New Orleans, places to eat/things to do?

[winterfreshgrin]

Will be there next month. Looking for some recommendations of places to eat and things to do, i have a tour booked for half day and have one day to wander.

What's that place to get a beignet?

[porphyra]

Will be there next month. Looking for some recommendations of places to eat and things to do, i have a tour booked for half day and have one day to wander.

What's that place to get a beignet?

Undoubtedly you want to go to Cafe Du Monde. Sit there, have a beignet and coffee and people watch. They are open 24 hours, so even late at night you could pop down there.

Cafe Beignet has locations all over the French Quarter and is not bad to get some on the go if one is near you.

If you only have 1 day, a good portion of it will go in wandering the FQ. I am not sure what tour you have booked, so if your tour is taking you around the FQ you might want to get out of the FQ and look at the real NOLA. Also, the Garden District and a ride up the St. Charles Av. Street car is a must.

For a great Po Boy lunch: Johnny's PO boys
or you can do a Muffuleta at: Central Grocery Co (very close to Cafe Du Monde).

For a great evening dinner out: You could go to Commander's Palace. Expensive, but worth it. A lot of the other much touted places are not worth the money (especially most of the Brennan's establishments; except CP). Also great are MiLa, and for a fun and quirky (and surprisingly reasonable) meal: try Jacque Imo;s Cafe (all the way in the North - reachable with the Streetcar).

Acme is great for good cheap oysters. The charbroiled oysters are awesome as are the fresh raw ones.


Catch a 1 hour Jazz show at Preservation hall and be prepared to be taken back to the grimy, downtrodden beginnings of Jazz music.

What I would give a miss:
- Bourbon street (well walk up and down it if you may but once you do that, it becomes overpowering to the senses and was rather off putting to me).
- Any of the tacky Ghost/voodoo tours etc. They are designed for tourists are really offer little history or fact.
- Avoid tourist cocktails like hurricanes or many you will see all over Bourbon street and go to a classy bar (e.g. The carousel bar @ The Monteleone Hotel, and sample a real New Orleans Sazerac).


Also, if you have more time, consider renting a car and driving to the plantations and/or swamps out in back water Lousiana. Also, there are still authentic (very few) Cajun communities, where if you are lucky, you can get some real Cajun food. NoLa has none. All you will get are a mish-mash of Creole food.


NoLa at the heart is a fun city. Remember to do so, while remembering that also its of the poorest cities in the US. The tourism industry supports and employs a good chunk of the city.

P.S. > If you haven't already done so, read the forums at Trip Advisor for New Orleans. Tons and tons of good info there.

[nepean19]

1. Court of 2 sisters for brunch-amazing!!

http://www.courtoftwosisters.com/

2. Mothers for the best poor boy you have ever eaten. Order the "DEBRIS" sandwich.

http://www.mothersrestaurant.net/mot...staurant/menu/

3. Uglesich's for lunch/dinner

http://www.uglesichs.com/

4. Pat O'Briens for giant Hurricanes at night and the duelling pianos.

http://www.patobriens.com/patobriens...ns/default.asp

Have fun and bring advil

[lizh]

Will be there next month. Looking for some recommendations of places to eat and things to do, i have a tour booked for half day and have one day to wander.

What's that place to get a beignet?

I went on a swamp tour when I was there and enjoyed it. They picked me up at my hotel so there was no need to rent a car.

I also enjoyed enjoyed looking around the French quarter and the garden district during the day to see the interesting buildings.