Louis Le Francais, New Albany

Louis le Français means "Louis the Frenchman," and it refers to the restaurant's chef Louis Retailleau, whose successful decades in the industry have taken him across the globe. A biographical feature with Food and Dining magazine traces his story from the rural French village of Miradoux and an apprenticeship at a local charcuterie to French Navy kitchens in Morocco. After cooking at Chicago's John Hancock Tower, Louis started his own restaurants in Illinois and Indiana, including Louis' Bon Appetit, which dazzled Crown Point palates for thirty years.

Though his broad landscape of experience informs his cooking approach, it also allows it to evolve. Adhering to a value system that is distinctly French, Louis centers meals on freshness, relaxed tempos, and simplicity of flavor. That approach invites his ingredients' natural greatness to shine. Amid black and white photos of French landmarks and the nightly music of live guitar players, diners here savor authentic, simplicity-focused plates of beef Bourguignon, ratatouille, seafood bouillabaisse, and cassoulet brimming with duck confit.