Hey all,

Trying to tap the wisdom of the hive mind. We are going to New Orleans for the first time, March 5 - 10, and are looking for suggestions, especially for restaurants.

We are staying at the Hotel Monteleone on Royal St. Two Couples aged 55-60

Love Cajun and Creole food. Would like to hear some good New Orleans music. Planning on visiting the French and Garden districts on walking tours. Swamp boat ride, Plantation tour. Would like to see some Voodoo stuff. The ladies would probably enjoy a nighttime voodoo/ghost tour. I would like to visit the WW2 museum, but I am not sure the group would be as into it as I am.

Any and all suggestions welcome.

Thanks in advance.

We drove to NOLA July 2021 in our RV. Drove to Oak Alley Plantation. They have walking tour. Nice restaurant in the property. WW2 museum is also nice to visit. Lots of restaurants on Bourbon Street.

Be careful as you would in any big city. The World War Two museum is interesting. On the same circle is the Confederate museum and Southern Museum of Art.
Security has been beefed up since NOLA welcomed federal help.Bourbon street is exciting if you are into your early twenties and enjoy raunchy strip clubs. Restaurants are world class and expensive. Dont fall for street gags like "I will bet you ten dollars I can guess where you got your shoes.
Check to see when Mardi Gras is and avoid that week. Sky high prices and drunken college kids abound.
NOLA is very diverse and proudly wears the moniker of let the good times roll.

The Monteleone is a great place, they have great food and the rotating bar is a must do

We have always had a good meal at Landry's Seafood.

The carriage rides that originate just outside of Landry's are great, they give a great history lesson during the ride. The paddle boats, again near Landry's have dinner cruises that are great

You have to stop in the Cafe Du Monde for a Beignet and a coffee. Right behind it is a flea market that's fun


The ghost tours are fun too

quote:

Originally posted by ZSMICHAEL:
Dont fall for street gags like "I will bet you ten dollars I can guess where you got your shoes.

Last time I was there some street hustler ran that “shoes” thing on me… but a cop came by and rousted him before he finished the bit… what’s payoff for him?

Stop by the Cafe du Monde for the chicory coffee and beignets. There’s usually a Preservation Hall band playing on the sidewalk.

MSY Louis Armstrong is one of the better airports in the world. Great food and beverage if you find yourself hungry before departure.

Sounds like fun.

Don't go out of your way but if you happen to take a few pics of your dinner when it hits the table, you'll have at least one subscriber.

I've got a few Cajun/Creole/Acadian cookbooks but I've never traveled and tried them.

Last time I visited was for a wedding few years back. One evening we did a riverboat dinner cruise that featured live jazz music. Don’t remember which company but food was great and ambience was very nice, would recommend.

Antoine's is totally worth it. Make a reservation. The food is good and it feels like you're stepping back in time.

The WW2 museum is awesome. Don't worry about the group you're with. There will be something there they can appreciate. Plan for about half a day there.

I like the French Quarter. There is lots to drink, eat, look at, and listen to, going on there. Just use common sense and recognize it for what it is. There are a ton of restaurants and bars.

When I was there in 2016, we did a bus tour/cemetery tour. Not the typical thing I do, but for that city it was totally worth it and I would do it again. We ended up spending a bunch of time in the Garden District which was absolutely beautiful.

WWII Museum. Museum of the Confederacy. Bourbon St. French Market. The Cemeteries'. Ride the Street Cars. Lunch at Rocky and Carlos in Chalmette. And in Chalmette, visit the Battle of New Orleans site and the nearby National Cemetery. The Riverboat cruise we took was cool too!

Monteleone, great choice! Be sure to hit the aquarium as well as the café Du monde

Brigtsen’s in East Carrollton is easily one of the top ten meals we’ve had in recent years!

Too many great restaurants in New Orleans to list them all. We host a symposium down there every year the week before Mardi Gras.

More casual but still very good: Mulattes, Mother’s, Central Grocery, Orleans Grapevine, The Gumbo Shop, Redfish Grill.

A bit more fancy: Brennan’s, Emeril’s, NOLA, Court of Two Sisters, Commander’s Palace, Muriel’s, Arnaud’s, K Pauls.

My current favorite is GW Fins. They update their fish menu daily.

The Ruby Slipper (several locations) is a great breakfast spot.

Lots to do and see. Great restaurants are all over, and don't forget to order a Bloody Mary at any of them. Best I have ever had.

I would stay off the streets during the late night hours.

Security has been beefed up but stay alert as you would in any big city. Do not wear flashy jewelry, watch your phone and secure your wallet. Most of all seriously limit your alcohol, as you become easy prey.

Mr B's Bistro is directly across the street from the entrance to The Monteleone. Very good food, so much so, I bought their cookbook! I recommend the bacon wrapped shrimp and grits, but everything I've ever had there was fantastic!

Make your reservation now because if you wait to the week of, you will not get a table.

JP

Jambalaya - Coops, no kids allowed. Order with Rabbit.

Steak - Dickie Brennan's

Michelin Star candidate - Commander's Palace

Jazz Brunch - Sunday at The Roosevelt Hotel - Bring your wallet.

Beignets - Cafe Beignet on Royal Street. Very small but hardly any tourists

Having worked in New Orleans for a number of years, living outside the city in Slidell, I would recommend a couple of places the locals go to. In no particular order:

Maspero's Cafe in the Quarter, Napoleon House in the Quarter, and for a real bit of local culture try Rocky and Carlos in Chalmette. Don't let the LADIES ARE WELCOME sign deter you it is a great place for local cuisine. Try the mac and cheese with the red gravy. Parasols Bar in the Irish Channel is the unofficial HQ for St. Patrick's Day and a great and relatively safe dive bar, for a roast beef PO BOY and a cold one

If you're into history, Napoleon House was built as a residence for Napoleon as part of a failed rescue attempt.

Rocky and Carlos is within minutes of the site of the Battle of New Orleans.

Per Wikipedia The New Orleans Mint (French: Monnaie de La Nouvelle-Orléans) operated in New Orleans, Louisiana, as a branch mint of the United States Mint from 1838 to 1861 and from 1879 to 1909. The streetcar named Desire is parked in the yard.

Speaking of which, ride a Streetcar, take a buggy ride, take a ferry across the river, keep moving smartly when approached by panhandlers. If on foot stay in the main part of the Quarter. Don't cross Rampart Street nor get anywhere near Elysian Fields Avenue.

Lastly, eat a hotdog from a street vendor at your own peril.

Have fun.

Stepping a bit out of thread in order to answer mttaylor 1066's question the scam runs like this.
The cute little kid says Mister I bet you 5 dollars or up I can tell you where you got them shoes. You wind up agreeing after being pressed. He says You got them shoes on BOURBON STREET OR WHATEVER STREET YOU HAPPEN TO BE STANDING ON. You laugh and try to move on when two or more much older and larger accomplices appear and demand payment.

T

My last was mostly to the WWII museum, been to ‘the big easy’ a fair amount.

Yes, there’s the crime aspect, a little sewery, but still an ok place to visit if inclined. Just keep your wits about you, normal stuff.

Of course things are usually more mundane at 3 in the afternoon compared to 3 A.M..

quote:

Originally posted by reluctantpaladin:
Having worked in New Orleans for a number of years, living outside the city in Slidell, I would recommend a couple of places the locals go to. In no particular order:

Maspero's Cafe in the Quarter, Napoleon House in the Quarter, and for a real bit of local culture try Rocky and Carlos in Chalmette. Don't let the LADIES ARE WELCOME sign deter you it is a great place for local cuisine. Try the mac and cheese with the red gravy. Parasols Bar in the Irish Channel is the unofficial HQ for St. Patrick's Day and a great and relatively safe dive bar, for a roast beef PO BOY and a cold one

If you're into history, Napoleon House was built as a residence for Napoleon as part of a failed rescue attempt.

Rocky and Carlos is within minutes of the site of the Battle of New Orleans.

Per Wikipedia The New Orleans Mint (French: Monnaie de La Nouvelle-Orléans) operated in New Orleans, Louisiana, as a branch mint of the United States Mint from 1838 to 1861 and from 1879 to 1909. The streetcar named Desire is parked in the yard.

Speaking of which, ride a Streetcar, take a buggy ride, take a ferry across the river, keep moving smartly when approached by panhandlers. If on foot stay in the main part of the Quarter. Don't cross Rampart Street nor get anywhere near Elysian Fields Avenue.

Lastly, eat a hotdog from a street vendor at your own peril.

Have fun.

Good suggestions

I’ll add…..as a local, my personal favorites. Majority of the places in the Quarter serve essentially the same stuff, I rarely eat in the Quarter
Great independent restaurant review site
-Mandinas (more local place. Covers most areas creole italian)
-Domelise’s (one of the best roast beef poboys in town)
-Deanies (westend, not quarter location)
-Blue Crab (westend). I typically sit at the oyster bar and make friends with the shucker. The owners are great people
-Emirils may be about impossible to get into after 2 Michelin star award but amazing food after the revamp
-Commanders Palace is always a dining experience (my step son works there)
-Atchafalya for breakfast on the weekends
-MRB in the quarter has great char grilled oysters and food is solid if need lunch while walking around and affordable
-Couchon. Amazing pig dishes
-Italian Barrel in the Quarter if looking for someplace not too touristy, not typical New Oreans Italian
-Grill Room at Windsor Court Hotel, lady’s may enjoy the formal Tea service
-Seithers seafood in Harahan. Super low key locals place. Often has music thurs-Sunday

Get tickets for Preservation Hall show
All live music is available on WWOZ Livewire
The Iguanas often play at the Monteleone
Walking Ghost tours are fun
Let the lady’s loose on Royal St for gallery’s or Magazine for boutique shops. Spend the day at WW2 museum at you own pace. It’ll take a full day or two depending on your interest

The Pharmacy Museum is quick but interesting

You need to have a guided tour to go into St Louis #1 which is interesting also

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