Where to Eat in New Orleans! (and other fun NOLA stuff)

WHERE TO STAY

• Parkview Guest House (~$150/night) is right on St. Charles Avenue on the edge of Audubon Park.  It’s in an old New Orleans mansion, so it’s very atmospheric.  Since it’s on the streetcar line, it’s easy to get into the French Quarter, or to the stuff up on Carrolton Avenue (see below)  This is where we always stay.
• Ritz (very expensive) if you’re feeling flush, this is an AWESOME hotel. It’s in the old Maison Blanche department store on Canal Street, so it’s really old-New-Orleans architecturally, and it’s on the edge of the French Quarter.  It has a good restaurant, with Ritz-level prices.
• Windsor Court (very expensive) is down on the south edge of the French Quarter.  It’s a modern hotel, but very luxe.  Also has a really good, really expensive restaurant.
• The Hilton or The Wyndham near the Riverwalk (mid-range) these are total chains, but are conveniently located near the French Quarter and well run.

WHERE TO EAT (in no order of preference)

UPTOWN

• Frankie & Johnny’s (inexpensive) is on the corner of Tchoupitoulas (pronounced “chop – a – too –lus”) and Arabella.  It’s about a 20-minute walk from Parkview Guest House.  Very, very, low-rent looking, but the food is really, really good.  Mostly locals and Tulane students.  Go for the traditional New Orleans seafood (boiled shrimp, boiled crawfish (in season), softshell crabs (in season)), or for the muffalettas, which don't look all that spectacular, but oh my, are they ever awesome. And Huge! Be warned!.  The cheese fries are just about as good if you’re feeling particularly junk-foodish.  Great NOLA atmosphere. 
• O’Henrys (inexpensive) is on the streetcar line, or you can walk from Parkview Guest House (turn left when you walk out of Parkview Guest House, then walk about 10 minutes to where St. Charles turns into Carrolton.  It’s a block up, on Carrolton). It’s just so-so bar food, but you can eat on the second-floor balcony, which is really, really pleasant.  
• Clancy’s (expensive) is uptown near Frankie and Johnnie’s.  It’s a real local place. Hardly any tourists here.  Very traditional New Orleans food.  Absolutely delicious. One of our favorite places.  It’s probably a half-hour walk from Parkview Guest House – I’d just take a taxi because if you go, it will be nighttime and you’ll be dressed up. You need reservations.

GARDEN DISTRICT

•  Columns Hotel – I think this place may have food, but you only go here to drink.  It’s on St. Charles on the streetcar line.  It has an amazing front porch, where you sit under the ceiling fans and watch the world go by.  The bar inside is also way, way cool.  Tourists and locals both.  It’s pretty awesome – I’d definitely try to make it here.
• Commander’s Palace (very expensive) is a bit of a tourist trap, but it’s actually really, really good (which it should be for these prices), and locals actually do go here.  It’s most fun to go for the jazz brunch on the weekends because they have a small jazz band that goes from table to table.  If you do this, reserve a table outside or upstairs in the Garden Room.  You don’t want to sit in the main dining room for brunch, because it’s dark.  If you go for brunch, they have a dish with eggs over artichoke bottoms, which is the best breakfast entrée ever.  The oyster dishes are also amazing, and they have the best gumbo in NOLA by far (the soups are also sumptuous).  The bread pudding soufflé is their signature dessert and worth getting – but you have to order it when you order your main course because they are baked to order and take about 45 minutes.  It’s right across the street from Lafayette Cemetery #1, which is totally worth exploring (but closed on Sunday).  You need reservations. 

WAREHOUSE DISTRICT

• Cochon (mid-range) is a newer place in the Warehouse District.  We haven’t been here, but it’s supposed to be really good.  I think it’s pretty popular, so you should make reservations if you go here.
• Emeril’s (very expensive) is a total tourist trap, and part of Emeril’s evil dining empire…and excellent.  In the warehouse district.
• Ernst Café (inexpensive) is in the warehouse district. It’s more of a bar than a restaurant, but the bar food is good, and the atmosphere is awesome. Mostly locals. 

FRENCH QUARTER

• Stella! (expensive) is in an old house in the quarter.  It’s not traditional food, but the food is good.  It’s a very romantic venue. 
• Palace Café (expensive) is on Canal, right on the west edge of the Quarter.  It’s in an old music store, so it’s a cool atmosphere.  Owned by the Commander’s folks.   Great gumbo.
• Mr. B’s (expensive) is on Royal.  A lot of locals love this place, even though it’s in the Quarter.  Also owned by the Commander’s people.  Everything is really, really good. The gumbo is great. 
• Central Grocery (inexpensive).  You go here only for the muffalettas.  This is where they were invented, and they are delicious.
• Acme Oyster House (mid-range) is super touristy but has really awesome oysters and other seafood.  But the gumbo is very meh, unfortunately. 
• Pearl Restaurant & Oyster Bar (inexpensive to mid-range) is on St. Charles, just west of Canal.  It’s actually in the CBD (central business district).  It has great old-time NOLA atmosphere, but stick with the oysters. Nothing else is really worth getting.   Mostly local business people getting lunch.  I think it’s closed on the weekends.
• Mother’s (inexpensive) is famous for its sandwiches with “debris.”  They are really, really good.  This is very, very touristy, so get there early or be prepared to stand in line.  It’s really just take-out.  Don’t wear anything nice if you go here – the food is very messy. 

NORTHEAST OF FRENCH QUARTER

• Snug Harbor (inexpensive) is on Esplanade, which is a beautiful boulevard on the far side of the quarter.  It has good hamburgers and live music.
• Café Degas (mid-range) is also on Esplanade a bit further up toward City Park.  It’s lovely for brunch, with seating on an outdoor patio.  Food is good, but not awesome.  It’s mostly locals.   

MID-CITY

• Mandina’s (mid-range) used to be a local place but the tourists have found it.  Really good trout almandine and other traditional NOLA food.  It’s in mid-city, so it’s a bit tough to get to without a car.  You can take a taxi if you don’t have a car.  It’s probably a half-hour walk from the Quarter at least.  You need to get here really early because there will be a line.

OUTSIDE CITY

• Mosca’s (mid-range to expensive) is on the West Bank.  You need a car to get here.  This is real old New Orleans.  It’s a dumpy roadhouse that is still a hangout for the classier sorts who skate the thin edge of the law...  It’s totally awesome, but there are only three dishes that you really want to order:  Shrimp Mosca (sauteed), crabmeat salad, and Oysters Mosca.  I know these don’t sound exciting, but they are fabulous, and you must order all three even though the portions are huge and it will be too much food for two people.  You need reservations. 

OVERRATED/IN DECLINE/TOURIST TRAPS:  

• Herbsaint (meh.  It’s not bad, just overrated).  Antoine’s (it’s quite bad unless you’re a regular). Brennan’s (tourist trap with no real redeeming qualities). Galatoire’s (used to be amazing, but quality has gone down and service is terrible.  Only open for lunch).  Court of Two Sisters (bad, overpriced AND ultra-touristy).  NOLA (used to be good, but is pretty lame now).  Mulate’s (touristy, not good.  The real Mulate’s is out in Lafayette, Louisiana and it is pretty good, but also filled with tourists), Gumbo Shop (I know everyone says this place is great, but it really isn’t.  Seriously.  Go to Palace Café, Mr. B’s or Commander’s to get your gumbo), Café Du Monde (everyone will tell you that you must go here for the beignets and coffee, but beignets taste the same everywhere in NOLA, and you can get better coffee all over the city.  This place is a not-very-clean assembly line)

PLACES TO HEAR LIVE MUSIC

• Rock-n-Bowl (you can take the streetcar to the end of the line, then walk a bit up Carrollton. It’s right at Earhart Blvd).  Probably also walkable from Parkview Guest House, but it’s a long walk.
• Maple Leaf is walking distance from Parkview Guest House.  It’s right off Carrollton.  You can also take the streetcar. 
• Preservation Jazz Hall is the ultimate tourist trap, but really worth going to.  Traditional New Orleans music.  In the Quarter.  You have to wait in line, but the line moves fast.  No drinks or food here, just music. 
• Snug Harbor (see above). 

OTHER FUN THINGS TO DO

• Audubon Park:  Walk around Audubon Park. There’s a circular path (1.8 miles) in the part of the park between Magazine Street and St. Charles. It has a lake in the center with tons of ducks and birds, and it’s filled with huge live oak trees. The zoo is across Magazine Street toward the river, and is a pretty nice zoo (if you’re okay with zoos).
• Magazine Street:  Walk from Uptown to downtown on Magazine Street.  It’s maybe four miles, but there are lots of fun antique shops with stuff out of people’s old NOLA mansions, lots of boutiques, and lots of little restaurants, most of which are pretty good.  Once you get to the diagonal intersection with Camp Street, you should veer to the left on Camp to go into the city.  You’ll walk through a cool neighborhood with huge old houses that used to be a disaster, but is now gentrifying.
• The River:  Walk over the top of the levee where St. Charles turns into Carrolton, and go down to the river to watch the ships.  You can also do this on the Riverwalk at the foot of the Quarter.
• Esplanade: Walk up Esplanade to City Park. Great neighborhoods along the way.
• St. Charles:  Walk up St. Charles towards downtown, and then explore the Garden District (between Uptown and the downtown).  The homes are AMAZING.

APPROPRIATE DRESS / WARNINGS / MISCELLANEOUS

• What to wear:  It’s even more hot and humid than you think. Dress accordingly.  Most of the restaurants above are totally okay with casual clothes, except Commander’s (men need a jacket) and Clancy’s (I believe you need a jacket there too).  I don’t think that Emeril’s, Mr. B’s or Stella! require jackets, but they are “nice,” so you probably don’t want to go in shorts and a t-shirt.  I would not wear shorts to Mosca’s either –it’s a bit dressier than you’d expect. Jeans are okay, though.
• Hotels:  Stay away from cheap hotels or hotels actually IN the quarter. They’re generally gross. Priceline.com is a risky bet for New Orleans….
• Crime:  If you’re in the Quarter at night, don't get too far north - if you do, stay with the crowds.
• Grime:  Carry wet wipes.  Between the tourists, the drinking and the heat, it can be a bit grungy.
• Food Poisoning:  Cooter Brown’s is an inexpensive restaurant next to the levee where St. Charles turns into Carrolton.  If you’re walking around on Carrolton, or going to the drive-thru frozen daiquri place on Carrolton, you’ll see it and may be tempted.  It is very popular with Tulane students. It has good oysters…and questionable hygiene.  Mahesh and I both got sick here last time.

This is all courtesy Nicole Paolini-Subramanya, who has embraced the city after a few wonderful years at Tulane...