New Orleans with 2 Kids - First Time
Oct 18th, 2015, 10:44 PM
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New Orleans with 2 Kids - First Time
So after a long time deciding a place to travel with my little family, we have decided that New Orleans is the place (since we love food). We heard that New Orleans has lots of great restaurants. However, we will be traveling with 2 kids, 10 months old and 4 years old. Will be first time for all of us. We come from CA. Will be there for 4 days in the 2nd week of Nov.
Could anyone give us suggestions as to where to go, places to stay, tips and hints, transportation, car rental needed? great restaurants, kids places, etc? Greatly appreciate it.
Could anyone give us suggestions as to where to go, places to stay, tips and hints, transportation, car rental needed? great restaurants, kids places, etc? Greatly appreciate it.
Oct 19th, 2015, 03:59 AM
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Frankly I would not take 2 little ones to New Orleans for a foodie fest. Kids that age don't enjoy sitting still for 2 or more hours for an elegant 8 pm dinner - and many restaurants will not welcome them. So unless you will arrange for a sitter you may find yourself in casual places for very fast meals that the kids will sit still for.
I would head for a place that is more kid friendly with a focus on things they can enjoy and leave the foodie exploration until kids are older - or you do a trip without them.
I would head for a place that is more kid friendly with a focus on things they can enjoy and leave the foodie exploration until kids are older - or you do a trip without them.
Oct 19th, 2015, 09:25 AM
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Mufallatas, po' boys, a crawfish boil dumped on a table, étouffée, King cakes and more, plus a tree growing in the middle of a restaurant...all local foods and experiences that both kids and adults who "love food" could have fun with. You'll have a blast.
Oct 19th, 2015, 09:44 AM
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I love New Orleans, and I love food - the vast majority of our meals there are not 2 hour long elegant dinners at 8pm 
Not to worry - you can eat incredible food with kids in tow.
One of my very most favorite things to do in New Orleans is get po-boy or muffaleta sandwiches to go, take them up on the levy and have a picnic while watching the river traffic. And this is a perfect activity with kids.
For sit down meals, you also have plenty of good choices that are kid friendly.
For breakfast, check out Stanley, Ye Olde Coffee Pot, and Cafe Beignet.
Of course Cafe Du Monde is a place you must go for beignets and chicory coffee. They also have milk and other beverages for the kids.
Dinner - you'll want to go early because of the kids, so tons of good choices and because you'll be eating early, they'll all be more kid-friendly than later on.
For hotel, I'd choose the Place d'Arms hotel, just off Jackson Square. I'd get a room with a balcony or a ground floor room off the courtyard - that way when the kids nap, you mom and dad have a place to hang out and relax. And the location is good, very central so you can easily go back to the room for a rest, wardrobe change, etc. It is very close to Jackson Square where you have a lot of artists and musicians - kids generally love street musicians.
There is an aquarium that is popular with kids. Also the zoo. You could go out to City Park.
http://neworleanscitypark.com/in-the-park
Not to worry - you can eat incredible food with kids in tow. One of my very most favorite things to do in New Orleans is get po-boy or muffaleta sandwiches to go, take them up on the levy and have a picnic while watching the river traffic. And this is a perfect activity with kids.
For sit down meals, you also have plenty of good choices that are kid friendly.
For breakfast, check out Stanley, Ye Olde Coffee Pot, and Cafe Beignet.
Of course Cafe Du Monde is a place you must go for beignets and chicory coffee. They also have milk and other beverages for the kids.
Dinner - you'll want to go early because of the kids, so tons of good choices and because you'll be eating early, they'll all be more kid-friendly than later on.
For hotel, I'd choose the Place d'Arms hotel, just off Jackson Square. I'd get a room with a balcony or a ground floor room off the courtyard - that way when the kids nap, you mom and dad have a place to hang out and relax. And the location is good, very central so you can easily go back to the room for a rest, wardrobe change, etc. It is very close to Jackson Square where you have a lot of artists and musicians - kids generally love street musicians.
There is an aquarium that is popular with kids. Also the zoo. You could go out to City Park.
http://neworleanscitypark.com/in-the-park
Oct 19th, 2015, 11:07 AM
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>
Yeah, who doesn't?
Go to City Park - google it. Tons for the hobbits. The smaller one will be mostly attached to someone or crawling around so gear activities toward the older one. And because you'll be there the second week of November, you won't have to compete with the Voodoo Festival (which ends 11-1), so that's good.
There's a kids' ghost tour and swamp tours. There are various plantations nearby.
Crawfish aren't really in season in November. Oysters are (month with an R in it = good for oysters).
>
No it isn't. New Orleans residents would say otherwise. Cafe Beignet on Royal has a top-end rep too. And our kids liked this better: http://morningcallcoffeestand.com/
There are tons of places for beignets, btw, so it'll be hard to foul this up.
You'll see Aunt Sally's pralines everywhere. Skip them. Get pralines from one of these two stores instead: http://www.southerncandymakers.com/
Go here before you leave and buy for home use: http://www.cajunsausage.com/
Yeah, who doesn't?
Go to City Park - google it. Tons for the hobbits. The smaller one will be mostly attached to someone or crawling around so gear activities toward the older one. And because you'll be there the second week of November, you won't have to compete with the Voodoo Festival (which ends 11-1), so that's good.
There's a kids' ghost tour and swamp tours. There are various plantations nearby.
Crawfish aren't really in season in November. Oysters are (month with an R in it = good for oysters).
>
No it isn't. New Orleans residents would say otherwise. Cafe Beignet on Royal has a top-end rep too. And our kids liked this better: http://morningcallcoffeestand.com/
There are tons of places for beignets, btw, so it'll be hard to foul this up.
You'll see Aunt Sally's pralines everywhere. Skip them. Get pralines from one of these two stores instead: http://www.southerncandymakers.com/
Go here before you leave and buy for home use: http://www.cajunsausage.com/
Oct 19th, 2015, 12:17 PM
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No it isn't. New Orleans residents would say otherwise. Cafe Beignet on Royal has a top-end rep too. And our kids liked this better: http://morningcallcoffeestand.com/"
So New Orleans residents uniformly tell people NOT to go to Cafe du Monde, then?
Cafe du Monde may or may not have the best beignets (serious, long-standing debate on that point - and I made no claims about the superiority of their beignets), but either way, it is a New Orleans institution and an experience all on its own
No it isn't. New Orleans residents would say otherwise. Cafe Beignet on Royal has a top-end rep too. And our kids liked this better: http://morningcallcoffeestand.com/"
So New Orleans residents uniformly tell people NOT to go to Cafe du Monde, then?
Cafe du Monde may or may not have the best beignets (serious, long-standing debate on that point - and I made no claims about the superiority of their beignets), but either way, it is a New Orleans institution and an experience all on its own
Oct 19th, 2015, 04:10 PM
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We obviously have different definitions of "foodie". for me that doesn't include giant sandwiches for dinner. Nothing wrong with a sandwich for lunch - but given the fantastic food in NO - not for dinner.
And, yes I expect a nice dinner to include wine and take at least two hours to enjoy.
Traveling with 2 hobbits I would have picked a place more focused on their interests and organized a sitter to have one nice dinner on our own.
And, yes I expect a nice dinner to include wine and take at least two hours to enjoy.
Traveling with 2 hobbits I would have picked a place more focused on their interests and organized a sitter to have one nice dinner on our own.
Oct 20th, 2015, 08:32 AM
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For once, I agree with NYTrav. So either you're going to serious restos with the halflings, or going mid-scale in which you can find good food but can also drag them along without getting glared at by every other patron.
The fact is there is no way that traveling all the way to NOLA to have muffalettas for dinner (seriously? cold cuts and mixed olives for dinner?) is worth your while.
Po' boys are also . . . wait for it . . . sandwiches. Also known as heroes, subs, dagwoods, etc. The difference is that in NOLA, po boys are offered with fried shrimp or oysters or other bivalve/bottom feeder (usually fried) from the Gulf.
King cakes are for Fat Tuesday (which you may know by its French name, Mardi Gras) and the attendant preceding festivities. In other words, they're "in season" in February and maybe the end of January if Ash Wednesday comes early in the year. Few, if any, of those who have HAD king cake would ever tell you it's a culinary highlight of their life - it's an oversized Danish with different icing and coloring. And I've worked with Louisiana natives who just HAD to have their preferred king cake shipped to the office . . . no biggie.
The fact is there is no way that traveling all the way to NOLA to have muffalettas for dinner (seriously? cold cuts and mixed olives for dinner?) is worth your while.
Po' boys are also . . . wait for it . . . sandwiches. Also known as heroes, subs, dagwoods, etc. The difference is that in NOLA, po boys are offered with fried shrimp or oysters or other bivalve/bottom feeder (usually fried) from the Gulf.
King cakes are for Fat Tuesday (which you may know by its French name, Mardi Gras) and the attendant preceding festivities. In other words, they're "in season" in February and maybe the end of January if Ash Wednesday comes early in the year. Few, if any, of those who have HAD king cake would ever tell you it's a culinary highlight of their life - it's an oversized Danish with different icing and coloring. And I've worked with Louisiana natives who just HAD to have their preferred king cake shipped to the office . . . no biggie.
Oct 22nd, 2015, 06:47 AM
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I don't see anything wrong with taking your kids to Nola unless you are going there to party which from your post you aren't. There are many things to do with kids in the city. The Zoo is great although the elephants exhibit is under construction at the moment so they only take them out at certain times for viewings but is still a lot of fun! The Aquarium is good too there is also the Audubon Butterfly Garden and Insectarium which is pretty cool for little ones. Also a Children's museum that you can bring them to for a fun day. And of course City Park as mentioned above.
Hope this helped and ya'll enjoy the trip
Hope this helped and ya'll enjoy the trip
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