Quick N.O. business trip review

Old Jan 30th, 2011, 07:56 PM
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Quick N.O. business trip review

Went in on a Sunday morning, arriving around 10am.
Grabbed a cab to the French Quarter (33.00 for 1 or 2 person) and felt lucky to survive the trip! Many of the 'cabs' are 20 year old Suburbans. My cabbie was an elderly man who felt it necessary to drive 90+ mph in a vehicle that had bad shocks and swayed to the left and right as he weaved in an out of the light traffic. I was terrified and he would not slow down. Then he got very irritated that I used a credit card even though I told him BEFORE we left the a/p.
Checked into the Ritz which is a lovely hotel. My room was just beautiful, looking over the quarter. The tub was big enough for 4 people (really) and the walk in shower was nice.
The bed was romantic with the canopy. Hardwood floors and nice electronics.
The club lounge was amazing, with 3 full food presentations a day there is almost no need to pay for food while in New Orleans. My only complaint about the hotel was Canal street. It's dodgy at best and I felt very uncomfortable walking on it.
The Ritz has an exit on it's backside which goes right into the busier touristy part of the quarter. That was a better way to go.
After I arrived, I headed out for the day, walking all over the city and enjoying beignets from a bag full of powdered sugar. I had a Muffaletta for dinner from some random place and it was pretty darn good, but a little oily.
I went into 50+ stores in the city and did not find anything of interest.
The next day we had dinner at K-Pauls.
I cannot say enough about the devine cheddar jalapeno yeast rolls. OMG they were heaven. Other than that, the meal was just ok. It took 2+ hours to get our entrees and the service was friendly but very unattentive.
I had the etouffee, fried green tomatoes and the spinach salad. All fine, just nothing special. The bread pudding was very good, I must say.
I wish I would have had more time for exploring and the trip makes me want to return with a few days of leisure time.
I recommend the Ritz. The room was awesome and comfy, the meeting rooms were nice and the food/drinks/snacks in the club lounge were excellent!
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Old Jan 31st, 2011, 09:03 AM
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I really like The RC. It's a great hotel. Did you know there is a much smaller hotel named Iberville Suites located inside the RC. A guest there has access to the entire RC property and you can enter the RC lobby from the IS. Galatoire's is our favorite restaurant just around the corner. I agree the RC is in a perfect location. Glad you enjoyed your visit.
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Old Jan 31st, 2011, 10:12 AM
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I am a little baffled by this post...Nola is hardly a 'shopping destination' unless seeking, perhaps art or antiques. Also, I don't care how good the food is on the Ritz Club Floor, I go to Nola to eat...
Canal St. is well, Canal St. one of those things that makes Nola what it is. If you aren't comfortable w/it, there are better places (IMHO) to stay, right in the Quarter.
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Old Jan 31st, 2011, 10:13 AM
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I would be curious to know if the OP had ever visited Nola before ?
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Old Jan 31st, 2011, 11:05 AM
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I'm not a big fan of Canal Street either. I like the FQ a lot though, and my favorite parts are the areas between Jackson Square and Esplanade. I've found some neat antiques on Royal Street and some great art as well, although I don't generally go for NOLA for shopping. I go to NOLA to eat - and eat some more
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Old Jan 31st, 2011, 03:04 PM
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I was there for business. I arrived early in the day to walk around and check things out. I guess you could say that I had 6 hours to walk around. On a Sunday.
I have been there before.
I lived in LA and had family there. Add to that, my family was French Canadian (Hebert) with ties in Montreal and LA for many generations and we lived with the real deal. We have 4 certified chefs in our family. Food is no draw for me. This is cuisine that we have frequently at home.
K-Paul's was the location of the group meal after a meeting. Selected for me, you might say. I would have grabbed a poboy if left on my own.
The Ritz was the location of the meeting and it is where we were to stay. The club food was very good and very convenient.
It was very nice and convenient to grab good food in the hotel.
My interest in NO is primarily historic. I love the buildings, the color. I wanted to see how these things had changed. I browsed the stores because they were there and I had the time. I suppose I hoped I would find something special.
I had no interest whatsoever in nightlife in NO.
The purpose of my review was to note my thoughts.
The title summed it up IMO: Quick N.O. business trip review
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Old Jan 31st, 2011, 03:15 PM
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Littleman... I had NO IDEA!!!
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Old Jan 31st, 2011, 03:15 PM
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'We have 4 certified chefs in our family. Food is no draw for me. This is cuisine that we have frequently at home.'
How could you possibly know, if you haven't tried it ?
It is unfortunate that you chose to miss out on one of the best parts, of one of the best dining spots in the country.
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Old Jan 31st, 2011, 03:33 PM
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What part of 'business trip' do you not understand????
I was there for business. Aside from 6 hours (where I had great beignets and a muffaletta) I had no time to go exploring food spots. Work. It is what you do on a business trip... or at least it is what I have to do. Attend meetings and 'functions' and then keep up with day to day work. I was lucky to have 6 whole hours!
Been there. Lived there. Ate it all the time.
Have it all here, all the time.

Oh, and to add to that... I had just returned the day prior from a trip to NYC where I stayed at the Pierre hotel... and ate at fabulous places, including the James Beard House.
And 2 days prior to leaving for NYC, I stayed a week in Charleston, SC. Ate a bunch there too.
These are all work trips. They will never be leisure trips.
I am lucky that I get to go to all the great places that I do, but it is simply not possible to be a tourist when you travel for a living. Next up? Las Vegas, Amsterdam, Hong Kong and San Francisco. All this quarter.

Is that so hard to believe?
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Old Jan 31st, 2011, 04:22 PM
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Oh, and a funny coincidence... I put on a pot of red beans at 7am this morning. I prefer it with ham hocks. I like dirty rice but my husband prefers jasmine rice, so since it is his birthday today we are having steamed jasmine rice with the red beans.
I would put my red beans up against any restaurant red beans.
Tomorrow I will make refried beans with some of the leftovers and make burritos.
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Old Jan 31st, 2011, 05:25 PM
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Congrats - Seems like your moniker may be a misnomer, however.
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Old Jan 31st, 2011, 05:35 PM
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Why is that? I am a professional who works in the travel industry.
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Old Jan 31st, 2011, 05:57 PM
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I seriously don't understand why you are being so antagonistic.
I've never done or said anything ugly to you.
There are many types of travelers.
Many people who visit this site are people who are visiting a town for a conference or other 'working' reasons.
Maybe they will be lucky enough to be a tourist, maybe not.
They may be looking for information about the Ritz, or cabs.
My post may be worthless to you, and if that is the case, move on as it clearly has nothing to offer you.
There was nothing 'wrong' with my post. I did not give out misinformation.
I just stated my brief experience.
I travel somewhere just about every week as I have since the 90's. Working in the luxury hotel industry, I have had access to some of the best food in the world. Not always 'in hotel' but mostly at events like the one in NO, where we go offsite for dinner. Usually it is a place with some recognition.
I generally prefer low rent food. 'Locals' food. I am over the snobbery of travel. I've been there done that.
I have enjoyed suites and had tea at the Peninsula Hong Kong and I still prefer the food at local places. I have eaten at a thousand places in London and Paris, stayed at the Langham, Ritz, Jumeirah, Le Crillion and other wonderful places and still prefer to grab bites to go in the food halls of Harrods or Waitrose... or street food.
I have an expense account that allows me to eat out and I STILL grab a nice chunk of Cashel Blue and a perfect apple. I simply do not need all that. Besides, I would weigh 500 pounds if I ate out all the time when I travel.

But seriously, I just don't understand why you can't understand that some people are like you and some are like me.
I'm over the snobbery.
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Old Jan 31st, 2011, 06:11 PM
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Oh, and one last thing. Why would you assume that I was NOT looking at art and antiques?
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Old Jan 31st, 2011, 06:41 PM
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I have to agree with TxTravelPro. Why the negativity?
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Old Feb 1st, 2011, 08:56 AM
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I'm glad that you had some time to wander around in between meetings and things. I travel a reasonable amount for work too, although not as much as you. Most of my travel takes me to areas where tourists don't generally go, but once in awhile I get to go to a cool place like New Orleans for work. When I go someplace fun, I always try to build in some sightseeing time. It doesn't always work out, but I try.
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Old Feb 1st, 2011, 10:06 AM
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I merely suggested you missed out on come of the very best things that are Nola related. Every post since has been filled w/nothing but snobbery - & I quote -

-'We have 4 certified chefs in our family. Food is no draw for me. This is cuisine that we have frequently at home.'
-'I have enjoyed suites and had tea at the Peninsula Hong Kong and I still prefer the food at local places. I have eaten at a thousand places in London and Paris, stayed at the Langham, Ritz, Jumeirah, Le Crillion and other wonderful places and still prefer to grab bites to go in the food halls of Harrods or Waitrose'
- 'I had just returned the day prior from a trip to NYC where I stayed at the Pierre hotel... and ate at fabulous places, including the James Beard House.'
- 'Next up? Las Vegas, Amsterdam, Hong Kong and San Francisco. '

None of which has anything to do w/New Orleans.

-' I'm over the snobbery.'

Really, could have fooled me.
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