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Sunday, January 03, 2010

thanks NY times for letting me borrow your photo

When I lived in New Orleans we did not own a digital camera (in fact I didn't know anyone who did), so I had to borrow a photo from the NY times because I am too lazy to go downstairs and scan one.

So, my friend here in Maryland is going to New Orleans in a week and asked me "What should I do while I am there?" My face was blank, my memory gone ... I had nothing. I had to strain my brain to remember the names of places I loved and went often.

I hoping anyone who has visited there can help me give a decent size list to my friend of things to see, do and of course eat. My friend grew up in Europe and speaks French, she is going to love this place!

Here is my small list, yep only three things, I would love to add to it. What am I missing?? Pathetic I know!

Commanders for lunch
Mothers any time of day
Cafe du Monde all day every day


Help!!!



12 comments:

Natasha said...

Port of Call on Esplanade. I had 2 bloggers visit me here in NOLA last year and we went there. They loved it. Very New Orleans. Also, Jan 6 starts King Cake season. They have to get a Randazzo's king cake. (K-Mart on Veterans even sells Randazzo's now.)What about Blaine Kern's mardi gras place on the West Bank? Ride a street car down St. Charles.
The St Louis Cathedral. A walking tour of the garden district uptown. They need to taste a muffaletta. Tour the areas still devastated by Katrina.If they have kids, the new (as in since you left NOLA "new") Audubon bug museum on Canal St. A 1/2 day cruise on the Mississippi.

Hammy said...

Ahh, my favorite topic.
--Ride the street car and wave to the former Uptown Branch that is now the New Orleans WARD!!
--Walk down Magazine (my favorite stretch is from Nashville to Napoleon, but lots of people like the stretch further downtown.)
--Best museum is the World War 2 museum, and while there go to the Ogden Museum of Art across the street.
--In the Quarter, go to Preservation Hall for some jazz. Visit the cathedral and Jackson Sq.
--You can take a bus tour of the city and they now offer some that cover the area hit by Katrina, but unless you knew the area before, it may not mean much.
--While at Commanders for lunch, run across the street and at least peak in the cemetery, and walk around a little to see the garden district.
--Visit the Riverwalk.
--Walk around the circle at Audubon Park.
--Visit Riverside park behind the zoo.
--Go to the new Insectarium, or the always good aquarium.
--If kids are along, go to the Louisiana Children's Museum on Julia.
--Visit the galleries on Julia.

And don't get me started on restaurants. . .Palace Cafe, Rani Cafe (mmmm...crawfish monica), Mr. B's, Guy's PoBoys, Redfish Grill, Dante's Kitchen, I could really go on and on. Yum.
We moved away in '03 and it is still one of my favorite places to visit.

(btw I am a friend of Lara A. and I love your blog!)

Jill said...

It's hard to imagine your mind going blank, should I be worried?

jenny said...

Royal Street is a favorite of Doug and I and there is a small place for lunch that I can't even remember the name of. Of course there's Rodastas in Metairie for a delicious po boy.

The cememtery tours are always worth it and actually really interesting.

We also liked the airboat tours (although it may be chilly)

Bellalunas is also a place to eat and is known for bread pudding!

We may be going back in a few months, this makes me excited thinking about it!

TX Girl said...

oohhh Port of Call. Those burgers are the best!

Hammy covered a lot of what I would suggest. Although I cannot for the life of me remember my favorite Po-Boy joint.. in uptown.

**I will say that the city has changed quite a bit post-Katrina, so recommendations are hard, because so many of the old haunts might not be there anymore. (At least that has been my experience... like that great place you could get cannolis on Carrolton)

These are places I know for certain are still there. (Don't you love how I'm all about the food.)

La Boulangerie on Magazine

Muffaletta at Central Grocery in the quarter

Lebanon's Cafe on Carrolton

But- a street car ride is a MUST. All the way up and all the way down.

TX Girl said...

Hello- Snug Harbor. Does the Marsalis patriarch still play on Friday?

TX Girl said...

okay this is it.. Domilises on Annunciation for Po-Boys. The oyster Po-Boy is a must. yummy. wait- my girlfriend that lives there also said Ignatius on Magazine is a must. They serve Boudin Meatloaf. Boudin is AWESOME.

Anonymous said...

Brennan's (sunday brunch or at least bananas foster). Royal Street antique shopping. St Louis Cathedral. I also love the granite Monument to the Emigrant statue along the riverwalk. Seeing all the beautiful old huge homes along St Charles (Garden District). Oak Alley if she wants to drive a bit. Lake Pontchartrain.

allison said...

Oh, what a fun thing. Dante's Kitchen, Mat-n-Naddies, and Brighton's all on river road. I always think the zoo and the aquarium are a must. I agree riding a St. Car is a must. I also enjoy Palace Cafe for great white chocolate bread pudding. If she is adventurous I love driving across lake ponchatrain to the north shore, and while she is there eat at the Broken Egg. Eat a Randazzo's king cake for sure.
Just soak it all in...i am so jealous.

Amy said...

If you like anything to do with Disney or their princesses, the New Orleans Museum of Art has an amazing exhibit called "Dreams Come True". I highly recommend it.

Parkway Bakery & Tavern for Po-Boys...hands down the best!

Aquarium of the Americas.

uh...my momma's house?

Amanda :-) said...

Erk! The deluge of help on here, Kristi, is amazing!

Of course, I'm absolutely no use on this subject - just wanted to say I remember those days of not having a digital camera. We could never go back to the old way, could we? It'd be tortuous.

Emily C said...

wow - looks like everything is covered in the comments already. Hammy has a really good list. and its really making me homesick reading this. i need to plan a n.o. trip asap!!

palace cafe on canal street is my absolute fave restaaurant for bananas fosters and their Shrimp Tchefuncte dish.

also, if she wants to head outside of town to tour plantations, a really good one to go to is Oak Alley.