I got some great advice from a bunch of LTHers on where to eat & drink, and put quite a bit of it to use this past April. I included addresses & details in this post in the "New Orleans - Need Rec's for 8 Dudes" thread.

I visited New Orleans for the first time this past April and I couldn't believe I'd never been before. It was the best vacation I'd taken in many years. We stayed at the Hotel Monteleone and I thought it was the perfect location for a first timer's trip to NOLA. You're right on the edge of the Quarter but definitely in it as well. You're very near the trolleys to the Garden District and beyond and it seemed to be exactly what I needed it to be. I had zero issues with the service, towels, hot water, cleanliness -- all were just great and frankly, while the room was smallish (like a normal Hilton kind of small) -- how long are you going to be in it? I slept better in New Orleans than I have anywhere else on vacation in years. It was clean, it was charming and getting up and out in the morning was easy peasy. Can't recommend it enough. Never did drink in the Carousel Bar though -- need to hit that the next time around.

There are four things I'm going to suggest you do without question. I'm certain others have mentioned most of these but just in case -- here are my two cents as well.

1. Cafe du Monde. Oh yeah, baby. If you can -- do it every day. I got a special delight in the hot chocolate -- although the coffee is delish.
2. Napolean House. This is an old wonderful place to sink into and drink for a very long time. It's old and charming and has this great little patio garden in the courtyard. On a nice day they'll open up the windows and you can hang out on the sidewalk, watching the Quarter go back and forth. Excellent cocktails, great and cheap food (red beans and rice were really great) and it's very atmospheric -- it definitely could be somewhere that has a ghost. I could have spent a part of every day there -- it's definitely a bit of New Orleans history and I wish I was there right this very minute.
3. Coop's Place. This is a major dive/joint. It's dark. They serve a mighty powerful cocktail. And...i had the best and most authentic cajun food I had during my trip. My friend and I had been shopping for clothing and the woman in the store suggested it to us as a lunch option. It was, hands down, my favorite eating experience. Although, i will admit that I was pretty soused from 2 planter's punches that walloped me so good I couldn't leave the bar stool I was on for awhile because I was afraid my legs would collapse under me in the heat. It was a good kind of thing though. That's also why i can't give you much detail about the food but I can certainly tell you that it was the best andouille sausage I've ever tasted. And a cream sauce that literally made me moan more than my last boyfriend ever did. This is a GNR if ever there was one -- and if you miss it -- you'll be sorry.
4. New Orleans Zoo. Seriously. This is down past the Garden District, I think. You can get there via the trolley and a passenger pickup vehicle thing and if you like zoos, don't miss this one. It's small and doable and they have some really great animals. And of course in the getting to it -- you travel through the Garden District and there are many "ooohs and ahhhs" to be seen, architecturally speaking. Yeah -- there's no real food recommendation here but I really did love my zoo experience here. A giraffe took food from my hand (well..tree branch and it was authorized). It was very very cool.
4. Camellia Grill. This is actually past the Zoo in terms of distance from the French Quarter but it's really a great diner experience. We went for breakfast and it's a great old-fashioned counter joint where the counter man flirts with you and makes your food right in front of you and boy, is it great. I had an incredibly fluffy omelette, made with so much butter I'm surprised I actually got up from the counter. Best breakfast I had there and it was well worth the time it took to get there.

I'll say one more thing. Our splurge meal was spent at Bayona. Now...Bayona is a fine restaurant and it was elegant and lovely and enjoyable. It did not at all blow me away. In retrospect, i sort of wished that we had done Commander's Palace or Galatoires or some place more authentically New Orleans than Bayona was. We would have spent the same money but had a bit more of a NOLA experience. I thought I could have found any of the dishes we were served there here in Chicago just as easily -- it struck me as a good restaurant but nothing that really sung of NOLA. At the time we had reservations for both Restaurant August and Bayona and I wonder if we would have enjoyed August more? Oh well..just another place to try the next time!

No matter where you go, you're going to have a great time. It's hard not to in New Orleans. But those are my recommendations for what really contributed to my favorite vacation ever. Hope you enjoy!

Shannon


Coop's Place
1109 Decatur

Napolean House
500 Chartres Street
New Orleans, LA 70130-2110
(504) 524-9752

New Orleans Audubon Zoo
6500 Magazine Street
New Orleans, LA 70118
(800) 774-7394 or (504) 581-4629

Camellia Grill
626 South Carrollton Avenue
New Orleans, LA 70118-1008
(504) 309-2679