What I recommend in NOLA, 2013 Edition
From 2010 to 2011, Sloane, Carl and I ran a weekly newsletter about New Orleans called NOLAlicious. A labor of love, NOLAlicious kept us actively looking for new things to experience in New Orleans. While we shut the project down after a year, I learned a lot about New Orleans in the process. Here’s what I recommend doing in New Orleans, whether it’s 36 hours, 36 days, or 36 years. This isn’t meant to be a best-of or an exhaustive list, but a starting point to share with friends headed to New Orleans that want to know what to do, eat, and see.
Also see this list on Foursquare.
Experiences
Ride the Streetcar. $1.25 a ride (day and multi-day passes are available, map and details), either up St. Charles Avenue to Uptown or Canal St. to Mid-City and City Park.
Explore beyond Bourbon St. New Orleans is far more than the French Quarter, and the Quarter is far more than Boubon St. Walk deeper into the non-tourist areas, peek through gates into the hidden courtyards, look up at the balconies hanging over the streets, and look at the signs of history.
Walking tours of the Quarter. The historical and night ghost tours are particularly good.
Cemetary Tour. Start with St. Louis Cemetary #1 outside the Quarter.
Rent a bicycle and bike through the Mid-City, Uptown, Marigny, and Bywater neighborhoods. While the street conditions will require you to keep an alert eye, it’s a great way to explore the city.
Enjoy a Festival. It’s not just about Mardi Gras. During festival season, New Orleans abounds with festivals big and small, giving you plenty of chances to enjoy live music, eat great food, and see how New Orleans lives. Calendar here.
Walk down Magazine Street, for shopping at boutiques, local restaurants, and wandering through Uptown.
Take a run or walk in City Park and Audubon Park. Great places to wander under the trees.
Join a Second Line. Check out WWOZ for a schedule, but they are great ways to enjoy a bit of the neighborhood culture of New Orleans. Find, watch, dance, and join in.
Plantations. If you have a car and the time, drive out to the plantations up river. Houmas House, Nottoway, and Oak Alley are great, beautiful destinations.
Food
As you probably already know, food in New Orleans is an important thing. Make sure to enjoy a couple classic New Orleans restaurants and dishes while you’re in town. It’s hard to go wrong, but here’s a starting point on places I like.
Breakfast & Coffee
Elizabeth’s, Bywater
Surrey’s, Lower Garden
Croissant d’Or, Quarter, for croissants and coffee
Stanley’s, Quarter
Cafe du Monde, Quarter, the classic beignets and chicory coffee
Morning Call, Mid-City (City Park), for classic beignets and chicory coffee
Fair Grinds Coffe House, Mid-City
Camelia Grill, Riverbend and Quarter
Cake Bakery, Marigny
Satsuma, Bywater, for coffee, a healthy breakfast and lunch
Bars
Carousel Bar at the Hotel Monteleone, Quarter, for a sazerac. Get a seat at the rotating bar.
Napolean House, Quarter, for Pimm’s Cup.
Sazerac Bar at The Roosevelt Hotel. It’s the classic NOLA cocktail.
Mimi’s in the Marigny, Marigny, for the downstairs bar, the good food, and the music, DJs, and dancing upstairs.
The Columns Hotel, Uptown. Sit on the porch and watch St. Charles Avenue roll by.
French 75, Quarter. Part of Arnaud’s, it’s a good bar to start off a classy evening.
Cure, Freret. Quality cocktails.
Maple Leaf, Oak St. Rebirth Brass Band on Tuesday nights is a special night, but always good.
Lafitte’s Blacksmith House, Quarter. Listen to the piano, drink in the dark, and spill over into the streets.
Capdeville, CBD, for meeting local tech entrepreneurs in the IP Building.
Carrollton Station, to get a drink and wander over to where the streetcars sleep nearby.
Neighborhood bars. So many tucked away in various neighborhoods (i.e. Rusty Nail, Audubon Pub, Balcony Bar, Milan Lounge, The Saint). Go find them, they are great.
Lunch & Dinner
NOLA, Quarter. An Emeril Lagasse restaurant, make a reservation and go.
Domenica, CBD, for upscale Italian
Herbsaint, CBD
Cochon Butcher, CBD. Around the corner from Cochon, this sandwich shop offshoot is delicious.
Galatoire’s, Quarter. Give the “Galatoire’s double” a shot.
Arnaud’s, Quarter, for a classic New Orleans experience. Shirt, tie and jacket. Ask to see the museum upstairs.
Sylvain, Quarter
GW Fins, Quarter, for seafood
Green Goddess, Quarter
Cafe Amelie, Quarter (for ambiance and courtyard)
Irene’s, Quarter
Felix’s Restaurant and Oyster Bar, Quarter, for chargrilled oysters (skip the Acme line if it’s long)
Acme Oyster House, Quarter, for chargrilled oysters
Louisiana Bistro, Quarter, for the “Feed Me” custom course option.
K-Pauls Louisiana Kitchen, Quarter, for classic New Orleans dishes
Coop’s Place, Quarter, a dive bar with rabbit jambalaya.
Port of Call, Quarter, for a burger and a baked potato.
Domilise’s Po-Boys, Uptown. Awesome poboys.
Parkway, Mid-City, for poboys
Mother’s, CBD, for poboys
Johnny’s Po-Boys, Quarter, for poboys.
Cafe Atchafalaya, Garden District
Commander’s Palace, Garden District, for a boozy, classic lunch and experience
Pascal’s Manale Restaurant, Uptown. Get a drink at the bar and get oysters at the oyster bar.
Mandina’s, Mid-City
Ralph’s on the Park, Mid-City, for an upscale meal by City Park.
Liuzza’s By The Track, Mid-City, BBQ Shrimp poboy
Upperline, Uptown
Clancy’s, Uptown
Jacques-Imo’s, Carrollton. Brave the wait, put your name in, and get a drink at Maple Leaf down the street. A bit ways out from the Quarter, but worth it.
Boucherie, Carrollton.
Dante’s Kitchen, Riverbend. Converted house, great food.
Brigtsen’s, Riverbend. Great seafood.
Bacchanal, Bywater. Large outdoor patio, go on a warm Sunday night.
Maurepas Foods, Bywater
The Joint, Bywater, new location, less of a dive, still great BBQ
Pho Tau Bay, West Bank, for pho
Pho Orchid, West Bank, for pho
Snoballs and Dessert
If you’re in New Orleans during snoball season (warm months), make sure to try one. And even if you don’t love snoballs, you have other options for dessert.
Plum Street Snoballs. Get two flavors mixed in a cup or a pail, make up your mind before you order, and sit outside on the grass to relax and enjoy.
Hansen’s Sno-Bliz, Snoballs.
Pandora’s SnoBalls and Softserve, Mid-City. Snoballs.
Angelo Brocato’s, Mid-City
Creole Creamery, Uptown
Meltdown Popsicles, Quarter, for great, inventive, locally-made popsicles. Stawberry Basil and Salted Caramel are personal favorites, but you can’t go wrong.
Music
Spotted Cat, Frenchman St. Small, but great jazz bands and good swing dancers.
d.b.a., Frenchman St.
Blue Nile, Frenchman St.
Three Muses, Frenchman St., a great bar and place to listen to live music
Preservation Hall, Quarter
Irvin Mayfield’s Jazz Playhouse, Royal Sonesta. Sit down and enjoy great jazz in a classy spot in the Quarter.
Le Bon Temps Roule, Uptown, for a packed, sweaty good time. Thursday nights for Soul Rebels is popular.
Vaughan’s, Bywater, on a Thursday night, for Kermit Ruffins and red beans and rice in the Bywater
Hotels
For a quality, non-chain hotel just outside the Quarter, International House Hotel in Central Business District (CBD) is a great choice.
The Quarter is full of Airbnbs, B&Bs, and boutique hotels. If you’re planning on renting a car (not necessary), just remember that parking in the Quarter can sometimes be troublesome and expensive. But it’s a great place to stay and use as a base to explore the neighborhood.
Shopping
Goorin Bros Hat Shop, Magazine St., Uptown, because you’re going to want a hat to beat the heat and the sun. Get in the style.
Defend New Orleans, Magazine St., and Fleurty Girl, Magazine St. and Oak St., for local t-shirts and accessories.
Boutiques all down Royal St. and Chartres St in the Quarter, and down Magazine St. in Uptown.
Work
Launch Pad, for co-working and meeting local startups.
Museums
New Orleans Museum of Art, City Park
The National World War II Museum, CBD