French Louie

Warm and comforting, Doug Crowell and Ryan Angulo’s second restaurant — they also operate Buttermilk Channel — opens with a handsome wood bar, continues with chocolate-leather banquettes throughout, and ends with expansive outdoor seating. Despite the name, the food at French Louie is less traditional French and more New American with a French-Canadian accent. Snails, served with bacon over grits, are a favorite appetizer, and three varieties of steak-frites are the menu’s centerpiece entrees. Given the neighborhood, it’s probably not surprising that brunch has become perhaps the biggest draw, with plenty of egg options, plus a “crème brûlée French toast,” a creamy, crisp-shelled rendition of the weekend favorite.