Fodor's Expert Review Dirty French

Rich Torrisi and Mario Carbone, the chefs who created a small empire of Italian-American restaurants (Parm, Carbone, ZZ's Clam Bar) go Gallic at this cool Lower East Side bistro in the Ludlow Hotel. The name says it all: although the fare is French, the team takes many of the dishes on a tour of places like North Africa and Louisiana before the food lands on your table. Porgy is dusted with Cajun spices, and duck à l'orange is spiked with Moroccan ras el hanout spice blend.