New Orleans--A Native's View

New Orleans is first and foremost about food. It is hard to get a bad meal, but often the 'tourist' restaurants will give you an overpriced one. Let me tell you where you can get great food for reasonable prices, and which restaurants are worth the serious money! I will keep adding info from time to time (there are a LOT of restaurants to discuss!) so come back often!

Also, I have opinions on the best things to see--think outside the French Quarter box!--and places to stay.

Quick Tips:

Don't come to New Orleans in August. Repeat that. It's hot, humid, and horrible. It's a very fun city to walk around and explore, but not when you're teetering from heat exhaustion. The fall and winter months are great (except for January, which tends to be rainy), and the spring (up until May) is nice too. But no matter when you come, be prepared for a more humid atmosphere than you are probably used to. Here's a tip on accommodations: if you want to pay less than /night, and you plan to rent a car or have someone to take you around, stay in a suburb. Metairie is in between downtown and the airport; Kenner is closer to the airport; and then there's the Jefferson/Harahan area. None of these areas are further than half an hour away from the city.

Best Way To Get Around:

Getting around depends on where you are. If you are in the French Quarter or a downtown hotel, many of the good restaurants and some of the things to do are within walking distance. Since hotel parking can cost a lot, it is probably better to take a cab rather than rent a car for those trips out of your immediate area. Also, driving and parking in and around downtown and the Quarter can be a nightmare.

I have spent several nights in this hotel and love it. The staff is friendly, the rooms are nice, and the bar is fun. Also, The Veranda, the hotel restaurant, is good--and usually empty!

I must admit, I stayed here for the night of my wedding, and got the penthouse suite for free--so perhaps I am a little biased. But BOY, was it something! However, I can vouch that the other rooms are very nice, too, and the staff is OUTSTANDINGLY polite and ready to help. Order a bottle of the house champagne--it's French and fabulous. This hotel is conveniently located on Canal Street, close to everything. There's a pool and in-room amenities.

Irene's offers FABULOUS Italian food, in a wonderfully intimate setting. This is a restaurant that most tourists don't even know about. But go early on weekend nights--they don't take reservations and the wait can be long, as locals flock here. However, it's VERY worth it!

Palace is a great restaurant. The food is Creole/French, and incredible. The setting is intimate and romantic, even though it's a large restaurant. And yet, you can walk in off Canal Street in your shorts and be received graciously.

You will have a very nice fine dining experience here, and eat until you can't eat anymore! Entrees range from seafood to meat to chicken to pastas, and everything is prepared just right. But save room for coffee and dessert--try the heavenly creme brulee, white chocolate bread pudding, or served-flaming-at-your-table Bananas Foster.

This restaurant is very conveniently located if you're staying downtown or in the French Quarter within walking distance of Canal St.

Gabrielle has fabulous French/Creole/Cajun food with twists--delicious twists. They make their own sausage--the appetizer plate with samples can include duck sausage, venison sausage, and the traditional Cajun andouille. It's all great.

This is a wonderful place to come for a special occasion, as everyone seems to be in a festive mood. You can truly linger over your meal here, combining good wine with delicious appetizers, entrees and desserts.

And while the location may seem out of the way--it's not in the French Quarter or downtown--it's actually very easy to get to. Esplanade ends at the river and is one of the border streets of the Quarter. And the ride up Esplanade, which is lined with historic homes and ancient oak trees, gives you a good look at a traditional New Orleans area. You'll also get to visit a neighborhood few tourists see, unless they are here for Jazz Fest, held just a few blocks over at the racetrack.

Mother's is another conveniently located place for those staying downtown or in the French Quarter--it's easy walking distance of Canal Street (go in the direction opposite the French Quarter; Poydras parallels Canal). The food here is the draw, because the restaurant is a hole in the wall with tiny tables. You stand in line and order from the counter, and they dish it up. You HAVE to try the poboys--sandwiches on French bread. The house specialty is the Ferdi--homecooked roast beef and 'debris' (the bits that fall off during roasting) plus ham and shredded coleslaw. It's out of this world. Add cheese and call it a Ralph. Also, Mother's serves up authentic local dishes like jambalaya, shrimp creole, and etouffee, plus good sides. The portions are huge and the prices are reasonable. Wash it all down with Barq's rootbeer. Then stagger back to your hotel room for a nap!

City Park is a wonderful place to visit; it is much larger and offers many more things to do than Audubon Park (near Tulane University, Uptown). Many tourists don't get here because it's not in the typical tourist triangle--Garden District-Riverfront-French Quarter. But it's worth the trip. It's an easy car or cab trip up Esplanade from the Quarter. (As you'll see when you get here, nothing in New Orleans is very far apart.)

City Park is beautiful, with old oak trees, lagoons with ducks and islands, and many grassy areas. It offers a variety of activities, both indoor and outdoor. It is the home of the New Orleans Museum of Art, plus a great children's playground that is themed with Mother Goose characters and contains a merry-go-round. The botanical gardens are truly something to see and a delight to visit. You can play golf or tennis. You can rent a paddleboat. Or, just pack a picnic and laze by one of the scenic lagoons. Just allow me to repeat what I said in the overview: don't come in August!