Live From NOLA! Beginning of Trip Report
Oct 12th, 2007, 02:30 PM
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Live From NOLA! Beginning of Trip Report
While my boyfriend sleeps off his food and alcohol induced coma, I decided to open my laptop and post while my memory is fresh. I am afraid there will be an alcohol induced haze if I wait until the end of my trip.
We left for the airport early yesterday and on the way we were treated to a beautiful sunrise peaking up over Mt. Hood. As the plane took off we had a view of some beautiful fall colors down below. This was a great omen for our adventure!
We landed at the airport and walked directly out to catch a cab. I could tell we were in for trouble when I counted the number of bars we passed in the terminal! I think we passed 5! The cab we got into was a huge suburban with a friendly Haitian driver playing some nice Haitian music. The cab fare was $28 plus $1 fuel surcharge.
We checked into the Prince Conti and we asked several questions of the desk clerk. He was informative and professional but I think a hurricane or hand grenade would have lightened him up a bit. I should clarify that I am referring to the drinks, not the things of destruction!
We were very pleased with our room. I had requested a quiet, refurbished room. BTW, most of the rooms are refurbished at this point. Our room was on the second floor at the very end of the hall. Perfect. Away from the elevator and no drunkards passing our room at odd hours of the night. We have a king bed and a nice sitting area with a couch, desk faux antique furniture. Beautiful! Our average price for the 4 nights is $103
We unpacked and then hit the ground running. Our first stop was Acme Oyster Bar. There wasn't a wait at all at 8 p.m. We started with a dozen char grilled oysters. These tasty morsels are swimming in butter with romano cheese melted on top. I can't even begin to describe how good these are. With the moaning sounds coming from me with each bite I was afraid I would get tossed out! ;-) We then split a Dream something or other po' boy. This is one of their specialty po' boys and it has tabasco infused mayo, fried shrimp and fried oysters. We ordered it "dressed." Very good. We also had a bowl of seafood gumbo. I washed my meal down with a couple of Abita Turbodog beers and Peter had a couple Blue Moon beers. Peter claimed he was still hungry so for dessert he had 1/2 dozen raw oysters. The cost of all of this was $65 plus tip.
First of all, I have to say that walking down Bourbon Street is a feast for the senses. Some may consider it an assault on the senses. The lights are bright and the music is loud. We witnessed several extremely intoxicated people who didn't seem to know who they were or where they were. These people would make easy targets for pick pockets so I felt very safe. I liken them to the injured antelope in a heard of healthy ones being stalked by lions. You just know which one is not going to see the next day.
I had wanted to try a hand grenade so I popped into Tropical Isle and ordered one. I wanted to know what I was in for so I asked what was in one. She said it was 190 proof and at least a couple of shots of it! Yikes! That could sneak up on someone! They are very sweet and they look nuclear.
They had a cajun band playing at Tropical Isle so we grabbed a seat and enjoyed the show. I didn't catch the name of the band but I think they play every week. They were entertaining! They encouraged people in the audience to put on the washboard and play along.
Peter wanted to go to the House of Blues to see Johnny Winter so we walked over, noting several charming places to libate along the way. We hadn't checked to see what time JW played so, unfortunately, we arrived at the end of his show. The woman at the door kindly allowed us to sneak in to watch the end of the show. Wow! What a treat! Johnny is an amazing musician! We really liked this small venue and we may try to make it back for another show while we are here. I think the cover was $20 but it may vary.
After the show ended we went to the Funky Monkey to watch Big Al. He must really enjoy the food in NOLA because he is HUGE!!!!! We challenged him by requesting "Little Red Rooster." This is a difficult song and true test of talent for any blues singer. He belted it out with gusto!
Now, is it me or are there 10 Tropical Isles along Bourbon Street? I thought maybe that second grenade had me seeing things. There must also be a couple of Mango Mango's and several other duplicate bars. Can a local inform me of how the ownership of these places work? Are these places franchises or all owned my the same person?
Feeling like the ever ready bunny, Peter insisted on one last beer on our way home. We slipped into a little dive bar called Monaghan's Erin Rose for a nightcap. We really liked this little dive bar. Lots of kitschy stuff hanging on the walls and a very friendly bartender who recommended a couple other untouristy dive bars we can check out.
As we made our way back to our hotel we both concluded that we will limit our time on Bourbon Street and concentrate on the side streets while in The Quarter. I think tonight we will head to Frenchman.
We left for the airport early yesterday and on the way we were treated to a beautiful sunrise peaking up over Mt. Hood. As the plane took off we had a view of some beautiful fall colors down below. This was a great omen for our adventure!
We landed at the airport and walked directly out to catch a cab. I could tell we were in for trouble when I counted the number of bars we passed in the terminal! I think we passed 5! The cab we got into was a huge suburban with a friendly Haitian driver playing some nice Haitian music. The cab fare was $28 plus $1 fuel surcharge.
We checked into the Prince Conti and we asked several questions of the desk clerk. He was informative and professional but I think a hurricane or hand grenade would have lightened him up a bit. I should clarify that I am referring to the drinks, not the things of destruction!
We were very pleased with our room. I had requested a quiet, refurbished room. BTW, most of the rooms are refurbished at this point. Our room was on the second floor at the very end of the hall. Perfect. Away from the elevator and no drunkards passing our room at odd hours of the night. We have a king bed and a nice sitting area with a couch, desk faux antique furniture. Beautiful! Our average price for the 4 nights is $103
We unpacked and then hit the ground running. Our first stop was Acme Oyster Bar. There wasn't a wait at all at 8 p.m. We started with a dozen char grilled oysters. These tasty morsels are swimming in butter with romano cheese melted on top. I can't even begin to describe how good these are. With the moaning sounds coming from me with each bite I was afraid I would get tossed out! ;-) We then split a Dream something or other po' boy. This is one of their specialty po' boys and it has tabasco infused mayo, fried shrimp and fried oysters. We ordered it "dressed." Very good. We also had a bowl of seafood gumbo. I washed my meal down with a couple of Abita Turbodog beers and Peter had a couple Blue Moon beers. Peter claimed he was still hungry so for dessert he had 1/2 dozen raw oysters. The cost of all of this was $65 plus tip.
First of all, I have to say that walking down Bourbon Street is a feast for the senses. Some may consider it an assault on the senses. The lights are bright and the music is loud. We witnessed several extremely intoxicated people who didn't seem to know who they were or where they were. These people would make easy targets for pick pockets so I felt very safe. I liken them to the injured antelope in a heard of healthy ones being stalked by lions. You just know which one is not going to see the next day.
I had wanted to try a hand grenade so I popped into Tropical Isle and ordered one. I wanted to know what I was in for so I asked what was in one. She said it was 190 proof and at least a couple of shots of it! Yikes! That could sneak up on someone! They are very sweet and they look nuclear.
They had a cajun band playing at Tropical Isle so we grabbed a seat and enjoyed the show. I didn't catch the name of the band but I think they play every week. They were entertaining! They encouraged people in the audience to put on the washboard and play along.
Peter wanted to go to the House of Blues to see Johnny Winter so we walked over, noting several charming places to libate along the way. We hadn't checked to see what time JW played so, unfortunately, we arrived at the end of his show. The woman at the door kindly allowed us to sneak in to watch the end of the show. Wow! What a treat! Johnny is an amazing musician! We really liked this small venue and we may try to make it back for another show while we are here. I think the cover was $20 but it may vary.
After the show ended we went to the Funky Monkey to watch Big Al. He must really enjoy the food in NOLA because he is HUGE!!!!! We challenged him by requesting "Little Red Rooster." This is a difficult song and true test of talent for any blues singer. He belted it out with gusto!
Now, is it me or are there 10 Tropical Isles along Bourbon Street? I thought maybe that second grenade had me seeing things. There must also be a couple of Mango Mango's and several other duplicate bars. Can a local inform me of how the ownership of these places work? Are these places franchises or all owned my the same person?
Feeling like the ever ready bunny, Peter insisted on one last beer on our way home. We slipped into a little dive bar called Monaghan's Erin Rose for a nightcap. We really liked this little dive bar. Lots of kitschy stuff hanging on the walls and a very friendly bartender who recommended a couple other untouristy dive bars we can check out.
As we made our way back to our hotel we both concluded that we will limit our time on Bourbon Street and concentrate on the side streets while in The Quarter. I think tonight we will head to Frenchman.
Oct 13th, 2007, 11:42 AM
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I have just arrived in NOLA and am reading this to kill time while I wait for the freakin' airport shuttle. (Apparently they are short handed.) good timing! now I want oysters swimming in butter!!!!!!!!
Oct 13th, 2007, 12:10 PM
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eurotraveller,
Your post was hilarious. I'm glad you're enjoying my neck of the woods...
You're right that the pickpocketers will go after the easiest prey first, so as long as that isn't you, you'll be safe.
Was this your first time to New Orleans? After several daquiris, it's easy to lose your bearings...
You probably were passing by the same Tropical Isle time and time again, because there's only one that I know of on Bourbon and it's the famous one at 721 Bourbon.
I'm glad you're getting to enjoy our great fall weather.
Your post was hilarious. I'm glad you're enjoying my neck of the woods...
You're right that the pickpocketers will go after the easiest prey first, so as long as that isn't you, you'll be safe.
Was this your first time to New Orleans? After several daquiris, it's easy to lose your bearings...
You probably were passing by the same Tropical Isle time and time again, because there's only one that I know of on Bourbon and it's the famous one at 721 Bourbon. I'm glad you're getting to enjoy our great fall weather.
Oct 13th, 2007, 09:44 PM
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Okay, I don't want to take much time to report right now because we are going to rent a car and visit a couple of plantations tomorrow but I needed to put out a cry for help!
Does anyone have the number for the Betty Ford Clinic!?
I promise to write a proper report when I am fully recovered.
Does anyone have the number for the Betty Ford Clinic!?
I promise to write a proper report when I am fully recovered.
Oct 14th, 2007, 07:53 PM
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I went to Acme tonight and had the char grilled oysters on your recommendation. Just 1/2 a dozen, though, as we are watching our girlish figures. PAH! They were so good, we ordered another 1/2 dozen!! butter & cheese help the calcium intake, don't they??
(BTW, mine weren't "swimming" in butter as I had expected. Wading, maybe. hee hee)
(BTW, mine weren't "swimming" in butter as I had expected. Wading, maybe. hee hee)
Oct 15th, 2007, 06:08 AM
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Just a quick note to let you know my trip report writing has fallen to the bottom of my priority list as there is too much fun to be had here!
As a matter of fact, we just extended our stay another day so we now have several more opportunitites for music and meals!
A couple quick notes so we don't leave you hanging. We ate at Deanie's last night and we were disappointed. More details to follow. Acme and the Gumbo Shop have been our favorite meals so far.
We are avoiding Bourbon Street for the most part and hanging out on Frenchman. Love Frenchman!
More to follow...
As a matter of fact, we just extended our stay another day so we now have several more opportunitites for music and meals!
A couple quick notes so we don't leave you hanging. We ate at Deanie's last night and we were disappointed. More details to follow. Acme and the Gumbo Shop have been our favorite meals so far.
We are avoiding Bourbon Street for the most part and hanging out on Frenchman. Love Frenchman!
More to follow...
Oct 18th, 2007, 07:16 AM
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Well, I had intended to post daily but we were having too much fun. We returned home a couple of days ago from a great trip!
We were due to come home on Monday afternoon. We woke up on Monday and called the front desk to see if we could stay another day and called the airline and changed our flight so we came home Tuesday afternoon.
Much of what we did and when we did it is a blur of great food, terrible food, great music, fun dive bars, etc. Rather than try to do a minute by minute trip report I will list what we did, ate and drank and comment on each.
Now let's talk about grub!
Restaurants:
Acme Oyster House on Iberville in the French Quarter – Although we really wanted to try a different place for every meal, after a few bad meals we decided to stick with the tried and true. We ate at Acme 3 times and everything was terrific! Oysters Rockefeller Stew, seafood gumbo, fresh oysters, chargrilled oysters, oyster po’boys and several Abita amber beers. If you can, sit at the oyster bar and chat with the master schuckers. They are all very interesting, friendly and willing to make conversation to take away from the monotony of schucking. This place schucks 20,000-40,000 per DAY!! Yowza! Michael “Hollywood” Broadway has been featured on several TV shows and once one a trip to a schucking contest in Boston. Ronald, Swervy and John were also great fun to chat with. I encourage you to open up conversation with you. It will enhance your experience and possibly earn you a few pearls, a couple of beers or an extra oyster or two! I have a few photos of this place that you can view once I load and label them on to my photo site.
Deanie’s in the Quarter – My advice? Run Forest, run, as far away as you can from this place! Very understaffed so the service was terrible and the food was mediocre, at best. We waited a good 10 minutes at the bar before a server even acknowledged our existence. We ordered BBQ shrimp and gumbo. The BBQ shrimp were not fresh and the bowl of gumbo was about a third full and way too thick for gumbo. It should be fairly watery. I heard many times that the other location is better so maybe I will give it a try my next time in town.
Gumbo Shop – This places is everything you would expect it to be; great food, great service and long lines to get in. We had a bowl of gumbo and three small sides between us and that was plenty. The sides were smothered turnip greens, Creole creamed spinach and crawfish etouffee. Everything was great! We arrived at about noon and didn’t have to wait but by the time we left there was a long line.
Drago’s – We had heard that this was the place to get chargrilled oysters so we headed over to the one just outside the French Quarter in the CBD beneath the Hilton Hotel. We ordered a dozen of them and they were very comparable to the ones we had eaten at Acme. That is all we ate there. It feels like your typical hotel restaurant but the service is good.
Muriel’s – This place is located right next to Jackson Square. A local artist told me they had the most wonderful appetizer of goat cheese and crawfish crepes so we stopped in for a drink and the crepes. These were mouthwateringly delicious but very rich. We split an order. I want to attempt to make these soon but I am afraid I would make them daily and soon have a heart attack and not live to see New Orleans again. As we were leaving, I mentioned how beautiful I though the restaurant was. The person I spoke to asked if I wanted to go upstairs so she gave us a tour of the entire upper floor consisting of private banquet room. This place used to be a private residence. It is stunning! Gorgeous rooms for private parties. I have photos of the interior that I will link to once I get my photos loaded and labeled on my website.
The Dry Dock Café – This is worth a venture to the “other side” of the river!! To get there, take the free Canal Street Ferry. We had been told by a local that the thing to do is go across to Johnny’s Seafood and pick up a couple of lbs of boiled shrimp, get a few beers at a local market and walk to the levee to enjoy a good ol’ New Orleans style picnic. We crossed over and then headed down towards the right of the ferry dock and asked a woman in front of The Dry Dock how to get to Johnny’s Seafood. Much to our disappointment, she informed us that all the seafood markets are closed on Monday. Damn! She said the Dockside had great food so we gave it a try. We ordered a lb of boiled shrimp and a bowl of shrimp bisque. The boiled shrimp were fresh boiled with onions, green peppers and spices and were perfect!! The shrimp bisque was delicious but very rich and thick. I highly recommend ordering the boiled shrimp!!
Coop’s – Are y’all serious when you recommend this place or is it one big joke on this forum? We tried this place for lunch and the server told us they were out of rice. C’mon! Half the dishes contain rice! We walked out and made note to return for dinner. We ordered our food and a couple of glasses of water. The server’s hands were shaking so badly that he had to carry each cup of water with both hands, unsanitarily placing his filthy paws all over the rim of the glass. I ordered red beans and rice with chicken. The last thing I expected was for this dish to have shredded pork in it when I ordered it with chicken. I don’t eat pork so that was a mistake and I wish the server would have informed me that the chicken was placed on top of the watery pork and beans with rice. I decided to just eat the chicken. I took a bite and the consistency was odd. I cut the chicken open further and discovered it was raw. Well, anyone who has experience with salmonella poisoning will understand that seeing the raw chicken can turn your stomach inside out and knowing I had taken a bite of it turned me green. Peter’s gumbo with extra seafood was just okay and we think the cook overlooked the “extra seafood” but it was remembered on the bill.
Fiorella’s – I LOVE me some pickles, dilled, sweet, spicy, garlicky and any which way you can so we walked over to Fiorella’s so I could try the fried dill pickles. We also ordered a 3 piece chicken to split between us. The fried pickles are a must for any pickle lover. Rather than undercooked as it was at Coop’s it was overcooked but still fairly tasty. The server here was an incredibly friendly guy from New Zealand.
French Market Cafe – As we walked by on the day we were to go to the airport, I saw they had boiled shrimp. The ones at Dockside were so good that I had to have some more. Peter was shopping so I stopped in and ordered a beer and a lb of the shrimp. Okay, this place was just wrong! I am surprised the health department hasn’t shut this place down! I ate one shrimp (if you could call it that) and it was mushy and tasteless. I might as well have chewed on some cardboard that had washed up on the shore of the Mississippi! I tried another and it was just as bad. I apologized to the server and told her they were inedible and asked if I could have some fresh boiled ones that came out hot. She informed me that they just don’t serve them that was but asked if I wanted to try some that had been boiled today!! What had she originally served me, shrimp from last week?!? I tried a couple more and they were equally inedible so I turned them away and left with just my thirst quenched.
Cafe de Monde - We walked by many times but finally stopped in on our last day. I don't like donuts but give me a piping hot beignet drenched in powdered sugar to put a smile on my face! This place is really a must on any itinerary! It is fun to watch the ladies bring out the large trays full of beignets and coffee.
Napolean House - We stopped in here for a drink a couple of times and one of those times we ordered the bread pudding. Yummy!!! Worth a stop just for the dessert. Napolean's closes early, around 5-6 each day so go during the day.
Clover Grill - This is a little greasy spoon that turns out basic but tasty food. Nothing to note except it is cheap, greasy and good for a hangover or late night meal.
Mandina's - This place is ALL locals! We went on a Sunday and everyone was dressed in their Sunday best fresh from church. The food was pretty good but once again, fried, fried, fried! I had softshelled crab and it was served with frecnh fries. I wish I would have requested vegetables. The plates of food are large enough to feed a family. My apologies to those of you who love this place but quantity seems to be the major draw here? Food was just so, so. it is located towards the cemetaries on Canal Street.
Some side notes about the food:
1) You can get your food fried, fried and fried. They fry just about everything you can think of in NOLA! If I lived there and ate at restaurants every day I would soon be 300 lbs!! I think every restaurant in NOLA has a deep fryer.
2) I was hankering for some fresh vegetables midway through the trip. I would have sold my sister for a big plate of steamed vegetables!!
3) I wish we would have brought nice enough clothes to eat at Galatoire's. That is the place that all the locals recommend.
4) Outside the French Quarter, almost all the restaurants are closed on Sunday's. We had a car that day and had hoped to dine in Mataire or Uptown but all the restaurants were closed.
More to come but feel free to ask questions!
We were due to come home on Monday afternoon. We woke up on Monday and called the front desk to see if we could stay another day and called the airline and changed our flight so we came home Tuesday afternoon.
Much of what we did and when we did it is a blur of great food, terrible food, great music, fun dive bars, etc. Rather than try to do a minute by minute trip report I will list what we did, ate and drank and comment on each.
Now let's talk about grub!
Restaurants:
Acme Oyster House on Iberville in the French Quarter – Although we really wanted to try a different place for every meal, after a few bad meals we decided to stick with the tried and true. We ate at Acme 3 times and everything was terrific! Oysters Rockefeller Stew, seafood gumbo, fresh oysters, chargrilled oysters, oyster po’boys and several Abita amber beers. If you can, sit at the oyster bar and chat with the master schuckers. They are all very interesting, friendly and willing to make conversation to take away from the monotony of schucking. This place schucks 20,000-40,000 per DAY!! Yowza! Michael “Hollywood” Broadway has been featured on several TV shows and once one a trip to a schucking contest in Boston. Ronald, Swervy and John were also great fun to chat with. I encourage you to open up conversation with you. It will enhance your experience and possibly earn you a few pearls, a couple of beers or an extra oyster or two! I have a few photos of this place that you can view once I load and label them on to my photo site.
Deanie’s in the Quarter – My advice? Run Forest, run, as far away as you can from this place! Very understaffed so the service was terrible and the food was mediocre, at best. We waited a good 10 minutes at the bar before a server even acknowledged our existence. We ordered BBQ shrimp and gumbo. The BBQ shrimp were not fresh and the bowl of gumbo was about a third full and way too thick for gumbo. It should be fairly watery. I heard many times that the other location is better so maybe I will give it a try my next time in town.
Gumbo Shop – This places is everything you would expect it to be; great food, great service and long lines to get in. We had a bowl of gumbo and three small sides between us and that was plenty. The sides were smothered turnip greens, Creole creamed spinach and crawfish etouffee. Everything was great! We arrived at about noon and didn’t have to wait but by the time we left there was a long line.
Drago’s – We had heard that this was the place to get chargrilled oysters so we headed over to the one just outside the French Quarter in the CBD beneath the Hilton Hotel. We ordered a dozen of them and they were very comparable to the ones we had eaten at Acme. That is all we ate there. It feels like your typical hotel restaurant but the service is good.
Muriel’s – This place is located right next to Jackson Square. A local artist told me they had the most wonderful appetizer of goat cheese and crawfish crepes so we stopped in for a drink and the crepes. These were mouthwateringly delicious but very rich. We split an order. I want to attempt to make these soon but I am afraid I would make them daily and soon have a heart attack and not live to see New Orleans again. As we were leaving, I mentioned how beautiful I though the restaurant was. The person I spoke to asked if I wanted to go upstairs so she gave us a tour of the entire upper floor consisting of private banquet room. This place used to be a private residence. It is stunning! Gorgeous rooms for private parties. I have photos of the interior that I will link to once I get my photos loaded and labeled on my website.
The Dry Dock Café – This is worth a venture to the “other side” of the river!! To get there, take the free Canal Street Ferry. We had been told by a local that the thing to do is go across to Johnny’s Seafood and pick up a couple of lbs of boiled shrimp, get a few beers at a local market and walk to the levee to enjoy a good ol’ New Orleans style picnic. We crossed over and then headed down towards the right of the ferry dock and asked a woman in front of The Dry Dock how to get to Johnny’s Seafood. Much to our disappointment, she informed us that all the seafood markets are closed on Monday. Damn! She said the Dockside had great food so we gave it a try. We ordered a lb of boiled shrimp and a bowl of shrimp bisque. The boiled shrimp were fresh boiled with onions, green peppers and spices and were perfect!! The shrimp bisque was delicious but very rich and thick. I highly recommend ordering the boiled shrimp!!
Coop’s – Are y’all serious when you recommend this place or is it one big joke on this forum? We tried this place for lunch and the server told us they were out of rice. C’mon! Half the dishes contain rice! We walked out and made note to return for dinner. We ordered our food and a couple of glasses of water. The server’s hands were shaking so badly that he had to carry each cup of water with both hands, unsanitarily placing his filthy paws all over the rim of the glass. I ordered red beans and rice with chicken. The last thing I expected was for this dish to have shredded pork in it when I ordered it with chicken. I don’t eat pork so that was a mistake and I wish the server would have informed me that the chicken was placed on top of the watery pork and beans with rice. I decided to just eat the chicken. I took a bite and the consistency was odd. I cut the chicken open further and discovered it was raw. Well, anyone who has experience with salmonella poisoning will understand that seeing the raw chicken can turn your stomach inside out and knowing I had taken a bite of it turned me green. Peter’s gumbo with extra seafood was just okay and we think the cook overlooked the “extra seafood” but it was remembered on the bill.
Fiorella’s – I LOVE me some pickles, dilled, sweet, spicy, garlicky and any which way you can so we walked over to Fiorella’s so I could try the fried dill pickles. We also ordered a 3 piece chicken to split between us. The fried pickles are a must for any pickle lover. Rather than undercooked as it was at Coop’s it was overcooked but still fairly tasty. The server here was an incredibly friendly guy from New Zealand.
French Market Cafe – As we walked by on the day we were to go to the airport, I saw they had boiled shrimp. The ones at Dockside were so good that I had to have some more. Peter was shopping so I stopped in and ordered a beer and a lb of the shrimp. Okay, this place was just wrong! I am surprised the health department hasn’t shut this place down! I ate one shrimp (if you could call it that) and it was mushy and tasteless. I might as well have chewed on some cardboard that had washed up on the shore of the Mississippi! I tried another and it was just as bad. I apologized to the server and told her they were inedible and asked if I could have some fresh boiled ones that came out hot. She informed me that they just don’t serve them that was but asked if I wanted to try some that had been boiled today!! What had she originally served me, shrimp from last week?!? I tried a couple more and they were equally inedible so I turned them away and left with just my thirst quenched.
Cafe de Monde - We walked by many times but finally stopped in on our last day. I don't like donuts but give me a piping hot beignet drenched in powdered sugar to put a smile on my face! This place is really a must on any itinerary! It is fun to watch the ladies bring out the large trays full of beignets and coffee.
Napolean House - We stopped in here for a drink a couple of times and one of those times we ordered the bread pudding. Yummy!!! Worth a stop just for the dessert. Napolean's closes early, around 5-6 each day so go during the day.
Clover Grill - This is a little greasy spoon that turns out basic but tasty food. Nothing to note except it is cheap, greasy and good for a hangover or late night meal.
Mandina's - This place is ALL locals! We went on a Sunday and everyone was dressed in their Sunday best fresh from church. The food was pretty good but once again, fried, fried, fried! I had softshelled crab and it was served with frecnh fries. I wish I would have requested vegetables. The plates of food are large enough to feed a family. My apologies to those of you who love this place but quantity seems to be the major draw here? Food was just so, so. it is located towards the cemetaries on Canal Street.
Some side notes about the food:
1) You can get your food fried, fried and fried. They fry just about everything you can think of in NOLA! If I lived there and ate at restaurants every day I would soon be 300 lbs!! I think every restaurant in NOLA has a deep fryer.
2) I was hankering for some fresh vegetables midway through the trip. I would have sold my sister for a big plate of steamed vegetables!!
3) I wish we would have brought nice enough clothes to eat at Galatoire's. That is the place that all the locals recommend.
4) Outside the French Quarter, almost all the restaurants are closed on Sunday's. We had a car that day and had hoped to dine in Mataire or Uptown but all the restaurants were closed.
More to come but feel free to ask questions!
Oct 18th, 2007, 11:21 AM
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I am definitely enjoying your report.
I figured something was good about the Dry Dock Cafe - we went over on the ferry to Mardi Gras World and there were quite a few people on the ferry who made a bee-line to Dry Dock. We weren't hungry when we were on that side of the river, so we didn't try it, but it sounds like we need to put it on our list for next time
We had basically the same experience you did at the French Market Cafe - and that was 5 years ago. They must stay in business based on location because it can't be because of the food, that is for sure - LOL.
If anyone is in need of veggies in NOLA, I had a terrific shrimp remoulaude avocado salad at Napoleon House.
I figured something was good about the Dry Dock Cafe - we went over on the ferry to Mardi Gras World and there were quite a few people on the ferry who made a bee-line to Dry Dock. We weren't hungry when we were on that side of the river, so we didn't try it, but it sounds like we need to put it on our list for next time
We had basically the same experience you did at the French Market Cafe - and that was 5 years ago. They must stay in business based on location because it can't be because of the food, that is for sure - LOL.
If anyone is in need of veggies in NOLA, I had a terrific shrimp remoulaude avocado salad at Napoleon House.
Oct 21st, 2007, 02:01 PM
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J_Correa, glad you are enjoying my report! I highly recommend that you cross over to the other side of the river when you are hungry your next time in town so you can try the Dry Dock.
Yeah, I should have known better than to try the French Market. It was peak lunch hour time and there was only one other occupied table in the place. Ugh! At least I stood my ground and didn't order another day old special!
I found some of my notes that I wrote on bar napkins. Peter and I like to explore little dive bars where few tourists are found and there are many of them in the French Quarter! This provided us the opportunity to have some very interesting conversations with the locals. People were very willing to talk about their experience during and after Katrina. We also went to a couple of nice bars but there were several that will have to wait until our next visit!
Bars:
I will preface this report by letting you know that I have been a bartender/bar manager, server, flight attendant and in sales working with the public my entire life. I expect people to be courteous and friendly when their tips depend on it. I will comment on the service as I see fit but I must confess my standards are high.
Bombay Club - This place was attached to our hotel on Conti just off Bourbon so we went in to check it out. The bartender was very cold to begin with. She barely said hello after we waited for 5 minutes to even be acknowledged. They have over 100 martinis! The place is very nice inside with cozy seating areas. There is a very romantic little courtyard outside with a water fountain and a few tables. We took our drink inside. When we went back in to pay, the bartender became a bit more friendly. I think she overheard my comment about her being less than friendly and she made a last ditch effort to improve her tip.
Pravda - Interesting little place right on Decatur. We stopped in on our way back from Frenchman. Once again, cold bartender who only seemed friendly with the regulars. No smile at all for us but she was nice to people she knew. Very cute place with a nice little courtyard in back. Kind of a Goth crowd the night we stopped in.
Balcony Bar - I think there may be a couple of these but the one we went to was on Magazine somewhere in the 4000 blocks. We stopped in after dinner at Casamento's. The place was jam packed with the frat crowd but we had a beer and enjoyed the people watching. It was a very DRUNK crowd, too! We could have been the parents of 90% of the kids. Boy, did that make me feel old! Seems like just yesterday that I fit in with that crowd! Those were the good old days! ;-)
Erin Rose - Located just off Bourbon on Conti, conveniently right across from our hotel! We stopped here almost nightly for "one last beer." That usually ended up being 2-3! We really liked this place. The bartenders were pleasant and efficient and the customers jovial and friendly. I recommend this one.
The sun just popped out after getting more than an inch of rain yesterday so I am going to go for a hike right now while the getting is good. More to come...
Yeah, I should have known better than to try the French Market. It was peak lunch hour time and there was only one other occupied table in the place. Ugh! At least I stood my ground and didn't order another day old special!
I found some of my notes that I wrote on bar napkins. Peter and I like to explore little dive bars where few tourists are found and there are many of them in the French Quarter! This provided us the opportunity to have some very interesting conversations with the locals. People were very willing to talk about their experience during and after Katrina. We also went to a couple of nice bars but there were several that will have to wait until our next visit!
Bars:
I will preface this report by letting you know that I have been a bartender/bar manager, server, flight attendant and in sales working with the public my entire life. I expect people to be courteous and friendly when their tips depend on it. I will comment on the service as I see fit but I must confess my standards are high.
Bombay Club - This place was attached to our hotel on Conti just off Bourbon so we went in to check it out. The bartender was very cold to begin with. She barely said hello after we waited for 5 minutes to even be acknowledged. They have over 100 martinis! The place is very nice inside with cozy seating areas. There is a very romantic little courtyard outside with a water fountain and a few tables. We took our drink inside. When we went back in to pay, the bartender became a bit more friendly. I think she overheard my comment about her being less than friendly and she made a last ditch effort to improve her tip.
Pravda - Interesting little place right on Decatur. We stopped in on our way back from Frenchman. Once again, cold bartender who only seemed friendly with the regulars. No smile at all for us but she was nice to people she knew. Very cute place with a nice little courtyard in back. Kind of a Goth crowd the night we stopped in.
Balcony Bar - I think there may be a couple of these but the one we went to was on Magazine somewhere in the 4000 blocks. We stopped in after dinner at Casamento's. The place was jam packed with the frat crowd but we had a beer and enjoyed the people watching. It was a very DRUNK crowd, too! We could have been the parents of 90% of the kids. Boy, did that make me feel old! Seems like just yesterday that I fit in with that crowd! Those were the good old days! ;-)
Erin Rose - Located just off Bourbon on Conti, conveniently right across from our hotel! We stopped here almost nightly for "one last beer." That usually ended up being 2-3! We really liked this place. The bartenders were pleasant and efficient and the customers jovial and friendly. I recommend this one.
The sun just popped out after getting more than an inch of rain yesterday so I am going to go for a hike right now while the getting is good. More to come...
Oct 21st, 2007, 05:11 PM
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The Dry Dock was my favorite hangout when I was in the Navy and stationed in New Orleans. I'm VERY glad to hear they're still up and running. Also pleased to hear your review of Muriel's. We stayed next door at Place d'Armes in July but went to the Gumbo Shop instead of Muriel's. I'll try Muriel's next trip.
Oct 23rd, 2007, 03:43 PM
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Postal, I may just have to go back to Dry Dock Cafe on my next trip, too! I have a few photos of Muriel's and all my NOLA photos in the link I will put at the bottom of this report.
Here is more of my report:
Bars continued...
Mr. B - I stopped in here while Peter went on a tour. It was about 11:00 a.m. so I appropriately had a bloody mary. Okay, I admit it. I had two bloody mary's! They were just so damn good! Basically a salad in a glass. Lots of olives, pickled green beens and pickled okra. The place had about 10 regulars at the bar and a couple of friendly dogs walking around.
Three Legged Dog - A dive bar located a couple of blocks oof Bourbon on Conti. Happy hour all day and a favorite of the locals and lots of service industry workers hanging out. Two for one on EVERYTHING and drinks were cheap to start! One of the bartenders was higher than a kite on who knows what. Man, he was so messed up he could hardly stand up and I doubt he could see straight.
The Pirate Bar - Another dive bar with a very friendly bartender.
Music Venues:
Spotted Cat - This was one of our favorites! Great live music and a friendly crowd that spills out into the street when it is full. We saw the Jazz Vipers a couple of times and I bought their cd "Live on Frenchman Street". We heard a couple of other bands but don't know their name. No cover charge but we donated.
dba - Nice venue but we were there between bands and didn't hear any music. Usually a cover charge.
Apple Barrel - Tiny venue with a small stage for a 3 peice band. Very friendly service and all local people, for the most part.
Actually, this was the case for most of the venues on Frenchman.
Ray's Boom Boom Room - Another GREAT venue! Quite large compared to the others and the night we stopped in their was a band playing Latin music and they were fantastic! Peter doesn't dance but one of the band members took me for a spin on the dance floor.
House of Blues - I already mentioned this when I wrote while I was in New Orleans but it is worth mentioning again. This is a great venue and they bring in some big names. We only caught the tail end of Johnny White, unfortunately.
Vaughn's - This requires a car because it is in the Ninth District. Great hole-in-the-wall dive bar on a corner in a residential neighborhood. I would love to come back at night and hear Kermit Ruffins next time I am in town. Very cheap beers at $2.50 rather than $3.75 that we paid in most other places.
More details about things we did other than fill our bellies and ears to come soon...
Here is a link to the photos I took in New Orleans. Just click on the New Orleans album to view them.
www.windjammer.smugmug.com
Here is more of my report:
Bars continued...
Mr. B - I stopped in here while Peter went on a tour. It was about 11:00 a.m. so I appropriately had a bloody mary. Okay, I admit it. I had two bloody mary's! They were just so damn good! Basically a salad in a glass. Lots of olives, pickled green beens and pickled okra. The place had about 10 regulars at the bar and a couple of friendly dogs walking around.
Three Legged Dog - A dive bar located a couple of blocks oof Bourbon on Conti. Happy hour all day and a favorite of the locals and lots of service industry workers hanging out. Two for one on EVERYTHING and drinks were cheap to start! One of the bartenders was higher than a kite on who knows what. Man, he was so messed up he could hardly stand up and I doubt he could see straight.
The Pirate Bar - Another dive bar with a very friendly bartender.
Music Venues:
Spotted Cat - This was one of our favorites! Great live music and a friendly crowd that spills out into the street when it is full. We saw the Jazz Vipers a couple of times and I bought their cd "Live on Frenchman Street". We heard a couple of other bands but don't know their name. No cover charge but we donated.
dba - Nice venue but we were there between bands and didn't hear any music. Usually a cover charge.
Apple Barrel - Tiny venue with a small stage for a 3 peice band. Very friendly service and all local people, for the most part.
Actually, this was the case for most of the venues on Frenchman.
Ray's Boom Boom Room - Another GREAT venue! Quite large compared to the others and the night we stopped in their was a band playing Latin music and they were fantastic! Peter doesn't dance but one of the band members took me for a spin on the dance floor.
House of Blues - I already mentioned this when I wrote while I was in New Orleans but it is worth mentioning again. This is a great venue and they bring in some big names. We only caught the tail end of Johnny White, unfortunately.
Vaughn's - This requires a car because it is in the Ninth District. Great hole-in-the-wall dive bar on a corner in a residential neighborhood. I would love to come back at night and hear Kermit Ruffins next time I am in town. Very cheap beers at $2.50 rather than $3.75 that we paid in most other places.
More details about things we did other than fill our bellies and ears to come soon...
Here is a link to the photos I took in New Orleans. Just click on the New Orleans album to view them.
www.windjammer.smugmug.com
