When I took over the Orléans Star nearly three years ago one of missions was to promote the growing list of excellent restaurants in the area.

It wasn’t so long ago that the only two decent restaurants in Orléans were the Delicious Steakhouse and the Little Turkish Village. And while both of those eateries are still alive and doing well, nearly a dozen other restaurants have opened their doors in the past three years making the need to go downtown to enjoy a good meal obsolete.

One of the benefits of owning your own newspaper is the ability to sample what these new restaurants have to offer and write about it. In doing so, I’ve built up a list of my very favourite menu items from the various establishments.

So in no particular order here they are... 1) The Lamb Burger – Little Turkish Village. Maybe it’s the lamb burger itself or maybe it’s the secret sauce on top, but if I was ever offered a last meal it would be hard not to order one of these.

2) The Lamb Chops – Persis Grill. Eating the lamb chops at Persis Grill is like eating little lollipops of lamb dipped in mint sauce. Mmmm. Mmmm good.

3) Flambé Escargot – Da Nonna Maria Bistro Italiano. Yes, Chef Luigi makes a wicked Involtino, but I could eat the Flambé Escargot in the Sambuca cream sauce for breakfast, lunch and dinner and never get tired of them.

4) Gobi Garlic – Mumbai Marsala Grill. I have yet to eat anything at the Mumbai Marsala Grill that I didn’t like, but the Gobi Garlic is to die for. The deep-fried cauliflower florets in garlic sauce are the East Indian equivalent of popcorn shrimp. In fact, I have yet to make it home with an order. The closest I got was Place d’Orléans, which is a little over halfway.

5) The Veal Marsala – Cucina De Vito. While everything on the menu at Cucina is scrumpdillyicious, my go to dish is the Veal Marsala. Delicious. Divine. And Delightful.

6) The Po’Boy Shrimp Sandwich – Orléans Brewing Co. This is the newest item on my list and for good reason. It is eight inches of deliciousness stuffed to the gills with baby shrimp and fresh kernels of corn, tossed in an amazing creole sauce and wrapped in crisp green leaf lettuce. Best served with a pint of Hellz Ya IPA.

7) The BBQ Ribs – Meatings Restaur-ant. Finger licking awesome. The Pulled Pork Sandwich is a close second. Both should be enjoyed with a side of cornbread and BBQed baked beans.

8) Brasserie Benedict – St. Martha’s Brasserie d’Orléans. A lot of restaurants in Orléans serve a great breakfast, but only St. Martha’s serves up one of the best Eggs Benedict I’ve ever had.

9) Beer Braised Beef – Taproom 260. Slow-cooked in Innis & Gunn oak-aged beer and served with sweet potato mash and seasonal veggies. It’s so tender you can eat it with a spoon.

10) Jarret d’Agneau – St. Martha’s Brasserie d’Orléans. This is one of the more pricey items on the list, but it’s worth every penny. Lamb shank braised in a warm Moroccan style sauce with tomatoes, olives, currants and almonds.

11) Grilled Octopus – Restaurante Caravela. I know what you are thinking, but if you have never tried octopus before you have to try the grilled octopus at Caravela. Personally prepared by owner Fernando Diniz, it is one of the top three things I would order on my death bed. It has the consistency of butter with a light grilled flavour. If you’re still not sure about it, it also comes as an appetizer.

12) Fish Tacos – OCCO Kitchen. Yes OCCO makes great burgers (see below) and, yes, the Hot Smoked Atlantic Salmon is pretty darn good, but the Fish Tacos with Mango Cilantro Slaw and Caperberry Mayo are sublime.

13) Mole Enchiladas – Taqueria La Bonita. Yes, I know La Bonita isn’t located in Orléans. It’s located at the corner of Ogilvie and Cadboro Road, but the drive is more than worth it for the Mole Enchiladas. When you first take a bite, you are immediately transported to Mexico, the taste is that authentic.

14) Anything off the Sushi Menu at Soul Stone Sushi Grill & Bar. Hands down the best sushi in town and the Crispy Beef in spicy ginger sauce isn’t bad either.

15) Any of the wood-fired pizzas at St. Martha’s Brasserie Orléans. My personal favourite is the Porc fumé de Lavergne.

16) I’ve left the burgers for last on purpose. I know everyone has their favour-ite burger joint, but for my top three in no particular order are the Beau’s Burger at St. Martha’s, any of the burgers at OCCO Kitchen and the Big Blue Burger at Bite Burger in the Fallingbrook Shopping Plaza.

So there you have it – 16 of the best things to eat in Orléans. Bon appetit!

(If you wish to comment on this or any other View Point column please write to Fred Sherwin at fsherwin@magma.ca)