Good luck getting a seat at the Carousel Bar…we were actually staying at the Monteleone and never did get up at the bar, though we did snag a small table for a drink one evening. Still worth a try; it’s such a neat place. We were there last December (me for the first time) and one other restaurant recommendation is brunch at Atchafalya. It is a small, casual place; they had live music and a bloody mary bar. The food was amazing…my husband still regularly speaks longingly of their bananas foster french toast with praline sauce. I had a special that was grits with poached eggs, bacon, fried oysters and a cajun hollandaise sauce (may sound awful, but it was the best breakfast I ever had.) And I think my arteries are just about clearing up now… 
We loved Commander’s Palace; I don’t usually like “touristy” spots, but this was worth the hype. It may be a little staid (and $$$) for those in their twenties, though. We were there for a long weekend and I cannot wait to go back again. Have fun!
Atchafalaya has brunch from Thurs - Sunday I believe. It’s best to go early on the weekends, since it’s very popular.
If you go to Commander’s for lunch, they have 25 cent martinis. Something they started after they reopened after Hurricane Katrina. Lafayette cemetery, across the street, it popular to walk around in but it closes around 3 PM.
Sweet, 25 cent martini! Sounds like a perfect plan, lunch at Commander’s and a walk at the cemetery. Not sure how the Carousel bar would appeal to 20 somethings. It looked old fashioned in pictures.
Well , as a fan of the Carousel, I will admit to being quite middle aged. :). I’ve seen 30-somethings in there for sure.
I like Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop too. They do a hurricane that’s a bit different from Pat O’Brien’s. Really old place I am quite sure I went there in my 20’s too. :). As far as Pat O’s it is definitely popular with tourists but I still like going there and 20-something’s would fit right in. There is a courtyard with a flaming fountain, a piano bar, and s basic bar. each has their own appeal. I have most often gone to the courtyard but the piano bar is fun too.
One thing to bear in mind is that all the bars will give you a go cup. So if you stop in and the bar isn’t somewhere you want to linger, take your drink and walk on to the next spot. You can’t leave a bar with glass but you can just ask for a go cup and they will oblige (many places have stacks of plastic cups on the bar for the taking).
Pat O’Bien’s sounds like a winner for the kids. We can have a brunch at Atchafalaya on the day we leave NO, lunch and cemetery on the day we arrive. That leaves us two full days in between to go to KPaul’s, trolly ride, Rock Bowl, the City park and eat lots of praline. I get the feeling praline in NO must be special. It keeps popping up.
I am a big dissenter on Commander’s Palace. Lovely and elegant, but the cuisine belonged to another century. And not necessarily the 20th, either. I wouldn’t go back there. In a city where there’s no excuse for a bad meal, Commander’s charges you an arm and a leg for the privilege.
I am a big fan of the new food and new restaurants.
For me New Orleans is all about the food of the last century, the food of my childhood. It’s about the food of the century before last. Commander’s Palace is really expensive. I don’t have qualms recommending it to someone staying at Bourbon Orleans. But please check out the prices on-line, Igloo. Not just tourists are eating there.
It is difficult for me to see the city clearly. My New Orleans is the New Orleans from before the 84 World’s Fair, from when the French Market was a real market. When I am in the quarter, I am seeing lots of ghosts.
We won’t have that perspective unfortunately. We will first look at Commander’s from outside. If kids like it, we will go in for something small. Thanks for the warning.
You are probably better off with JHS’s advice. Your time is limited. The warehouse district is exciting. Probably the quarter is Disney to most visitors.
You can’t not have wonderful food and a great time!
Funny, I never have pralines in NO. But living in Louisiana I have them all the time.
Never been to Commander’s. I do want to try it one of these days. But there are tons of excellent places to eat, so if it doesn’t appeal, no biggie.
I love Commander’s. To me it’s not last century, that would be Antoine’s. Commander’s had Paul Prudhomme as head chef, followed by Emeril Lagasse before they went out on their own. It was the younger branch of the Brennan family that branched out with Commander’s and later went on to open the Palace Cafe, Mr. B’s Bistro, and others.
The original Brennan’s was very stodgy and traditional until it reopened recently. The younger Ralph Brennan is doing some really good things there and in all his restaurants. They recently bought the Napoleon House but they’ve said they won’t change it much.
Brennan’s and Commander’s are both really, really, good, They are expensive and fancy and you’ll need a reservation. Lunch is the less formal meal, otherwise there is a dress code. Still, you won’t find friendlier or more helpful staff, that is one thing that makes them both so good. Look at the menus online and enjoy wherever you go!
There are plenty of smaller, newer places that are very good too. Compere Lapin, Coquette, Lillette, Boucherie, Cochon, August, Herbsaint, and Peche are just a few off the top of my head. You might need reservations there too since they have small dining rooms.
(P.S. at Brennan’s, there is a window into the kitchen that you can peek into from Royal Street, at Commander’s, the waiters might walk you through the actual kitchen depending on where your table is. )
The “new” Brennans isn’t for me.
Last time we went to Antoines (formerly my favorite restaurant in the universe) we were seated next to a family in shorts and tees with a roaming toddler and a fussy infant. I love children and don’t mind family dining, but this is not the restaurant I remember. The food was unfortunate I wonder if we were just seated in the “tourist” area?
We loved Boucherie and a friend was there a few weeks ago and loved Peche . . . said it was one of the best meals they’ve eaten in NOLA.
Others have said it, but to me NOLA is all about food and music. You’ll find both in the Quarter, but not necessarily the best of either in the Quarter, which at this point is mainly catering to tourists, often with crowds, long lines, and high prices for things that can be had better and cheaper elsewhere in the city. That said, as a first-time visitor you need to spend some time in the Quarter just so you can say you’ve been there, and there are some iconic “must-see” places there. In that category I’d include beignets at Cafe du Monde; Jackson Square and St. Louis Cathedral; muffulettas at the Central Grocery; Preservation Hall; the antique shops and art galleries on Royal Street; and perhaps Tipitina’s, a much-loved music venue sort of on the fringe of the Quarter. Bourbon Street has never impressed me as anything more than a strip of tourist-oriented clip joints and an excuse for drunken excess, but hey, if that’s your thing, who am I to judge?
Other areas I’d try to see: the Marigny (just south of the French Quarter), the Warehouse District, and the Garden District, especially along Magazine Street. Good food and good music, but you need to pick your spots. It’s been several years since I’ve been to NOLA, but I’d try to tap into some local sources online and see what’s trending. For food, don’t miss local favorites like Po’ Boys (fried oyster is my favorite), red beans & rice, fresh Gulf seafood, and classic Cajun and creole dishes like gumbo, jambalaya, blackened redfish, shrimp creole, etc. I also had one of the best Vietnamese meals of my life at a little place on Magazine Street in the Garden District, though I can’t remember the name or the exact location. You can pay top dollar for gourmet meals in NOLA, or you can do as most locals do and go for relatively inexpensive, tasty, and exquisitely spiced local specialties at less pricey places. Or a combination of the two. Either way, it’s pretty much a culinary delight, if you pick your spots.
Bumping this up. I’ll be in New Orleans next weekend. So far the weather looks amazing, close to 70 and no rain. Couldn’t be better in December.
I have a couple of questions. My H will be working long hours and will not be around. How safe is it? I am staying near the convention center. Since it gets dark so early, I would like to be able to walk to dinner if I can. Also I don’t mind eating alone, I’m hoping that won’t be too odd.
Any suggestions of the best Christmas decorations? Any nice places to shop?
One place I’d really like to visit is Whitney Plantation, I’m thinking of taking a tour out there. Any recommendations of a good tour company? Also any tour recommendations for a good tour of New Orleans?
I’m thinking of going to mass on Sunday morning at St. Louis Cathedral, I was having trouble finding the times for Sunday services on their website? Wondering if anyone knows what times mass is said?
Thanks, I am looking forward to New Orleans! Any other suggestions are appreciated also!
During dinner hours you should be fine walking places. As with most cities, you want to avoid walking in deserted streets. In that area there are usually people out and about during dinner hours.
I do t think eating alone is too unusual. The city gets lots of conventions so it’s pretty typical for there to be people tagging along. In a lot of places you can eat at the bar, which some people prefer–it can also be easier to get a seat if the restaurant is busy.
The Roosevelt hotel has amazing decorations. Definitely a must see. A lot of the hotels do a nice job but they win in my mind. There’s Celebration in the Oaks at City Park.
I’m not a huge shopper. There’s Canal Place right at the end of Canal. High end stores–a Sak’s, Brooks Brothers… The Riverwalk has recently become an outlet mall. I have not been to it since it was redone. Royal Street in the quarter has antique shops that are fun to look in and ridiculously expensive. Magazine Street has a fun mix of shops. Vintage shops, fun clothing stores,an amusing petcothing store–that kind of thing. Also restaurants and coffee shops so you can stop for a snack. You can take the Magazine Street bus from the convention center area. If you do that you may want to buy a one day pass. It will let you hop on and off and it’s also good on the streetcars. The day pass is $3 I think and each ride is $1.25 so the day pass makes sense prett quickly.
It won’t be odd to be eating alone. You could always sit at the bar too. I recently went to Compere Lapin (Nina from Top Chef) and the food was great and there was a nice bar with about 6 people and it looked like a comfortable, chatty scene, not crazy at all. That should be walkable for you.
Take the streetcar after dark and see all the lights along the way. I second the idea of shopping along Magazine street. There is a great variety. Take the #11 bus to right around where the street becomes two way and just start walking. It’s quite lively between Felicity and Jackson, and again around Washington towards and past Louisiana. There are a number of good, small restaurants that you could get into at the bar - Coquette, Lilette, La Petit Grocery, and quite a few larger restaurants that are also good. Have fun!
There are probably some markets going on this weekend too, as well as the French Market. I was outside most of yesterday, went to three different markets and got slightly sunburned.
Thanks so much! So appreciated
Galatoire’s…should we go? Or Brennen’s? Or both?
Mass times are 9 am and 11 am with a 5 pm vigil mass.