Dave Tufte's Guide to New Orleans
Note that we were DINK's in New Orleans from 1992 to 2000.
This was once a very thorough guide that is now getting a bit dated.
We had a love-relationship with New Orleans, and all the stuff we loved (and a few things we hated) are listed below.
This is not a Mardi Gras guide - I recommend going to that with a local.
The Must Eat List
Cafe Nino's (Italian, cafeteria style, cheap, on Carrollton Ave.)
Taqueria Corona (Unique Mexican, cheap, multiple locations)
Lola's (Spanish, BYOB, cash only, a bit expensive, on Esplanade Ave.)
Commander's Palace (Creole, expensive, in the Garden District)
K-Paul's (Cajun, expensive, in the French Quarter)
India Palace (Indian, moderately priced, off Veteran's Ave. in Metairie)
Mona's (Lebanese, cheap, off Canal St. in Mid-Town)
The CBD is the triangle between Canal and Poydras Sts. Harrah's Casino
is at the intersection of Canal and Poydras. Restaurants in the CBD will be busier during the day. You can walk here
during the day. Keep your wits about you at night - it's safe but deserted.
The French Quarter is on the other side of Canal St. from the CBD (downriver). Restaurants there will be busier
at night. Most of them are overrated tourist traps. You can walk here safely anytime. Pickpockets are the big danger,
and they are always working the backs of crowds drawn to attractions on the street.
Faubourg Marigny is downriver from the French Quarter on the other side of Esplanade Ave. It is
has a younger funkier crowd, with lots of good restaurants and music clubs. It tends to get started later than the other areas.
The Warehouse District is upriver from the CBD, betweeen Poydras St. and the bridge. This area has the best restaurants
generally. It is safe to walk here at night.
The Garden District is further upriver, and is where the big mansions are clustered. Take a cab or streetcar here. There are
walking tours during the day. It is not safe at night.
Uptown is further upriver still. Restaurants are common here, but not close to each
other. Carrollton and RiverBend are smaller neighborhoods within Uptown.
Mid-City is up Canal St. from the river. There are some good restaurants scattered
around here.
Lakeview is even further up Canal St. and then over onto Canal Blvd.
Metairie is what you drive through on the way from the airport. Kenner is where the airport actually is.
Other parts of the metropolitan area are New Orleans East, the West Bank (actually south), Slidell, and Mandeville/Covington.
Restaurants (By Neighborhood)
New Orleans is known for Cajun food, but most of what you get is actually Creole. It also has some unusual secrets:
generally speaking, the northern Italian, Greek, Vietnamese, and pizza are oustanding everywhere.
CBD
Kabby's is the sports bar at the Hilton. It is about the best sports bar anywhere for viewing pleasure. Tons of TV's,
all close to the tables. Small bar, and not much smoke. More of a restaurant. On Sundays, the Hilton has a Jazz
Brunch in an open area next to Kabby's.
Mother's has the best poor-boys in town. Try the smothered roast beef.
The Garden Cafe in the Hotel Intercontinental is wonderful. It is the place for german food during
Oktoberfest.
French Quarter
Felix's is a good place for fried seafood.
Acme Oyster House is a good place for raw seafood.
Crescent City Brewhouse has a German chef who is excellent, and a balcony overlooking the river.
Cafe Maspero has the best (invididual) muffaletta in town. A muffaletta is sort of like an assorted Italian sub, with an
olive salad rather than lettuce.
Central Grocery has the original muffaletta. This serves 2-3.
K-Pauls is Paul Prudhomme's restaurant. This is where the international reputation for Cajun food got its start. The
food here is not overrated. It is expensive, but not as bad as many "fine dining" establishments.
Bayona is the best expensive restaurant. Bella Luna is the best expensive restaurant with a view.
Napoleon House is a bar with appetizers, and a great ancient courtyard.
I think the prettiest courtyard is in the back of O'Flaherety's Irish Pub on Toulouse St. I think it is one of the most beautiful places on Earth.
Warehouse District
Taqueria Corona has the best (informal) Mexican I've ever eaten. Consistently. It is not Tex-Mex though ... more
Oaxacan or even Guatamalen. Limited menu.
Lucy's has decent Tex-Mex.
Mulate's has decent Cajun food with live Cajun music.
Michaul's is similar to Mulate's, I just never made it there.
Emeril's original restaurant is here, and he has others throughout the city. Do not go to these. Emeril can't cook
worth a darn (for the most part). It is all marketing.
Faubourg Marigny
Port of Call has the best (restaurant/bar) burgers in town.
Gabrielle is the best expensive restaurant (it is up Esplanade from Faubourg Marigny).
Lola's is a phenomenal Spanish restaurant. If you like garlic, go here. Cash only. (It is also up Esplanade).
Garden District
Commander's Palace is the best place in town. I prefer to go for the jazz brunch (offered daily).
Cafe Atchafalaya is a really good (expensive) restaurant that is cheap for what you get.
Uptown
If I had one place in the world to recommend to eat it would be Nino's Cafe. Nino cooks all the food himself from
his mother's recipes from Sicily/Brooklyn. Service is cafeteria style - 2 or 3 baked entries, pasta sides, and pizza (New York style, with a standard crust) made to
order. The only thing he does that isn't southern Italian is a mean Philly Cheese Steak. Wine is free - there is no license, but Nino drinks
while he works and shares with people he likes.
There is another Taqueria Corona here.
Sara's is the place for vegetarian.
The Upperline is the best expensive restaurant in this area. Their duck is to die for. Honorable mention for Brigsten's and Gautreau's.
Mid-City
Michael's Mid-City Grille is a neigborhood tavern that has the most expensive hamburger's in America (they come with Dom Perignon). Everything
on the menu is good, and the portions are large.
Mona's has awesome Middle Eastern food. Cheap too.
Mandina's is an old line Creole neighborhood restaurant. No reservations.
Lakeview
Weaver's has the second best poor-boys in town, and great fries. It's also five doors down from our old house.
Metairie
India Palace has great (you guessed it) Indian.
Brick Oven Cafe has great Italian near the airport.
There is another Taqueria Corona out here too.
Smilie's in Harahan is a local place that isn't widely known, but is quite good and cheap.
We started going to Drago's just before we left. The deep fried ravioli are to die for.
Around the Lake
Middendorf's in Manchac has awesome catfish.
Trey Yuen on the north shore is consistently rated one of the best Chinese restaurants in the country.
Transportation
The streetcar has 3 lines. It is cheap (exact change, used to be $1.25) and convenient, although it does not run too
late at night, and it is not air-conditioned. One line starts by the Hilton
goes along the river by the French Quarter and ends by Faubourg Marigny. It connects to a second line that goes up Canal St. past the CBD and the French Quarter
through Mid-City. This connects to a third line that goes down St. Charles Ave. past the Warehouse District, the
Garden District, and into Uptown. It turns in RiverBend to go up Carrollton Ave.
Sites
The French Quarter is the thing to see. The main thin to do here is just wander the entire thing (about 6 by 12 blocks). The areas furthest from the
river are more residential. There are a couple of small museums, a few mansions, and the cathedral. I don't recommend
any of them specifically.
Cemetaries are very interesting. Do not visit these alone or in small groups. There is a good one in the Garden District
across from Commander's Palace. There is another good one on Esplanade Ave.
Mansions in town are along St. Charles Ave., and in the Garden District.
Plantation tours are outside of town (and can take a few hours), but are very nice. I recommend Oak Alley and
Nottaway. Destrehan is much closer, and nice, but not quite as good.
Swamp tours are available outside of town and take a few hours. Highly recommended, especially at this time of year
if the weather is reasonable.
Avoid riverboat tours. They are a waste of time and money. Especially if they are serving food. The only exception to
this is the package tour that includes the zoo, the aquarium, and the boat ride to get from one to the other and back.
The zoo is great. It is in Audubon Park Uptown.
The aquarium is great. It is at the foot of Canal St.
The National D-Day Museum is great. It is in the Warehouse District.
The New Orleans Museum of Art is in City Park in Lakeview. It is great too. There is a beautiful set of gardens behind
it as well.
Don't go to the Superdome unless you are into that sort of thing.
Mardi Gras world is supposed to be good (I never went). It is where they make all the floats.
Barataria portion of Jean Lafitte National Park has boardwalks through the swamps with lots of wildlife viewing.
Lake Ponchartrain is not worth seeing. It's just a big lake. Same for the Causeway.
The French Market is in the downriver part of the French Quarter. Definitely the place to go to buy touristy crap, and
also cheap stuff that you will find nowhere else in the world.
Oktoberfest is nice in New Orleans. There is a German center in mid-city that will have cheap food
and live music.
Louisiana is known for outdoor festivals. If these are on when you are there, go to them. The big ones are Swampfest (early October), the French Quarter Festival (early April), Jazzfest (late April), and the Greek Festival (late May).
Avoid the site of the Battle of New Orleans.
The Riverwalk - spare me ... it's a mall. Same goes for Jax Brewery.
Preservation Hall is worth the wait if you like Dixieland. That's pretty much it though - no food or service.