New Orleans: 2 Day Trip/ Food Itinerary

Old Jul 11th, 2011, 01:19 PM
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New Orleans: 2 Day Trip/ Food Itinerary

I am bringing my finance to New Orleans in mid August. We are both from NY and neither of us have been there before. We are staying at the intercontinental, which I believe is fairly convenient to most points of interest. My rough outline of our two full days in New Orleans involved getting in on Friday around 11- then spending the day exploring the french quarter and the garden district. On saturday we wanted to do either a Katrina tour, or maybe a bayou trip and then spend the latter half of the day walking around the quarter some more. We leave first thing sunday morning.

In regards to food, we do not eat shellfish or pork -- so I realize that puts us at a severe disadvantage in New Orleans. However, we both want to get as much local flavor (excuse the pun) as possible (given our dietary restrictions). We want local places and would like to avoid the garden variety celebrity restaurants that we could find in most metropolitan cities. We were thinking of the following places:

1. Cafe Du Monde (for breakfast/mid-day snack)
2. Galatoires (for dinner on friday night)
3. Bayona (dinner on saturday night)
4. Commanders Palace (lunch/brunch on saturday)

The above restaurants are not set in stone, and we are open to any and all suggestions. Thank you all for any help and advice!

Regards,

Sblank1981
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Old Jul 12th, 2011, 05:50 AM
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Can't comment on Bayona as I haven't been there, but the other three are great choices. There are lots of wonderful restaurants in NOLA. Feel free to check out my food and sightseeing experiences there on these threads:

http://www.fodors.com/community/unit...experience.cfm

http://www.fodors.com/community/unit...y-184065-2.cfm

See the later post on the latter thread for the attractions trip report.
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Old Jul 12th, 2011, 06:03 AM
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For an amazing breakfast - a 5 minute taxi from your hotel - well worth it:
http://www.elizabeths-restaurant.com/ Don't skip the praline bacon!

For lunch or dinner - an easy few blocks walk from your hotel:
Best Gulf shrimp ANYWHERE. EVERYTHING here is fantastic, relatively inexpensive and a great, casual atmosphere to boot.
"Don't miss". Reserve.
http://www.riomarseafood.com/
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Old Jul 12th, 2011, 06:11 AM
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Thanks for all the great tips, I really appreciate it!!!
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Old Jul 12th, 2011, 06:14 AM
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bardo, I will remember your recommendations for our next trip but the poster does not eat pork (no bacon) or shellfish (no shimp)
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Old Jul 12th, 2011, 06:16 AM
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Sblank - I can't think of anything much more physically uncomfortable than a bayou trip in August. In August and September the heat is awful in NO, and the humidity is worse. If those buses are air conditioned I think the Katrina tour is the way to go.

Your restaurant ideas are sound; my favorite is the brunch at Commander's Palace which we've been doing for decades. The problem in NO is that there are SO many great places to eat!

(bardo - they don't eat shellfish).
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Old Jul 12th, 2011, 03:05 PM
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I would skip the Katrina tour and bayou trip. You only have 48 hours in NOLA. I would stroll around the FQ on Friday and go to Commander's for lunch on Saturday and spend a few hours on Magazine then head back to the FQ for dinner. Bayona and Galatoire's are outstanding. You will need a jacket for dinner at Galatoire's and they don't accept reservations. Ask for Richard to wait on you. Good luck.
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Old Jul 13th, 2011, 06:30 AM
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Thank you to everyone for all of the great tips and advice -- I truly appreciate it and cannot wait for this trip!

SBlank
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Old Jul 13th, 2011, 07:23 PM
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If you really want to do a bayou tour, do an airboat ride. They go much faster and provide wind.

However, I'd have to agree with the posters that since this is your first time, skip the Katrina tour and the bayou trip. There is so much to see for first time visitors.
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Old Aug 30th, 2011, 04:52 PM
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Not sure if anyone is interested, but thought the courteous thing to do would be to let people know how the trip went. In short, it was amazing.

We arrived on Friday morning and headed straight to Cafe Du Monde (as good as we have heard -- maybe better).

We then went on a carriage ride around the french quarter (15$ a person), followed by a roast beef po'boy at johnny's. I highly recommend Johnny's. The po'boy was amazing.

We then did a voodoo tour/cemetery tour (about 30 a person). The tour was not great. it was way too long and we just got tired. It also barely dealt with vodoo at all, but it was still interesting to see the cemetery.

Dinner was at Galatoires. It was phenomenal. We had no problem showing up at 7:00 and walked right in. We had the souffle potatoes and eggplant to start, followed by trout almondine and the lamb chops with a mushroom bordelaise sauce (sp.), the creamed spinach (unreal) and lyonnaise potatoes. Dessert was the bread budding. We also had a round of drinks and a glass of wine. Total with tip was $160 and worth every penny.

The next day we started off with a bayou swamp tour (50 a person (discount with AAA). We used Cajun Tours. We recommend it. It was a completely different world and we saw about a dozen gators. It was not too hot and the swamp provided a nice breeze. We also had no problems with mosquitos.

Lunch was the cheaper restaurant owned by the people who own Stella (can't remember the name right now). It was the only "meh" food of the trip. Frankly it was trying too hard to be hip and we have enough of that in New York. It was fine, but I would go somewhere else next time (cost 40 with tip).

Dinner was at Bayona. This was spectacular. We split three appetizers: (1) sweet breads, (2) salad with qual and (3) some type of essential bruschetta with mushrooms (can't remember exactly). We split the lamb and had a chocolate pudding for dessert. Skip the chocolate pudding, nothing special. The lamb was great but the sweat breads were out of this world (and we don't normally like offal). Total with a bottle of wine was about 120.

Thank you once again to everyone who offered advice, I truly appreciate it!

SMB
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Old Aug 30th, 2011, 06:03 PM
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DH and I had the same appetizers at Bayona the last time we were in NO - weren't they incredible? DH gave me a Susan Spicer cookbook that has both recipes. If you get the book (Crescent City Cooking) and if you like Thai flavors, you need to try the Spicy Thai Salad with Shrimp, Pork, and Crispy Rice Noodles.
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Old Aug 30th, 2011, 07:29 PM
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Sounds wonderful - we're looking forward to an [as yet unplanned] return trip - so many great restaurants to try!
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Old Aug 31st, 2011, 02:59 AM
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Now I Really miss New Orleans! Thanks for posting. I love Galatoire's; it's one of my favorite places to eat in NOLA.
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Old Aug 31st, 2011, 03:55 AM
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Thanks for posting! I love these follow-ups; we seldom get them.
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Old Aug 31st, 2011, 05:31 AM
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What Susan said.
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Old Sep 2nd, 2011, 09:32 AM
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Thanks so much for posting, I love reading follow up reports! I'm looking forward to my next trip to NOLA in November.
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Old Sep 25th, 2011, 02:05 PM
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Thanks also for posting! We are leaving in 10 days for NOLA and will take into account your trip report!
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Old Sep 28th, 2011, 06:55 AM
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Jan....H.........Here's some help. You can take the St. Charles Streetcar to Uptown/Garden District for lunch/dinner at some fine restaurants there. Commander's Palace would be a good one. You should have lunch at Commander's in the GD for $25.00 and 25 cent Martini's. Coquette is another great restaurant a few blocks from Commander's on Magazine. You should plan an afternoon walking and visiting the fine shops and restaurants on Magazine Street in the 3,000 to 5,000 block area. Take the street car to Washington and walk 2 blocks to Commander's. After lunch walk 3 blocks to Magazine. I like Cafe Atchafalaya in the GD also. Have a few drinks at The Column's Hotel on their porch off St. Charles. Patois, Clancy, Dick and Jenny's and Brigtsen's are outstanding restaurants Uptown. Bistro Daisy is fun also. You will have a lot of decisions to make planning in NOLA. Bon Appetit.
Commander's Palace @ 1403 Washington Ave., New Orleans, LA. 504 - 899 - 8221.
http://www.commanderspalace.com/
Coquette @ 2800 Magazine St., New Orleans, LA. 504 - 265 - 0421.
http://www.coquette-nola.com/index.html
Cafe Atchafalaya @ 901 Louisiana Ave., New Orleans, LA. 504 - 891 - 9626.
http://www.cafeatchafalaya.com/
The Columns Hotel @ 3811 Saint Charles Ave., New Orleans, LA 504 - 899 - 9308.
http://www.thecolumns.com/
Patois @ 6078 Laurel St., New Orleans, LA 504 - 895 - 9441.
http://www.patoisnola.com/
Clancy's Restaurant @ 6100 Annunciation St., New Orleans, LA. 504 - 895 - 1111.
Dick & Jenny's @ 4501 Tchoupitoulas St., New Orleans, LA. 504 - 894 - 9880.
http://dickandjennys.com/
Brigtsen's Restaurant @ 723 Dante St., New Orleans, LA. 504 - 861 - 7610.
http://www.brigtsens.com/
Bistro Daisy @ 5831 Magazine St., New Orleans, LA. 504 - 899 - 6987.
http://www.bistrodaisynola.com/

Emeril's is my favorite restaurant in the WHD in NOLA. They have a 3 course prix fixe lunch for $19.50 Monday/Friday. Dinner is outstanding. Feast is a new restaurant that just opened. Herbsaint and Iris are great fine dining restaurants in the CBD. Le Foret is a romantic fine dining choice for dinner. Tommy's is a block from Emeril's and serves outstanding classic creole Italian cuisine.
Emeril's @ 800 Tchoupitoulas St., New Orleans, LA. 504 - 528 - 9393.
http://www.emerils.com/restaurant/1/...s-New-Orleans/
Feast Restaurant @ 200 Julia Street, New Orleans, LA 504 - 304 - 6318.
https://sites.google.com/site/feastneworleans/
Herbsaint @ 701 Saint Charles Ave., New Orleans, LA. 504 - 524 - 4114.
http://www.herbsaint.com/
Iris @ 321 North Peters St., New Orleans, LA. 504 - 299 - 3944.
http://www.irisneworleans.com/
Le Foret @ 129 Camp St., New Orleans, LA 504 - 553 - 6738.
http://www.dmillanleforet.com/
Tommy's Cuisine @ 746 Tchoupitoulas St., New Orleans, LA. 504 - 581 - 1103.

Have a po boy at Johnny's in the FQ and eat on a bench in Jackson Square. Napoleon House in the FQ is nice for drinks and lunch also. Stanley's is outstanding for breakfast/lunch. Mena's Palace is a local's favorite that serves NOLA comfort food for breakfast and lunch. They serve 25/30 different po boys. Johnny's Po Boy's is in the FQ on St. Louis and has outstanding po boys. Felipe's has great Mexican food using local ingredients. Clover Grill is open 24/7 for breakfast and good burgers and it's inexpensive. Rampart Food Store has good po boys. They are all in the FQ.
Johnny's Po Boys @ 511 Saint Louis St., New Orleans, LA 504 - 524 - 8129.
http://www.johnnyspoboy.com/
Napoleon House Bar & Cafe @ 500 Chartres St., New Orleans, LA. 504 - 524 - 9752.
http://www.napoleonhouse.com/
Stanley @ 547 St. Ann St., New Orleans, LA. 504 - 593 - 0006.
http://stanleyrestaurant.com/
Mena's Palace @ 200 Chartres St., New Orleans, LA. 504 - 525 - 0217.
http://www.menaspalace.com/
Felipe's Taqueria @ 301 N. Peters St., New Orleans, LA 504 - 267 - 4406.
http://www.felipesneworleans.com/index.html
Clover Grill @ 900 Bourbon St., New Orleans, LA. 504 - 598 - 1010.
http://www.clovergrill.com/
Rampart Food Store @ 1700 North Rampart Street, New Orleans, LA 504 - 944 - 7777.
There are numerous lunch and dinner special's in NOLA. Mr. B's has a 2 course prix fixe lunch for $20.00. Domenica is a casual John Besh Italian restaurant in the Roosevelot Hotel a block from Canal Street. They have happy hour specials from 3/6 half price pizza and drinks. Dining at the bar at Domenica is fun. Luke is another John Besh restaurant in the Hilton on St. Charles. They have a 2 course express lunch for $15.00 and 3/6 Happy Hour half price drinks and 50 cent oysters. Dining at the bar at Luke is fun also. Antoine's is in the FQ and they have a prix fixe 3 course lunch for $20.00.
Domenica @ 123 Baronne St., New Orleans, LA. 504 - 648 - 6020.
http://www.domenicarestaurant.com/
Luke Restaurant @ 333 St. Charles Ave., New Orleans, LA. 504 - 378 - 2840.
http://www.lukeneworleans.com/
Mimi's in the Marigny and Port O Call are fine places for inexpensive dining. The burgers at Port O Call are outstanding. Buffa's Lounge has good tamales.

Mimi's in the Marigny @ 2601 Royal St., New Orleans, LA. 504 - 872 - 9868.
Port of Call @ 838 Esplanade Ave., New Orleans, LA. 504 - 523 - 0120.
http://www.portofcallneworleans.com/
Buffa's Lounge @ 1001 Esplanade Ave., New Orleans, LA. 504 - 949 - 0038.
http://www.buffaslounge.com/
Some of the best dining is in the FQ and the CBD across Canal Street. There's also great restaurants in the Garden District and Uptown. If you are staying in the FQ you will have to take a cab or the streetcar 15 minutes or so Uptown which is not bad. Some people that stay in the FQ prefer to dine there so they can walk. Are you interested in fine dining or casual restaurants. If you prefer to stay in the FQ I like Galatoire's, Muriel's, Bayona, Stella, Irene's, Brennan's, Mr. B's and NOLA. Don't miss lunch at Galatoire's. On Friday there is a party all afternoon so choose your day as you please. Go to The Davenport Lounge at The Ritz Carlton Hotel and listen to Jeremy Davenport's jazz on Friday and Saturday at 9 PM.
Galatoire's @ 209 Bourbon St., New Orleans, LA 504 - 525 - 2021.
http://www.galatoires.com/
Muriel's @ 801 Chartres St., New Orleans, LA. 504 - 568 - 1885.
http://www.muriels.com/html/home.html
Bayona @ 430 Dauphine St., New Orleans, LA. 504 - 525 - 4455.
http://www.bayona.com/
Stella Restaurant @ 1032 Chartres St., New Orleans, LA. 504 - 587 - 0091.
http://www.restaurantstella.com/
Irene's Cuisine @ 539 St. Phillip St., New Orleans, LA. 504 - 529 - 8811.
Brennan's Restaurant @ Royal St., New Orleans, LA. 504 - 525 - 9711.
http://www.brennansneworleans.com/
Mr. B's Bistro @ 201 Royal St., New Orleans, LA. 504 - 523 - 2078.
http://www.mrbsbistro.com/index2.php
Nola Restaurant @ 534 Saint Louis St., New Orleans, LA. 504 - 522 - 6652.
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Old Oct 7th, 2011, 05:52 PM
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Lunch was the cheaper restaurant owned by the people who own Stella (can't remember the name right now). It was the only "meh" food of the trip.



That was Stanley! OMG we LOVED their breakfast. Can't speak for lunch. Funny how we all have different experiences. Everyone loves Cochon and I found that to be our 'meh' trying too hard place. I wouldn't go back.
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Old Oct 7th, 2011, 06:03 PM
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Perfect reading, thankyou. Bookmarking for our planning for next year.
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