i’m back to my normal routine (and almost pant size) from our trip to New Orleans earlier this month. you guys… the food, the cocktails, the people watching…the beneigts. amazing. if you are a foodie, then this is your type of place. in three days i walked over 30 miles just eating pretty much. eating, people watching and looking up at the amazing old homes and buildings. while this trip was just joe and I (and technically for work) there was a lot of people with kids. of course that limits your night life a bit (i don’t think i would take my children to bourbon street late at night) that being said, it was not as “crazy” as i was told it would be. we stayed out usually until 10/11 and it was pretty tame and safe. we also went after mardi gras so maybe that had something to do with it.
before we left we took a NOLA cocktail class at the downtown market and our instructor from grove in GR is the one that gave us most of the tips for places we visited. joe has been super in to making cocktails lately and the drinks in this city did not disappoint.
in no particular order here is a list and what we ate at all the places we went to visit
eat
Elizabeth’s (Breakfast) – I had the pralined bacon and the breakfast burrito that was dipped and fried in french toast batter. mmmm. this was a short uber ride out of the downtown and totally worth it.
Central Grocery & Deli (lunch) (world famous Muffaletta) – i don’t even like olives guys and i ate the whole thing. well.. half the whole thing joe and i split. this is a grocery store where you wait in line, walk up and grab your pre made sandwich. nothing fancy but oh so good. totally walkable from anywhere in the city as well.
Cain & Table (eat and drink) – we had cocktails here and they were hands down the best drinks we had the entire trip. we went around 5pm and sat at the bar. the bartenders were extremely talented and knowledgable. we got to try a few new things here and there. highly recommend this place. it also has a great ambiance as well. if we did not have dinner reservations we would have eaten here.
Cochon Butcher (lunch) – whoever told me to order the pig mac… thank you. it’s a double patty, triple bun pork burger and one of the better sandwiches i’ve had in my life. i wasn’t going to eat it all.. but i did. worth the uber ride.
Peche (dinner) – amazing seafood. joe and i split so many different things because we wanted to try it all. highly recommend getting a reservation though.
Erin Rose (Drink) Frozen Cocktails – we went here but were a little confused because it was mostly beer. fun bar though.
Carousel Bar @ Hotel Monteleone (drink) (home of the Vieux Carre cocktail) – it’s a must. a bit touresty but fun and easy place to grab a drink. if you don’t HAVE to sit at the carousel you can basically walk right in. it’s fun to people watch. we went twice. the first time an intoxicated friendly woman sat with us and told us her claimed tales of being a niece of the president of Honduras and her dad is a 4 and her mom is a 10 (looks). she has a 13 year old son that thinks he is too cool for her and she now teaches middle school in NOLA. see what i mean? amazing people watching.
Beach Bum Larry’s Latitude 29 (world class tiki) – omg. the best tiki drinks ever. like ever.
Bar Tonique (Drink) – this was the last bar we visited in new orleans it was a great bar on the outside of town. Kind of seemed like an “industry” place. Awesome cocktails.
cafe beneigts – ok i liked the beneigts here better than dumond. they were more of a pillow.
cafe du monde – the cafe au lait here… i can’t tell you how many cups i had. the beneigts were also a delight but more crispy in my opinion. it’s a new orleans staple you have to go here. if you go before 8am you don’t have much (if any) of a wait.
palace cafe – i had a crab cheese cake. it was insanely awesome. tasted similar to a crab quiche but a little denser.
la petite grocery – a great little lunch spot in the garden district. we ate lunch here and walked at least two miles after looking at all the homes and landscaping. there are a ton of small shops on magazine street. they also have dinner but you might want a reservation.
new orleans snowballs – little stands everywhere. GET ONE
pat o’briens – home of the hurricane (drink) i was told to get one and go home. I did not listen. this drink (unlike the rest of the nonsense on bourbon street) sneaks up on you.
play
the garden district of new orleans had awesome little shops and amazing homes. I spent a day there walking around. i loved century girl vintage and the sunday shop next door. adorable. tons of little boutiques.
the WW2 museum. it was very intense. i’m glad i went but you do leave feeling very somber. also if you have any triggers or ptsd i would advise against the film.
new orleans cemetery tour. super fun and educational. go in the morning because it gets HOT. i booked mine through save our cemeteries because the profits go to repair the old grave stones and tombs.
bourbon street – you have to do it but in my opinion the best bars and restaurants were on royal and beyond.
jackson square – great street performers, the cathedral and cute shops.
honestly wear good walking shoes and take it all in. there is so much to see and do. three days there was absolutely perfect. if we ever get the opportunity to go back i’m pretty sure we could eat at all new places and be just as delighted.
stay – we stayed at a simple courtyard marriott downtown new orleans. simple and did the job, great location and i could walk to 80% of the places on my list.
places we didn’t make it to (next time)
Coop’s Place (Lunch)
Cachon (dinner)
Old Absinthe House (drink absinthe)
Tiki Tolteca ( more tiki!)
Black Penny ( drink & hang)
Commander’s Palace (dinner)
August (dinner)
Kajun’s Pub ( Karaoke, late night hang, amazing people watching)
Preservation Hall (Must go)
Tipitinas
Vaughan’s Lounge
One Eyed Jacks
Siberia
Blue Nile
The Spotted Cat Music Club
The Three Muses
Ooh Poo Pah Doo Bar
other travel guides.
Wonderful! Thanks for all the tips. I haven’t been there in 30 years but keep wanting to go back. Nice to get lost once and a while
I think you could go thirty times and never eat at the same place twice!