Chef Isaac Toups’ restaurant – a light, warm space in Mid-City that mixes rustic and industrial design elements – is unambiguously meaty. It is called Toups’ Meatery, after all. This contemporary Cajun restaurant lives and breathes meat, tenderly slow cooking it, flash frying it, making diners lust after it, with the menu encompassing roasted Gulf Shrimp and grilled Georgia quail, with all manner of critters in between. The BBQ goat, in particular, is a highlight.

Toups’ Meatery lets you bring your dreams of Southern cuisine to life. There are buttermilk fried chicken sandwiches, double cut pork chops with dirty rice, Louisiana crab claws (served with Thai chilis, tomatoes, and pickled pineapple for extra kick) and buttery cornbread. But if you were worried that you couldn’t sample the full breadth of the menu in one sitting, opt for the Meatery Board, a selection of house-made, fresh and cured meats, with condiments, of course.

In true NOLA fashion, the cocktail list is one to marvel, and there’s an impressive selection of liquors for your delectation as well. The Carrollton Sidecar (bourbon, brandy, lemon, cane syrup, and “cracklin’ dust”) is a good place to start. Or try the Royal Sazerac (Remy Martin, herbsaint, and bitters); you are in the Big Easy. At the end of the meal, an espresso martini will liven you up. But if you’ve got room, the warm bourbon cornbread pudding is a thing of beauty.