What to do/where to walk in New Orleans?

Travel, Wine Tourism, and Restaurants Forum
21

I second the recommendation of the oysters at Drago’s in Metaire. The branch in the city is not as good. Though we drove every time we went to Drago’s (Metaire), it is just around a US$20-US$25 cab ride there from the French Quarter (the town’s sheriff’s deputy told me that as he and I were on a cigarette break outside).

The first time I was there, my father took me and my brother. I ordered the raw oysters for myself (among others) but my dad urged me to try the grilled ones. I was very skeptical since I thought grilling would just ruin them but ordered some of the grilled ones as well just to make him feel good. The grilled ones were absolutely fantastic. I went 3 more times to Drago’s during that trip. If there is any “complaint” I have, it’s that their lobsters are far too over-cooked for my taste.

22

I gotta agree with Stuart… The appeal of Mother’s is beyond me. I took my friends for breakfast as it was their first time in NO…never again. It is ridiculously crowded and the food is beyond mediocre. If I want a special NO breakfast then I just head to the Camelia Grill…Great “feel” and MUCH better food!

Cheers!
Marshall

23

Thanks for all the comments so far. Needless to say, I am very concerned about the oil spill–the major ecological effects, and what fresh seafood/fish will still be available when I get there.

Bruce

24

+1 on Camelia Grill

25

Have a great trip, we’ll miss you on Saturday.

26

+2

Some other thoughts:

Particularly if it is very hot (which it certainly can be this time of year), you might try a carriage ride through the Garden District. We did that with friends on our way to Commander’s. It included some walking in the cemeteries. It was delightful.

A nice small museum is The 1850 House.

I strongly recommend Snug Harbor for Jazz, esp. on Monday’s when Charmaine Neville and her band play. She puts on a great show.

Quite nearby is The Praline Connection, which serves terrific Creole soul food in a very informal setting.

Bruce, we didn’t get to try it, but you should try this place in the Quarter and let us know about it:

27

Ken–Thanks for the additional ideas. We have Snug Harbor on our list of possible clubs.

As for the Creole Kosher restaurant, that’s SO wrong! I may have to check it out anyway.

Bruce

28

Bruce, I didn’t know this was an interest of yours, but there is a place in the NO burbs http://www.koshercajun.com/" onclick=“window.open(this.href);return false; . Apparently, it serves a wide area of the south with the essentials. I read about it in a recent book (I recommend it for those interested): http://www.savethedeli.com” onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; (I saw the author speak in Philadelphia earlier this year; he is serious about the subject.)

29

Dragos now has a downtown location in the Sheraton so you can get your oyster fill there!

The only thing I see missing is that down home hole in the wall place. Its out of the way, but, this is my on the way to the airport stop:

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They have these things called Crawfish Stuffing Balls that are served with a cheesy sauce with crawfish tails to dip in.

Another thing they always make me is a soft shell crab with etouffee on top.

Its a total hole in the wall, but, I have even turned some of my local friends on to it.

Speaking of local friends. I got a small pile out there so please feel free to get in touch with me if you want to hang with some wine drinking locals. They have some good wine. Also, NOWFE is happening soon. mmm mmm http://www.nowfe.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Oh, its been a bit of time since I have been there, but there is a great wine shop next to KPaul. You need to ask to see the back room and ask to see what they have or ask them to show what auction stuff they just got.

Leslie

30

Bruce,

I’ve been 10 times now, never rented a car. Bikes I’ve rented, but never a car. There are lots of places to walk. I always walk through the Marigny and Bywater on each trip. A tip, always greet people. “Good Morning”, or “Good Afternoon” is expected of complete strangers on the street. Ask people where it’s safe to walk. The area around Louis Armstrong Park is bad, shouldn’t go there at night for sure.

You have lots of fine dinning picked out, but I think you’re missing the soul of the place if you don’t eat at somewhere like Coops:

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Go for a early lunch, get the combo plate and ask Fay for one of her Bloody Mary’s.

31

So, Bruce, how bout a report on your experiences?

I think, on these threads, it’s morally obligatory. [thankyou.gif]

32

Friends don’t let friends eat at Taco Bell or KFC.

33

Thanks for all the suggestions. For dinner, we ate at NOLA, August, Cochon, and Luke. August was the best, and Cochon was the most fun. NOLA was decent but living on its reputation (IMHO), and Luke was inconsistent and DIDN’T HAVE WINE GLASSES for the wine we brought in (!!!). We also had the fun (but pricey) Sun. jazz brunch at Commander’s Palace. Stopped for the obligatory lunch at Mother’s (down the street from our hotel)–not life-changing. Also stopped at Cafe du Monde for the obligatory beignet at 1am.

I did a fair amount of walking, but the very hot/muggy weather meant that I didn’t explore as much as I would have liked. Walking the Quarter and the Garden District was a lot of fun, and we did the ghost tour of the Garden District. I also went back to do a stroll through Lafayette Cemetery #1–a fascinating place. The WWII Museum took up most of a day, even though it glossed over a lot of stuff. There was also some time at the craps and poker tables…

The best time was Monday night. After dinner, we went to Snug Harbor to hear Charmaine Neville and her group–very good, and great energy. Then walked down to Maison bar to watch the Eastern Conference finals, drink local beer, and listen to the Monday night jam band until the wee hours. That felt like a truly authentic, local experience.

I would enjoy going back, but only when the weather was cooler. And without the *&^%$#!& oil spill.

Bruce

P.S. We learned a lot of NO history on the ghost tour, much of which I didn’t know. For example, the slaves in NO were treated relatively well there (versus other parts of the south), and so the plantation owners shipped in poor people from Ireland who were treated worse than the slaves…

34

That’s not the sign I was referring to, but I did include that for the irony. I would not claim that I’ve never eaten in a Taco Bell or a KFC, but who would eat in one in the French Quarter of NO? [swearing.gif]



Bruce, glad you liked Charmaine and her band. She went through a particularly rough time during Katrina. Good to hear she’s still going strong.