The lighting is right, the food is great and the music might inspire you to dance.

How can a restaurant with a live band in the dining room rank high for romantic dining? Somehow, it works. (Though Dee Felice is better for conversation during the week when jazz trios play and it's not as crowded.) The back dining rooms are always a good bet, however, and on Fridays and Saturdays the Sleep Cat Band's Dixieland music will transport you down South for the night.

Cajun and Creole food is the specialty, although many other good choices are offered. For starters, try Escargot Mario--artichoke hearts and snails in lobster butter topped with parmesan cheese--or frog legs Provencale, sauteed in brandy with garlic, tomatoes and fresh mushrooms. Oysters Rockefeller is another favorite. For entrees, halibut, chicken, filet mignon, scallops and pork chops are all offered blackened. A highly recommended off-the-menu choice is the halibut forte, sauteed in lobster butter with shrimp, ordered with blackened seasoning. Cajun and Creole specialties include spicy jambalaya, shrimp Creole, crawfish etouffe and Cajun chicken. For dessert, try bol de neige, five types of chocolate in a brownie surrounded in a snowball of fresh sweetened whipped cream.