I am coming to NOLA in late July!

[kestrel91316]

I'll be in town for the big AVMA convention (hours and days of sitting in on lectures about this disease and that surgery and such) in late July, which is (gulp) during hurricane season.

Any must-sees or don't-bothers from the locals? Maybe Swampy could weigh in........

I wanna have oysters at the Acme Oyster Bar because I ate there the only other time I've been there, in 1981. And I want to have beignets and chicory coffee at Cafe Dumond because, well, because it's THERE.

[saged52]

1. going back to NOLA in June!

and I would like the same info -
haven't been there since the year before the levees broke - and I left part of my heart and soul down there - I fell in love with that city.
I think we will be staying very near the french quarter - but are there any special haunts/places we should visit that don't require driving? is that possible?
I am so excited - I cannot wait to get back down there! there is just something about the history and the people and the music that did a real number on me -
thank you

[Amelie]

3. Keep in mind

That you're not totally limited to the French Quarter. You can take the street car the entire length of St. Charles Avenue, so if there's anything you want to visit or see on or slightly off of St. Charles, you can use that. If you have the time, take the street car down to the end of St. Charles Avenue and have breakfast at Camellia Grill. That way, you get a tour of St. Charles Avenue and a great meal at the end of the ride. http://www.neworleansonline.com/neworleans/architecture/saintcharles.html Get a shake at the Grill! You can also stop in at The Columns for a drink.

Also see my other post; it has a link to a pretty fair walking tour and some suggestions for places to go. If you're interested in art, take a stroll down Julia Street. Royal for antiques. Bourbon at night for sights. Go to the Avenue Pub and watch the sun rise; Please-U is almost directly across the street. The great thing about New Orleans is that the whole city is a special haunt. You'll have a great time wherever you are. http://www.frenchquarter.com/maps/

I see New Orleans worked its magic on you. It's a place that gets into your blood, and whispers in your ear when you leave. It is a wonderful place. I don't know if you do much history reading, but John Chase's book "Frenchmen Desire Goodchildren" is an interesting book that'll give you some interesting history that you may not have heard. I also highly, highly, highly recommend Chris Rose's book "1 Dead in the Attic." It'll make you laugh, cry and wrench your gut.

[Amelie]

2. Brigtsen's

Yummmmmm.

http://www.brigtsens.com/

It's out of the French Quarter, so you'll probably have to catch a taxi, but that's my favorite place to eat in the city. When the chef (Frank Brigtsen) first started the place, he would go to the French Market, buy the best and freshest stuff, and hand-write his menu for the night. He still changes his menu daily.

Often overlooked, but I've always been happy there, is The Upperline (also out of the Quarter). The owner will often make the rounds and chat with diners. We went to August recently (a John Besh place), and enjoyed. Emeril's is pretty good. There's plenty of fine dining around, but I usually avoid the old places like Court of Two Sisters, Brennans, Galatois, etc.

For more casual dining, there's Mandina's or Liuzza's (get a draft beer at Liuzza's). IMO, the best shrimp poboy is at a total dive called The Please-U Restaurant. Not many people know about it, and the more traditional answer for where to get a poboy would be Domillise's because it's got a real New Orleans experience; but Please-U is my favorite based on the sandwich. They use the right kind of bread. Go to Domillise's if you want to see the flavor of New Orleans.

For soul food, go to Mother's or Dookie Chase.

If you have time to wait in line, or if you can make it during the week when the crowds aren't too bad, or if you don't mind waiting a couple of hours, Jaques-Imo's is a hip and funky New Orleans place. http://www.jacquesimoscafe.com/ The chef has always been there the times I've gone. If you schmooze him a little, he'll do a shot with you. Excellent chow.

Run by Snug Harbor and Preservation Hall for a drink and some tunes. I'd probably check out Napoleon House and have a Pimm's Cup (it's supposedly where Napoleon was supposed to live after the local loyalists skirted him off of Elba). Go to Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop (oldest building in the city; legend has it Jean Lafitte really had his blacksmith business there) for a drink. Go to Pat O'Brien's just to say you did.

It'll be hot, but ride the streetcar. Walk down Royal Street. Of course, go down Bourbon. Whatever you do, please stay out of Harrah's Casino.

Have fun. Anything is legal in New Orleans, except mouthing off to cops. We're the only city that never closes (even NYC has last call), so watch the sun come up in a bar with windows. I recommend The Avenue Pub. Be sure you ask for go cups at all the bars, so you can walk around with a drink in your hand.

If you want an expert's advice, there's a guy named Tom Fitzmorris who is on the radio every day for three hours talking about nothing but food and restaurants. You can get his number from his website: http://www.nomenu.com/ and call him when ever he's on air, or just shoot him an email.

Oh, and if you want to do something besides eating and drinking, read through this: http://www.inetours.com/New_Orleans/French_Quarter_History.html

And if you have the chance, drive around town and see how we're doing. Go to the Lower Ninth Ward. Check out Lakeview. See what's happening in Broadmoor.

Sorry I got carried away. It's just that there are so many choices. I love this town so much, and it has so much to offer. New Orleans really is a gem.

[saged52]

4. wow, Amelie

you should be a travel agent - your descriptions and suggestions were absolutely wonderful - thank you so much - appreciate the links, as well.
on our last trip we did take the street car all the way down St. Charles Avenue (and enjoyed it immensely) but didn't have the time to stop - this time we will have breakfast at the Camilla Grill!
we also did a couple of the tours last time but this year I think we will prefer walking and talking a lot more. I want to chat with more of the local people and get to know more of the 'real New Orleans', so to speak, as opposed to the proverbial touristy thing.
yes, I did learn how to pronounce it properly, I loved 'all y'all', I love to-go cups, and I will not talk back to the authorities!!
I am curious why you negated a stop at Harrah's -
I am also glad you mentioned driving through the Lower Ninth Ward, Lakeview, and Broadmoor - I considered doing that - but certainly did not want to appear being a nosy rude tourist.
I enlarged many of my New Orleans vacation photos and have them hanging in my home. people who have never been there will view them and say, "I saw that place on the news..." or "isn't that the place the 'idiot in charge' gave his speech..." and each time an ice cold chill will go down my back - and a tear will fall - for all we lost.
thank you, Amelie

[Amelie]

5. Sorry I rambled

This town is like a smoky seductress. Even after you leave, you can smell her in your hair and you're a little punch-drunk. If you live here, she gets into your blood and drives you crazy. True story: my friend was in a bar (The Mayfair, if you want to go) at about 5:00 am after a long night out, nursing his last beer. About half a dozen guys run into the bar wearing only socks and tennis shoes, yelling "FREE DRINKS FOR NAKED GUYS!!!" The bartender, without blinking an eye, gives them each a beer and everyone in the bar cheered. They stood around, drank their beers, and walked out like nothing was amiss. That's the kind of thing New Orleans makes you do.

Oh -- and if you go to brunch, go to Cafe Degas on Esplanade Avenue. Fantastic neighborhood just outside of the French Quarter, amazing homes; near the Jazz Fest location.

I avoid Harrah's because I see it as a place that keeps people out of the city. You're all cooped up eating at crappy buffets and spending all your money on the slots or at the tables. You're not on the streets going into local businesses. It's too neon and tacky; it's just not New Orleans. I also find casinos generally depressing. I saw a prosthetic leg for sale at a pawn shop in Vegas. How sad is that to sell your leg? And probably just to play the nickel slots.

As for that Jackson Square speech. We were still underwater, there was no electricity, people were missing, and he comes in with a gazillion watt generator to give us a lecture. It was very much a "Let them eat cake" moment. It still feels like salt in the wound.

There were great debates after the storm about "disaster tours." It seemed insensitive, to put it mildly, immediately after the storm. But at this point, we have scars over our wounds, and are a little tougher. We're a scrappy lot, and we're pretty proud of how far we've come. Lord knows, our helpful government hasn't been especially effective; it's all been with done on our backs and on the donated backs of thousands of people from around the world.

Everyone has a Katrina story. Some are worse than others, but if you ask a local "How's it been since the storm" you might get an earful. For the most part, we don't mind talking.

And thank you for coming. We are incredibly grateful for those who won't give up on us, and we love to have you in our town. Your presence is deeply appreciated and your celebration while here is demanded.

Finally, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE read Chris Rose's "1 Dead in Attic." He did a fantastic job recording our collective mood.

PS: -- my husband, born and bred here and a total foodie, just walked in and recommended Cuvee and August for flagship dining. Under-appreciated places that locals go: Clancy's, Gatrueaux's and The Upperline. He would not recommend Liuzza's post-Katrina. R&O in Bucktown for great fried seafood (interesting note; Bucktown got it's name because fur traders would trade their buck skins there).

Again, thank you for coming, and we insist you have a good time. Peace; Amelie

[saged52]

6. you make me feel like I am already there!

your words are so wonderful, Amelie. I think punch-drunk was exactly how I felt for a long time after I left your magical city. I have your posts and info printed off and ready to pack!
we won't give up on you - we promise to celebrate (that's an easy one!) - I will check out your suggested readings - and we promise to have a good time!
peace be with you -

[Amelie]

7. This article caught my eye

http://www.nola.com/living/t-p/index.ssf?/base/living-0/1206250489163140.xml&coll=1

Just happened to be printed in Sunday's paper:

"It is oft overstated, but the bizarre cultural mixes and mashings in this town are a joy to the senses, more of those only-in-New Orleans phenomena, where race, class, religion and nationality all get blurred in the pursuit of either a good meal or a good time, otherwise known as the Pursuit of Happiness.

They call this a Constitutional Right in the other 49 states. Here, it is a civic requirement."

Anyway, it goes on to talk about Mardi Gras Indians, but the idea that the pursuit of happiness is a civic requirement made me laugh.

Peace; Amelie

[kestrel91316]

14. Thank you so much for the pointers! I had forgotten about the

taking drinks with you out of the bars - I guess I assumed that was just a Mardi Gras thing.......

I am not really going to have any time to speak of to sight see, but I will MAKE time to eat, lol. I love good food.

[Amelie]

8. Drago's, if you like oysters

If you like oysters, I highly recommend you go there and get the charbroiled oysters. I don't even like oysters and I swear I went through 3/4 of a french bread sopping up the juice or sauce or whatever the stuff comes in; it's a lot like the sauce for bar-b-que shrimp. There's more garlic in it than at the Center against Vampire Invasion, and enough butter to embarrass Paula Deen. It's serious chow. The original location is in Metairie, but they recently opened up a place at the Hilton Riverside.

http://www.dragosrestaurant.com/

[funkybutt]

9. Rebirth at Maple Leaf on Tuesdays

and Kermit Ruffins at Vaughns on Thursday.

:hi:

[Swamp Rat]

10. Donna's Bar and Grill for some of the best jazz in da Crescent City.

http://www.donnasbarandgrill.com

Eat a meal at Mother's (I love the crawfish étouffée; it has a dark roux). :9
http://www.mothersrestaurant.net/contact_us.htm

[suzie]

11. Mother's has the best fried seafood in town

It's all freshly done. And you can't miss with a debris po'boy.

We ate last year at Vizard's on the Avenue. It was terrific. (we live in Florida, but from New Orleans).

[Swamp Rat]

12. Way'at suzie!

Welcome to DU! :hi:

Howzya momenem? :D

[suzie]

13. Getting ready

to cook the best chicken n' sausage gumbo one can get in north Florida this weekend.

[kestrel91316]

15. Thanks, Swampie!

[kestrel91316]

16. I have registered for the conference, and made my plane and hotel

reservations. I am arriving at midnight July 19 (Friday night), and will take the shuttle into town where I will be staying at the Intercontinental Hotel. It's ONLY $159 a night. :wow: I have never in my life paid anywhere near that for a hotel, lol, so it had better be good. If a hurricane hits, I expect the hotel to get me out of town in a luxury limo........I picked it because they will have a convention shuttle for us, and all the cheaper places on the shuttle route were filled.

Any additional comments or recommendations from the locals? Is it a REALLY FANCY hotel? Will they look at me funny in my casual attire? Most important, do they have a BLOW-DRYER in the room for when I wash my hair, lol?

I am leaving about 5 PM on Tuesday the 22nd. And like I said, I am going to be in lectures from 8 or 9 AM to 5 PM (in theory) all day as this is a business trip.

If I like it enough, it may serve as a substitute for Paris, where I may never get to go again now that the economy is dead in the water and oil is approaching $150 a barrel. I can see returning to NOLA for food and sightseeing purposes, but perhaps NOT in the worst of the hot summer, lol.

[xanadu1979]

17. not that fancy

The Intercontinental is nice, but it's not super fancy. You won't look out of place at all in casual attire. New Orleans is a touristy place so it's not uncommon to see t-shirts and shorts in even our most upper-class restaurants (of which we have many).

My only recommendation is to be prepared to experience some of the most oppressive heat you have ever felt. It literally feels like walking around in a sauna some days. I know it's cliche but it's 100% true, it's not the heat, it's the humidity.

Everybody who visits New Orleans absolutely must go to Cafe Du Monde and get coffee and beignets. It's so amazing to sit there at the foot of the beautiful St. Louis Cathedral and watch the people go by.

The French Quarter has lots to offer. Just walk around and you'll see some of the most beautiful architecture in the country. The history here is so rich, it's really unlike any city in the U.S.

[kestrel91316]

18. N'awlins, here I come. Heading down to LAX in a few minutes.

My plane arrives at midnight, just in time to head for the Quarter for some Friday night fun, lol!

[kestrel91316]

19. Well, I finally arrived. What should have been a half-day easy

trip turned into a nightmare, lol.

I got stuck for over three hours in dead standstill traffic in Los Angeles, causing me to miss the baggage check deadline for my flight by 10 minutes. The plane hadn't left yet. They just couldn't put me on it.

Because I was late, the United person tried to tell me that they had no obligation to me, but I whined and twisted her arm and sang my sob story about the traffic and the THREE sigalerts (!!!). So she found another United flight for me to NOLA.

Unfortunately, the new route, instead of being a direct nonstop, was LAX to O'Hare, then a several hour layover in the middle of the night, and then O'Hare to NOLA. I told her I didn't, at that point, give a damn if she routed me through NYC, I was just so glad to actually be standing in the airport.

Well, the best plans sometimes go awry (rather often in my case - I appear to be cursed). The plane that was supposed to take us to Chicago was "broken". They dicked around with it for a couple hours, moving the departure time farther and farther back, risking a crew timeout for sleep. So they ditched that plane and commandeered another one (an advantage of a MAJOR airline) and then it was only an easy three gate changes and a few MORE hours' delay before we got in the air.

I was already completely exhausted, and my trip had just begun, 4 1/2 hours later than planned.

We landed in Chicago in pouring rain at 4 AM. I was wearing a sleeveless cotton shirt and my sweater was safely esconced in my checked suitcase, the original game not having involved Great Lakes weather. I got really cold in the airport and my hands eventually went partially numb for a while. It kept raining, but I love rain (getting virtually none here in LA) and enjoyed watching it.

The planned-on 9:30 AM departure from Chicago for NOLA OF COURSE WAS DELAYED. Why on earth would you expect it to be on time at this point???? We left in the pouring rain, and landed in rainy (yes, sportsfans) NOLA around 1:30 or 2:00 PM - I no longer recall because I am getting rather rummy as I write this. Did I mention to you the screaming baby on the LAX-Chicago flight that kept me from getting a single minute of rest, let alone actual sleep?

I had been keeping in touch with my hotel (Intercontinental) throughout this whole fiasco and they were totally cool about my not showing up at 1AM today as planned. They aren't even going to charge me for the night I spent in O'Hare (isn't that magnanimous of them??) that they held the room for me.

The shuttle to and from the airport is $30 RT, very reasonable, came with a nice commentary on the sights from he driver, and set me at the front door of my hotel. The hotel is VERY nice. There are lots and lots of those little personal care freebees you always get, including: two flavors of shampoo, conditioner, bar of hand soap, bar of face and body soap, apricot lotion, vanity kit (cotton swabs, cotton balls, emery board), shower cap, shoe mitt, and sanitary bags (for the ladies). All in lovely floral packaging brought to us by "Lord & Mayfair". Oh, and the TWO QUEEN BEDS each have feather bed tops!!!!! The furnishings are all lovely faux french style antiques. I look out the window at an insurance company skyscraper, but that's ok. The French Quarter is three VERY short blocks away. There is a pool on the roof that I may take a dip in this evening.

I finally remembered to eat a late lunch at 4 PM. Didn't go to the convention other than to get my badge holder and the uber handy (and free) tote bag. Lunch was at Mother's, a mom-and-pop dive with real N'awlins home cookin'. You stand in line at the counter (looks sort of like a cafeteria) to order and pay, and then they bring your food out about ten minutes later. I had a 12" oyster po'boy and a side of turnip greens, with iced tea (making a feeble effort to eat healthily here....).

That was the best sandwich I have ever eaten. And frankly, I could eat just the oysters (dredged in bread and cornmeal and deep-fried) and say to heck with the bread, but you really do need it to be a vehicle for conveying the cabbage and mayo and pickle and cocktail sauce and mustard to your mouth all at the same time.

I am resting my tired feet in my room right now, debating whether or not to shower before going out to mosey around the French Quarter tonight. I am running on empty so I may take a nap, the night is still young. I was thinking about having dinner tonight but am still really full. Perhaps just a cup of gumbo somewhere?

So much food, so little time........and there are those goddamned lectures I really should sit in on for at least a couple of hours since I spent all this money to see them. Did I mention how much I like this city??

Oh, and I was on the road a total of 24 hours from when I left home until I got to the hotel. I am now 29 hours without sleep and counting. I am too old for this.

[kestrel91316]

20. Back from NOLA! Reporting in.......

I had posted some while on the trip but it's on another thread, and it's dropped off my most recent posts list, so I have lost those.....

I ate Saturday lunch at Mother's - oyster po' boy and turnip greens......fabulous.
Dinner Saturday was crab cakes and Greek salad at Oceana in the FQ........excellent.

Sunday breakfast was coffee and a packaged danish at the convention's Starbucks cart - don't ask.
Sunday lunch was gumbo at the convention center concession but it was tasty!
Sunday dinner was at Mr. B's Bistro: Vidalia onion and gruyere tart, bacon-wrapped shrimp with grits and redeye gravy, and their fantastic bread pudding for dessert.............so good it was reminiscent of France, and the service was the best I have ever had in the US!

Monday breakfast was pain perdue with pecans at the Hotel Intercontinental's restaurant. Very good.
Monday lunch was gumbo and the house salad at Mulate's - the gumbo had a ton of shrimp and was really great, but the salad had some sadly wilted lettuce (NOLA in July, whan do I expect??).
Monday dinner was charbroiled oysters at Drago's (I also had miscellaneous fruit and crudites and generic snackies at the CSU reception), followed by bananas Foster and Palace Cafe coffee (the boozy kind) at the Palace Cafe on Canal. Yummy!!!!! Those oysters are a big hit and they sell them by the millions.

Tuesday breakfast was chicory coffee and beignets at Cafe Du Monde on Jackson Square. Lunch was a muffaletta from the Central Grocery.

So much for the food...........now for what I did and saw.....

I got there too late on Saturday to bother with any lectures so I just ate and wandered some streets and looked at maps and brichures to plan my visit. Saturday evening I went to the FQ, heard some great blues singers and drank a Hurricane. Met up with three Army veterinarians (all men, and all easy on the eyes, lol) and we wandered around, finishing up at Pat O'Brien's where I had a Rainstorm. I turned in about 1 AM. It was a LOOOOONNNNNNNNGGGGGG day, lol (I mentioned my 24 hour travel misadventure in another post).

Sunday I sat in lectures all day. Boring. Did some shopping in the FQ in the evening.

Monday I mostly sat in lectures, but I did play hooky in the middle of the day and take the ferry to Old Algiers where I strolled around briefly and admired the Victorian "painted ladies". Many still need to be restored, and there is some residual damage visible from Katrina, but it's a cute little place that is NOTHING like NOLA and has a small rural town feel to it.

Monday evening I went to the CSU reception at the Riverside Hilton and met up with some old acquaintances. None of my classmates were there, but I met several from '80 through '85 including a couple of my old students in the class of '85 who work for the USDA. Everybody was talking about the extremely low turnout - attendance at this year's AVMA convention was down 40% (yes, FORTY percent) from past years, which is huge. Some folks thought it might be because NOLA is maybe more for adults than kids (lots of vets bring their families), or the decadence is too much for conservative folks, or maybe it was the economy. I basically said IT'S THE ECONOMY. I thought it was telling that most of the vets I would up tallking to were in the military, or regulatory medicine, or education, and NOT clinical practice.

I walked too much in sandals and gave myself acute plantar fasciitis, I think. So of course I wore 2" heels to the reception, lol. In truth, the heels hurt LESS than the other shoes for a while! Note to self: wear good walking shoes at all times during conferences (except fancy events), even if they don't "go" with the clothes. Sandals, no matter how well-loved, are NOT "walking shoes".

Tuesday I totally played hooky from the conference. I took the streetcar down Canal to Cafe Du Monde on Jackson Square for the aforementioned breakfast. Met on the car a couple of vets from Reno, one of whom was in the class behind me at CSU and remembered me. Had a nice breakfast with them. I went over to the St. Louis Cathedral, which is BEAUTIFUL and ancient. Then I picked up a muffaletta at the Central Grocery (a tiny little hole-in-the-wall Italian grocery, lol) for lunch later. Strolled down Decater some more, drooled over several antique shops with my favorite 18th century American stuff, then took the car back up to St. Charles (remember, my foot hurts so I am NOT walking today any more than absolutely necessary).

I transferred to the St. Charles line and went all the way down to Riverbend. The homes in the Garden District are BEAUTIFUL and there are so many - I didn't have time to walk through the district and see more, nor did I have time to shop through Magazine Street. On the way back, I got off at Audubon Park across from Tulane University and ate my muffaletta. It was so hot outside the cheese was all melty and the oil ran down my hands. GOOD eats.

Got lightly rained while waiting for the car at Tulane, but I was glad for the three minute respite from the godawful heat. Did I mention this entire trip has been horribly hot and humid? I was warned. The locals were even complaining, and said that Nov-Apr or May is a much better time to visit. When I got back to the hotel I had some ice water and iced tea and recovered a bit, then went off to the airport.

The locals (and most the visitors) were all very gregarious, friendly people. It really is true, that there is such a thing as Southern Hospitality. Nobody made any untoward remarks when I said I was from LA, either.
You can walk up to strangers on the street with a question and they DON'T act like you're crazy or presumptous for doing so. I routinely would start up conversations with people at car stops or on the cars or in shops or restaurants and they all turned into nice friendly chats.

I had a WONDERFUL time. The food and drink and sights and culture and people were all I had hoped for. The city is "open for business", and if you go you won't be disappointed. NOLA is a true gem, and worth preserving.

[SoxFan]

21. I;m glad you saw Algiers

I lived on Algiers Point for a few years in the mid 1990s, and I loved the neighborhood. It's got great architecture, a nice little branch library, and the ferry to Canal St. The only problem was a shortage of restaurants, odd for NOLA!