reeinaz #1 Posted July 26 I'm taking my 1st cruise in December out of New Orleans. I'm staying in New Orleans for 3 extra nights at the end of the cruise (Thurs-Sat). This will be my 1st time in New Orleans too. So far on my to do list, I have: WWII Museum Voodoo Museum The Presbytère Dooky Chase Mother's Gumbo Shop Cafe du Monde Acme Oyster House Are there any other attractions, I should add to my list? I plan on exploring the garden district and French Quarter on my own or via a walking tour. I would like more options than what I have in case I'd like to do more. As far as the restaurants go, am I missing a place I should really try? I'm looking for places where locals would eat, which I know isn't necessarily the places recommended to tourists. For instance, I'm from Philly and I don't know anyone who gets cheesesteaks from Pat's or Geno's, but these are always on the must do lists for Philadelphia. I'm also a fan of the Sidecar and Sazerac and would love to try "authentic" versions of these drinks if anyone can recommend a place to give these drinks a try. My hotel is on Canal St, a few blocks away from St. Louis Cemetery, but Uber and public transportation wouldn't be a big deal at all to me to get around. 0 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
princeton123211 #2 Posted July 26 16 hours ago, reeinaz said: As far as the restaurants go, am I missing a place I should really try? Commander's Palace is a must for a first trip to the city. Willie Mae's for fried chicken lunch. Antoine's and Arnaud's have great brunches. Galatoire's is the locals pick for the legacy establishments. While tourists go to all of these, so do locals. You'd be selling yourself short by not experiencing some of them. With either Dooky (I'm not the biggest fan but it has its following) or Willie Maes-- make sure you Uber in and Uber out. The neighborhood has gotten better, but I wouldn't walk too far in any direction from either establishment. 17 hours ago, reeinaz said: I'm also a fan of the Sidecar and Sazerac and would love to try "authentic" versions of these drinks if anyone can recommend a place to give these drinks a try. Most places have a pretty good Sazarac but the place that invented it is the Sazarac Bar at the Roosevelt Hotel. Well worth a visit. While we're on the subject of drinking, you'll end up doing a lot of it. Avoid places that will end you in one swoop like Pat O'Brian's hurricanes which are lethal (theres your Pats or Genos cheesesteak). You'll want to make it a slow burn so you can get through your day and experience it all-- no need to get tanked on the first stop. A must is the Carousel Bar at the Hotel Monteleone-- show up off peak if you want to sit at the rotating bar. Its charmingly wonderful. On the way to or from Commander's Palace (again, you must go) you'll find the Columns Hotel and inside you'll find their Victorian Lounge which is one of New Orleans hidden gems in an old mansion in the Garden District. In the Quarter, Arnaud's French 75 bar and Lafittes Blacksmith Shop (best to save for night time) are a good choice. If you go to see a quick show at Preservation Hall (which I recommend you do) just pop into any of the bars nearby (with the exception of Mr OBriens as noted above) and grab a drink to go-- you can carry them anywhere in town and drink in the street. You'll want something to swig on while you listen to the jazz. Honorable mention in the FQ is the bar at the Ritz-Carlton-- its extremely nice, extremely air conditioned, and its an oasis from the madness of the French Quarter when you need it. The Polo Club Lounge also fits this bill at the Windsor Court Hotel if you are over that way. As for dive bars, and as a good Philadelphian I hope you are a dive bar fan, one of my all time favorites there is Snake & Jake's Christmas Lounge. It looks sketchy from the outside but just go in and have fun-- the fewer questions the better. In the Quarter a great dive is the Chart Room. 0 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
reeinaz #3 Posted July 27 . @princeton123211 Thanks so much for the suggestions. And yes, I love a good dive 🙂 0 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jgmpuma #4 Posted July 27 New Orleans is all about music. For current listings: www.wwoz.org It lists venues by location and genres. 0 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
reeinaz #5 Posted July 27 I got a feeling that I'm gonna need at least a 2nd trip to NOLA 0 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lynncarol #6 Posted September 10 (edited) Highly recommend the New Orleans Museum of Art and its sculpture gardens. They have a lovely building and one of the best collections of Asian art/pottery! Even better, you can easily get there by trolley. There used to be the Morning Cafe across the street with delicious beignets but I believe that is under new ownership now. Also, if it rains, my husband and I plus and our teenage grandkids really enjoyed Mardi Gras Museum Edited September 10 by lynncarol 0 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dctravel #7 Posted September 10 On 7/25/2019 at 8:56 PM, reeinaz said: Are there any other attractions, I should add to my list? I would strongly consider Mardi Gras World. The tour is fascinating, as you get to watch them make floats for next year's Mardi Gras parades and see old float pieces from past years. 0 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Joebucks #8 Posted September 28 Lots of good things in this thread. For me, I MUST get the Muffaletta at the Central Grocery for lunch, then some kind of shrimp/fried chicken at night. 0 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
reeinaz #9 Posted September 28 58 minutes ago, Joebucks said: Lots of good things in this thread. For me, I MUST get the Muffaletta at the Central Grocery for lunch, then some kind of shrimp/fried chicken at night. I've heard the muffuletta from central grocery is a must try. Admittedly I'm not sure what a muffuletta is other than a type of sandwich. I'm eager to see what the fuss is about, much like our cheesteakrs here are basically a type of sandwich. But ohhhh boy. Once you've had a proper one, you immediately figure out what the hype is about. My hotel is a few blocks from We Dat's Chicken and Shrimp. That's gonna be my 1st stop after dropping off my luggage for some deep fried yumminess. 0 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Joebucks #10 Posted September 29 15 hours ago, reeinaz said: I've heard the muffuletta from central grocery is a must try. Admittedly I'm not sure what a muffuletta is other than a type of sandwich. I'm eager to see what the fuss is about, much like our cheesteakrs here are basically a type of sandwich. But ohhhh boy. Once you've had a proper one, you immediately figure out what the hype is about. My hotel is a few blocks from We Dat's Chicken and Shrimp. That's gonna be my 1st stop after dropping off my luggage for some deep fried yumminess. Muffaletta is an italian sandwhich with your typical meats. The difference here is it is topped with an "olive salad". Really good 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bankshot #11 Posted October 25 Also try Preservation Hall for some good music and Felix for roasted oysters. We also like to take the streetcar out to the Garden Dist. Jackson Square is always interesting and be sure to try the Benignes (sic) at Cafe' de Monde. Deanie's restaurant has good local food. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Luvmypups #12 Posted November 23 Willa Jean for breakfast is a must have for us on our trips to New Orleans. 0 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
