Coquette has a bright, open and fun vibe. A two-story restaurant with outdoor seating on the corner of Magazine Street and Washington Avenue in the Garden District, it’s modern and inviting. Chef-owner Michael Stoltzfus focuses on innovative Southern cuisine using locally sourced produce. From the minute the maître d’ greets you, you know you’re in for an adventure — there’s a force of positive energy the staff brings to the restaurant that I didn’t feel at any of the other restaurants I visited. Coquette has personality. The brunch and lunch menus are similar, frequently changing, but if fried catfish is on the menu, it’s the one dish you cannot miss. Life will never be the same after tasting that catfish. The crispy crunchy crust with grilled soft scallions and corn with just the right amount of acidity complement this fried fish, which had not a trace of grease. It’s fried catfish at its best.