New Orleans Breakfast Walks
 

We'll have two mornings free Nov. 23 and 24, would like suggestions for walking in Latin Quarter or river area, and great breakfast restaurants. We're staying at Queen and Crescent, have read caveats but are hoping for the best!

There's no LATIN QUARTER in New Orleans! Only the French Quarter.

Dear Dottie: "Me" is right--there is no Latin Quarter in New Orleans; and the places that most people go for breakfast are a stone's throw from each other, near St. Louis Cathedral: the French Market where one has the traditional beignets (sugared doughnuts) and chicory-coffee (black with half milk). Or La Madeleine, a more traditional French bakery-cafe where you can have fancier pastries and equally good coffee. There are other eateries but for the true flavor of New Orleans these two are where you go. Bon appetit! Joan

I'd recommend Petunia's on St. Louis St. We ended up eating there every day during our trip. My wife - who is a diet fanatic - had pain perdu (NO for french toast) every day and thought it the best she'd ever had. I had Cajun corned beef hash. Spicey, but great. Portions are enormous, too. Have fun! Dick

The National Park Service has a walk through the French Quarter every morning at 10:30 am. Tickets are first come and groups are limited to 30 The Jean Lafitte visitor center is located at 916 N. Peters, near the French Market. For more info, look at www.nps.gov/jela/ Try Cafe du Monde for breakfast for beignets and coffee.

In addition to La Madeleine which always seems crowded, you could head for Croissant D'Or (which is not a chain like La Madeleine) and is owned by a French gentlemen. His croissants are just heavenly. It's in the 600 block of Ursulines in the lower Quarter. If you want a stick-to-your-ribs breakfast, head for Clover Grill on the corner of Bourbon and Dumaine. I eat here every Sunday morning. They have great waffles and omelets. Another coffee place is Kaldi's on Decatur and St. Phillip. It's closing it's doors due to an outrageous increase in rent, but I'm not sure when the closing is scheduled. You should definitely do Cafe du Monde for beignets and cafe au lait, but I prefer it as an after dinner stop rather than for breakfast. It's usually not as crowded then as in the morning.