# What to do, Where to eat in New Orleans



## mamiecarter (Dec 18, 2007)

Planing a trip after Mardi Gras. Anyone have any suggestions about where and what to eat and things to do? Have been their before and am interested in intensifying my exposure to unique and indigenous food and sights but not in spending a lot of money.


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## Deb from NC (Dec 18, 2007)

One of the best meals I've had in my life was at Pascal's Manale in New Orleans.  We went with a gang of people and had big bowls of barbeque shrimp with french bread & wine. It's been about 10 years but I still remember it....the last I heard they were still open.  If you like seafood, give them a try, it was a fabulous meal
Deb


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## Neesie (Dec 18, 2007)

For places to eat, try roadfood.com.  They have a forum especially for that subject called "Where should I eat?"  

As for what to do?  I could wander the French Quarter for hours!  I haven't been there post-Katrina so I don't feel I should send suggestions for all the neat places we went outside the Quarter.:annoyed:   I would love to go down there again!  Hope you have a wonderful time!


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## Kauai Kid (Dec 18, 2007)

While not in New Orleans try LeBlancs Creole Kitchen in Slidell for an incredible Po-Boy, shrimp, catfish, or roast beef are all great.  It is worth the drive.

Sterling, formerly from slidell


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## Hoc (Dec 18, 2007)

Look here for my recommendations.


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## Mimi39 (Dec 18, 2007)

Felix's is about half the size as before Katrina, but still has great oysters and the prices are low.  It's across the street from Acme, but without out the huge tourist line wait to get in.  Commander's Palace, yes, expensive, but worth it. Go for lunch on a weekday and have the same experience for less than what the weekend brunch or dinner would be.  Especially the .25 martinis, if they still offer that.


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## AKFisher (Dec 19, 2007)

I looked at Hoc's recommendations, and I second his choices of Cafe du Monde and Nola.

I stayed a few blocks away from Cafe du Monde for a week, and I ate there for lunch 3 times. Save room for a beignet for dessert!

I also tried Nola, it was excellent. Try it for lunch - might be a little cheaper than dinner.


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## Dave M (Dec 19, 2007)

AKFisher said:


> I stayed a few blocks away from Cafe du Monde for a week, and I ate there for lunch 3 times. Save room for a beignet for dessert!


Has the menu changed? I have been to a number of them (including in Tokyo!) and the menu has always been Beignets and a variety of beverages. Nothing else. What's on the (presumably new) lunch menu?


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## Judy (Dec 19, 2007)

My recommendations are here http://tug2.com/RnR/RatingsAndReviews.aspx?ResortGUID=9B168F6B-A3BB-452F-B1D2-6DC0279CE3E9
In my review of Bonaparte's Quarters Leisure Club International, titled " a basic apartment in an outstanding location"


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## bigrick (Dec 20, 2007)

There's a TUG pre-Katrina list here which I still use.

We were there in Oct 2006 and had lots to see and do and eat.  So much so that we are headed there again in March 2008.


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## tiger1210 (Dec 20, 2007)

I like Mom's. It's near the warehouse district. Really good food, not too expensive and many locals.


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## bigrick (Dec 22, 2007)

tiger1210 said:


> I like *Mom's*. It's near the warehouse district. Really good food, not too expensive and many locals.



Do you mean Mother's?  

Of course you may go there more than I do and know her more informally than I do.


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## Hoc (Dec 22, 2007)

bigrick said:


> Do you mean Mother's?



Yes, tiger meant Mother's


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## EileenSRN (Dec 31, 2007)

*Our nephew is co-owner here:*

http://www.cochonrestaurant.com/

I don't know if it will get you a break, but you can tell Stephen that his Uncle Jack recommended you try them. Already won several awards. He's a great kid (30 something). We're thinking about doing a "milage run" over MLK to go down if we can find a cheap fare.
Eileen


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## LisaH (Dec 31, 2007)

Sorry for me to tag my questions to this thread. My son got accepted to Tulane University with a Merit scholarship. I'm not sure this is the school he wants to go (I, on the other hand, kind of hope that he will go so I can visit NOLA often), but we are going to visit NOLA in April to check out the school and the city for the fist time. Can you tell me which part of New Orleans is Tulane located? Would we be OK without a car? Any hotel recommendation near the school (or French Quarter?) will be appreciated!!!

Happy New Year!!!


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## LisaH (Dec 31, 2007)

EileenSRN said:


> http://www.cochonrestaurant.com/
> 
> Eileen



Wow, the menu looks kind of bizarre Would be interesting to try.


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## nfwjlw (Dec 31, 2007)

*restaurant.com*

we bought coupons for 3 in the french quarter and enjoyed all 3 and saved $ tooo. 
jerry


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## Greg G (Jan 5, 2008)

*New Orleans Maps*

LisaH

The following is a nice high level map showing where Tulane is relative to other major sites and attractions in the city
http://www.spawaritc.navy.mil/contact-visit/images/NOOVGMap.pdf

More detailed maps
http://neworleansonline.com/tools/transportation/maps.html


The following is a detailed interactive map of the city
http://www.neworleanscvb.com/cvbmap/default.cfm?

Here is the a site for the bus and streetcar routes
http://www.norta.com/routes/timetables/system.pdf
http://www.norta.com/


I tend to to rent a car for the flexibility it gives me.  However using the buses and street cars you can probably visit most of the major attractions (depends on where you stay or want to go)
Lots of more knowledgable people here on the board will probably chime in as well (also search the archives for this as well)

Greg


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## AKFisher (Jan 7, 2008)

Dave M said:


> Has the menu changed? I have been to a number of them (including in Tokyo!) and the menu has always been Beignets and a variety of beverages. Nothing else. What's on the (presumably new) lunch menu?



You are right. It was Cafe Beignet that I went to - also on Decatur St.

They had soups and sandwiches in addition to the coffee and donuts.


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## csudell (Jan 7, 2008)

Emeril's in the Warehouse district is amazing.

Cafe Dumonde - like other said.

Commander's Palace is my (business) partners favorite choice


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## Eric in McLean (Jan 8, 2008)

Following is my trip review to N.O., from a couple of weeks ago:
Thursday December 27

We arrive in New Orleans in mid-afternoon. The cab ride from the airport to downtown is about $28, but a rental car only costs $15 per day (sans tax & other charges via Priceline), so we opted for a Chevy Cobalt in bright red, not knowing that we really wouldn't need to use the car for the rest of our trip except to drive back to the airport, and not factoring in that parking costs $15 per day.

We check into Royal St. Charles, on St. Charles Ave and a block away from Canal St., the western border of the French Quarter. The hotel bills itself out as a boutique hotel, which simply means it's small, not necessarily chic. They have no parking garage of their own so getting the car from the valet takes forever. They have no restaurant but do have a hip Japanese themed bar that changes color from blue to red. Our room was tiny, barely able to accommodate a king size bed and a tiny writing desk. A $6/day mandatory service charge included unlimited wireless internet access. Finally, the bathroom was refurbished to include a granite counter and a curved shower curtain but the tub itself was from a bygone era.

After a few minutes of walking, you quickly realize that you can buy booze on every block. Souvenir shops usually have refrigerated sections in the back carrying a greater variety of alcohol than your typical gas station. There are also lots of mini-marts. In New Orleans, you are allowed to have open containers on the street, just like Vegas.

A few blocks south of the hotel is Riverwalk, a giant mall that stretches along the Mississippi River. Many new stores were opened just to sell college football junk, as Georgia plays Hawaii in the Sugar Bowl on New Year's Day and LSU plays The Ohio State a week later for the National Championship. Strangely enough, these stores carried little, if any, Buckeyes gear.

Just north of Riverwalk is Harrah's casino. This is a nice casino, serving bottled beers and a full complement of table games; however, Blackjack is only offered in multi-deck shoes (no surrender but the dealer must stand on 17) and the state of Louisiana does not allow sports gambling. I found a seat at a $25/hand BJ table, and before we got our drinks, I had already lost $225. 

Dinner was at Lüke, a cajun inspired authentic French brasserie with rattan bistro chairs and a showcase kitchen. We started from the raw bar, 1/2 pound of king crab legs ($9) and a half dozen raw oysters ($8). The oysters were all plump and briny, and the king crab legs were fresh and succulent. The appetizers included pâté of wild boar, pâté of rabbit and duck livers, terrine of slow cooked foie gras, pied de cochon (pig's feet), grilled boudin noir (blood sausage, I think), all of which seemed tempting but we chose the special of the day - turtle soup, with chunky bits of turtle which has the texture of ground beef and sherry flavored broth, a New Orleans classic (quite different from the Grand Cayman turtle soup). For our entrées, I tried a southern classic, shrimp and grits, while Annie had blackened prime rib. The shrimps weren't consistent in quality and I thought the blackened prime rib a bit on the sweet side but Annie was very pleased with her dish. Dinner totaled less than $100, including booze.

Friday December 28

It was a freakishly hot day, upper 70s and humid. Naturally we spent the morning on a bus tour of New Orleans without air conditioning (all tours were booked thru Grayline). It was a good introduction to New Orleans, from a historical, architectural and natural disaster point of view. For lunch, we went to the Court of Two Sisters for jazz brunch buffet (our first two choices were not open for lunch). It cost $28 per person and the food, while representative of Creole classics, was not good. The highlight was a drunk redneck asking the jazz band to serenade his buddy, to the dismay of said redneck's wife.

After lunch, we took a cruise on the Steamboat Natchez. As we approached the boat, we can hear its calliope whistles play loud and dreadful music. Luckily the music stopped before we set down the Mississippi. The two hour tour was not particularly insightful; however, there are two full service bars to ease the pain. Before dinner, we went to Harrah's again. This time, Annie played BJ while I stood next to her whispering instructions. This proved a more fortuitous combination as we erased our previous losses and won an additional $400.

Dinner was at Cochon, the best new cajun/southern restaurant and definitely my favorite on this trip. The menu is organized into small plates (appetizers), boucherie (cold cuts), entrées, and extras. I had the oyster pie while Annie had grilled shrimp with chow-chow to start. The oyster pie was a marvelous flaky crescent shaped pastry with only a hint of oysters. The shrimp was delicious although we weren't sure what the chow-chow were. I thought the waitress said they were shallots but they tasted more like pickles. My main course was cochon with turnips, cabbage and crackins, or pulled pork topped with fresh pork rinds. I wasn't thrilled with the dish but the chef definitely have some big cohones to serve cracklins. Annie had smoked beef brisket with horseradish potato salad. We also ordered a side of fresh green bean casserole. Other inventive dishes that I would love to try are: fried alligator with chili garlic aioli, and rabbit and dumplings. With desserts and booze, the meal totaled less than $100.

Saturday December 29

We started the day with a muffuleta sandwich from the Central Grocery Company. A muffuleta is an Italian cold-cut sandwich stuffed with pickled olives, carrots and cauliflower between a large round bun. A half sandwich at Central Grocery Co. on Decatur St. (the home of muffuleta) is $6.50, and it fed both of us. It's definitely worth trying, especially if you like Italian subs.

We took a walking tour of the Garden District to walk off our hearty breakfast. Our tour guide pointed out that Anne Rice was rather ostentatious and she never directly gave back to the community. Instead, goths camped out in front of her house to the dismay of her neighbors. Needless to say, they were happy when she moved back to California. 

For lunch, we went to Muriel's, at the corner of Jackson Square, in the middle of French Quarter. I had some gumbo and an oyster po boy sandwich. The oysters were crispy and tender, the bread was light and fluffy, the sandwich would be perfect if there were more oysters. Annie had a club sandwich.

At 4 p.m., we took a walking cocktail tour of the French Quarter. New Orleans claims to be the birthplace of cocktails and to commemorate it, the tour was scheduled to hit 5 bars in 2.5 hrs. We made it through four bars/drinks, including an absinthe, before we took off for Bayona.

Bayona is supposed to be the new standard bearer for French Quarter restaurants. We found the food overly salty, and not all that exciting. I started with oysters gratin while Annie had scallops with black beluga lentils - these would be the best dishes this restaurant offered up. Next came lobster bisque & cream of garlic soup, both were extremely salty and in the case of the garlic soup, too pungent. My house speciality of peppered lamb loin was unmemorable and Annie's hangar steak with Brussels sprouts was a little tough. This meal ended up costing about $150 even though it was perhaps our least favorite restaurant. 

Sunday December 30

The Lucky Dog cart at the airport wasn't open yet when we boarded our flight. I'll have to sample it on our next trip to the Big Easy.


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## Hoc (Jan 8, 2008)

Eric in McLean said:


> Bayona is supposed to be the new standard bearer for French Quarter restaurants.



We ate at Bayona eight years ago, when everyone was raving about their duck, pepper jelly and cashew butter sandwich.  I thought it was good, but nothing special.


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## Eric in McLean (Jan 8, 2008)

I picked Cochon and Luke from restaurant reviews in various magazines I subscribe to (GQ, travel and golf mags).  Bayona was picked based on its reputation.  Yeah, I'd go with the more recent reviews.


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## mamiecarter (Feb 8, 2008)

*Great food!!!*

Every place I ate in NO was good.  Loved the burrito and tacos at a roadside Mexican stand where we lined up with construction workers. Food like Mexico City at its best!!!


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## Jimbo (Feb 9, 2008)

*Sweet Fire and Ice  Metarie, LA*

If you have a car and don't mind driving a little check out http://www.sweetfireandice.com/this restaurant.  We loved it there and definitely want to go back!!


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## Jimbo (Feb 9, 2008)

And Sparrows is good, too!!  Try their Mufalata!!


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