NOLA DUers (or anyone who's familiar with New Orleans)...a few questions...

[huskerlaw]

I'm going to be in New Orleans this weekend for a conference. I'm staying at a hotel near the conference center.

We have Sunday morning free. Any recommendations for a kick-ass Louisiana style brunch spot?

Also, we're free Sunday night after 8, and then on Monday we have an event at the House of Blues, but we'll be done by 9:30 and might want to go out afterwards. So...any suggestions? None of us have ever been to New Orleans before and we want to do the touristy stuff if at all possible, but we also want authentic food.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. We want to spend our California money in your fine city. ;)

Also, we have no idea about scale...is it possible to walk from the convention center to the French Quarter or are we going to be popping for a cab? Are cabs even available? And how's the security down there after dark?

Thanks!

[eyesroll]

1. I'm not from New Orleans, but I did some pro bono work there this spring.

Convention Center is definitely a cab ride to the French quarter. We had our own transportation, so I don't know what cabs are costing these days...but there are cabs available.

I didn't feel too vulnerable after dark -- it was kind of like any touristy area. Stay in groups, don't flash a lot of cash. (We were staying in scary volunteer housing in the 9th ward, though, so perhaps my sense of security was skewed that week.)

As for food...we ate at a few tiny Mid City restaurants that were pretty good (lord knows if I could find them again though), but the best place we ate (and a prof paid!) was Dante's Kitchen (http://www.danteskitchen.com/). Creole-ish, but with emphasis on seasonal/local ingredients. It's not going to be beans and rice/jumbalaya/etc., but it's very good.

Enjoy.

[huskerlaw]

2. Oooh, yummy!

I'll have to put that restaurant on the list. Since I'll be there for work, I won't be paying for it either! ;)

We're all used to working in downtown Los Angeles, so typical safeguards are a given. Thanks for the info!

[Courtesy Flush]

11. Actually, it's walking distance nt

[eyesroll]

24. You're right. I was remembering the distance from my hotel, not the convention center itself.

When I was down there for a convention in 2004, we stayed a shuttle-bus ride away from the convention center, and had to cab it to the French Quarter.

Still...depending on where exactly you're staying and where exactly you're going in the French Quarter, and how many people you're going with and how sober those people will be, a cab ride home may not be a bad idea.

[Shakespeare]

3. Commander's Palace.

You absolutely cannot beat them for great food, great atmosphere (and they do brunch REALLY well).

On Monday, pub-crawl from House of Blues to Pat O'Briens to Tipitina's. You're gonna have fun!!

[huskerlaw]

5. Excellent...

thanks for the suggestions!!

[Courtesy Flush]

12. Not as good as before Katrina

We've been there twice. Once before Katrina, and once after. It's still the best spot for brunch, but it lost something. The service is not what it was (but it's still very good), and the building, while re-built to match the original, is still too new to have the feel the old one had. Still recommended.

BTW: This is not one of those places where you can get away with dressing down. Wear nice clothes. I like that.

[Maddy McCall]

4. Sometime while you're there....

you have to have an oyster po-boy at Acme.

http://www.acmeoyster.com/

And I agree with shakespeare above...you must visit Tipitina's.

Have fun!

[huskerlaw]

6. Yay!

Thanks, Maddy!

I think I'm going to gain about 20 pounds in 3 days. ;)

[pitohui]

7. i like commander's palace myself and it is re-opened, cab there

however since i live here i'm afraid that i usually cook my own food which is not helpful to visitors!

tipitina's is worth visiting, in my humble opinion pat obrien's is a tourist trap but i guess you must do it once

in theory you can walk from convention center to the french quarter, in reality, i wouldn't, the crime rate is through the roof

by way of comparison -- i've walked from the stratosphere/holy cow (north vegas strip) to the excalibur (south vegas strip) before in vegas on a dare (if you know that walk) but i wouldn't do the much shorter walk from convention center to french quarter, sorry

the walk from riverwalk at canal street to french quarter is fine even after dark

enjoy your visit, it's going to be hotter than hades i'm afraid

[huskerlaw]

9. Thanks for the info!

We're all a bit concerned about the crime rate and the walk...plus, we're weather-sissies. We're not used to high humidity and we've had a fairly cool summer thus far (was 83 today), so I'm sure we'll stick to taxis.

However, I see there are thunderstorms in the forecast for every day we'll be there! Los Angeles has only gotten 3.5 inches in over a year, so we're pretty excited to see actual water falling out of the sky. ;) (of course, if it could wait until we're back in the hotel for the night, that'd be great...) :D

[malta blue]

8. Court of Two Sisters...best brunch I have ever had...

http://www.courtoftwosisters.com/

Oh - and if you order a mimosa - you will get a carafe of sparkling, and a carafe of OJ - so watch out. I was last there with a former DUer and his lovely wife (pre-Katrina) and we each ordered a mimosa. Needless to say, we had an interesting flight back to NY later that afternoon...

[huskerlaw]

10. Excellent, thanks!

I'll definitely add that to the list. Mimosas before an afternoon of meetings sounds...interesting... ;)

[kay1864]

13. A second vote for COTS...

Really well-done buffet. And the mimosas are indeed good. Although I think you get the option of a half-carafe of each--we weren't sloshed or anything afterwards.

Also, if you go late in the morning, like 10 or 1030, around 11 or 1130 they'll switch out the breakfast foods for the lunch foods, and you can sample some Creole fare.

If you haven't filled up from the breakfast buffet, that is.

Found that out by accident.

One other thing--they take reservations online! Definitely do so, since it's popular for Sunday brunch.

[malta blue]

14. I forgot about the switch from breakfast to lunch....

That is what we did, and it was great.

[Whoa_Nelly]

15. Maybe not brunch, but for coffee and a beignet~~Cafe Du Monde is a historic must do!

http://www.cafedumonde.com/

Check it out! :hi:

[malta blue]

16. That was my 4am snack before crawling back to my hotel

:rofl:

[Whoa_Nelly]

18. Good thing they're open 24/7 (minus Christmas)

After exploring the Quarter (read as partying :P )it's good to know Cafe Du Monde is there to help ;)

[huskerlaw]

19. Oh yeah, definitely!

What is a beignet??

:hi:

[Shakespeare]

20. kind of a french donut...

Square, puffy, deep-fried yeasty dough, dusted (very liberally) with powdered sugar. YUMMY with the cafe au lait (although the heretic who ordered what's in this picture apparently got some variation on a blended iced coffee--go for the real stuff instead).

[CottonBear]

22. Heretic! One must have the cafe au lait int he china cup and saucer!

I remember when all they served to drink was cafe au lait, OJ, water and hot chocolate.

They've since added soft drinks to the menu.

[Whoa_Nelly]

23. It's on their website, but just for you, dear huskerlaw...

[huskerlaw]

25. Oh my...

that looks AMAZING.

YUMMMMM.

[trof]

17. Breakfast at Brennan's

Paterfamilias Owen Edward Brennan opened Brennan's in 1946, making it into the most famous restaurant in the Vieux Carre, a hang-out for visiting movie stars and dignitaries and a must-see on just about every traveler's list. He also instituted the wildly successful "Breakfast at Brennan's" to compete with the "Dinner at Antoine's." Many people today think of Brennan's only for that lavish mid-morning meal, thereby denying themselves the pleasure of lunch or dinner.

There is always something breathtaking about entering Brennan's. You push your way through the gleaming front door of the salmon-pink building and look past the fine artwork, crystal chandelier, maitre d's station and bar to a leafy patio set with potted flowers and wrought-iron tables and chairs. Here you may enjoy one of Brennan's nonpareil Bloody Marys or an absinthe Suisse. Breathe in the perfume of the flowers and take in the view of the lovely verandah and brick-faced archways around you. There are a dozen dining rooms for public and private use, and a former slave's quarters of this antebellum structure now houses one of the world's finest wine stocks, overseen by Jimmy Brennan, who likes nothing better than a customer who likes to talk wine.

Most people go to Brennan's for the first time for the famous breakfast-a very lavish, formal affair that begins with a cocktail and moves on to excellent steaming cups of Creole coffee, eggs Sardou, grillades and grits, and ends with the irresistible Bananas Foster, created here back in the 1950s to honor a favorite customer.
http://www.brennansneworleans.com/ma_wheretodine.html

[CottonBear]

21. I had breakfast there with my family back in the 1970s.

It was one of the most wonderful dining experiences that I have ever had.

I had a lovely crab omelet and, of course, the bananas foster!

Be sure to dress up! It is a fancy place and SO elegant! :)

If you're not used to the humidity of the southeast try to stay cool. You may want to bring a hankie as one tends to "glow" in the languid heat of the gulf coast! (In other words you'll really sweat a lot so be and take it easy and have some cool drinks in the shade!)

Don't miss Cafe Du Monde either! You must go there! The Fench Market is fun to walk around. You'll love the pecan pralines that are sold there!