Going to New Orleans for a vacation. What are some things to do?

Dome Vongvises · 01-11-2005, 09:52 PM

I'm looking for some good places to eat mainly. Anything from hole-in-the-wall places to nice restaurants.

Scott L · 01-12-2005, 12:52 AM

I was there for New Year's and the best part of the trip for me was the awesome food. I went to the Gumbo Shop, great gumbo. Pat O'Briens was alright, but I was expecting better. My favorite spot was Dominque's. They were bastards that had an old menu posted outside with lower prices but when you sat down after waiting they handed you the current menu with updated (read: higher) prices.

But I guess they made up for it with excellent food. And there was this really cute server there too.

If you go here dress up a lil, no jeans.

Everywhere else I actually forget all the names but I had steak, steak, and more steak.

I don't like seafood so hopefully others can advise you where to go in that dept.

Oh, as for things to do there was this steamboat cruise on a boat called Natchez. Boring. And 2-hours of it. I'd do it only if you have nothing else to do. The WWII museum was pretty neat. Needless to say music & sports are big there so you may want to do some research to catch a show or game.

Henry Gale · 01-12-2005, 07:10 AM

You ought to check out the Sazerac Bar & Grill at the Fairmont Hotel.
Have a Sazerac while you're there, they invented it.
Visit some cemeteries.
Go to Algiers.
This is a great time to visit, it's not too humid, the town is getting ready for Mardis Gras but the crowds are not there, yet.

Lew Crippen · 01-12-2005, 10:14 AM

New Orleans is one of the great tourist cities in the States. There are so many eating choices that it is hard to pick out just a few, but I do have some suggestions.

First, make sure that you sample a wide range of places. If you can afford it, have dinner in at least one of the famous Creole places. And also make sure that you try some of the smaller places and get a sample of different foods.

Upscale Creole:

Commander’s Palace in the Garden District is very fine. Even though it is large and well known, I have always had good food there.

Antoine’s in the French Quarter has been around forever and has good food, but on some nights their kitchen lets them down.

Galatoire’s—I love this place, but I think that they have gone down just a bit ever since they started allowing men without jackets and accepting credit cards (decoded, this means that they now target more tourists). On Bourbon street in the Quarter.

Arnaud’s—outstanding in every respect. Perhaps the best of the traditional Creole restaurants. On Bienville in the Quarter (and expensive).

The Court of the Two Sisters—an excellent and beautiful place to eat—but expensive.

Personally, I’d avoid Brennan’s as they succumbed to satisfying only tourists a long time ago.

You might also try an upscale Cajun restaurant. Try K-Paul’s as an alternative--it is not traditional Creole, but Paul Prudhomme, the owner/chef is a nationally known chef. Casual, but still expensive.

One of the best meals I have ever had was at Alex Patout’s. The definitive gumbo (and they have a famous oyster dish). In the Quarter—and not cheap by any means. Personally, I’d choose the Cajun dishes here. This is an elegant dinning room.

A must is a muffuletta (a half is probably big enough) from the Central Grocery. On Decatur in the Quarter. Get one for lunch and stroll around—perhaps down to Jackson Square.

Another must is coffee and beignets at Café DuMonde across from Jackson Square. True, this is a tourist place (as are most places in the Big Easy), but early morning coffee here as people are both off to work and coming home from at night out is not to be missed.

Acme Oyster House is a must.

More later—including music venues.

Lew Crippen · 01-12-2005, 07:13 PM

A few more places to eat in the Big Easy Dome—these will not be so hard on the pocketbook as my upscale recommendations—but in each case the food is outstanding.

Already having mentioned Central Grocery and Café de Monde, here are some other more modest recommendations:

Pascal’s Manale is justly famous for their signature barbecued shrimp—and they have a lot of other great things as well.

Domillse’s Po-Boys—out of the way—you will need a taxi. Get one of the Po-Boys—this is sandwich making at its finest.

Mother’s is also Po-Boy heaven and not so much out of the way as Domellse’s. Both of these places are very blue-collar—and very good.

I love the Camellia Grill (a streetcar ride), but it is best for breakfast, deserts and things like grilled cheese, so it might not be worth a special trip. OTOH, if you are going to take a streetcar ride any way, this is as good a destination as any. Just ask—everyone knows the Camellia Grill.

I already recommended the Acme, but for oysters, probably Casamento’s is better. Depending on your preference, get oysters on the half shell or the oyster loaf. Actually get both. This is decidedly not an upscale place.

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Craig F · 01-12-2005, 10:57 PM

I would add Irene's in the French Quarter. The rosemary chicken is to die for.

Dome Vongvises · 01-13-2005, 03:56 PM

I leave twelve hours from now. If I'm not back, you'll know where my corpse is.....or if I'm on a shrimping boat.

Thanks for the suggestions.

todbnla · 01-13-2005, 09:51 PM

Wow, I should have posted here sooner, Lew is pretty much on track, its rainy and cold here this weekend so pack for that. Enjoy and Be Careful.

And we call them shrimp boats...AND, they are currently shooting the movie "Dukes of Hazard" here, you might check into that...(Why here I do not know?)

Enjoy!

BTW-You missed Mardi Gras by only a few weeks, it kicks off in about 2 weeks....

Jeremy Anderson · 01-14-2005, 07:37 AM

I like finding hole-in-the-wall places in New Orleans. My favorite on my last trip was a little place called JUAN'S FLYING BURRITO. Seriously... the best (and biggest) burrito I've had in my entire life. And they played some rockin' music while we ate.

Lew Crippen · 01-28-2005, 05:24 PM

So how was the trip Dome?

Dome Vongvises · 01-28-2005, 09:35 PM

I need a new liver.

Café de Monde was awesome. It was a nice relaxing atmosphere, and the little fried dough thingy (forgot the name) was awesome. Had some good po boys, but the crawfish was out of season unfortunately.

Great experience, but I imagine it was tame co