First time in New Orleans

[rabidscottsman]

We are planning to go to New Orleans for my 30th birthday in January and we are trying to compile a list of restaurants, bakeries and food shops to eat at.

We have one dinner planned for the Bombay Club, but the rest of the vacation is still open when it comes to the food. We will be in town for 6 days.

[tommy]

stopping at Acme and sitting at the oyster bar mid-afternoon is a requirement. state law, i think.

[Jason Perlow]

Upperline and Jacques-imos, definitely. And if you can get out of the city, Mosca's. For brunch you want to go to Elizabeth's in the Bywater area. For BBQ shrimp, go to Mr. B's.

Scotsman: You want to read up on our last trip to New Orleans, which at the very end of the topic has topic links to all the restaurants we went to:

http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=30965

[Mayhaw Man]

And so it begins.....

Visitors begin returning to New Orleans about the same time that the ducks leave Saskatchewan for their annual visit. Nobody wants to play in the summer.

There are a few threads in this forum that might be helpful to you, beginning with Jason and Rachel's account of their week of dining here late last fall.

You also might want to try

Something Typically New Orleans

or

Good Cheap Eats in New Orleans (there is no shortage of great, budget dining!) This thread was the reason I came to post on eGullet. These people needed some straightening out.

or

A visitors thoughts on New Orleans

or an excellent thread that involves dining with children in New Orleans, but is really more of a survey of some good places to eat and things to do-kids or no kids

A Hawaiian Guy in New Orleans with Kids and a very large appetite

This should get you started salivating quite nicely. Please let us know what you are interested in and I am sure that there are lots of people willing to give you a little highly opinionated advice.

[Mayhaw Man]

I missed the "in January" part of your post the first time around. Early January or late January? Mardi Gras is on Tuesday, Feb 8 this year so if your trip is late January, you could catch a parade and a bag full of geegaws. You could also catch a headache if you don't go ahead and make reservations-The first part of the month is Sugar Bowl/New Years and the end of the month will be Mardi Gras-so make reservations early.

[rabidscottsman]

Mayhaw

We will be in New Orleans during the begining of January. Jan 8-14

[FistFullaRoux]

I think there should be a New Orleans Dining FAQ. Just giving a list of the majors, and the must-sees.

And a seperate list for first-timers and returnung visitors.

Just to prevent a little wear and tear on the keyboards...

[EllenH]

Mayhaw, I'm one of those ducks leaving saskatchewan (figuratively speaking...) -- visiting NOLA in late October. I've got my eating schedule already pretty well planned out:

dinners:

- jacqueimo's, brigtsens, dick & jenny's, upperline or crepe nanou

lunches:

- figaros (one of my old neighborhood faves), napolean house/maspero

My question is, what's the feeling on breakfast at the Quarter Scene? I lived in NOLA for 8 years back in the 90's and loved QSR on a sunday morning. But the B&B we're staying in for our visit is within walking distance of the Camelia Grille. Is QSR still worth the trek, or should we just hit the Grille?

And by the way, I know this isn't a food question, but does anyone have a favorite cemetary tour to recommend? My husband wants to see the Cities of the Dead and I'd rather go with a guide who knows all the stories & history etc.

Thanks!

[Mayhaw Man]

Mayhaw, I'm one of those ducks leaving saskatchewan (figuratively speaking...) -- visiting NOLA in late October.  I've got my eating schedule already pretty well planned out:

dinners:

- jacqueimo's, brigtsens, dick & jenny's, upperline or crepe nanou

lunches:

- figaros (one of my old neighborhood faves), napolean house/maspero

My question is, what's the feeling on breakfast at the Quarter Scene?  I lived in NOLA for 8 years back in the 90's and loved QSR on a sunday morning.  But the B&B we're staying in for our visit is within walking distance of the Camelia Grille.  Is QSR still worth the trek, or should we just hit the Grille?

And by the way, I know this isn't a food question, but does anyone have a favorite cemetary tour to recommend?  My husband wants to see the Cities of the Dead and I'd rather go with a guide who knows all the stories & history etc.

Thanks!

I meant literally where the ducks are concerned. My (and many of my other duck hunting compatriots) are incredibly happy when you and your northern dwelling neighbors start wearing your parkas around October 15. When you have a warm winter it screws up my major winter pastime royally. Cold weather is the only thing that keeps those birds moving South and the earlier they get started the better our chances of having something to shoot and eat in November and December.

As far as Camellia Grill goes I still like it for what it is, really. An ok breakfast place with a really cool, unchanging atmosphere. The food is alright and the service is better than average, but it is a fun place to go (my kids love it for the fun and my wife loves it because she can remember her glory days of being a Newcombite ).

For Uptown Breakfast I am a huge fan of THe Blue Bird Cafe on Prytania (behind Touro M.C. more or less). Great food, quick service, and a really nice staff.

I like the Quarter Scene, and I also enjoy Cafe DuMonde in the Quarter. A number of hotels have really good breakfasts, the Maison de Ville has a very nice place for a quiet breakfast where you can watch New Orleans businessmen getting ready for their day (excellent spot for securing a barely used NY Times ).

I like the Royal Blend Coffee Shop on Royal for their pastries and their convenient Internet Access, but my go to coffee downtown is CC's on Royal. Great coffee and some of the best people watching in New Orleans. It is far enough back in the Quarter that it is frequented primarily by "colorful locals" more than the bermuda short crowd.

As far as cemetaries go, it all depends on what you like. Historically the St Louis Cemetaries and the Jewish Cemetary Uptown (near Langenstein's) probably lead the pack, for Cemetary Architecture the Metairie Cemetary is (to me) the clear winner. There are a number of groups that give tours of the cemetaries (including, I think, the Park Service-While I am on the subject, the Park Service tour of the quarter is totally worth it. It's free and accurate, unlike our buggy drivers who tell a more colorful, but less accurate, version of our history)

The Metairie Cemetary might be the most beautiful one in the US. They have a self guided tour with tape decks that is pretty good, but the place is definitely worth the trip. For pure New Orleans Weirdness a trip out to the ninth ward and the St. Roch Cemetary is well worth your while. While you are out that way you could have breakfast at St Roch Seafood.

Hope this helps

[joiei]

What about Riccobono's in Uptown for breakfast, it used to be mostly locals who walked there back when I lived on Lowerline. And Brooks, I agree with you on CC's on Royal, either there or the one up on Esplanade.

[Mayhaw Man]

I like the one on Magazine and Jefferson, now that they put the awnings out. When the weather is nice (like that freak weather we had last week, coolest week in August in recorded weather history in New Orleans-Lord it was nice) you can't get a table out there. People are standing waiting for some of the wi-fiers to get up.

And as far as the coffee goes, I prefer it to PJ's. I did used to love PJ's when they first opened on Maple Street ('82 I believe). I was living around the corner on Pine and remember thinking what a great idea? A coffee shop that serves good coffee and no beignets.

[rabidscottsman]

I would like to thank everybody who posted info and links to help me in looking for restaurants to pick for our vacation. Even though vacation is 4 months away, we are getting really excited about going.

If i pick up a digital camera by then i may take a few pictures of a few of different foods that i will get to try. If i do I will post them on the board

[oliveDC]

I'll be returning for a second trip to New Orleans in October and was wondering if a few locals could weigh in on some of the so called "hot" spots I have on my restaurant hit list. (I love making restaurant lists almost as much as taking the actual trip!)

I ate at Herbsaint last time around and loved it. (That brown butter banana tart may just bring me back for seconds.) Also enjoyed Uglesich's, and a muffaletta from Central grocery last time.

Ok, here's what I'm looking at:

For dinner - Bayona, Lilette, La Petite Grocery, Restaurant August, Feelings Cafe and Peristyle. (I saw Peristyle was sold and posters seemed sad. Is it still worth a trip?)

For lunch - Napoleon House, Casamentos.

For brunch - Elizabeth's, Morning Call.

And where exactly is Morning Call? Is it cab accessible from the Quarter?

Many thanks in advance for any feedback.

[Mayhaw Man]

Go to August. It is a fine place to eat and arguably the best "fine dining" new spot in New Orleans, although in that price range and dining category The Grill at Windsor Court is as, or more, interesting.

Between Napoleon House and Casamento's I would pick both. I am a serious lover of the Oyster Po Boy and Casamento's has as fine an example of that classic as is available in New Orleans (that would mean in this universe ), on the other hand the Napoleon House has the most highly underrated Muffelleta in town. It is warmed through and toasted bread on a Muff is the way to go.

Morning call is not worth the trip. If you want good coffee and Beignets just head on over to the French Market and eat them at Cafe DuMonde.

I love Elizabeth's, but I also like The Praline Connection (if you like fried chicken livers I would suggest ordering them here. They are crispy on the outside and warm and tender on the inside. Great desserts as well).

La Petite Grocery is great.

I would almost always include Upperline on any trip uptown, and Clancy's is pretty good as well, but not nearly as adventuresome as Uppperline-although the mussles are worth the trip to Clancy's anytime. I like them so much that sometimes I just get two orders as apps. and skip the entree. MMMM. Mussle broth with warm toast points.

Have a great trip.

Brooks

[Kim WB]

Ok, here's what I'm looking at:

For dinner - Bayona, Lilette, La Petite Grocery, Restaurant August, Feelings Cafe and Peristyle. (I saw Peristyle was sold and posters seemed sad. Is it still worth a trip?)

Keep Bayonna on the list.. I recommended it as one of my top 5 meals of a lifetime, and foodie friends just visited last spring and agreeed with my assessment. I was as unimpressed with Peristyle ( service to food to decor) as I ws impressed with Bayonna.

edit: OY! more little quote mark thingys to get used to...this was a quote from Olive DC

Edited October 6, 2004 by Mayhaw Man (log)

[maggiethecat]

Verti Mart on Royal for red beans and rice to go.

If there's a long line at the Acme Oyster Bar, head across the street to Felix's. There is no better four o'clock pick-me- up than a laughably cheap dozen oysters on the half shell and a glass of chilled white.

I cannot say enough good things about Upperline in the Garden District. Romantic, intimate, superior food and a lot of character.

Herbsaint for a late snack in the bar.

And head to Mister B's for grillades and grits, or BBQ shrimp. Not only was the food succulent, but the service was awesome.

[Comfort Me]

I know sooner or later someone is going to recommend the Camelia Grill for breakfast. I will not be one of them. It lead my wife to ask "Does New Orleans even HAVE a health department?" So dirty and disgusting, I can't do justice with words.

Other than that, we loved New Orleans like no other place on earth. We were there this past year in January and had the time of our lives. I recommend Cafe DuMonde for coffee, beignets, and morning people watching. I also second the chicken livers at the Praline Connection.

I know it will sound strange, but I STRONGLY recommend the bakery (La Boulangerie?) on St. Charles next to the Bar Center. Absolutely the very best iced cafe au lait ever poured. My seven year old son still talks about the chocolate undertones and how velvety it was. I have honestly had dreams about it.

If you are there on a Monday (bean day), be sure to stroll into Fiorelle's on Decatur, right across the street from the French Market. Their beans and rice and sausage are great, their prices teriffice, too, and the service was cheerful and friendly. (The place looked like it was falling down, but they were obviously doing work ont he exterior of the building.)

One not mentioned here that we enjoyed was Cafe Degas. It was very pleasant and funky -- good food in an unpretentious setting. Our waiter didn't know shit about cheese, but we didn't need to intellectualize it to enjoy it!

One thing I don't recommend -- the pralines. OUTRAGEOUSLY overpriced. I asked ofr one praline at an upscale (tourist) spot and paid $4.50 plus tax. Make your own. For the price of one praline, you can make a whole batch.

I must tell my wife at least twice a week how much I loved New Orleans and want to go back. I envy you. It is such a beautiful place. Screw San Francisco -- I left my heart in New Orleans. The moss in the trees in City Park, the beautiful stained glass in the Tauro Synagogue, the rooftop pool at the Renaissance Arts, the Riverwalk, explaianing to my son why strange women showed him their breasts -- I loved it all. Have a great time.

Edited October 6, 2004 by Comfort Me (log)

[robyn]

I think one is branded at birth (or first trip) when it comes to Acme or Felix's. I'm a Felix person myself. Doubt you can go wrong at either place. But you must at least try one.

Don't miss the zoo. It's a really world class zoo (and taking the trolley there through the Garden District isn't too shabby either). Robyn

[Timh]

Blow off bombay, Go to Herbsaint, Lillet, Felix's, Frank Brighten's(the ultimate in Southern louisiana cuisine), Gabrielles, domillises for po boys, Cassamentos for Lunch, and Dong fong for real Local vietnemese(on the west bank)

[CiriloE]

My wife and I are going to New Orleans this Friday. Following the recommendations from the previous posts I came up with this list. We can't go out for dinner M, T, W as we work until 10PM those nights. Much as we like to, we can't fit in Jacques-Imos and Brigsteins. There is a big convention so making changes in the reservations may be difficult but feel free to suggest changes.

Any suggestion for lunch in the downtown - Quarter's area? Nola comes to mind as I feel like caving in to try the Emeril experience. It's OK to tell me it's a bad idea.

Friday dinner - Herbsaint

Sat dinner - August

Sunday dinner - Upperline

Monday lunch- Commander Palace

Tuesday lunch - Red Fish Grill?

Wednesday lunch- ?

Thank you much,

Cirilo

[Mayhaw Man]

Wednesday Lunch-

Nice-

Galitoire's (everyone, bar none, should go here once-it IS New Orleans)

Really good, really New Orleans_

Mother's

Casamento's

Mandina's

Mandich's

Liuzza's

Acme (oysters)

Felix's (oysters)

Central Grocery (if the weather is nice-go get a lunch and eat it on the Moonwalk)

Have a great trip. We are having the first cool weather of the year. It is gorgeous here right now. 70d and 60n and blue skies (yes, 70 is cool after 6 months of 90 plus).

[slbunge]

Our last trip to New Orleans (October 2003) we had a fantastic lunch at Bayona. A bit pricey for everyday lunch but very relaxed atmosphere, attentive (not fawning) service, and a fantastic list of wines by the glass.

If you have the ability to get out a bit, I strongly recommend Domilise's for Po Boy's. Dot Domilise was in the house running the show on the day we were there.

Is Uglesich's still open? Well worth it if it is. In our opinion the shrimp Po Boy was nothing special but the soft-shelled crabs were outstanding. It would be a bit of a hike on foot or you could get part of the way out there via streetcar.

Another place to try, though they may not be open for lunch, is K-Paul's. Perhaps it is touristy but I think it suffers less from the throngs (throngs like me, that is) than some of the old guard places. I think the place was not hitting on all cylinders for a while and suffered a bit of a downturn but we had a very nice meal upstairs there. Though it might seem ho-hum, the blackened drum is worth a try if it is on the menu.

Another restaurant that is out of the quarter and worth investigating is Brigtsen's. Again I'm not sure if they are open for lunch. Beautiful garden district home that is a cozy restaurant. Very solid interpretations of Louisiana cooking.

[CiriloE]

Wednesday Lunch-

Nice-

Galitoire's (everyone, bar none, should go here once-it IS New Orleans)

Really good, really New Orleans_

Mother's

Casamento's

Mandina's

Mandich's

Liuzza's

Acme (oysters)

Felix's (oysters)

Central Grocery (if the weather is nice-go get a lunch and eat it on the Moonwalk)

Have a great trip. We are having the first cool weather of the year. It is gorgeous here right now. 70d and 60n and blue skies (yes, 70 is cool after 6 months of 90 plus).

←

Thank you. This is my 4th visit and always loved it. I always believed one cannot have a bad meal in this town. The disappointment only comes from the heightened expectation.

Cirilo

[chromedome]

OK, this is slightly off topic, but I'm gonna ask anyway.

A co-worker loaned me one of his vast collection of cookbooks. It's called the "New Orleans Restaurant Cookbook," it was published in 1967 and revised in 1976. It was written by someone named Deirdre Stanforth.

While the recipes look good, I really enjoyed the introductory section giving the "biography" of each restaurant. Those in the cookbook are Antoine's, Arnaud's, Brennan's, Galatoire's, Corinne Dunbar's, the Caribbean Room at the Pontchartrain, Commander's, Masson's, Le Ruth's, and Lagniappe. Now I know that Commander's Palace and Galatoire's are still around, but how about the others? Flourishing, fading, gone?

[CiriloE]

Friday dinner - Herbsaint

Sat dinner - August

Sunday dinner - Upperline

Monday lunch- Commander Palace

Tuesday lunch - Red Fish Grill?

Wednesday lunch- ?

←

Thank you all for your suggestions that made my recent trip a memorable one. The trip was a gastronomic delight and more than lived up to my expectations. It was my wife’s first visit and she really had a wonderful time.

Herbsaint – It was a favorite of mine the last time I was here and it did not disappoint this time. Service was very attentive and friendly and the food very well prepared. We were very hungry and we both started with the arugula and endive salad. My wife, Merle, then had the Shrimp and Green Chile grits cake with tasso cream sauce, beef short rib on potato cake with Dijon-Horseradish dressing for me. The only down side for the evening was when I realized I liked Merle’s seared sea scallops with roasted butternut squash and Satsuma vinaigrette more than my Crickhollow Farms Suckling Pig au jus with bacon braised white beans. However, I don’t think the kitchen staff noticed as my plate was well cleaned by the time it went back.

Restaurant August – The dark paneled walls and the big chandeliers got my attention as we were taken to our table. It was a very busy night filled with convention people but we never felt abandoned at any time. The service was brisk. We started with Salade August with candied pumpkin seeds and blue cheese, followed by gnocchi with lumps of crab and truffle oil. I never thought gnocchi can get this good. My wife had the Moroccan spiced duck with sweet corn polenta, duck foie gras and cherries for the main course. I had the rack of lamb with ragout of chanterelles with a glass of Burgundy. Both were so good and unlike the night before, I was more than happy with my choice. The chanterelles gave this favorite but rather familiar meat a new life. Merle had Dessert’s from Crescent City Farmer’s market while I had chocolate tasting with a port wine. We liked the experience so much we made reservations for lunch on the way out.

Upperline – Sunday dinner brought me uptown and my taxi driver took us through the mansions on Charles Street. This may not have been the most direct route but we were thankful to see a New Orleans we otherwise would not know existed. Compared to the homes we just passed through and wished we owned we were then dropped off in front of a rather plain though not drab looking building. As we entered, we met the owner, Jo Ann Clevenger, who is always happy to see and give Egulleters a treat. Upperline has three dining areas, we went past the busy main room, past the middle room and we were seated in the back room that was understated but ever so elegant and romantic. We forgot the tired feeling that comes with a working Sunday and settled in as we were transported to a different world.

Merle had the Taste of New Orleans and I had the Jefferson dinner with wine pairing. There was food aplenty, all of them memorable. On top of that, Jo Ann sent us Duck and Andouille gumbo and crispy oysters with celery root remoulade on the house. For our main course, I had Tournadoes of Beef with mushroom ragout and Merle had the roast duck with pecan sweet potatoes and peach sauce. After all that, we had to struggle and barely finished our dessert of Louisiana Pecan pie and bread pudding. What a wonderful meal. It was a great night and the total experience was exceptional. Definitely not the comfort food that somebody (not the Perlows) suggested in Rachel Perlow’s earlier thread. Thank you Jo Ann for your restaurant and may you be blessed with a good health for a very long time to feed us Northeasterners who wander down NO.

More to come - Commander Palace, New Orleans Grill at Windsor Court.

Cirilo