New Orleans on a Whim

We spent all of our time in either the French Quarter or the Garden District. Both offer more than enough to do over a three day weekend. If you like unique, old architecture, then simply walking around the streets provides plenty to do. And you don't have to worry about open container laws in the Quarter because the Quarter has no such restrictions. Try Abita beer - either Turbo Dog or Amber.

Quick Tips:

Don't waste your money on an organized walking tour. Simply go into a local bookstore and pick up one of the many self-guided walking tours available.

Best Way To Get Around:

Walking and the trolly system are the best ways to get around. When arriving at the airport, take the Airport Shuttle to your hotel. The kiosks are located throughout the baggage claim level, and the cost is /person/roundtrip. When compared to the cab ride, it's a relative bargain.

The best way to describe the St. Ann is that it's a stately hotel in need of a facelift. Although its appearance is still generally good, its walls need re-painting, the wood needs to be re-treated in many places, the pool needs to be cleaned and re-surfaced. Our room was a nice size, but was a bit unclean. The bathroom floor looked like it belonged in a college dorm; there was mold growing in the corner of the ceiling, the bathroom fixtures were rickety, the mattress was old and sagged in the middle, and the furniture was banged up.

On the positive end of things, it did have a nice interior courtyard, the employees were nice, it was relatively quiet, it had good A/C (a must in that city), it was right in the middle of the Quarter, and the morning coffee and newspaper were good and complimentary. In its current condition, it's a great place if you're planning on getting together with friends to party, but it's definitely not the romantic getaway that we expected.

Muriel's has great local cuisine and a solid wine list. It also has a great bar on the ground level, and a neat candle-lit lounge on the second floor. The restaurant is relatively new (one year old), and located right accross the street from Jackson Square. The bar area is an indoor courtyard with 40 foot high walls and massive skylights. The bar also knows how to mix a drink - I had the best Tom Collins of my life there. The restaurant has 2 big dining areas. Like most places in New Orleans, we were served by a team of 2 waiters. The menu allows you to pick an appetizer, entree, and dessert for a set price. We paid $25 and thought that it was great bargain. I had the crawfish stuffed bread, goat cheese crepes covered in crawfish, and sticky-bun bread pudding, and my wife had a grilled beet and greens salad, pecan encrusted drum (a regional fish), and an apple tart. All were exceptional and the service was great. Don't miss this place

Don't miss this restaurant. Initially, we were hesitant to eat an Italian restaurant in New Orleans, but after the meal, we were really glad we did. We just happened to walk past it, and the menu's creative dishes and reasonable prices ($20/entree) caused us to make reservations.

Bacco has a great atmosphere. We saw everyone from businessmen in ties to families with young children there. And the food is unbelievable.

The chef is a woman who graduated from Johnson & Wales in Providence, RI, and the New England influence shows. For example, the salad had wild blueberries, and the menu had clams and mussels instead of the region's more common oysters. I had the special that night - grilled redfish over rosemary herbed tomatoes, orzo, and topped with a sweet lemon chutney. It was the freshest tasting fish, and the flavors were so vibrant. The wine list was also quite good, with a wide selection of Italian whites and reds, as well as numerous other wines. We got a Shiraz for $30, and we were very pleased. For dessert, I had the sweet tea sorbet, and my wife had the wild strawberry gelato. It's a meal that will stand out in our memory for many years to come.

From its outside appearance, you probably would not give Petunia's a second thought. In fact, we would have not have gone in at all but for the two outstanding reviews it received from other IGOUGO travelers. The fact that we ate lunch here twice over the three days that we were in New Orleans shows that we thought pretty highly of its food and atmosphere.

The interior is decorated in colors of Mardi Gras - pink and green. The service is excellent, and it appears that most of its clientele is local.

The first time, we had the shrimp creole and the crawfish etouffee. Both of these dishes are tomato based, and are served over rice. The etouffee is spicier. The shrimp were some of the best I've ever had - and they were huge. We should have shared one dish though, as the portions are tremendous. On our second trip, we shared the shrimp creole. We were tempted by the Shrimp Barataria, which is shrimp in a curry and dill sauce with tomatoes. They also claim to serve the world's largest crepes; the second time we ate there, the table next to ours ordered one, and it was huge.

Petunias is open from 8am -11pm, and breakfast is available until 3:30. They also have a website.

This place is right off Bourbon Street, and boasts good food, reasonable prices, and great service. You have a choice of either indoor or outdoor seating. We sat in the courtyard facing the street, and because it's so close to Bourbon Street, you get to see a lot of action.

My wife had red beans and rice, and I had the seafood salad. Both were good, and they came out within 5 minutes of ordering. This is not the type of place to go for a nice, romantic dinner, but after a night of drinking and dancing, it's a good place to sober up and unwind.

Don't be mis-led! The Garden District is not the municipal gardens of New Orleans. It's a residential neighborhood, and it's not-to-be-missed if you like manicured gardens and georgeous architecture. All the houses are magnificent (many having working gas lamps), and most were built during America's Antebellum period - a time when New Orleans was one of the richest cities in the country. Anne Rice is among the celebrities who has a house here. My recommendation, however, is not to pay for a formal tour. I recommend doing a self-guided tour, and this is how we did ours.

Pick up the the St. Charles streetcar (Green Line) at Canal Street and Carondelet. (You'll see the sign by the curb, "Street Car Stops Here." You can also pick it up along St. Charles, but chances are that you won't get a seat. The line begins at Canal and Carondelet, and we had our pick of seats when we got on.) Take it about 10-15 minutes to Washington Avenue.
Once you exit the train, take a left on Washington (heading south) for 1 block to 2727 Prytania St. It's called The Rink Shopping Plaza. This is the old Cresent City Skating Rink which now houses specialty shops.
Inside is a bookstore with 3 or 4 different books on Garden District walking tours. I bought the one entitled "The Historic Garden District: An Illustrated Guide and Walking Tour," and found it to be quite good. You could simply walk around the neighborhood, but having the book is very beneficial. It provides not only a history of the houses, but also some general neighborhood information. It's a great way to spend the afternoon.