New Orleans: Feed me

[Too Tall]

I'm in N.O. French Quarter all next week on business and the BUSINESS of eating well and hearing some fine fine trombone playin' is a priority once the days work is done.

Talk to me. Y'all know me, I'm all about real food not folded napkins and polished silverware. Music is an open book. Only constraint is I can't stay out all night since I've got to be semi-coherent early in the day ;)

TIA

[chasea]

Grew up a few hours drive away from the Big Sleazy. Spent at least one teenage weekend a month there. My brother worked as a chef at Brennan's and Emeril's. I'll have to get the name of the place, but he took me to some shack on the docks where the seafood came straight from the boats. I, of course, had the fried chicken (pickle batter). Gimme a day or two to get the name of the place.

Edit: Crabby Jack's in Jefferson, LA

[bikinchris]

Crabby Jacks is good I am told. Just down the road from Adam's Bike World.
Parkway Bakery and Tavern. Get the Shrimp Poboy.
GW Fins and the BBQ place next to them.
Vodoo BBQ on St Charles. Try the Corn Pudding. Better than it sounds.
Camelia Grill for Breakfast. My wife doesn't agree with this one. Right down the street from GNO Cyclery. Say hello to Brutus, the shop dog last time I was there.Rub his ears for me. And give him some bubble gum if they let you.
Cafe DuMonde for breakfast or dessert. Just DON'T INHALE the sugar. If the line at the front to sit outside is long, sit inside. Really.
NOLA is high end cuisine, but not as bad as you think. We went in Blue Jeans.
Maspero's has great French Onion Soup and decent Red beans.
Izzo's Illegal Burrito just off of Veteran's Boulevard.
Idf you like muffelatas, Central Grocery.
Hansen's for Sno Balls.
I'll try to think of more.
I have kept my suggestions to local places. If you want some chains, let me know.

[classtimesailer]

New Orleans is one place where you can go to the "Tourist" places and eat well. Lived there twice when I made my Mardi Gras vacation last almost a year each time.
Must go to Felix's for oysters. Stand at the bar and soak it all in. I used to open them for a living. The guys at Felix's are great. They pick out the best ones.
Cafe DuMonde like mentioned above. Go early for shorter/no lines. After breakfast, walk by my old place at 54 Dumaine St. (Man, to be 19 again with no place to go.)
There is a "famous" red beans and rice place can't remember the name: quite a few blocks off Bourbon St. towards rampart.
Night-time: go to Tipitina's ( the old one not the french quarter one) for Blues. Ride the Trolly.
I'm jealous. Have fun.

[Too Tall]

Fantastic. Keep em' coming.

[robin3mj]

If Jacq'imos is still there it is a must do. It was cheap enough for Teach For America folks when I went 10 year ago but also some of the best food I've eaten. Alligator casserole, etc. Good local place.

We went on a cool October night and they apologized for how cold it was on the back patio by filling us up w free starters. Nice.

[YO!!!]

Mother's for breakfast:

Mother's Restaurant - Mother's Menu - New Orleans - World' Best Baked Ham - 401 Poydras, New Orleans, LA 70130 Tel: 504-523-9656

I would usually order a big plate of grits smothered with debris, biscuits, & coffee.

Mandina's for lunch:

Mandina's Restaurant, 3800 Canal St., New Orleans LA 70119 (504) 482-9179

The local Catholic priests would frequent this place for lunch and order the "special iced teas" from the bar.
Actually scotch with a splash of tea for the right color. All the fried seafood is wonderful.

Here's a fav dinner spot:

Pascal's Manale

Oysters on the half shell and barbecued shrimp...prepare to get greasy it's not what you think.

[bikinchris]

I should note that NOLa is owned by Emeril Lagasse. Chefs are like stars around here. Food is really important.

[dang]

I should note that NOLa is owned by Emeril Lagasse. Chefs are like stars around here. Food is really important.

Emeril is a star around everywhere. And he's lent his name to some entirely dubious projects. The pasta sauce in a jar? Feh. Even making allowances, as it's sauce in a jar, it's bad. The thing is, he got famous by being a real chef. I haven't been to New Orleans in years -- not since Katrina. I will say that my two 1990s visits to NOLA found a really good place -- good cooking, no doubt about it.

Loved Mother's, as mentioned above for a homey terrific NO version of cafeteria food and agree on the breakfast suggestion (but not necessarily only breakfast). Went to an academic conference where one budget-conscious friend decided that he liked it so much he should eat every meal there. That's not how I'd want to do it at all -- nor how I did it -- but I kinda understood.

As I said above, I'm just not up to date at all. On the topic of celebrity chefs, does anybody know what the food has been like at K-Paul's since Paul decided to loose weight?

[Alchemy Rider]

Casamento's - 4330 Magazine St - for oyster stew: Casamento's Restaurant in New Orleans, Louisiana

Surrey's Cafe - 1418 Magazine Street - for breakfast: Surrey's Cafe & Juice Bar New Orleans, LA (504) 524-3828

[Moke]

Dude, they are going to call you Too Fat if you hang in NO too long. The food is that good. Pretty much if it has a door or a hole to walk thru, it is a good eating joint in NO. The Brennan family owns about a zillion of the higher end places. I have only been back there once after the big flood so some of these places may be closed.
Acme vs Felix Oyster house. Everyone has a fave Felix stayed the same old joint, Acme upped to get a hip crowd. In my opinion.

Got to go to Central Grocery and get a Muffuletta

As mentioned Masperos has the french onion, but also a great sandwich. Be sure you get your sandwich "dressed" add extra calories. No matter where you go an oyster or shrimp Poboy is mandatory eating, but usually NO roast beef is great too.

Galatoire's, Antoine's, Commander's,NOLA, Andrea's, Adelaide Cafe, Alex Patout's,Brennan's , and Mr. B's potentially have some of the best food you may ever put in your mouth. But even the Ralph and Kacoo's, Yo Mamas and probably your hotel that you stay in have damn good stuff to eat.
Go to the River Walk mall and drink beer while you shop.

Ride the ferry across the river, or down to the Zoo. Take the street car to the Zoo. Figure out where Up Town, Buck Town, CBD,and the Ninth Ward is, what a Yat is, fall in love with a "Chalmette Darlin". Tipatinas was hard to get into twenty years ago. Hit some clubs, great music there.
We are expecting a full report of your progress. Do we need a Hamdmade show there Mr. Slapshot?

[WadePatton]

you know the trick to the best eats-applicable to all travels:

follow the local crowd.

as much as i hate lines, i'll tolerate them for this application.

but how kin you go wrong in southern loosianna?!

[giordana93]

didn't see this thread til this morning. lots of good suggestions so far. I'm a nola boy, so here's my take.
Food:
you definitely want to try a muffaletta sandwich for lunch (order a half-they are huge), but instead of Central Grocery, get yours at Napoleon House, trust me. It's a beautiful old courtyard resto, replete with snooty waiters and a little classical music in a house that was to be refurbed for Napoleon when he was to be rescued from his exile. Don't miss Central Grocery for the sights and smells, but get your Muffaletta at Napoleon House.

lots of the good resto's mentioned above have a super long reservation list. On those under the radar or that just dont' take reservations, try Irene's, lovely little place with no reserv. and a piano accompanist. The Pelican Club is always good and worth trying a reservation. Palace Cafe is Brennan's family and worth trying, though it is bustling type of place. Maspero's on Decatur is good for lunch. usually a line b/c it's cheap and dependable, though like many places, their specialty is fried seafood. I'm not sure Mother's is worth the detour. If you're in the neighborhood, maybe, but it's gotten touristy. Definitely try Felix's or Acme--both "oyster houses" across street from each other. more for lunch though. Of course, you have to have coffee and dougnuts (beignets) at Café du Monde. open early and late. don't be like a tourist and wait to be seated, just grab any open table, even if it still needs to be wiped down. GW Fins is pretty good for a touristy place. Crescent City Brewhouse is good for innovative (though sometimes confused) menu. Of course, Galatoire's is famous, though maybe more for the crowd (celebs) than the food--they are super traditional Creole, butter and cream, etc. Antoine's is prob. best visited with someone who knows the menu. good, but uneven. all of the above are in the French Quarter (FQ), btw.

you need to venture out a little down to the Marigny district for some music and dinner. It is next to the quarter, so well within a reasonable walk. it's the happenin side of town for music, not the FQ. ....let's see. I love Mandina's but don't know if it's really worth the ride and time (Canal street car will get you close). IF you do go, make sure you order the crab finger appetizers (cracked crab claws in a butter/white wine/bread crumb sauce). Likewise, Commander's Palace requires reservations and a taxi. It's a classic place that will cost dearly if you can get in (maybe not by DC standards, but locally). There are just so many places, it's ridiculous. Food is religion down here like no where I've ever been. I highly recommend exploring the restaurant guide at nola.com. there are tons of "best of" lists on the left margin area, cause you really have to decide what kind of food you want to try..... oh, here's another, I visited, Le Foret (bad French, it's LA foret, but still). prob. not hard to get in. They are in the CBD (central busisness district), also known nowadays as the "american district" (well, not exactly, but close). It is adjacent to the quarter on the upriver side (West) whereas the Marigny and Bywater areas are downriver (East--but in NOLA, everything is in reference to the river--uptown=upriver, or West; or the Lake-Pontchartrain, which is to the North). Anything Uptown, LakeView or RiverBend will need a taxi. The Quarter, Marigny, CBD, American District, and the very closest edges of the Warehouse district are pretty much walkable, depending on time (i.e. both distance and hour--there are hours you don't want to walk alone, though it's mostly safe--ask at the hotel)

ok, finally before cutting out, I'll add a note on music: most of the quarter is lame, hit the Marigny. One exception in the FQ and not to miss is Preservation Hall, right next to Pat Obrien's famous bar which actually has a decent piano bar inside. It's one tourist bar that is actually worth checking out.

for things to do, I also recommend jumping on the ferry for the trip across the river and back. it's free, but there's not a much to do on the other side, just stay on the boat and come back, but the view of the city is worth a pic, and being on the river gives you a sense of its importance.

pick up the local Gambit newspaper for music and restaurant addresses, and be aware of the site Open Table, where you can line up reservations on line while exploring menus and reviews if all this is overwhelming (which it is). The good news is that it's kind of hard to go wrong. bon appétit I'll check back in later if you want more

[giordana93]

just got my son off on his bus, so here's a little more. nola.com also has a music section that will have a "what to see this week" update. too bad you're missing Trombone Shorty, though he may still be around next week. again, on the left margin are the clubs. some standbys are Snug Harbor, owned by the Marsalis family, DBA, Chickie Wah Wah, the Blue Nile==these are mostly in the Marigny. Also, if you have not been turned on to it, yet, you can listen to live streaming of WWOZ; every odd hour they have a list of nightly concerts (also online), tons of stuff. btw their dj's are all volunteers so if you stop in and catch a Cajun show, it could be followed by the "only vinyl big band recordings" set. in other words, sth. for everyone but not always the same genre. home page. a good place worth supporting

you definitely will find sth. with horns in the Marigny on any given night (though it's a later crowd in general), along with a great street burrito vendor scene. If you'll be around during the weekend, spontaneous street shows--usually in front of the St. Louis cathedral or on Royal Street, can be revelations...
again, if you want to venture uptown, Tipitina's is legendary (from super traditional jazz to Patti Smith) and there's always the Maple Leaf Bar. taxi for both though
there's also a searchable calendar (with map) on the nola.com site in the entertainment section
so you'll be staying in the Quarter? and working where?

nola.com hot picks updated often so check back when you're in town

[giordana93]

you know the trick to the best eats-applicable to all travels:

follow the local crowd.

as much as i hate lines, i'll tolerate them for this application.

but how kin you go wrong in southern loosianna?!

easier said than done in this town. locals don't go downtown that much and the lemmings tend to follow the touristy trends

I would second the pascal manale's suggestion if you're up for the cab ride, but as I've tried to suggest, there's such a plethora of goodness that if your time is limited, it's not required to leave the immediate area. otoh, if you have time for a ride on the street car, it's a great way to get out of the quarter, either uptown (street car line on St. Charles ave) or out towards the lake. city park is nice, and though Ralph's on the Park can be hit or miss for food, they are across from the biggest oak trees of City Park (close to Museum of Art-NOMA)

[Yodelinpol]

I agree with Mothers for breakfast or lunch.

I agree with Tipitinas and The Maple Leaf depending on who is playing.

Like all have said you really can't totally go wrong.

I will email a pal of mine to see what he thinks too and if he knows of anything going on this week you should know about.

[Yodelinpol]

Dude you are in luck!

Rebirth Brass Band at the Maple Leaf 9/20/11 at 10:30.

Go at least check out one set. Trust me. It appears they play there Tuesday nights.

Also The Trio with Johnny Vidacovich and George Porter Jr. play at Maple Leaf on Thursday 9/22. (hard to say what this will be like... depends on who ends up showing up to play with them... they don't list it but it appears Ivan Nevil was playing keys for some of the gigs...)

Newbirth Brass Band at 8pm on Thursday 9/22 at Preservation Hall. They can be great too. 8pm

Pres. Hall Jazz Band at Pres. Hall Wednesday 9/21 8pm

You could also go check out Lousiana Music Factory on Decatur and buy lotsa records and maybe someone will be playing in the store...

[YO!!!]

For me a Friday night @ Snug Harbor with Ellis Marsalis Trio !!!!!

Dad Marsalis has a way with the piano that is magic.

[Yodelinpol]

Saw that and good call for sure...assumed since business trip Toots wouldn't be there on the weekend.

[chasea]

Also The Trio with Johnny Vidacovich and George Porter Jr. play at Maple Leaf on Thursday 9/22. (hard to say what this will be like... depends on who ends up showing up to play with them... they don't list it but it appears Ivan Nevil was playing keys for some of the gigs...)

Do this. If you go to New Orleans and don't see Johnny Vidacovich or George Porter Jr., one could argue that you didn't really go to New Orleans.