Calling All Foodies: In Need Of Advice

[Hungry4Good]

We will be in N.O. later this month. We came up with a list of "fun,"(AKA non-stuffy) New Orleansy places with lotsa atmosphere & great food. Would love your opinion of this list. Any repeats? Need to be tweaked? 3 in our group have never been there. (Hungry Celeste????)

Lunches: Commander's, Bourbon House, Liuzza's By The Track, Central Gro. or Napoleon House (Muffs.)

Dinners: Cochon, Dick & Jenny, Jacques Imo, Upperline or Vizard's (please help me decide) and Palace Cafe for NY Eve. Dinner.

Many thanks in advance!!!

[bodie]

This is not intended as a slam but Commanders is not exactly "non stuffy".
For nice-ish places, think Brigstens, Vizards, or Upperline, for "jernts" think Parasols, Coops, Liuzzas, Casamentos, Parkway Tavern or Port of Call.

[Hungry4Good]

Thanks for that, bodie. Reason for Commander's is they have a very reasonable lunch (hope they still do), 25 cent martinis and will give that sort of old N.O. "haute" experience for my guests. Plus, it will be followed by a Garden District walking tour led by, arggh, me.

[MakingSense]

Do you mean Liuzza's or Liuzza's by the Track? Different places, no association with each other. We always liked Liuzza's better. They have re-opened since Katrina.

[Hungry4Good]

I have only been to L "by the track." Love their oyster poboy with garlic butter and BBQ shrimp poboy. Please tell me how the other Liuzza's compares.

[MakingSense]

Liuzza's on Bienville has been around since the 40s. My family always went there. When the Liuzza family retired a few years ago, one of the waitresses bought it and didn't change a thing.
New Orleans is full of neighborhood restaurants and everybody eats near their house or near where they grew up.
I didn't start hearing about L by the Track until a few years ago. I always figured it was because of JazzFest crowds discovering another neighborhood place. We tried to eat there last month but they had closed at 5 PM with no explanation. So we went to plain old regular Liuzza's.
Really hard to go wrong at most of NOLA's neighborhood joints. Probably why most of us don't make the trip down to Mother's - too many better choices all over town.

[N.O.FoodFan]

I LOVE the neighborhood joints. To your knowledge, is there anything in the Quarter - or within walking distance of the quarter - that is in this category? We usually have to head to Mother's.

[MakingSense]

There were a lot when I lived in the FQ years ago - over toward Decatur, Esplanade, Rampart, etc. where rents were cheaper and where families lived. Guess those days are gone.

If you have to go all the way to Mother's, just grab the Magazine bus. Parasol's is one block off the bus line at 3rd and Constance. Casamento's is on Magazine at Napoleon.
There's a lot of good stuff out Canal that you can get to easily on the Cemeteries bus. Brocato's is at Canal and Carrollton.
Liuzza's by the Track is just off Esplanade - another bus line.

New Orleans has always had good public transportation. Use it to see the city and eat well.

[JGrey]

I did not enjoy Palace Cafe. I would dump it and go to Upperline for NYE, then you can do Upperline AND Vizard's. I was at Upperline for NYE one year, and Ms. Clevenger handed out hats and noisemakers.

And I have not been to Bourbon House but reports I hear say it's very hit or miss. I would go to Bayona instead.

[Hungry4Good]

The reason for Bourbon House is just for raw oysters, po-boys etc, for lunch. Same price as Acme and easier to deal with (and better I've heard). I hope it's good that day! Hard to find places in the Quarter. (We'll stay in the Quarter so its convenient.)

[Hungry Celeste]

I'm no Jacques-Imos fan, but Crabby Jack's is good enough if you're determined to try one of Leonardi's establishments.

Why not add a neighborhood poboy restaurant like Parasol's, Parkway Tavern, or Domilese? And how about a spot like Casamento's for oysters (fried or raw)?

One more suggestion: visit the Fairgrounds & bet on a couple of races & have a bloody mary and a dozen raw oysters overlooking the paddock.

[Hungry4Good]

Thanks All. I'm not that much a Jacques-Imo fan either, but I think those in my group will like it (to go to only once). Which brings up another question: if one (myself) was not that blown away by Herbsaint, do you think we should go to Cochon? (I'm familiar with the menu.)