The Big Easy is Easy on the Wallet!

Don't miss the French Quarter or Garden District. There is lots to see that is historical. The best thing to do that's free is talking to locals who have lived their whole lives here. You're bound to come upon a colorful story of someone's family history, like the waiter at Antoine's whose stations are the same as his father's and grandfather's. Or the antique store shop owner who can tell you the origins of a silver pitcher (possibly used by a Civil War lieutenant!). Who knows if any of this is true, but it's the way they weave the tale!

Quick Tips:

There are a number of tour operators offering similar walking tours. The reputable Friends of the Cabildo offers 2-hour tours of the French Quarter focusing on architecture, history, and culture (www.friendsof thecabildo.org). Historic New Orleans Walking Tours also offers French Quarter tours, but try the Garden District Tour, which includes Lafayette Cemetery No.1 (immortalized in Interview with a Vampire - pun intended). They also offer a spooky nighttime "haunted" tour of the Quarter (www.tourneworleans.com).

NOTE: Under no circumstances should you attempt to visit the cemeteries without the benefit of a tour guide. This warning is not to serve the tour operators; rather, it is a sad reality that many tourists have been robbed to due to the size and remoteness of the cemeteries. It's not worth it to just save a few bucks. And while I mention that, do not visit Louis Armstrong Park any time near dawn or dusk. It has become a haven for miscreants and drug dealers, a sad legacy for such a great man!

Best Way To Get Around:

Walking in the French Quarter is the easiest way to get around. It's compact and you can see more that way. By the way, while you're walking, occasionally look down - that's not white gravel you see, but tiny shells dredged up from Lake Ponchartrain.

To get to the Garden District, take the street car. If you rent a car, you can get out of New Orleans to visit plantations or cross the Lake Ponchartrain Causeway.

Crabby Jack's is really a catering outlet for Jacques-Imo's, a popular New Orleans restaurant on Oak Street. The food is nearly identical in taste, but at Crabby's you get no atmosphere or any restaurant pretensions. What you will get is flavorful soul food, Creole style. Basically, it's deep-fried counter service. You can take the food to go or eat at a few communal tables or the long counter with bar stools.

The overstuffed sandwiches are dangerously large. If you're in a sharing mood and both parties agree on the filling, splitting a king size is a better deal than two regulars that have the same filling. The shrimp is the heart-stopping traditional po'boy preparation, with nearly a pound of tiny deep-fried shrimp spilling out of the airy New Orleans roll.

Fried chicken is also a specialty here, but if you are in a hurry, beware! It takes about 20 minutes as the pieces are cooked to order (would you want it any other way?). Chicken parts come out juicy and crispy. And you won't go hungry, as the chicken plates (as well as the deep-fried platters of shrimp, catfish, oysters, and calamari) also include salad and choice of side (coleslaw, dirty rice, fries, or potato salad).

Warning: No alcohol served here!

This is a great stopping place on your way to/from the airport. It's right off the highway.

By the time you read this, Anthony Uglesich (pronounced YOO-gle-sitch) may have even closed down the restaurant, maintaining that his knees can't take it anymore. He's been saying that for the better part of 25 years, swearing each year this will be his last. But as soon as you meet him, you'll be relieved to see the glee in his eyes as he happily greets each guest or mixes you a Blackout Bloody Mary.

Go as early as possible if you do not want to wait! Uglesich's is legendary, so all the foodies are willing to wait in line for the 12 odd tables (or to even share one!). The atmosphere is lively and casual. There are no pretensions here, as the line-waiting is quite democratic. Hours are from 10:30am to 2pm Monday through Friday. There will be a line by 11:15am, and folks tend to linger while they decide to order additional dish after dish after experiencing the magical and creative Creole cuisine.

Start with an order of fresh oysters topped off with Mike the oysterman's secret dipping sauce. These same plump oysters can also be ordered deep-fried in the lightest cornmeal and served po'boy style.

But for something more exceptional and creative, order the deep-fried crawfish balls. They come with three dipping sauces, each reflective of the Asian influence that is moving into the region, likewise with the shrimp voodoo (angel-hair pasta garnished with several shapely gulf shrimp in a black-bean sauce).

Make no mistake - the cuisine is not Asian fusion. Uglesich's really is Creole food through and through. For example, the poached shrimp served with a side of creamy grits is a familiar preparation executed perfectly here. Also look for the Muddy Waters trout (trout sautéed with jalapeños, anchovies, and garlic) and lump crabmeat au gratin (with a melt-in-your-mouth texture!).

You walk up to the restaurant and think to yourself, "This crowd can't all be for this restaurant!" True, there is some intermingling between the clientele of the restaurant and the famous Maple Leaf Bar next door. In fact, you may find yourself running for a refill of your drink at the Maple Leaf rather than braving the group of scantily clad Tulane coeds and their dates. You may even have to wait an hour (or two), but the parade of humanity is fun to watch. You meet the nicest people in New Orleans.

All will be revealed once your name is called (reservations are only for parties of five or more). You'll enter through the dimly lit bar straight through the kitchen (look for owner Jack in the shorts) into a candy-colored back barn full of tchotchkes and memorabilia.

Is the food worth it? Certainly, if you are a fan of all things deep-fried. The kitchen knows what it's doing when it fries up delicately battered gulf shrimp. Jacques-Imo is famous for its fried chicken, densely battered and spiced. If you like your seafood blackened, I can recommend the blackened gulf fish with a red chili-and-crabmeat hollandaise. Rich, yes, and explosive in taste.

Prices are reasonable. Many of the same dishes are available at Crabby Jack's, but here at Jacques-Imo's, you're buying atmosphere, fun, and the convenience of the Maple Leaf Bar next door, home to many of New Orleans' top music acts.

Ask the locals where they go for fried chicken, and they’ll probably tell you, "Popeye’s." Not that there’s anything wrong with this New Orleans legend. But for those of us are looking all things fried at a higher level, look no further than the French Quarter at a small, dark watering hole and two-sided eatery called Fiorella’s. Ironically, it’s mostly frequented by locals (who probably want to keep the fried chicken a secret), who have two entrances to choose from (accessible from Chartres Street, as well as the French Market). Wonderful people-watching here.

And what’s so great about THIS fried chicken? Subtly spicy, juicy interior, a faint hint of the fresh grease, and dark golden, crackling, crisp skin. Oh, and it’s cheap! Four pieces with sides (love the red beans!) totals less than $10.00! I admit it: I had lunch and dinner again there in one day! The chicken is cooked to order, so it’s definitely NOT fast food (takes about 20 minutes).

If the poultry is not your thing, there are many other Creole specialties that will excite your palate and pocketbook. The po’boys are enormous and duplicate the fried chicken experience when you order the shrimp or oyster.

So maybe you’re exhausted from all the walking you’ve done in the French Quarter. Well, hold onto your buckets, because Fiorella’s delivers anywhere in the Quarter, even during a raging thunderstorm! How do I know? I saw the intrepid delivery boy hop on his bike in the pouring rain and actually envied the patron who placed that order--oh, to enjoy a heap of fried chicken in the privacy of your hotel room! Talk about your comfort(-able) food! Fried chicken hotline is 504/528-9566. Delivery hours are 11am-2am.

Hours are Monday-Friday 10:30am-2am (no fried chicken unil 11:30am); Saturday and Sunday 7am-2am.