auberge is fine and the others are well above average.

However, none of these restaurants typically serve uniquely "Louisiana" food. Coquette may be my favorite place right now, but most of the elements of their menu could be found at nice places in Charleston, Savannah, and maybe ATL/BNA. Their execution is off the charts.

If you were bringing a group of friends to NO, there are other places I'd suggest to get a unique LA experience. However, since this looks like a special dinner series, I suspect these places will be offering more Louisiana-centric menus.

This is a very convoluted way of saying I'd go to the Coquette place and wouldn't have second thoughts.

Oxlot and LOLA, but I'm partial to Covington.

The boudin dip is the only “LA” thing on the app section of their menu. They add crawfish to a couple of the dishes to make it “authentic” but a) they would be frozen this time of year and b) one of those dishes is crawfish mac and cheese which is an insulting way to serve crawfish meat (or most other seafoods).

On the seafood section, you could argue that the shrimp and grits is a local dish because they don’t use the standard red eye gravy, but really you’ll find that all over the Low Country.
The blackened redfish is true to LA, but nothing else is unique unless you count throwing frozen crawfish tails into cheesy enchiladas.

Everything on the meat section of the menu is standard Southern cooking.

I’ve enjoyed every meal I’ve had at Blue Dog, but I don’t think adding crawfish to random dishes where they probably don’t belong is the best example of what makes Louisiana’s cuisine unique and delicious.

Stoltzfus/essig
Hansell
Carroll

Partial to Hansell. He was on "beat Bobby Flay" but got hosed by the judges in the final round.

FWIW - Ryan Trahan (Blue Dog) just won the American Seafood cook-off in NOLA vs. 12 top chefs from around the country. If the dining slots for Bastion fill-up, I'd book dinner at Lockeland Table if the menu appeases you.

He has been there for probably less than a year. They brought him in to improve the quality of food.