<p>We’re thinking of going to New Orleans for 3-4 days over winter break, probably from the 26th-29th. H has been there on business, but our kids and I haven’t, and I’m looking for suggestions: restaurants we must go to (we all love to eat, and have no dietary restrictions), places to see, etc. We use TripAdvisor, Chowhound and other websites, but I trust CC folks’ advice more!</p>
<p>There are many excellent suggestions over on the Tulane Forum! </p>
<p>My youngest especially enjoyed the Street Cars, the Zoo, the above-ground cemetaries, Creole Creamery (on Prytania), the French Market (near Cafe du Monde), the shops on Magazine Street, … and in the FQ the Voodoo shop, Ghost Tours, and EARLY evening walks down Bourbon Street. YMMV or course.</p>
<p>I have been there over the week of late december/early jan before. French quater is awesome. Easily you could spend two+ days there alone. A lot of people liked the aquarium there too. Bourbon Street is best to do once to see it. Then get off it. Probably not for those younger then 15 or so though. There are also a number of great museums down there two.</p>
<p>When I was headed there a few years ago, I got lots of great advice from locals on tripadvisor.com.</p>
<p>Here are some of the more “unique to New Orleans” museums:
The National WWII Museum is in New Orleans.<br>
The Confederate Museum
Voodoo-Cemetery Walking Tours
Haunted New Orleans Walking Tours (French Quarter)
Vampire Walking Tours (French Quarter)
Mardi Gras World (You MUST visit this!) It’s indoors and has all the floats and costumes for the past and upcoming parades.</p>
<p>[New</a> Orleans Museums Official Site: New Orleans Museums](<a href=“http://www.neworleansmuseums.com/]New”>http://www.neworleansmuseums.com/) <– This can help you come up with ideas. I’d add that this website is by no means all-inclusive but it has some of the more well known places with a description and map.
It’s a good idea to have some indoor plans incase it rains. </p>
<p>Depending on what types of food you are looking for I can give you some great suggestions. I’ve lived in New Orleans for a couple decades now and my fiance and I eat out quite often at a wide variety of places.</p>
<p>Thanks everyone. Our kids are 17 and 21. That WWII Museum sounds great (we’re not so much the vampire/haunted house types). As for food, we’re looking for one traditional upscale meal (at Commander’s Palace, perhaps?) and then less expensive places with good New Orleans food. And how about places to listen to jazz?</p>
<p>My friend was just down in NOLA.Mardi Gras World is closed on the Algiers side of the river.
Last time we were there, we did a Parks Service walking tour of the Quarter and surrounding area. Informative and free.
Preservation Hall is fun and historic for seeing Jazz.
Maybe one of Emerils other restaurants instead of Commanders Palace?
You cant go wrong just “falling into” places to eat.Everything tasts good there!
If you have a chance try “Mothers” for breakfast.An institution and fun how they call out your name after you order.
Have a great trip!</p>
<p>Hi, Booklady. Local here. Just came across your post on latest posts.</p>
<p>Best thing to do in New Orleans, and it’s inexpensive, is to get on the streetcar and ride it the whole length of Saint Charles.</p>
<p>You will see beautiful homes, oak trees, pass Tulane and Loyola University.</p>
<p>The Audubon Zoo is fabulous. And behind Audubon Zoo is a place called the Butterfly.
There is free parking and you can get out and sit and look at the Mississippi River. You won’t be bothered by bums and panhandlers. Kids play sports there, so it’s kept family friendly.</p>
<p>Another treat is to drive out to the lakefront, park your car, and look at Lake Pontchartrain. Again, free, and you will see our beautiful lake.</p>
<p>A good combo would be to see the zoo, then take the ZooCruise to the Aquarium. The kids might enjoy a ride on a Riverboat.</p>
<p>Since you have a few days, if you can fit it in, try to go down to the bayous. If you are renting a car, just drive down to Houma, a little over an hour, but on the way, stop at Spahrs, in Des Allemands, before you get to Houma. You can look out at the bayou while enjoying a good family meal. Great thin sliced catfish. </p>
<p>Parkway Bakery is also a good place to eat, great poboys. It is near City Park, our beautiful park, and you can actually drive very quickly to the lake from there. Along the way, you’ll see Bayou Saint John. </p>
<p>I wouldn’t recommend Mother’s. You’ll stand in line all day, and I’ve heard the food is not very good. Since you’re traveling with kids, I wouldn’t recommend wasting the time. </p>
<p>I recommend getting a GPS in your car. Key in restaurants or points of interest and you’ll find them quickly. We just purchased one for college tours, and it has been great.</p>
<p>Since you’re coming at Christmas time, our City Park has something called Celebration in the Oaks. The whole park is decorated with amazing lights. The kids rides are open, carousel, and there is caroling by local schools. There’s a driving and a walking tour. Very inexpensive. If you drive, it’s by the carload. </p>
<p>In the past, our beautiful Fairmont Hotel has had a wonderful Christmas display, and it was right across the street from the Jesuit Church, a beautiful Catholic church, if you need to go to Mass. The Fairmont never reopened after Katrina, but it has just recently opened as the Roosevelt, which is what it was many years ago. I am hoping it will bring back the beautiful Christmas display the Fairmont put on. </p>
<p>Oh, almost forgot. There is a Christmas Wonderland that is now put on, with “snow”, by Harrah’s Casino. There’s a square with four very good restaurants, and there is hot chocolate and snow in the area. I think there is also music, probably Jazz. It is near the W Hotel. Husband’s office Christmas party was there last year, and we walked across the street to see the Wonderland. </p>
<p>A good Jazz brunch is at the Hotel Intercontinental. The food is great, and there is wonderful music played while you enjoy your meal. You may need a reservation. I’ve gone for an office party there every year, and we really enjoy the food and the music. Great jazz! I think the restaurant is called the Veranda, but it’s in the Hotel Continental.</p>
<p>Hope you enjoy your visit to our city. Make sure you see the beauty we have to offer. Not just in the city of New Orleans, but in the nature we have around us.</p>
<p>Enjoy your stay, and have fun. And bring your fat pants!</p>
<p>Montegut, thanks so much for all the great information. I plan on eating very lightly in the days leading up to the trip!</p>
<p>My H has attended a trade conference in NOLA almost every year since 1992; I’d often tag along. (The group moved the conference to Las Vegas after Katerina.) There are three, high-end restaurants that are IMO equally as good as Commanders Palace–Antoine’s, Galatoire’s, and Brigtsen’s (this one is a little further from the French Quarter area than the others). The Acme Oyster House is fun, not upscale, and serves oysters almost any way you want. We also liked a restaurant that’s a hole-in-the-wall place with great crawfish–Uglesich’s. We had an amazing barbecued shrimp dish at Pascal Manale, which bills itself as serving Italian-Creole cuisine. I’ve been to two of Emeril’s restaurants and wasn’t impressed with either. In fact, I don’t even remember the names. To be fair, at one of his restaurants we were invited to a private party held in a separate dining room. This was a large group and we were all getting the same food–it’s hard to get a really good meal in those circumstances.</p>
<p>Other than activities involving food (which is really good in NOLA)–I went on a tour of one of the mansions outside of the city (Oak Alley). I enjoyed visiting and the ride gave me a chance to see an area beyond the city. DH and I also had high tea one afternoon at the Windsor Court Hotel (we stayed there a few times too–it’s lovely). I also toured the city (Garden District, old cemeteries, etc.) with a company that took folks out in small SUVs, which was nicer than a bus ride. The aquarium is a good outing–it has an IMAX theater and a rain forest exhibit. The National Park Service visitor center had maps for a walking tour of the French Quarter. There are also some tours led by rangers.</p>
<p>On our last trip (which was the year before the hurricane), we stayed at the Soniat House. It’s right in the French Quarter. If you like art galleries and antiques, there are many, many places to visit in the French Quarter. There’s also a perfume shop (think a French Quarter version of Sephora) that’s one of my favorite places (called Hove). It’s on Royal Street. Have a fun trip!</p>
<p>Mardi Gras World closed its Algiers (west bank) location because it was too much trouble to move the floats across the Crescent City Connection Bridge for the parades during Mardi Gras season. It’s open again on the city side of the river. </p>
<p>Restaurant-wise I’d recommend NOLA’s (one of emeril’s) as well as Mulates for some food and music ( [Mulate’s</a>, the original Cajun restaurant, New Orleans, Louisiana, Authentic Cajun food and live traditional Cajun music presented in an authentic Cajun Dancehall.](<a href=“Saint Anne Marching Parade – Mulates”>http://www.mulates.com/) ) or Cochon ([Cochon</a> Restaurant](<a href=“http://www.cochonrestaurant.com/]Cochon”>http://www.cochonrestaurant.com/) ) but if you want to go to more of a local spot try Frankie and Johnny’s ( <a href=“http://www.frankyandjohnnys.com/[/url]”>http://www.frankyandjohnnys.com/</a> ) or maybe Crabby Jack’s ( [Crabby</a> Jack’s - New Orleans Restaurants - Jefferson 70121 - Zagat Survey](<a href=“Zagat Stories”>Zagat Stories) ) though it’s a touch out of the way. For a good pizza try Rocky’s ( [Rocky’s</a> Pizzaria - New Orleans, LA, 70115 - Citysearch](<a href=“CitySearch - Your local city guide”>CitySearch - Your local city guide)).<br>
Cathymee is right in that you may want to just “fall into places” for most meals.</p>
<p>Frankly, Montegut gave the best advice thus far in riding the streetcar around. Keep in mind there are three different streetcar lines. [New</a> Orleans Streetcars](<a href=“http://www.neworleansonline.com/tools/transportation/gettingaround/streetcars.html]New”>New Orleans Streetcars: The Best Way To See The City - New Orleans & Company)</p>
<p>Have fun!</p>
<p>The Streetcar is a great idea. I would suggest riding all the way down St. Charles, turn the corner on Carrollton and getting off at Camilia Grill (My favorite is the Chili Cheese Omelet, Chocolate Freeze and Pecan Pie). Your kids will enjoy this popular counter style restaurant. If you like Italian ice cream, Angelo Brocato’s is worth the visit. I don’t think the street car goes this far. One of my favorite meals in New Orleans used to be 11:00 Sunday Brunch at Commanders, in the Garden Room. Upperline is another fantastic restaurant for dinner. If you would like a muffellata, the Napoleon House is a good choice. Obviously, everyone enjoys beignets at Cafe du Monde. Wherever you go, you are very likely to enjoy your meal. Some of the smallest hole in the wall places, have the most incredible food.</p>
<p>Thanks for all the great suggestions. We love public transportation, so I particularly like the advice about the streetcars, as I don’t think we’re planning to rent a car. I will pass all of this on to H, who is our trip planner extraordinaire. You guys are the best!</p>
<p>While we don’t live in nola, we’re from the area and I second the vote for riding the streetcar down St. Charles to Camellia Grill on S. Carrollton, it’s one of our absolute favorites! It’s all counter dining and the counter guys are friendly and fun. Lots of locals here with a mix of families and college kids. We sometimes fly in/out of the nola airport and have been known to drive straight from the airport to Camellia Grill for a burger before we head home.</p>
<p>Another one of our favorites is Central Grocery on Decatur for the muffaletta. If the weather’s nice, you can get a muffaletta and sit along the riverwalk to eat while you watch the boats.</p>
<p>For nicer dining, John Besh’s new Italian restaurant, Domenica, recently opened in the Roosevelt Hotel. Also, the barbecue shrimp at Paschal’s Manale are excellent although messy; they’ll take care of you though because they put a bib on you so you can completely enjoy.</p>
<p>You’ll probably find dates and times of events closer to your travel date but you might enjoy candlelight caroling in Jackson Square, concerts at St. Louis Cathedral, a riverboat caroling cruise, or a tour of decorated antebellum homes. The Canal Street streetcar line takes you to City Park, where Celebration in the Oaks is held with lights in the oak groves and nightly entertainment. Since you’re not driving, I think some of the antebellum tours actually pick up at the hotels near the french quarter, if that’s something that interests you.</p>
<p>One of our favorite things to do is just to walk the streets of the french quarter dropping into shops or galleries that catch our eye. Magazine Street is a nice mix of boutiques, antiques, and cafes with some historic homes thrown into the mix, beautiful street.</p>
<p>Enjoy your trip! We never tire of exploring nola.</p>
<p>We’re home from New Orleans, so I thought I’d report on our trip, which was terrific. We stayed at the Windsor Court, which was lovely in an old-world way, albeit a bit tired around the edges. There was a magnificent Christmas tree in the lobby, the high tea they served was outstanding, and the staff was very friendly and accommodating. </p>
<p>We ate at Galatoire’s, Commander’s Palace (for brunch, in the Garden Room), NOLA, a couple of small places whose names now escape me, and Jager Haus for some different cuisine one night. Every meal had something really extraordinary about it, and we loved each one. The Bread Pudding Souffle at Commander’s was one of the best desserts I’ve ever eaten.</p>
<p>H and his brother went to Mother’s for a between-meal snack (!) and pronounced it overrated.</p>
<p>We took the St. Charles streetcar, as recommended, and loved seeing the architecture. Across from Commander’s Palace was an aboveground cemetery which we toured, and there was also a good bookstore nearby (D and I are book junkies). We also spent one afternoon at the WWII Museum; I thought the exhibits there were very well done and informative.</p>
<p>The weather was fairly chilly, so the activity on Bourbon St. was subdued, which was fine with us. We enjoyed the antique shops on Royal St., but the prices! We went to hear jazz one night at Donna’s, where they serve copious amounts of free food between sets.</p>
<p>Thanks again to all of you for your suggestions. It was a great trip!</p>