New Orleans Trip Report, Jan 19-22, 2008
Jan 26th, 2008, 04:24 PM
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New Orleans Trip Report, Jan 19-22, 2008
I received a lot of good advice here and from posters on Trip Advisor, I hope this report will help repay your helpfulness.
V and I are 60-ish, budget travelers, long-time friends, married to non-traveling husbands. We always take a long weekend trip over the MLK weekend. V had never been to New Orleans; I was last there 25 years ago. We went . . . here's where we went, ate, saw. Disclaimer . . . my opinions.
Taxi from airport to Intercontinental, $29.
Intercontinental (444 St. Charles), room 1119, $65/night on Priceline . . . $78 inc. taxes. Our room was lovely. We had two double beds, armoire w/TV, minibar, desk, small table, one chair. We had a safe and iron/board in the closet, even had some padded hangers. Our large marble bathroom was two rooms . . . one with long counter, sink, magnifying mirror, hair dryer, coffee and another with tub/shower (nice, adjustable pressure) and commode. The beds were super comfy and our room was very quiet. The Intercontinental is about three blocks from the French Quarter.
Where we ate/drank:
Napoleon House (500 Chartres), we ordered a muffaletta sandwich, an order of jambalaya, and a Pimm’s Cup (fill a tall 12-oz. glass w/ice, add 1¼ oz. Pimm's #1 (gin-based and 25% alcohol by volume) and 3 oz. lemonade, top off w/7-Up, garnish w/cucumber slice). Neither of us like gin so we ordered one to try . . . it was really good so immediately ordered another. Wonderful meal, friendly waiter.
Acme Oyster House (724 Iberville), wonderful oysters, good ham po’boy, fries (disappointed to find out a po’boy is just a sub sandwich, which we have at home), good food but surly female bartender.
Ugly Dog Saloon and Bar-B-Q (401 Andrew Higgins Dr., 2 blks from WWII Museum). This was a very nice bar . . . big, open, no smoking, dim but not dark, not too loud, many TVs. They had Abita Amber on tap, good beef and pork BBQ, no fried foods, curry mayo in coleslaw and potato salad, good if you like curry . . . we don’t. Our waitress here was surly and unfriendly.
Coop’s (1109 Decatur St), a small bar with a few tables, nothing fancy, just good food. We
split a platter of red beans and rice; gumbo w/rabbit, sausage, shrimp, crawfish; jambalaya; shrimp creole; Cajun fried chicken . . . we added an order of fries. This was delicious, a lot of food, the Cajun fried chicken was really outstanding . . . the fries were a little sweet but were real fries (not frozen) and very good. The red beans and rice had a smokey flavor, like maybe it had BBQ ham added, really tasty. We liked this place and the food . . . but another unfriendly female bartender.
Pere Antoine’s (741 Royal), bought a whole muffaletta to go, it came w/fries. Fries good, sandwich low on olive relish, tasted too much like a plain baloney sandwich, very friendly waiter.
Commander’s Palace (1403 Washington), do not miss this dining experience! I had eaten here when I last visited NO, 25 years ago and was looking forward to another great meal . . . and the 25¢ martinis at lunch. The staff here made up for all the other unfriendly staff we had encountered . . .everyone spoke to us, welcoming us to CP. Our outstanding waiter was Charlie, a nice young man with a great southern drawl. We had several choices of cocktails for 25¢ . . . Classic Martini; CP Martini Vodka; Cosmopolitan; or Ray’s Melon Martini. There is a 4-drink limit per person for 25¢. A few seconds after our drinks arrived, Charlie returned with a plate of hot garlic bread and menus. We wanted everything on the menu.
We tried the Soups 1-1-1, a demi serving of three soups: Gumbo, Turtle (w/sherry) and Soup du Jour (today was Oyster and Chicken gumbo ($7.50). This was perfect . . . enough to try but not enough to fill up before our main dishes. For our mains, V ordered Caribbean jerk-spiced pork tenderloin and I ordered the NO-style BBQ shrimp (both $18). Both dishes were served with a loaf of hot French bread. For dessert, we split a HUGE strawberry shortcake . . . and it was GREAT ($8.50)!
Charlie saw me writing down the items from the menu and ask if I would like to keep it. Why Yes! He then asked our names and took it back to the kitchen and had Chef Tory McPhail autograph it for us. This not only was a wonderful meal but a great dining experience ($68 total).
Three Legged Dog Pub (400 Burgundy), a dive bar located a couple blocks off Bourbon, happy hour all day long (and drinks were cheap to start). It is a favorite of the locals . . . lots of service industry workers hang out here. It was a little farther away than we thought and we were just about to give up and turn around when we found it . . . it is kinda off the beaten path and there’s nothing much around it. Friendly female bartender.
Old Absinthe House (240 Bourbon), the AFC title game was on TV so the place was packed, good ambiance, free popcorn, friendly female bartender.
Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop (corner of Bourbon & St. Phillip Sts.), one of the few remaining original "French architecture" structures in the FQ. It is said that the Lafitte brothers operated this blacksmith shop as a legitimate appearing business, serving as a front for their privateer enterprises. One of the brothers was the infamous Jean Lafitte, Privateer, and co-hero of the Battle of New Orleans. Lafitte’s is VERY cool. Nothing has been done to the place to modernize it. From the outside, it looks like a shanty, but the inside is quite cozy, no lights inside except for a small fire blazing in a stone hearth and some candles. This was our favorite bar and the waitress was very nice. This would be a great place for a date.
What we did:
Cabildo, bought the senior combo ticket ($9.60 ea) to visit the Cabildo, the Presbytere, and the 1850 House. We started in the Cabildo . . . Louisiana Historical Museum and were shown around by the friendly guard . . . he/his family had lost everything in Katrina and had been sheltered by the VFW club in Duncanville, TX. He wanted to talk about it and how grateful he was, how his son didn’t want to return to NO after attending school in Texas, how far behind their schools are in relation to Texas schools, how many schools are still closed, and how the open ones are segregated.
The Cabildo (http://lsm.crt.state.la.us/cabildo/cabildo.htm) was mildly interesting . . . there was an exhibit on coffee, along with a display of cups/saucers from all over the world. We saw the room, table/chairs where the Louisiana Purchase was signed, we saw pictures from Katrina, we saw Fats Domino’s storm-ruined piano. We went next door to the Saint Louis Cathedral (oldest cathedral in North America) and took a look . . . we continued on to the Presbytere. This turned out to be the Mardi Gras museum and was a lot more interesting than we thought it would be. It had floats, costumes, photos, clothes, music, etc. The last of our combo ticket was the 1850 House . . . a re-creation of an Antebellum residence, the house depicts middle-class family life.
Krewe de Vieux, one of the earliest parades of the Carnival calendar, noted for wild satirical and adult themes, as well as for showcasing a large number of New Orleans' best marching bands.
World War II Museum (945 Magazine St.), about a 15 minute walk from Intercontinental, loved this museum! The print was large enough to read comfortably . . . there were small kiosks where we could watch short film clips and hear first-hand accounts from soldiers on both sides . . . there were short movies . . . plus all the regular exhibit stuff. We were there about four hours . . . and we didn’t stay that long in the Louvre! There are plans to expand the museum and it will be four times larger than it is now. Don’t miss this if you are at all interested in history.
Tour of Oak Alley and Laura’s Plantation ($65 pp), we had made reservations on-line with River Road Plantation Adventures, this company uses 12-passenger vans instead of a big tour bus and comes recommended by the Smithsonian, Lonely Planet, Travel Channel, and Yahoo, wonderful tour, compatible group.
IMAX (1 Canal St), “Hurricane on the Bayou” . . . we agree with everyone, don’t miss this . . . outstanding.
Gallier House (1118 Royal), historic and furnished home of esteemed NO architect, James Gallier, Jr., wonderfully furnished home with its detailed garden, elegant carriageway, and restored slave quarters, had private tour with a friendly and outstanding young docent.
I am an anal, Type-A person so naturally I have a very detailed trip report (this is nothing)! If you are interested, you can email me at [email protected] and I'll email you a copy.
It was colder in NO than we had prepared for but it didn't slow us down much. We encountered many VERY friendly people, it just seemed that waitress/female bar tenders in the places we went were the exceptions. We made a pact to return in another 25 years . . . I'll be 89, V will be 83 . . . we hope we make it!
Happy travels,
Sandy (in Denton)
V and I are 60-ish, budget travelers, long-time friends, married to non-traveling husbands. We always take a long weekend trip over the MLK weekend. V had never been to New Orleans; I was last there 25 years ago. We went . . . here's where we went, ate, saw. Disclaimer . . . my opinions.
Taxi from airport to Intercontinental, $29.
Intercontinental (444 St. Charles), room 1119, $65/night on Priceline . . . $78 inc. taxes. Our room was lovely. We had two double beds, armoire w/TV, minibar, desk, small table, one chair. We had a safe and iron/board in the closet, even had some padded hangers. Our large marble bathroom was two rooms . . . one with long counter, sink, magnifying mirror, hair dryer, coffee and another with tub/shower (nice, adjustable pressure) and commode. The beds were super comfy and our room was very quiet. The Intercontinental is about three blocks from the French Quarter.
Where we ate/drank:
Napoleon House (500 Chartres), we ordered a muffaletta sandwich, an order of jambalaya, and a Pimm’s Cup (fill a tall 12-oz. glass w/ice, add 1¼ oz. Pimm's #1 (gin-based and 25% alcohol by volume) and 3 oz. lemonade, top off w/7-Up, garnish w/cucumber slice). Neither of us like gin so we ordered one to try . . . it was really good so immediately ordered another. Wonderful meal, friendly waiter.
Acme Oyster House (724 Iberville), wonderful oysters, good ham po’boy, fries (disappointed to find out a po’boy is just a sub sandwich, which we have at home), good food but surly female bartender.
Ugly Dog Saloon and Bar-B-Q (401 Andrew Higgins Dr., 2 blks from WWII Museum). This was a very nice bar . . . big, open, no smoking, dim but not dark, not too loud, many TVs. They had Abita Amber on tap, good beef and pork BBQ, no fried foods, curry mayo in coleslaw and potato salad, good if you like curry . . . we don’t. Our waitress here was surly and unfriendly.
Coop’s (1109 Decatur St), a small bar with a few tables, nothing fancy, just good food. We
split a platter of red beans and rice; gumbo w/rabbit, sausage, shrimp, crawfish; jambalaya; shrimp creole; Cajun fried chicken . . . we added an order of fries. This was delicious, a lot of food, the Cajun fried chicken was really outstanding . . . the fries were a little sweet but were real fries (not frozen) and very good. The red beans and rice had a smokey flavor, like maybe it had BBQ ham added, really tasty. We liked this place and the food . . . but another unfriendly female bartender.
Pere Antoine’s (741 Royal), bought a whole muffaletta to go, it came w/fries. Fries good, sandwich low on olive relish, tasted too much like a plain baloney sandwich, very friendly waiter.
Commander’s Palace (1403 Washington), do not miss this dining experience! I had eaten here when I last visited NO, 25 years ago and was looking forward to another great meal . . . and the 25¢ martinis at lunch. The staff here made up for all the other unfriendly staff we had encountered . . .everyone spoke to us, welcoming us to CP. Our outstanding waiter was Charlie, a nice young man with a great southern drawl. We had several choices of cocktails for 25¢ . . . Classic Martini; CP Martini Vodka; Cosmopolitan; or Ray’s Melon Martini. There is a 4-drink limit per person for 25¢. A few seconds after our drinks arrived, Charlie returned with a plate of hot garlic bread and menus. We wanted everything on the menu.
We tried the Soups 1-1-1, a demi serving of three soups: Gumbo, Turtle (w/sherry) and Soup du Jour (today was Oyster and Chicken gumbo ($7.50). This was perfect . . . enough to try but not enough to fill up before our main dishes. For our mains, V ordered Caribbean jerk-spiced pork tenderloin and I ordered the NO-style BBQ shrimp (both $18). Both dishes were served with a loaf of hot French bread. For dessert, we split a HUGE strawberry shortcake . . . and it was GREAT ($8.50)!
Charlie saw me writing down the items from the menu and ask if I would like to keep it. Why Yes! He then asked our names and took it back to the kitchen and had Chef Tory McPhail autograph it for us. This not only was a wonderful meal but a great dining experience ($68 total).
Three Legged Dog Pub (400 Burgundy), a dive bar located a couple blocks off Bourbon, happy hour all day long (and drinks were cheap to start). It is a favorite of the locals . . . lots of service industry workers hang out here. It was a little farther away than we thought and we were just about to give up and turn around when we found it . . . it is kinda off the beaten path and there’s nothing much around it. Friendly female bartender.
Old Absinthe House (240 Bourbon), the AFC title game was on TV so the place was packed, good ambiance, free popcorn, friendly female bartender.
Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop (corner of Bourbon & St. Phillip Sts.), one of the few remaining original "French architecture" structures in the FQ. It is said that the Lafitte brothers operated this blacksmith shop as a legitimate appearing business, serving as a front for their privateer enterprises. One of the brothers was the infamous Jean Lafitte, Privateer, and co-hero of the Battle of New Orleans. Lafitte’s is VERY cool. Nothing has been done to the place to modernize it. From the outside, it looks like a shanty, but the inside is quite cozy, no lights inside except for a small fire blazing in a stone hearth and some candles. This was our favorite bar and the waitress was very nice. This would be a great place for a date.
What we did:
Cabildo, bought the senior combo ticket ($9.60 ea) to visit the Cabildo, the Presbytere, and the 1850 House. We started in the Cabildo . . . Louisiana Historical Museum and were shown around by the friendly guard . . . he/his family had lost everything in Katrina and had been sheltered by the VFW club in Duncanville, TX. He wanted to talk about it and how grateful he was, how his son didn’t want to return to NO after attending school in Texas, how far behind their schools are in relation to Texas schools, how many schools are still closed, and how the open ones are segregated.
The Cabildo (http://lsm.crt.state.la.us/cabildo/cabildo.htm) was mildly interesting . . . there was an exhibit on coffee, along with a display of cups/saucers from all over the world. We saw the room, table/chairs where the Louisiana Purchase was signed, we saw pictures from Katrina, we saw Fats Domino’s storm-ruined piano. We went next door to the Saint Louis Cathedral (oldest cathedral in North America) and took a look . . . we continued on to the Presbytere. This turned out to be the Mardi Gras museum and was a lot more interesting than we thought it would be. It had floats, costumes, photos, clothes, music, etc. The last of our combo ticket was the 1850 House . . . a re-creation of an Antebellum residence, the house depicts middle-class family life.
Krewe de Vieux, one of the earliest parades of the Carnival calendar, noted for wild satirical and adult themes, as well as for showcasing a large number of New Orleans' best marching bands.
World War II Museum (945 Magazine St.), about a 15 minute walk from Intercontinental, loved this museum! The print was large enough to read comfortably . . . there were small kiosks where we could watch short film clips and hear first-hand accounts from soldiers on both sides . . . there were short movies . . . plus all the regular exhibit stuff. We were there about four hours . . . and we didn’t stay that long in the Louvre! There are plans to expand the museum and it will be four times larger than it is now. Don’t miss this if you are at all interested in history.
Tour of Oak Alley and Laura’s Plantation ($65 pp), we had made reservations on-line with River Road Plantation Adventures, this company uses 12-passenger vans instead of a big tour bus and comes recommended by the Smithsonian, Lonely Planet, Travel Channel, and Yahoo, wonderful tour, compatible group.
IMAX (1 Canal St), “Hurricane on the Bayou” . . . we agree with everyone, don’t miss this . . . outstanding.
Gallier House (1118 Royal), historic and furnished home of esteemed NO architect, James Gallier, Jr., wonderfully furnished home with its detailed garden, elegant carriageway, and restored slave quarters, had private tour with a friendly and outstanding young docent.
I am an anal, Type-A person so naturally I have a very detailed trip report (this is nothing)! If you are interested, you can email me at [email protected] and I'll email you a copy.
It was colder in NO than we had prepared for but it didn't slow us down much. We encountered many VERY friendly people, it just seemed that waitress/female bar tenders in the places we went were the exceptions. We made a pact to return in another 25 years . . . I'll be 89, V will be 83 . . . we hope we make it!
Happy travels,
Sandy (in Denton)
Jan 26th, 2008, 06:18 PM
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Sandy_b,
I have no doubt that you and V will be in New Orleans again in 25 years!
What a great price you got on Priceline! Someday I will be brave enough to try it.
Thanks for your report, it makes me want to go back to NO! So glad you were able to share this experience with your longtime friend!!
I have no doubt that you and V will be in New Orleans again in 25 years!
What a great price you got on Priceline! Someday I will be brave enough to try it.
Thanks for your report, it makes me want to go back to NO! So glad you were able to share this experience with your longtime friend!!
Jan 27th, 2008, 07:30 AM
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sandy_b,
Thanks for the trip report. Glad you enjoyed your stay. Also glad to see that Commander's Palace is back to its normal standards (rated best restaurant in the US several times in the '90s).
Thanks for the trip report. Glad you enjoyed your stay. Also glad to see that Commander's Palace is back to its normal standards (rated best restaurant in the US several times in the '90s).
Mar 12th, 2008, 04:39 AM
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Sandy, isn't New Orleans great?
I was there about the same time as you, it seems. Thanks for the details on the restaurants/bars. We hit some of the same places, including Acme and Lafitte's. Next time I will try CP, too.
I like your budget style, too, BTW.
Thanks for the report!
I was there about the same time as you, it seems. Thanks for the details on the restaurants/bars. We hit some of the same places, including Acme and Lafitte's. Next time I will try CP, too.
I like your budget style, too, BTW.
Thanks for the report!
Mar 12th, 2008, 07:32 PM
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Great trip report! No visit to NO is complete for me without a stop at Lafitte's. I love the piano bar in the back with sing along. I've always wanted to try Commander's palace and will try to next time I get there.
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