Which restaurant is Herbsaint , I found myself musing while sitting for a Wednesday night dinner. Is it the one serving the thick gumbo that takes you back to chef Donald Link’s first stomping grounds in southwest Louisiana? Or is it the one nestling slices of shima ají crudo between crisp apple with a flicker of ginger for a special?

Is it the restaurant that’s been such a steady presence on St. Charles Avenue that it’s starting to feel about as permanent as the streetcars that clatter past its broad windows? Or is it the place that’s clearly on the bucket list for many visitors, who I watched stack up at the bar, waiting for tables to turn, as if Herbsaint was the hot new thing that some influencer just blew up?

Stop questioning it and just enjoy, I told myself. And then proceeded to

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