Non duck related - New Orleans recommendations...

Steve McCullough

Steve McCullough

Active member
Good morning all.

Long time no post. My wife and I are interested in going to NOLA for a site seeing/eating tour. Can y'all give some recommendations?

Thanks,
Steve
 
Oh gosh, where to start!
  1. Avoid Bourbon Street, especially NE of St. Louis.
  2. Central Grocery for a muffuletta. Just get a ½ for the two of you! 923 Decatur St, New Orleans, LA 70116
  3. Felix's, on the western edge of the French Quarter for casual dinner, grilled oysters, raw oysters and real traditional New Orleans food. 739 Iberville St, New Orleans, LA 70130
  4. Napoleon House for lunch. 500 Chartres St, New Orleans, LA 70130
  5. WWII Museum. Plan to spend a whole day.
  6. James H Cohen Antique Weapons & Rare Coins, quite possibly the coolest old gun collection around. And coins too. 437 Royal St, New Orleans, LA 70130
  7. Dominica has great pizza, roast cauliflower is amazing. 123 Baronne St, New Orleans, LA 70112
  8. Palace Café. 605 Canal St, New Orleans, LA 70130 A little fancy but prices are reasonable. Home of Bananas Foster.
  9. Take the Ferry to Algiers, get a poboy. Dry Dock Café 133 Delaronde St, New Orleans, LA 70114
  10. Audubon Zoo, ride the trolley to get there. You will probably see a thousand blackbelly whistling ducks. 6500 Magazine St, New Orleans, LA 70118
  11. Cafe Du Monde for fresh beignets and coffee. Yeah its a little touristy, but yah gotta go. 800 Decatur St, New Orleans, LA 70116
I could keep going, especially on restaurants. Best advice is avoid any chain/franchise restaurant.
 
Where do you plan to stay?
We love Le Pavillion on Poydras. 833 Poydras St, New Orleans, LA 70112
Very cool old hotel. Nice rooms., Great Service. Complimentary Hot Chocolate and Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwiches at 9pm.
 
WW2 museum is excellent. Food just about everywhere is excellent. Other than that I found NOLA to be a very sad city. The poverty and homelessness is just eye opening. I am from rural Appalachia and we have lots a very poor people but not like NOLA. They don't bother you generally but you will defiantly be stepping over homeless people in the middle of the sidewalk on Bourbon or Canal St. Plus the whole French Quarter smells like piss.
 
Like I noted, avoid Bourbon Street. Even in daytime.
Canal Street used not be so bad.
The French Quarter closer to the River is better than it is closer to I-10.
And dont go to NoLa in summer, right after Mardi Gras, Fall and early winter is the best time. Summer is horribly hot and humid, and stifling.
 
WW2 museum is a must - absolutely fantastic.

Joey K's on Magazine is a great place for lunch for red beans and rice - and fabulous cornbread if you hit them on the right day (can't remember which day). Jacques-Imos is one of our favorite restaurants and a stop everytime we go to NO. Camelia Grill for a great burger and local experience.

If you want a fancy dinner, Galatoires or Commanders Palace. You'll pay, but exceptional food and great service.

Audubon Park makes for a lovely walk, as does the Tulane campus. Both easy to get to by trolley car if you're staying somewhere on the line.

I generally agree about avoiding the French Quarter... except, if you haven't been you need to at least once. It's worth a walk through and maybe a drink. Or tie a walk in with dinner at Galatoires.

My wife and I love New Orleans. It just has its own rhythm, which is awesome if you go to immerse yourself and can let go of its many flaws. Great people, too. But you do have to pay attention to where you are and to your surroundings. If you're into music, I'd highly recommend timing your trip with JazzFest and spending a day there. We've been a couple times and can't wait to go again. An exceptional event.

Damn, I'm jealous.
 
A note on Jazz Fest: The hotels empty between Jazz Fest Weekends.
But many of the musicians stay in town during the week and will be in concert at various bars & clubs around town.
Time it right and you can get a relatively cheap room rate and see artists in cool settings.
 
The last time I was in NOLA was about six months after Katrina...it still looked like "Escape from New York". I do want to go back, but I have a hard time getting that vision out of my head. I was volunteering through Rotary helping rebuild houses in areas outside of NOLA, and we went into NOLA one afternoon to look around.

Want to see the WWII museum though and get some fresh beignets at CdM.
 
Go to Lafayette or Brossard or Lake Charles or New Iberia or Abbeville or Shreveport/Bossier.

But whatever you do avoid NO during the Mardie gra season, like it has the black plague.

I'm from Louisiana and I would avoid NO at all cost.
 
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