We had this gentleman as a tour guide. He was awesome. Every single wild animal we encountered was named, then evaluated in terms of market value: “Yeah, that guy over there, he’s a swamp rat. Biggun. Go for $12 or so. Now that guy…”
I highly recommend a restaurant called Stella!! (One exclamation mark is part of the place’s name, the other is emphasis). Memorably wonderful food. Avoid Emeril’s restaurants, they’re mediocre, overpriced tourist traps.
If that site is as worthless for other cities as it is for Toronto (which is one of the top two greatest food cities in North America if it’s not the number one) then I can only recommend using it if you want to eat at a shitty chain restaurant.
Every city should have a free weekly entertainment paper if not two or three. When you get to New Orleans find those papers and look at the restaurant reviews. Then go to one of those.
Hey man, I understand your sentiment completely and applaud your decision. You can get fantastic food in New Orleans at the most unlikely places and exploration will definitely pay off. But having said that, you really do want to try the beignets at Cafe du Monde. I took my wife there a couple of years ago and she ended up making me go with her at the end of each day for an order of beignets and coffee. It’s really good stuff.
We must be looking at different sites then as the cities ive looked at are nothing at all like that.
Throw eggs at Anne Rice.
Audubon park is a pretty nice place to walk around. There’s a zoo, decent, not earth shattering.
I suggest revisiting the decision against Cafe du Monde – touristy or not, hot beignets and coffee on the patio make a perfect morning.
I loved the Sunday brunch at Commander’s Palace (in the garden district). It’s a dressup place, though. So maybe K-Paul’s in the quarter, which is less formal, but will give you that same kind of creole flavor.
There’s an incredible variety of live music going on all the time. Check the local rags for times and venues when you get on the ground.
Marvel at how unusually polite people are on the roads.
Yes, you’ll see the consensus here is that Shadarr is as wrong about Cafe Du Monde as Tom Chick was about Deus Ex. It’s gooooood.
My comment about NO being an odd choice is just that the cooler parts of town are full of drunk people. But that doesn’t mean you want to avoid the French Quarter.
Depending on how far you’re willing to walk, La Boca is a nice little steakhouse I’d recommend. It’s intimate, and the food is fantastic. I walked there from Canal last time I stayed in the city; it’s near the riverwalk.
We’re right around the corner from it. The Marriott is on Canal street just a few blocks from the riverwalk. It looks expensive and upscale - no prices on the online menu. What does a meal for two run at La Boca?
Drive a chevy to a levee.
I’m going to be in NO in late July for a mandatory conference. I plan to spend all my free time bent over the air conditioning unit in my hotel room.
What a coincidence this thread popped up. I just got back from a 4 day N.O. vacation last night.
Had an absolute blast. Last time I was there was a few months before Katrina so it was quite the sight to see how the damage still shows here and there.
Expect the weather to be brutally humid & hot. Dress extremly light and pray the AC stays alive.
Do not miss Cafe Du Monde. The place is cheap and awesome.
Odd that you mention Semolinas. I used to love their chicken parm plate and was looking forward to going, but they’re not on Magazine street anymore. The only one left is in the burbs (Metairie).
Check the entertainment section of NOLA.com and the WWOZ entertainment calendar a few days before you go. Watch Treme if you haven’t already to get a feel for some good local bands. Me and my gf planned the vacation a couple months back and lucked out tremendously with the Gulf Aid benefit concert that was held last sunday. Got to see so many amazing local bands (and ate so much amazing food) all in one place. Normally however, Frenchmen street always has great music playing somewhere.
Ride the street car down St Charles.
For cool shops and restaurants its hard to go wrong down Magazine street. Lots of little stores and places to eat without the smell of rue Bourbon.
Riverwalk is good. Aquarium I haven’t been to but I hear it’s good.
There’s a big Harrah’s Casino downtown if you’re into that.
It’s hard for me to reccomend a place to eat because there’s just too many great places. Maybe someone more experienced will give you a “must have” eatery list.
Cafe Du Monde is a must. Sometimes places get popular and famous because they’re good.
I couldn’t say for sure. I think our bill was ~$40, but neither of us had steak so it’s probably not very representative.
Zagat lists prices, and it does seem a little expensive. At least it does to me, being a student. FWIW we weren’t dressed very nicely or anything when we went there.
We took one when we were there in late March and had rotten luck seeing gators (saw three, I think). Still it is always fun to get out in the bayou and we did see lots of snakes, birds, some nutrea, and some neat river camps (and some impressive debris from camps abandoned after Katrina).
I dunno about the aquarium and zoo – most places have decent aquariums and zoos now-a-days so it’s a shame to spend too much time in one when there are other unique things to do in NO. Though we did go see “Hurricane on the Bayou” which was a decent iMax flick at the aquarium.
The WW2 museum is decent, if you have an interest in that period. There is a Mardi Gras museum just to the right of the cathedral in Jackson Square as well that is a really good overview of a very NO-ish thing.
While I recommend CdM from the pure “I’ve been to CdM” part I found that I enjoyed the beignets at Cafe Beignet on Royal right next to the NOPD station just as much. They are a tiny bit doughier and a little less on the confectioners sugar, but good. Also they have a variety of sandwiches / pastries / etc. – go to CdM and you are getting a glass of water, beignets, and coffee…
Also, jazz at Preservation Hall is neat or head to Fauberg-Marigny for some of the clubs there (Blue Nile, Snug Harbor, etc.)
Fixed that for ya.
Somehow, I know she’s to blame for the whole Twilight thing.
Those are great ideas, BigWeather. Thank you. Both my wife and I would probably love that IMAX flick and I’m always into seeing WWII stuff.