• Welcome to OGBoards 10.0, keep in mind that we will be making LOTS of changes to smooth out the experience here and make it as close as possible functionally to the old software, but feel free to drop suggestions or requests in the Tech Support subforum!

TULANE Game

Really wish this one was on a Saturday. I’d probably be there.
 
Yes Flying in Wednesday night with 2 of us. Maybe meeting a buddy and then meeting another couple who are driving over from Texas on the way back to Winston.
 
Yes Flying in Wednesday night with 2 of us. Maybe meeting a buddy and then meeting another couple who are driving over from Texas on the way back to Winston.

This is what we all call the Deacon Faithful! Glad to know you're headed that way and have a very uneventful flight but eventful Wake Forest victory!
 
Tulane game

My three sons and I will be there. Can't wait!!! Go Deacs!!!
 
It’s on TV. CBS Sports Network.
 
I have a prepaid room for Wednesday through Saturday am that my friend canceled at then last minute if someone makes a late decision and needs a room. It at the Hyatt Place near the Quarter.
 
Wife and I spent the day today at the WW2 museum. For those of you with some extra time on your hands in NO, I highly recommend it. Ranked the #2 museum in the US for good reason. Learned a ton.
 
New Orleans visitor's guide. I first wrote this for a foodie friend that was visiting, then it started to get adapted when friends on the Rutgers message board asked to see it before they played here. I've added and subtracted since. It's ridiculously long, and portions of it are dated. But it's the best way to get a lot of info in not a lot of time. If you are making the trip......


Things you asked about:
You asked about Willa Mae's Scotch House, which Food Network (not that I trust them) rates the country's best chicken. I've been there 7-8 times and all but once it rated as my favorite fried chicken ever. I had one so-so experience, other than that its been stellar. They don't have a website, but here is the yelp link --> http://www.yelp.com/biz/willie-maes-sco ... ew-orleans The times on yelp are (unless something has changed VERY recently) incorrect. It is ONLY open for lunch (closing around 2 or 3, but often cutting the line off sooner), and it is closed on Sundays. Meanwhile, the lines can get VERY long, especially on weekends. An order of fried chicken (3 pieces of fried chicken plus one very large side dish) is 10 dollars.

The other fried chicken place in town is Coop's, in the French Quarter. Similar prices, also no reservations (its a diver bar). Open 24/7. Their fried chicken is REALLY good, but more midwestern/california style (though done really well). Their other food is good too (etouffe, chicken Tchoupitoulas, rabbit jambalaya).

You also asked about the Creole Creamery. It is VERY near our old house, and is not super distant from our new house (though much too far to walk). It is fast becoming a New Orleans institution. Crazy flavors, that are (mostly) crazy good (some are bad.....but they are big on taste tests). Sundays and Milkshakes are also good. Ice Cream is reasonable, but sundaes and shakes are a bit expensive.....but the portions for those are big and come the old fashioned way in glass service. Website --> http://www.creolecreamery.com/

Fine dining:
You said you wanted to get a fancy meal out and mentioned Commander's and Galatoire's as examples. I'll share what I know:

~ Commander's is a 5 minute walk from our house (tops). It has a cool atmosphere that merges mom and pop with a elegant room. The service is exceptional, and the food is pretty good. We've been once for dinner, and thought it was good but were slightly underwhelmed (although the Turtle Soup was sublime). We went again for lunch and liked it much better. At dinner mains are in the 20s, appetizers in the low 10s. At lunch, they have (weekdays at least, I think maybe Saturdays too) a deal where you get a 3 course set lunch (with options) for about 20 bucks a head, and martinis are a quarter a piece (classic martini, commanders martini, watermelon martini, and cosmopolitans). I'm not joking. A quarter a piece. They are probably most famous for their Sunday Brunch. We've never been there for brunch, but did go to brunch at their #2 restaurant (Palace Cafe) which has a similar brunch meal, and it was quite good. Reservations are recommended if you want to eat at Commander's. In general, their menu is old-school creole cooking (or at least how it was re-imagined in the 1950s) and is quite good, if sometimes a bit unimaginative/unoriginal. For that type of food I certainly rank it over Antoine's (which can range from amazing to disgusting depending on the night) or Arnaud's (which is good, but I think I slightly prefer Commander's) Website --> http://www.commanderspalace.com/

~ Galatoire's is probably my personal favorite of the "old-school" fine dining eateries in NOLA, but it isn't for everyone. First off, the atmosphere in the lower dining room (the traditional dining room) is raucaus, loud, and breaks into happy birthdays. The service is great, but its unorthodoxed. It looks like a Paris cafe in the 1910s. Its a LOT of fun, and it IS old/real New Orleans, but it certainly isn't what most people picture when they think of fine dining. The upstairs dining room is more regal/subdued, although a whole host of New Orleanians are still boycotting the restaurant for adding the upstairs dining room because they don't consider it the "real" Galatoires. Second, the food is amazingly good, but surprisingly simple for fine dining. They offer some of the best quality meats/fishes ranging from Crawfish, to softshell crabs, to five different types of fish, to duck, etc (and your waiter will be shockingly honest about what is the freshest) and they cook them in a very traditional, but straightforward way that showcases the product/freshness. Its usually REALLY good but, again, not what the average New Yorker "pictures" as fine dining. The downstairs dining room does not take reservations (though if you go 8 or later you rarely have to wait), the upstairs dining room requires it. Main courses range in the 20s, appetizers in the low 10s. Their wine list is among the most extensive in the world. Website --> http://www.galatoires.com/

A couple of other options (just so you know your options)
~ Cochon is the newer place that is getting thrown into the New Orleans foodie circuit. The Chef is Donald Link, who competes with John Besh (who I think sucks) and Susan Spicer for best known local chef. He cooks pig every way you can possibly imagine it. Its a love affair with pork. Every time we have been there his appetizers (8-13 dollars) are the best apps I've had in my life. Hs entrees (18-23 dollar range) have been far better than so-so, but not as good as the appetizers. Although his rabbit and dumplings (chicken and dumplings with rabbit) and pulled pork cheeks were pretty darn good. The atmosphere is definately nice, and more subdued than Galatoire's, but it tries to give off a bit of a casual, deep-south vibe to it. And he has things on the menu like cocktails that use RC cola, and pickled okra. etc. Reservations are probably a good idea, but not compulsory. We have his cookbook, and it is far and away the best Cajun cookbook I've ever used. Website --> http://www.cochonrestaurant.com/

~ Boucherie is really popular cause its really good, original, high end food for really low prices (the chef is outspokenly dedicated to low prices). The dining room is TINY (its the inside of an old house) and reservations are required, and even then expect them to run 20 minutes late, but once inside the service and food are very good. Apps are 8-11, entrees 13-19. Tons of hard corps meat cooked old french style. Particularly famous for their Krispy Kreme Bread Pudding and their Bacon Chocolate Brownie (5 bucks each). The chef just got shot last week in a mugging, and didn't have health insurance, so I don't know what will happen to the menu/prices. He also keeps a good selection of Basque wines, which is why Brittany likes it haha The website is --> http://www.boucherie-nola.com/
UPDATE: They've moved locations and reports from friends have been so so since the move


~ I mentioned Antoine's and Arnaud's, and those are the other two big "classic" ones besides Galatoire's/Commander's. Antoine's is slightly cheaper than some of the others, so we have been there twice. It is an amazing place that is like a museum of food, showcasing how it was truly cooked in 1880 (rather than how it was reimagined in 1950). The problem is that they have almost 300 tables, tons of tourists, and the food is uneven/unpredictable at best. Our first experience was great....the second one produced food that was bordering on disgusting (including a congealed dish that made me sick to look at......and it was the SAME dish I had loved the first time......point being, inconsistent). Talking to other people has provided me evidence that our experiences are pretty indicative......that they are super inconsistent. That said, their soups are particularly famous/good.....and the service is as good as it gets. The first time they gave us a free cookbook just because they liked us, and the second time, when they saw us debate which soup to order, they brought us out a full bowl of options #2 and 3 on the house as a gift so we could try all three. I want to like Antoine's so bad because, in theory, its the real thing. But I worry about recommending it because of inconsistency. As for Arnaud's, its kind of if Galatoire's and Commander's got married. We've been there once, and it was good, but, to me, I'd suggest going to one or the other, not the hybrid (Arnaud's).

~Herbsaint. Co-run by Donald Link (of Cochon) and Susan Spicer, this is Food and Wine Mag's favorite restaurant in the city. And the two times we've been there it was pretty d*** good. A heavy New Orleans influence, but it is less "pure" New Orleans than the other options in this category. The menu is highly inventive however, and seems to always taste even better than it sounds. Mains 18-25, apps 9-13. Reservations recomended. Website --> http://www.herbsaint.com/

~Bayona. Susan Spicer’s restaurant is in the French quarter (surprisingly quiet considering it is one block off Bourbon). Exquisite food. New Orleans meets Spain meets Asia. If you want international style fine dining that never lets you forget that you are in New Orleans, this is (by far) the best place to go in the city. It’s our favorite restaurant, though the last time we went (two christmases ago) it was a bit more so so. But that's just one experience.

~Pesche. Donald Link’s woodfire seafood restaurant, Acadian/Cajun ingredients but inspired by his trips to the Basque Country and Uruguay. Yum. Just won the James Beard for best new restaurant in US. So make reservations. Not super expensive though (for fine dining). We've only been once because we live in the Basque country 3 months a year, but its a really interesting restaurant, and almost definately the best seafood restaurant in town.

~Compare Lapin Yes the chef is a former Top Chef contestant. Yes it's in a hotel (never a good sign). But this restaurant is among the best in the city, and THE best for reminding us that we are neither american nor european, this is a carribean city. Pepper pot. Conch Fritters. Curried Goat. Its great. And while the main's are expensive (25-30) they have appetizer for 5-8 (not kidding), meanwhile the flavor pallot goes better with beer than wine, so you end up saving money on alcohol.

If we were ranking our top five fine dining in the city right now, I’d probably go 1) Bayona 2) Cochon 3) Herbsaint 4) Compare Lapin 5) Pesche (with a special nod out to Boucherie for being super close in spite of being a really cheap price and Galotoires cause, well, the experience)


Other food
~ You might consider Camelia Grill. It is a diner that doesn't really do anything other than being a diner (greasy spoon food etc) but its wacko famous with locals, open 24 hours (or close to it), and a lot of fun because even though its a diner and you sit on stools, they serve you on linen napkins with cloth gloves as they serve you. Their burgers, omelets, and club sandwiches are especially good, and there isn't a one of them that is over 5 bucks....most are under 4. It might be an option the night you land if you are hungry after the airplane. There is also one in the Quarter now, but it doesn’t count ☺ Website --> http://www.camelliagrill.net/home.htm

~Mother's. Similar to Camelia. Best known for breakfast. Its more famous with tourists than Camelia, less famous with locals. Both times I've been there I thought the food was pretty bad, and the lines long. But some people swear by it, so you should at least be aware.http://www.mothersrestaurant.net/

~ La Boulangerie. Less than a mile from our house, this traditional french bakery makes bread and breakfast stuff just like they do in France (or at least close to it). No website, but yelp --> http://www.yelp.com/biz/la-boulangerie-new-orleans-3 UPDATE: Donald Link recently bought it and it isn't AS good as it used to be (though still quite good). He's using it as the bakery for his restaurants, so it's distracted from being totally focused on being a neighborhood french bakery

~ Butcher. Next door to Cochon and owned/operated by the same guy (Donald Link), its his sandwhich shop. One could eat in, or pack a picnic from here. Website --> http://www.cochonbutcher.com/

~Po-Boys. Option A: My favorite po-boy place is near our new house, and its called Mahoney's. The former sous chef at Arnaud's gave up fine dining to follow his dream of opening a Po-Boy shop after he heard about Willa Maes being a finalist for a Michelin Star. And open a po-boy shop he did. These aren't your momma's po-boys, but he does everything the traditional style and on the traditional bread, and they are very good, if a bit expensive (or at least the seafood ones are). The cochon-de-lais (pulled pork) is really good and pretty reasonable, but a lot of the seafood ones are more expensive because he uses only fresh louisiana seafood. But they are good. Several restaurants buy their seafood directly from him because they can't figure out where he gets it from. Website -->http://mahonyspoboys.com/ Option B: If you want the traditional, old-school mom and pop po boy, I think the best one is at Guy's (just around the corner from our old house).Nothing as original as Mahoney's, but they do you right. Website --> http://guyspoboys.com/
UPDATE: Mahony's has new ownership and the food is not nearly as good (though maybe still worth considering)

~ Cafe du Monde: I find their beignets to be heaven (though you can get a bad batch when they are either too busy or not busy enough). I definitely recommend you NOT get beignets at Cafe Beignet.

Other potential activities you might not think about (especially ones good on a budget)
~ Ferry to the westbank. A ferry that takes passengers from next to the french quarter to algiers and back runs until 6 PM (every 15-20 minutes), and is free for foot/bicycle traffic, and only 1 dollar for cars. And you get to see the city from the river. Also, Algiers provides a nice park along the river (with views) and benches for picnicking. Another ferry leaves from the same spot next to the french quarter and runs to Gretna, which is about 3 miles upriver. Not much to do there, but that is an even better boat ride and gives you even more views (including of our house, which you can see from the Gretna ferry!). That ferry runs once about ever 40 minutes or so. We sometimes ride our bikes to the ferry, take it to algiers, ride it along the levee, and come back on the gretna ferry. The Gretna ferry does not take cars. Also, of late, the Gretna ferry has occasionally been closed and the Algiers ferry closed to cars, depending on things malfunctioning Rumor has it they may close Gretna altogether and limit Algiers to foot travel and charge $2 a person each way…..not nearly as good of a deal. UPDATE: They closed the Gretna ferry, limited algiers to foot, and charge $2 dollars a head each way

~ Cemetery. There is an old-school above ground cemetary right across from Commander's (so very close to where we live). Its neat, and free. Though opening hours vary. This website has pictures --> http://www.graveaddiction.com/1lafayette.html

~The Avenue Pub. A craft beer pub and appetizer bar on St Charles Avenue between our house and the Quarter, they have 42 rotating beers (mostly craft beers) and tons more on bottle. The dive-bar atmosphere disguises a serious beer culture, with good bar food (think french fries cooked in duck fat, and red beans and rice wontons). The bar itself is open usual bar hours (with a back patio as well), and their is an upstairs patio overlooking St Charles Avenue that opens at 4 PM. I believe they also have a deal where you get a burger, fries, and a pint for 10 bucks 4-7 PM thursday through saturday. Website --> http://theavenuepub.com/ Of late, however, the food hasn’t been as good as it used to be and its been overrun by hipsters.

~ St Joe's Bar. Near our old house, this bar has a GREAT backyard patio and is famous for their Blueberry Mojitos. Also cool for all of their old-school religious art which adorns the bar in a mocking way. When I think "what is a classic New Orleans bar" this is what I think of
No website, but Yelp! --> http://www.yelp.com/biz/st-joes-bar-new-orleans

~NOLA Brewery tour. OK, I know I know, everyone has taken a brewery tour. But here is the thing. This craft microbrewery is (literaly) 150 yards (tops) from our house, and only gives one tour a week (usually led by the President and CEO). Small little snifters for tasting you ask? Why no, not at all. You arrive and are handed a pint glass which you can fill from one of 5 different types of ale to fill at your leisure. Drink through it during the tour? You can leave the tour and get your own refill. But you don't want to go at the end of the tour? They happily encourage you to stay and try more beer when the tour is over. And guess what else you might ask? Its all free. Free as a bird. And it ain't bad beer either. Tours are on Fridays at 2 PM. Rumors now that it is five bucks a ticket. Still a great deal. They’ve also put in a taproom open all week long with McClure’s BBQ inside----and while we aren’t really a city with a great BBQ tradition, McClure’s is easily one of our best two BBQ joints.

~ The zoo. I'm not a huge zoo person, but it is a very nice one (even if a bit small) and they have a very good cajun/swamp exhibit with alligators, albino alligators, brown bear, otter, nutria, etc. The zoo is uptown by Audobon Park. There is also an Acquarium down by the French Quarter. As well as an insecterium, but count me out on that one!

~ Live music. While its harder to find authentic jazz and/or NOLA music than it used to be, it certainly isn't impossible. Go for Frenchman's Street (Bourbon is for boobs haha) or a couple of specific joints uptown. We can help if you are interested.


NOLA things you might want to try besides what you might already know about
~Many American cocktails were born here, and bitters were invented here. In particular, a drink called Sazerak (sp?) made with whiskey. Can be found at many good bars.

~Snowballs. You probably will be here too late in the year for these stands to be open, but did you know that the snowball was invented in New Orleans? Had tons of watery, tastless snow-cones in your day? Why yes, but that isn't a snowball......which is much better and more complex. Hanson's is particularly good --> http://snobliz.com/ but I'm almost certain they are closed by September.

~Cajun Food. While there is TONS of great Creole food to be had at our famous restaurants, cajun food is often cooked in a touristy way and not that great. Not only have we become much better cooks than we used to be, but the aforementioned Donald Link cookbook is shockingly authentic, and provides entry into a lot of dishes that are either 1) hard to find in restaurants or 2) hard to find a good example of in restaurants because most restaurants that serve it serve touristy versions (think Jambalaya, etc). If it helps the wallet, we are happy to cook for you. Just let us know.

~ Sucre. Fancified (and expensive) sweets and desserts. Particularly famous for their Macaroons. The place is scary good (which is why we try to avoid going there often haha), and an easy walk from our house. That said, it is more traditional french stuff than New Orleans stuff, so while it is everybit as good as similar places in New York etc, and almost as good as similar places in Paris, it isn't necessarily something you can only find in NOLA. But don't tell that to Food and Wine Mag which is currently in love with it. Website -->http://www.shopsucre.com/

The French Quarter (or as we say in NOLA simply "The Quarter" since French would seem redundant)
~ Bourbon Street. Gotta walk down it at least once. Overpriced, watered down hurricanes to go in super tall plastic cups cut in the shape of a naked woman, huge ass beer to go that tastes like soap for 7 dollars, 60 year old tourists flashing their *beep* out of season.......the epitome of class! OK, that was a sarcastic comment, but, seriously, you gotta go at least once. Its what EVERYone thinks of when they think of New Orleans. To make an analogy to Tolstoy's quote about St Petersberg visavis Russia, Bourbon Street is New Orleans, but Bourbon Street is not New Orleansian.

~ The best bar near Bourbon Street is Pat O'Brien's which has a glorious inner courtyard with a flaming fountain. It is a LOT of fun, though occasionally (far from always) overrun with hordes of tourists. Their hurricanes are usually much better than the ones on the street (though no less expensive), although they can sometimes be very watered down (but often aren't). Their electric lemonades are really good too. They also have a piano bar inside which is neat, but its hard to compete with the stunner of a courtyard. Website -->http://www.patobriens.com/patobriens/

~ Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop is on down Bourbon Street into the beginning of the residential section. Drinks are still pricey, but the fact that it is only lit by candlelight, and still looks much like it did when Jean Lefitte used to drink there, is pretty darn charming. Avoid all other bars that claim to be Pirate bars or are named after Jean Lefitte etc. They are just places with watered down hurricanes. This one is more like cheap beer at expensive prices, but a fun location. No website, but Yelp! --> http://www.yelp.com/biz/lafittes-blacks ... ew-orleans

~ Pirates Alley Cafe. Ok one exception to no other pirate bar rule. This bar (behind St Louis Cathedral) has brought absinthe back home to NOLA (which had a HUGE absinthe culture in the 19th century). Never been to this bar, but if you want absinthe this is the place to go --> http://www.piratesalleycafe.com/

~ The Chart Room. Two blocks off Bourbon (towards the river). OK, this is a TOTAL dive bar, but if Quarter Prices are getting you down, 1.50 coors light served in a real, chilled mug might make you happy. And you might actually see a couple of locals (rare for the quarter) Yelp! --> http://www.yelp.com/biz/the-chart-room-new-orleans

~Preservation Jazz Hall. The only live music on Bourbon that isn't washed out country stars covering Achie Breakie Heart. Preservation is cheesey, touristy, and they keep pressuring you to buy more drinks, but it is far and away the most authentic old-school Dixie Land Jazz left in the city. Better (and more diverese options) live music and jazz can be found on Frenchman's (without the touristiness), but if you want Dixieland jazz, this is worth a stop. --> http://www.preservationhall.com/default_original.aspx

~ Galatoire's and Arnaud's (mentioned in the fine dining section) are both on Bourbon, and Antoine's is just off Bourbon. Cafe du Monde is also in the French Quarter (along the river).
 
Hey RJ, have you got any great stories about being arrested in New Orleans ?
 
Somebody please notify MDMH that Tulane is probably the most racist school in the nation and they're on our football schedule.
 
Just what I heard. Where do you think TU ranks ?
 
Back
Top