iblock9 wrote: Laffite's is, imho, the greatest bar in the world. It is very small, lit by candlelite, has a piano and looks much like it did in the early 1700s. It is divey, but thats new orleans...the locals who patronize are what make the place interesting.

I agree,

I had a few drinks @ Laffite's each of the nights I was in NOLA.

I am a history buff, and being allowed to bend an elbow at a spot at the bar where folks have been doing the same since the late 1770's really appealed to me.

iblock9 wrote:

Khaopaat wrote:Lafitte's is cool, but there's absolutely nothing special about it. It's just a divy bar, with hip-hop playing in the front room (as it was when we stopped in), and huge crowds of "ghost tours" tourists gathered out front. Really nice beer garden, though...and it's refreshing to get away from the more crowded end of Bourbon St. for a bit.

I laughed when I read this and thought that you must be talking about Cafe Lafitte which is a gay dance bar on Bourbon. I reread your post and maybe you were talking about the blacksmith shop. Laffite's is, imho, the greatest bar in the world. It is very small, lit by candlelite, has a piano and looks much like it did in the early 1700s. It is divey, but thats new orleans...the locals who patronize are what make the place interesting. i would never describe it as touristy. To say there is nothing special about it means that you didnt spend much time there. I have to totally disagree with that comment.

On our first night in town, I had a few beers and whiskey shots in the beer garden, and on another night I had a few beers and whiskey shots in the front area of the bar, near the TouchTunes jukebox. It was one of the many bars that night where we heard Ke$ha's "Tik Tok"...this became the unbearable-yet-apropos theme song for our trip, because we seemed to hear it everywhere we went.

While we were there for shots & beers, quite a few people were ordering slushie drinks from the behind-the-bar slurpie-machine-type contraptions, served in those classic/classy Bourbon St bar plastic cups. There was live piano music going in the back area, between the bathrooms & the door to the beer garden, that area had a much more peaceful vibe, but the much larger front area was definitely all thumping pop touchscreen jukebox music. If you watch this slideshow on the Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop website long enough, you'll see both the TouchTunes jukebox and the booze-slurpie machines, and also confirm that I am in fact referring to the "oldest bar in the country" and not the gay dance bar down the street.

Also, here are links to four different New Orleans ghost tours that include Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop among their haunted stops (hence the throngs of tourists outside):
Tour #1
Tour #2
Tours #3 & 4

I'm not knocking Lafitte's, it's a fine bar, and relatively calm & quiet compared to the puke-and-bead-covered nightmares down the street. I just think it's not the historical gem it's made out to be.

Khaopaat wrote:

iblock9 wrote:

Khaopaat wrote:I'm not knocking Lafitte's, it's a fine bar, and relatively calm & quiet compared to the puke-and-bead-covered nightmares down the street. I just think it's not the historical gem it's made out to be.

Fast Eddie wrote:

Khaopaat wrote:I'm not knocking Lafitte's, it's a fine bar, and relatively calm & quiet compared to the puke-and-bead-covered nightmares down the street. I just think it's not the historical gem it's made out to be.

It looks mighty beat up in that picture - wonder when that was taken. Here's what it looked like when I went last year:


Here's a pic of the bar (note the Strawberry & "Voodoo"-flavored booze slushie machines...and the TV over the bar, and the touchscreen game machine:


And here's a pic that shows the TouchTunes jukebox in the background, the worst thing to happen to bars since...well, ever:


Again, I think it's a perfectly nice bar. I enjoyed drinking there. I just don't think it's worth going too far out of one's way for.

aschie30 wrote:I was actually taken to Maximo's by born-and-bred New Orleans folks. I didn't get the sense that it was touristy, but the food was not terribly memorable. Nothing was bad, but nothing stood out. My friends live in the French Quarter, so I could see how the walk-in and be-seated, in a relatively calm and tourist-free environment, would make up for the lack of a wow-factor in the food.

Man, way long ago when I was living in NOLA, Maximo's was like the equivalent of Heaven on 7 here. We'd go when we wanted "ethnic" food, you know something not Creolized. Maximo's hit the spot as a faux version of the kinda upscale "Northern" Italian food one could get in Chicago. Like Heaven on 7 it was not quite the real thing but scratched an itch when needed.

Thanks for the little jog down memory lane.

So after spending Friday on the Tamale Trail as we made our way down the Mississippi River, we slept in Natchez and rode into New Orleans arriving around 11a Saturday morning. The reason for my visit was a bachelor party weekend with Da Bears. The food and most of the time spent in the Crescent City was marvelous, the game not so much but hey now we know week one was a fluke anyway. But if theres anyplace you could care less about a loss once the game has ended, it's Nawlins. First order of business Saturday was, of course, food. Since we had a car I had a few local loved spots picked out that were reachable with a vehicle although most of these stops are a short cab ride too.

First stop in the 504, Two Sisters Restaurant.


a diamond in the rough

Not to be confused with the tourist bait that is 'Court of Two Sisters' this is a somewhat DL spot for those of us not from around this way. But those in the know do know, so your likely to see people of all sorts. It's in a neighborhood that still has plenty of visual images of the damage Katrina did. There's a church next door and a few houses still occupied while the rest of the area is still boarded up. I found this spot thru Southern Foodway's 'Gumbo Trail' website and it didn't disappoint. Read more about them HERE. The gumbo is available as a special on Fri. and Sat. only so this trip was my chance. What a way to start the day. Best bowl of anything I've had in a while, the broth was seasoned to perfection. I'll for sure be back even if I gotta cab it.


Beware before eating, this might make you move to NOLA

Two Sisters is what Pope Yes claims to be. The meat off the ham hock was sublime and along with that there was a bunch of other good stuff up in there. We saw a another Bears fan who's a state rep from the Southside in there enjoying what he said was "his favorite spot to eat at down here". Really great ultra friendly service too but even if that was awful I wouldn't be able to stay away from their gumbo. Fueled and filled I hit up Bourbon street to meet with some peops for a few hours before my dream meal which we had reservations for at 6:30.

2nd Stop on Day one was Mosca's


Avondale, LA

Mosca's has been on my must get too list for ages now. It's been in many publications and is loved and rec'd by my family members who know how to eat. We were supposed to go there when we were all down there for my sisters college graduation pre-Katrina but my dad never made reservations. The hurricane took what was the entire 10 foot wide kitchen space but they, like so many others are back at it and that's important for the people. Both the longtime customers and staff. The unassuming roadhouse has been a part of the community/swamplands since 1946 when they moved down there from Chicago Heights to open a restaurant. In a NOLA.com article it explains "He wanted to get out of Chicago Heights," Johnny said of his father. "It was too Mafioso. Then he wound up in New Orleans. Turns out it was the same thing." Haha.


The bar area on your left and dining room on the right

Now in it's 3rd generation, the gangsters are long gone but the food and wonderful aromas remain the same. The Sat. night we were there I'm almost positive we were the only non locals being the only people in there without a Louisiana accent. It's a small space and they're only open from 5:30-9:30 five days a week so reservations are a very good idea. It's a little trip (about 25 mins) from the heart of the city. It's also a place to go to with a few folks, the menu is small but the dishes are large and very shareable so you need a few people. We had three but I had to order a little extra. It was so good, there were no leftovers.


Fresh baked bread comps of the house and a white bean soup

The bread was fresh hot out of the oven and a great little snack to go along with the cocktails but be sure not to eat but a piece or two if you must. Everything is prepared to order and you are asked to give at least 45 mins for your dinner to be ready. Well worth the wait, all the food arrived one dish after the other and everyone just kind of jumps in when it does. First up the oysters Mosca aka "Best Thing I've Eaten [Lately]"


Oysters Mosca, one of a few signature dishes

Fresh local oysters with the house seasoning and lots of garlic, topped with bread crumbs and baked. I forget the price (market) but there were 12 oysters in there and while the dish wasn't cheap you wont think twice about the price after you eat. You can taste the Chicago roots as this was similar to a shrimp de jonghe but their special seasoning techniques here are as good as anywhere. You wont ever forget the taste and wont be at peace until the next time you try it. That goes for all the dishes we ordered including the shrimp Mosca.


Fresh local shrimp w/ shell sautéed with Italian seasonings and white wine

They didn't have the Cornish Hen on menu that night but it turned out ok because we already ordered a ton also having to pass on the crab salad and Italian sausage and roasted potatoes. But what we got is what I think people that arent regulars need to try. The shrimp were indeed as good as they look. The recipe description might be simple but I bet not too many can duplicate what they do. Especially when it comes to their Chicken a la Grande. The flash pictures might not be pretty but these are the only ones I got in which you can see and this dish was a perfect 10.


Mosca's Chicken a la Grande


Fresh chicken sautéed with rosemary and special seasoning, whole garlic cloves and white wine

Available in half ($18) or whole ($28) there's only one way to go. The chicken prices are cut up and cooked in a bath of garlic infused goodness. Eat this and you wont have any vampires near you for an eternity. Our waitress rec'd we also get an order of Spaghetti and Bordelaise and that was a great call which went well with the chicken. She took wonderful care of us and the other 3 or 4 tables she was working and kept stopping by to make sure we were good on drinks while clearing space and so on. Flip a coin both the oysters and chicken were the best dish I had on this trip. Dinner for three with drinks for me was $220 with tip.


Dinner at a Louisiana Legend goes as planned...Legendary

I already know this will be a meal I'm fiending for on a cold winter day in Chicago. In fact sitting back here posting these pics has me thinking how I would bury a man if it meant a meal from here right now . After dinner it was back to the hotel, where I had to shower and brush my teeth twice to get all that garlic out and then it was off to Bourbon street. No more food for the night after that gut pusher but plenty of booze, sorry but no pics of boobs.

Sunday morning it was over to Cafe Du Monde to start the day.

Saturday evening was a wild one all around with the Bears fans invasion along with a UFC fight at the convention center and a rave with 7,000+ in the Warehouse district that went on until the crack of down. I heard them across the street from our spot at the Garden Inn when I retired. The neighborhood over there has quite a few places hopping. The beignets and some fresh squeezed orange juice did the trick for me before it was time to Bear down but that only turned into a big WHO DAT nation chant from there on in.


The classic French Quarter breakfast

We did some drinking at a tailgate and the Saints fans were great. They got love for the Bears who they say along with the Cowboys come down to New Orleans with the biggest fan base each year they play there. Got to eat some great eats like muffaletta and shrimp creole and of course they were doing Chicago style hot dogs for the game. Me and a few others said screw it as far as $250 for a decent seat pricetag wise to go to the game and instead went to a neighborhood place where my sister used to hang that I went too on my last visit.


New Orleans Uptown Neighborhood Bar

Milan Lounge was a local haunt for my sister and some of her Chicago college friends as well as many ex Chi City folk. It's decked out in Cubs gear and they show all the games. I guess I didn't take into account all the locals from there that were Bears fans would be at the game. It was all regular customers there to watch their beloved Saints. Nonetheless they were still nice about keeping the High Lifes and shots of Jameson coming though not too talkative to us. We watched the first half here and got out, the place was dark and smokey as can be and we needed a breather. Cool spot though I could see myself here often if I lived down there. Every space that wasn't needed for sitting and walking room had cases of beer stacked into it.


The view from inside with Harry Carey watching

We watched the second half at the more comfortable Fat Harry's on Charles ave. While Milan Lounge was like an old corner bar you used to find in Lincoln Park, Fat Harry's was more like the current ones. They had plenty of TV's, lots of different fanbases and it was packed but we were still able to stand at the bar and watch the game and drink some good local brews. We left close to the end, I bought the local Saints ladies next to us some shots for their win and went looking for jambalaya at a spot one of them rec'd on Magazine street. The place was closed on Sunday's (lots of spots are) but we did stop at the Magazine snowball stand.


SnoBall stand on Magazine Street

New Orleans and the rest of the south love their snowballs like Chicago does their Italian ice. They also serve Philadelphia water ice here and I got a mango one of those which was just like Annette's in LP. They were out of crawfish pies and hot tamales but did have another New Orleans locally loved eat Ya Ka Mein. I've actually been enjoying this beef noodle soup with Chinese/Korean creole roots at Hamburger King on Sheffield in Wrigleyville for a while. In that thread New Orleans and the origin of Ya Ka Mein is discussed and the soup also made an appearance on Bourdain's 'No Reservations' "Cajun Country" episode last month.


Ya-Ka-Mein on Magazine street in New Orleans

Typically this dish is noodles, slow-roasted pork or beef, hardboiled eggs, and green onions served up in a rich heavy soy broth which the meat was simmered in but everyone's gotta recipe. It's hangover food and was great after the loss and lots of alcohol which it soaked right up. The beef was super tender and better than anything I was expecting. Totally unexpected this was a great unplanned stop since I was hoping to get to try some Ya Ke Mein while down there. Many popular spots are closed on Sundays but the famous Parkway Bakery & Tavern is not.


The famous New Orleans Po' Boy stop overlooking Bayou St. John

I love oyster Po' boys and had an alright one from Johnny's the night before but wanted to try more. Different variations like a roast beef. The Parkway's been around for ages and claims to be NOLA's first po' boy shop and is said to have the citys best roast beef one. It was damaged by Katrina but reopened and the current owner is a great guy who obviously has alot of loyal customers, the place was packed with tons of Saints fans and a few of us Bears fans too. You wait in line to order (unless sitting at the bar) and your name is called when ready. There's seating inside and lots of picnic tables outside.


Waiting in line (L) View from the inside (R)

Aside from the soup I didn't eat anything and needed to chow down so I deiced in line I would order for all. The owner as I mentioned is really cool, perfect for his place as he talks on his microphone from the kitchen. Due to the long line, he announced to the bar people "no more phone orders, we gotta get these folks in line fed" and that brought a big cheer from the crowd. He also said "Chicago is good for one thing, we get our corned beef from Vienna Beef and always will" So then along with a roast beef, shrimp and also a gravy I added a corned beef po' boy. They had a framed set of pics of the old Vienna factory and a letter from the Company Prez hanging on the all. The order took a little bit which was fine but the owner insisted we try some "surf and turf" as I waited. While they're known for their roast beef many locals will tell you their shrimp is best. You can get both as a po' boy filling and I will next time.



Top: Surf N' Turf (L) Roast Beef (R) Bottom: Shrimp Po' Boy (L) Inside of a corned beef (R)

There's two types of roast beef po' boys. One being the traditional way with slices of roast beef covered in gravy and the other is debris style. They serve them debris style at Parkway and that's when they let the beef cook until its fall apart tender and does so in the gravy they cook the roasts in. I thought this was great and the bread was outstanding too, messy but it held up. The shrimp one was STUFFED. No way to eat it without munching on a few of the fresh lightly battered beauties from the Gulf they load on there. The owner told us they're from his cousin who's a fisherman in Biloxi. Corned beef was great too, they cook the Vienna Beef product until they're just about to fall apart. I wish we had a legit po' boy shop. I also loved the gravy bread Po' boy if for anything nostalgia and the fact it finally filled me up.


New Orleans style gravy bread sandwich

The gravy breads are the leftover gravy with plenty of bits and pieces of beef. Similar to a gravy bread here in Chicago. They give you a couple six inch rolls already with a little gravy in them and a cup of gravy on the side as well. He explained these are on there for the folks who need to feed 3 or 4 kids and cant spend $20 every time while doing so. A couple of large gravy breads can feed 4 maybe 5 kids. Dessert was a couple of homemade puddings. Bread pudding with rum sauce and banana pudding. Excellent and now time for a little nap before Sunday night begins.


Rum sauced bread pudding (L) Banana pudding (R)

After a nice sleep and refreshing swim and shower at the Hilton Garden Inn it was time to head out. We drank at a bar on Bourbon with the bachelor but it wasn't long before he was gone, in more ways than one. So seeing as how I was hungry and hadn't yet had any fresh oysters, Bourbon street wasn't a bad option for that. We rolled into Desire to catch the 4th quarter of Sunday Night Football and have some fresh shucked oysters with beers. It's connected to the Royal Sonesta Hotel. Good stuff, classic New Orleans.



Fresh shucked oysters

We sat right at the oyster bar and watched the guy get at it. They just throw some papers on the bar and let you make a mess. The horseradish was righteous and I could of slurped on these all night long. They went great with Abita Andygator from the tap and some NFL football. The bread pudding from here was dandy as well and the jambalaya good too. They have a full menu.


Bread Pudding from Desire Oyster House

My buddy was seeking the cities best jambalaya like I was doing the gumbo but lots of the stops weren't open on Sunday. Coop's Place off the French Quarter stays open late all week and despite its location it's loved by locals and of course tourists too.


Famous stop on Decatur Street

The inside is like your neighborhood tavern, lots of wood, theres seating at the bar and tables although it does get packed and the people working there can be snarky. It's still worth it in my eyes. Pricewise and taste we got alot out of this late nite dinner on our last night in town. The menu is loaded with Cajun goodies and we went with three entrees to share and were just able to finish everything up. Fried chicken over red beans and rice was classic stick to your ribs southern cooking and the crawfish and made in house tasso pasta was exactly the same.


Red beans and rice with fried and Crawfish tasso pasta

The house specialty jamablaya made with Rabbit and Sausage was top notch and we made that a supreme which is with shrimp and housemade tasso too.


Rabbit & Sausage Jambalaya

That was all she wrote for Sunday night. I was feeling the heat by the time midnight rolled along. It was a long two days but looking back at it, damn I ate well! We didn't leave the city until about 12:30p which made it 48 hours spent in NOLA. We also squeezed in two great spots on Monday that were closed on Sunday.


Warehouse District Butcher shop from the people of Cochon

I was happy to see that this place was right by our hotel when we arrived on scene and made a note of it to get back there Monday before skipping town. Thanks to jimswside's post on Butcher in this thread this spot was on my list and as everyone else seems to do, we loved it.


The inside: Butcher to your Left Food and drink orders on Right


Emeril hasn't been seen around town since then, I'm just saying




I wish I lived next door to this place

Breakfast was a muffaletta and Cuban sandwich before heading over to another place for lunch. We grabbed them to go and ate them on the hood of the car parked in front. All meats are cured in house and you could taste it in the quality of both sandwiches. Besides the meats being phenomenal the bread was just as good too.


The muffaletta sandwich people need to be taking back on the plane


Best tasting Cuban sandwich outside the Sunshine state I've had

So as sad it was it was time to head out but not before one more locally loved stop long on my list. Liuzza's By the Track is a neighborhood tavern by the New Orleans racetrack famous for their food and regulars. I've been meaning to get here, this trip I did.


Popular locals spot in the Fairgrounds neighborhood

We stopped in here for lunch and I was happy to finally make it. Even on a Monday at 11:30a it had a couple reg's at the bar and by the time we were thru quite a few groups eating and drinking.


As we enter

Liuzza's was featured on the HBO series Treme. The shows creator David Simon tries to be authentic as possible in re-portraying the city and as Liuzza's describes themselves they are the "Quintessential neighborhood joint". It also turned out they too are featured on the Southern Foodways Gumbo Trail and of course that was what I went with to start. More on their recipe HERE.


The world renowned house gumbo at Liuzza's

Although alot of gumbos in New Orleans are thick, Liuzza's does a thin broth one. The recipe is the owners mothers and he calls it a Creole gumbo and its loaded with flavor. It's filled with andouille, chicken, shrimp, okra and the thirteen or so special spices that pack the punch that will make you wanna order another bowl right after your done with your first. The other house specialty is the BBQ shrimp Po' Boy. I had to have this since I hadn't got any BBQ shrimp on this trip yet. They stuff a French bread pistolette with shrimp sauteed in lakes of butter. This was outstanding, you cant ever get enough of the BBQ shrimp sauce but the bread too. I soaked up every last drop with each and every crumb.


BBQ Shrimp Po' Boy and we were off, headed back home

Two Sisters Restaurant
223 North Derbigny Street
New Orleans, LA
(504) 524-0056

Mosca's Restaurant
4137 Highway 90 West
Avondale, LA 70094
(504) 436-8950

Cafe Du Monde
800 Decatur Street
New Orleans, LA 70116
(504) 525-4544

Milan Lounge
1312 Milan Street
New Orleans, LA 70115
(504) 895-1836

Parkway Bakery & Tavern
538 Hagan Avenue
New Orleans, LA 70119
(504) 482-3047

Desire Oyster Bar
300 Bourbon Street
New Orleans, LA 70130
(504) 586-0300

Coop's Place
1109 Decatur Street
New Orleans, LA 70116
(504) 525-9053

Cochon Butcher
930 Tchoupitoulas Street
New Orleans, LA
(504) 588-7675

Liuzza's By the Track
1518 N Lopez St
New Orleans, LA 70119
(504) 218-7888

Whatta post, thanks again Beef for taking us with you on this wonderful trip!

Damn, I'm hungry - thanks for sharing Beef, that's a heckuva food marathon jammed into 2 days.

Great trip report, Da Beef. Thanks for reminding me of many of the great things we ate last year in New Orleans.

I think that Cochon Butcher is a must on any trip to New Orleans. The quality of ingredients is so much higher than any other sandwich shop I know of in town. We enjoyed lunch there one day, and returned the next to buy a muffaletta back on the flight (as you've suggested), as well as several pounds of sausages, tasso, etc. They'll vac-seal for you, so it's easy to safely and securely transport meat home.

Ronna

Another good one beef. Love Mosca's. Can't abide pesto, chimichurri, or whatever that is on a Cuban, tho.

Nice report Beef, been to all those spots except Mosca's and Two Sisters. Always wanted to hit up Mosca's and just never enough time. Will definitely hit it up in April! Thanks again.
Danny

JeffB wrote:Another good one beef. Love Mosca's. Can't abide pesto, chimichurri, or whatever that is on a Cuban, tho.

Haha, yeah I forgot about that, if it wasn't on there who knows might of been as good as any. I'd order without that next time but still the meat and bread quality from here were great. Maybe not quite Brocato's, but right up there with anyone outside FLA.

Yes indeed Mosca's should be on all food lovers "must eat at before I pass" lists. It really is that good.

4 Days and 3 Nights in New Orleans

This is about as long as I need, it’s short but forces me never to miss a beat and make every moment count. I wanted to spend more time Mid-city and in the Bywater this trip. Other than my trip to Commanders Palace I never made the Garden District.

Oyster bars:

Felix
Redfish Grill
Desire
I hit all three the first day; actually I went thru all three with in four hours of landing. All were good, but Felix IMHO is the best. Standing at the bar is the way to go here. The shuckers are right in front of you, they place the oysters on the bar in front of you, no plate, just right there on the bar. These were fresh; I like my oysters to be a lil briny these were. They have a condiment station on the bar; I dress them lightly with a just drop of lemon and hot sauce. My only complaint here is that the only sauce available was Tabasco. I prefer Crystal. Washed down with a couple Biere Pale from Bayou Teche brewery and I was doing fine.


Breakfast:

Camellia Grill (they now have one not far from Jackson Square) I like this place solid breakfast; good food, efficient service and good price. I skipped the chili omelets w/ cheese fries this time, went for eggs and grits. My breakfast of choice in the south.
Mothers

Mothers is good, but the prices match their popularity. Again the eggs and grits. Good food, but they charge you.

Po Boys:

Luizza’s Trackside was the only place I hit. I have wanted to go for years and finally made it. It is a nice walk up Esplanade, an easy cab ride from the quarter ($8.00), or accessible from the Canal street streetcar (Hop off atJefferson Davis Pkwy). The best way is the walk. Esplanade is an old street that connected Bayou St John to the Mississippi River. And has beautiful old homes along it. Edgar Degas stayed for a while in house there at 2306, it is marked. One of my intentions this trip was to walk this area. After lunch we did. We got here Mon about 11:30 AM the place was not crowded. A few patrons at the bar and only two other tables occupied. I went classic here. Cup of Gumbo and a Garlic fried oyster sandwich, dressed w, lettuce and a lil Mayo. Their gumbo, as has been mentioned has a thinner broth. I liked it the sandwich was excellent. What I needed to keep me going for the walk we took afterward.


Cocktail Bars:

Sazerac Lounge. Still a must stop every time I am in town. Just a classic place. The cocktails are excellent, and you can just feel the history ooze in this place. Huey long was a frequent patron; John Kennedy Toole was known to go there also.

Carousel Bar at the Monteleone, not as good as I remember. They remodeled and enlarged it. They also raised the ceilings and put in windows. The place is much louder, intimate conversation was difficult. I drank beer here, which was my mistake.


I usually hit Lafitte’s, Old Absinthe House, Tujacques, for drinks but missed them this entire trip. Went past them and they are all there, they do not change much.

The New place:

Maurepass Foods New place (only had been open two weeks when I was there) it is run by the chef who used to work at Dante’s Kitchen. Nice big airy place in the Bywater area. Started off with the cheese plate and pickle plate. Had root vegetable gratin (excellent0 for dinner I had Goat tacos and Mussels, both very good. Dinner guest had fish and chips (I wanted that but he ordered first) not your normal F&C fish was grilled served on a bed of roasted potatoes The Goat tacos came on a plate of three served with a pickled tomato salsa and, nice not gamey or overly tough. Mussels were good, but not anything that I haven’t had before.

The Clubs:
Snug Harbor. Quintessential Frenchman street jazz club. Great music every night.

Chickee Wah Wah. Mid city easy ride up the Canal Street streetcar line. Saw John Cleary on a Monday night. Great show $8.00 cover affordable drinks. Nice venue, easy to reach, good place to go.

Irvin Mayfield @ Royal Sonesta. Great place for jazz in the FQ. Free most nights. Good drinks. Always solid jazz.

Bullets Sports Bar. Kermit Ruffins on Tuesday nights. You got to go. Maybe a ten-dollar cab ride from the FQ. Food truck outside looked real good, and smoking hot music inside a great neighborhood club.

Beer of choice:
Bayou Teche Beire Pale




The Heavy Hitters:

Commanders Palace, What can you say about this place that hasn’t already been said…. Well Okay, Ill try. My first meal here years ago set the standard for restaurant service for me. It’s still great, but not as I remember. The food is very good, but the service raises this place way up. Before you leave this place you with be sir’d or mamm’d like no where else. The service is excellent but never obtrusive. I started off with the Escargot w/ bone marrow fond (very good), Turtle soup w/ Sherry, Griddled seared gulf fish (Hake) and of course the Bread pudding Soufflé. Everything was very well prepared; portions were of a nice size. And the service……. Never an empty glass, plates served simultaneously and removed promptly. Whenever a guest left the table (it was a party of 11) the napkin was folded and upon return someone was there to push in your chair. I was glad a member of the party ordered the bananas Foster. They do a wonderful tableside presentation. The place has been around for a long time and has aged well.


Restaurant August. I have heard so many great things about this place and was glad to hear I was invited to a dinner here. I again was a large party, and the reservation was made a month in advance. I felt the service here, and the food did not live up to the hype. As I said the reservation was made well in advance, but the table we were given was squeezed between two rooms. Making for odd conversation and made service for the waiter quite difficult. The wine was not poured until asked for and in general service seemed quite slow. The food….. Good, very good but the portions were quite small. Had the sweetbreads for an appetizer (sweetbreads and grits, two things I eat a lot in NO) and the redfish court bouillon. I felt that the bourride overwhelmed the fish. The rest of the group was quite happy here, me well I was not overwhelmed.

Bayona. I have wanted to eat here since I first came to NO a dozen years ago. It’s never fit in. My last day in town I decided lunch would finally work. After scouring Decatur Street for t-shirts for the nieces and nephews and Royal Street for a couple things for the wife we made our way there. It was a late lunch. You enter of a small courtyard into a mirror-lined hallway. I kept turning into the mirror. We were seated in a corner table. Neither of us was in a cocktail mood so ice Tea was the drink. After the drink order was taken bread with butter and olive oil were set on the table. First course was Sweetbreads. I love love love this. Served perfectly, heaven on a plate. My second course was the tomato soup very good but in hindsight wish I had ordered the Garlic soup. My main course was the smoked dusk peanut butter and jelly sandwich. WOW. I could have died after the first bite, this is unbelievable. A great fusion of flavor exploded in my mouth. I skipped desert.. This meal is on my top ten EVER. I just can’t stop thinking how good it was. It was a fitting end to a great trip.


Missed this time, maybe next trip:

Bywater BBQ. Ran past this place about 8 in the morning and it smelled great. Never think of BBQ when I am in NO but this might be worth a try.

Buttermilk Drop. I have been told this is worth the ride for the buttermilk drops and the beignets. Could not fit it in.

Parkway Bakery another Mid City Po boy place. Real easy to reach off of Canal Street car line.

Cochon. Just not enough time this time.

Bachannal. This place at the far end of Bywater just seemed great. Went past it one morning. Moving it to the short list for next trip.

Got a weekend visiting Tulane with my daughter coming up...she's willing to try stuff but isn't super adventurous (nor is her dad!!) and I'd REALLY like to be sure they LOVE NOLA.

Any "can't-miss" even traditional/touristy stuff that you guys recommend? Been reading the thread, but if anyone cares to add, info will be happily received.

sujormik wrote:Got a weekend visiting Tulane with my daughter coming up...she's willing to try stuff but isn't super adventurous (nor is her dad!!) and I'd REALLY like to be sure they LOVE NOLA.

Any "can't-miss" even traditional/touristy stuff that you guys recommend? Been reading the thread, but if anyone cares to add, info will be happily received.

for non-adventurous types, i'd recommend:
coops
jacques imo's
tracey's

2146 north wrote:Bachannal. This place at the far end of Bywater just seemed great. Went past it one morning. Moving it to the short list for next trip.

Bachannal is the perfect afternoon getaway after a hard day (or several) near the quarter. I took a 12 person bachelor party here on the third (last) day after lunch. Everyone was wondering where the hell I was taking them, but after a few bottles of Rose, everyone was in love with the place. All agreed it was exactly what we needed. I can't think of many places I'd rather spend a nice sunny afternoon than on their quirky, beautiful back patio, cold glass of wine in hand.

sujormik wrote:Got a weekend visiting Tulane with my daughter coming up...she's willing to try stuff but isn't super adventurous (nor is her dad!!) and I'd REALLY like to be sure they LOVE NOLA.

Any "can't-miss" even traditional/touristy stuff that you guys recommend? Been reading the thread, but if anyone cares to add, info will be happily received.

I'm fond of Pascal's Manale which is on Napoleon Street not too far from Tulane. I looked back on Page 1 of this thread and others give it their support too. I've had the BBQ Shrimp and another time had veal marsala. I loved the shrimp so much that that is the way I prepare shrimp at home now.

http://www.neworleansrestaurants.com/pascalsmanale/

sujormik wrote:Got a weekend visiting Tulane with my daughter coming up...she's willing to try stuff but isn't super adventurous (nor is her dad!!) and I'd REALLY like to be sure they LOVE NOLA.

Any "can't-miss" even traditional/touristy stuff that you guys recommend? Been reading the thread, but if anyone cares to add, info will be happily received.

I'm not great with these questions, because I tend to view things through my personal lens, which currently- and honestly, most of the time- tells me "eat Vietnamese until you explode!"

But Brett Anderson is our local food critic, and he says this: http://www.nola.com/ncaa/index.ssf/2012 ... de_to.html . It's prompted by the Final Four, but not specific to that event. It also leans downtown a bit (Tulane is uptown).

On top of those recommendations, if you have the time and the inclination, do seek out some Vietnamese. Most of the good stuff is a little out of the way (the West Bank or New Orleans East), but very much worth a trip. My favorites are Tan Dinh, Nine Roses, Ba Mien, and Dong Phuong. Recently, a few decent places have opened Uptown. Lilly's Cafe is my current favorite. I haven't had the pho, but the bun is tasty, as is the cafe sua da. I believe, though, that it still holds true that you'll need to travel a bit to reach the great stuff.

All in all, I hope you enjoy the trip and love the city. I came to Tulane almost 8 years ago and have been here since. It's a unique and endlessly interesting place.

mikehartnett wrote:On top of those recommendations, if you have the time and the inclination, do seek out some Vietnamese. Most of the good stuff is a little out of the way (the West Bank or New Orleans East), but very much worth a trip. My favorites are Tan Dinh, Nine Roses, Ba Mien, and Dong Phuong. Recently, a few decent places have opened Uptown. Lilly's Cafe is my current favorite. I haven't had the pho, but the bun is tasty, as is the cafe sua da. I believe, though, that it still holds true that you'll need to travel a bit to reach the great stuff.

I would love to try some New Olreans influenced Vietnamese food next time I'm in NOLA. Can you elaborate a little bit about some of these places and thir specialties?

stevez wrote:

mikehartnett wrote:On top of those recommendations, if you have the time and the inclination, do seek out some Vietnamese. Most of the good stuff is a little out of the way (the West Bank or New Orleans East), but very much worth a trip. My favorites are Tan Dinh, Nine Roses, Ba Mien, and Dong Phuong. Recently, a few decent places have opened Uptown. Lilly's Cafe is my current favorite. I haven't had the pho, but the bun is tasty, as is the cafe sua da. I believe, though, that it still holds true that you'll need to travel a bit to reach the great stuff.

I would love to try some New Olreans influenced Vietnamese food next time I'm in NOLA. Can you elaborate a little bit about some of these places and thir specialties?

Sure! I wouldn't say it's New Orleans-influenced (at least not any more than any cuisine is influenced by its location), but New Orleans has a significant Vietnamese population. Unfortunately, as mentioned above, most of the better places are a bit out of the way if you don't have access to a car.

Tan Dinh, which is likely my favorite restaurant, Vietnamese or otherwise, is on the Westbank in Gretna. Kind of unassuming, but when it's busy, I love the atmosphere. It has a long menu, but that's sort of misleading because many of the options are repetitions paired with a different starch-- rice, steamed buns, or my favorite, the sticky rice plate, which is basically two fried patties of sticky rice with a hint of coconut. Most everything you can get with these is delicious, but what Tan Dinh does best is fry things: particularly chicken wings (with garlic butter, nuoc mam, or tamarind sauce), but also spare riblets. Tan Dinh is a bit Americanized in the sense that the entrees are quite large, and it isn't the best place for eating family style, but worth it all the same. Their cha gio are quite tasty, though unusually large, and the combination salad (not sure of the exact name, but it's bottom of the first menu page) is chock full of shrimp, pork, jellyfish, cukes, carrots, etc., and served with shrimp chips to scoop it up. So good. The pho is very good, too, though not what I tend to order.

Nine Roses is also on the Westbank, and it's a more classic family-style place. You can fill the table with pork in fish (caramel) sauce, tiny cha gio (which in my opinion are close to the best in the city), quail with steamed buns, and on and on. It's all very good, and you pretty much can't go wrong, but it doesn't reach the same highs as Tan Dinh. Also, I'd avoid the pho. Not terrible, just not worth filling up on here.

Ba Mien is in New Orleans East, and has an extensive menu that I haven't even begun to make a dent in. Very good bun, though, and I've heard fantastic things about everything else.

Dong Phuong is also in New Orleans East, and it is a wonder. I haven't explored Vietnamese in Chicago, but I'm sure there are comparable places there. Here, though, it stands alone-- a fantastic bakery that provides the bread for most banh mi in the area, as well as for many non-Vietnamese sandwiches. Tons of Vietnamese baked goods and desserts. There's an attached restaurant that I've yet to eat in, because their banh mi are the best in the city, due in no small part to their fantastic bread. Unparalleled.

I forgot to mention Kim Anh's above. It's also outside of the city, but it's in Harahan, which is pretty much the opposite direction from everything above. In the past, it has been my favorite pho in the city, though I haven't been much recently as a result of the fact that they close on the weekends!

As far as Vietnamese in the Uptown area, Lilly's Cafe is really the only one I can recommend at the moment. It's very new, and I haven't tried an extensive selection from their menu, but it's well done and simple. Another restaurant you may find recommendations for is Magasin, which I wouldn't recommend because it's a bit too gussied-up for me, and the flavors are a bit too subtle. To me, that isn't what Vietnamese food is about. It's a nice space though, and surprisingly inexpensive.

Please let me know if you need any further advice on anything food related here.

Thank you all, hoping to hit as many of the places mentioned as possible though we won't have a car. We'll be near Tulane for a bit on Friday and all day Saturday (their Crawfest is Saturday so we'll stick around there I suspect) so we're pretty open late Friday and Sunday.

I'm a bit embarrassed to ask LTHers about the famous (Brennan's, Central Grocery, Commander's Palace, Pat OBriens and Cafe DuMonde) since I'm sure they're extremely passe here, but even though touristy, I sort of feel like my kid/hub should at least experience SOME of that NOLA too. Oh the pressure!

sujormik wrote:I'm a bit embarrassed to ask LTHers about the famous (Brennan's, Central Grocery, Commander's Palace, Pat OBriens and Cafe DuMonde) since I'm sure they're extremely passe here, but even though touristy, I sort of feel like my kid/hub should at least experience SOME of that NOLA too. Oh the pressure!

Though Pat O'Briens and Brennan's definately fit the Tourist Trap description, the other three are well worth the visit.

I wouldn't miss Pat O's either--its still a lot of fun and part of the experience, especially if you've never been--just like CDM and Central Grocery. Commanders is, in my opinion, still the quintessential NOLA fine dining experience. Brennans, on the other hand was considered wildly overrated 25 years ago and likely still is. I wouldn't know--was never tempted with so many other wonderful places to go.

boudreaulicious wrote:I wouldn't miss Pat O's either--its still a lot of fun and part of the experience, especially if you've never been--

I agree with this completely. If you've never been, by all means go. Your single visit will be a lifetime supply.

stevez wrote:
Though Pat O'Briens and Brennan's definately fit the Tourist Trap description, the other three are well worth the visit.

Agreed. Commander's Palace is THE reason I always pack a sport coat for a trip to NOLA.

Chiming in on the "famous" -- going to NOLA without a visit to Cafe du Monde is just not a visit to NOLA. You gotta go. Everyone needs to have a shot of those powdered sugared beignets and coffee on their cell phone. And the taste of them in their mouth. I would say the same about Central Grocery.

If you've got kids with you -- check out the Zoo. It's one of the nicest zoos I've been too and it was great fun. Plus you have to ride the cable car through the Garden District to get there -- it's a multi-tasking trip.

Have fun!

Wanted to take a moment to thank everyone for your comments/suggestions about our long weekend, the trip to Tulane was HIGHLY successful and whether she decides to attend or not, I'm pretty sure I'll get my husband down there again for a visit. Y'all helped with that.

Arrived late Thursday night and were up and out early for a class visit and chat with a graduating student. Took her to lunch at Camellia Grill, had the burger, it was GREAT. Talked to a young guy on the stool next to me who is from Chicago, a Tulane alum, he was eating one of the chili omelets and I honestly couldn't help but ogle the plate. He ate every drop! I also had a cherry chocolate freeze, it was great. After strolling around Magazine Street that afternoon, we ended up on a very crowded streetcar toward the Quarter. I started chatting with a guy from Prince Edward Island who recently sorta quit life to study Zen Buddhism and he ended up joining us for beers and oysters at Felix's. Tried to get into Acme first, it was mobbed, sat right down at Felix. I'm no oyster expert but those were the best I've ever had. My husband had em chargrilled, and I was wishing we could order some more, they were great too. The shuckers were so nice, made up an awesome cocktail sauce with perfect kick. Yes, I'm now an oyster fan! Because of some weird timing and crowds elsewhere, we did have po'boys and jambalaya, and other stuff at Felix...not good. Our mistake, but there it is. Had some silly-named but strong drink from Lafite's (I think) on our Haunted History tour (we're tourists!) and ended up at Cafe DuMond. Really a perfect night.

Saturday the university had a continental breakfast for the accepted students, and offered lunch in the dining hall for all the guests (with some professors and student ambassadors there to chat). Wasn't impressed with the dining hall food...we've been to half a dozen campuses in the past couple years, this was without doubt the weakest of any university dining we've had. Apparently Loyola's dining hall (next door) is considerably better but obviously not so convenient. Despite torrential downpours, the Crawfest was held on the main quad. 14,000 pounds of crawfish...there was a LOT of crawfish and some great music to accompany, the kids all had a great time, as we did. Did Pascale's Manale for dinner that night, have to say it was just ok. My mom once made their BBQ shrimp recipe and I remember it being more delicious than what I had this weekend. Nice shrimp, just was a bit underwhelmed with the flavor. My daughter ended up not feeling well so we had an early night. Only in NOLA huh?

Sunday's breakfast was the surprise meal of the weekend. Originally we had reservations at Commander's Palace, but with my kid feeling crummy the night before, and the reality that we would be SEVERELY underdressed, we canceled on Saturday night and had to scrample for brunch. Our hotel was just steps away from Cochon, which is closed on Sundays, but Butcher http://www.cochonbutcher.com/ is open. We were able to grab some seats at the counter and had honestly the best meal of the weekend. A simple egg/ham/cheese sandwich on a homemade croissant...the ham was unbelievable, the bread was just perfect. I had to have a side of grits as well, and they were THE best grits I've ever tasted. And I didn't do a thing to them...just fantastic. Hubby and kid had brioche french toast with balsamic strawberries, almonds and whipped cream. I was not allowed a taste but they insisted it was great.

Had dinner back up by Tulane at a place called Saltwater Grill. Very nice and accommodating, had shrimp and grits (seeing a trend, I love grits) which were fine, not stellar. Kids had etouffee, crabcakes, etc. and everyone left happy. http://saltwatergrillnola.com/

Not sure if this is too wordy and not food-oriented enough. Didn't take pictures of anything all weekend. Hope to rectify that next time.

Sounds like a great trip! I will be heading down for my annual trip to Jazzfest and Cochon Butcher is one of the places that I will for sure hit. Love the casual vibe of the place and the food is awesome! New Orleans is kind of hard to keep a real schedule and some of the best times are just finding a place as you stumble around. Hope you end up with a Tulane student on your hands that would be great!
Cheers.

Danny

sujormik wrote:Not sure if this is too wordy and not food-oriented enough.

A terrific post. Thanks!

sujormik wrote:Not sure if this is too wordy and not food-oriented enough. Didn't take pictures of anything all weekend. Hope to rectify that next time.

It's an enthusiastic description of what sounds like a great trip, which means it's exactly as it should be!

Also, though hard to believe, there was a time when we managed to discuss food here without visual aids... the meat's in the prose