1st Time NOLA - Staying in Garden District

[dock]

Will be coming down to NO in October with another couple and will be staying at a B&B in the Garden District for 3 days. We plan to eat at Commanders since its near where we will be and we want to try an old school NOLA classic but we tend to enjoy smaller local places as a rule. Any of those type of recommendations would be appreciated. We will taxi when necessary, or streetcars (don't call them trolleys!). Is it a trek to get to the French Quarter? Jacques Imos opened in NYC but never really took off here. Reading about it online it seems like a terrific place in NO. Plan to get a muffeletta at Central but will probable let it sit for a day and eat it on the plane home. Are most po boys the same or is Johnny's a cut above? Can we stop anywhere for some oysters and brew or are some better than others? Just cause Acme has been on the Food Network doesn't mean it's a must stop for me. In fact, that's a reason to avoid it. Unless you feel it's worth it of course. Is boudin served anywhere in the city? Lots of questions and hoping for lots of answers. Thanks!

[Hungry Celeste]

--I'm not a JacquesImos fan, you can get far better food at the same prices without the silliness or amateur service.
--Johnny's is okay, but far from the best poboys in town. Try Domilese, or Guy's Poboys, or Parkway Bakery.
--Try Cooter Brown's for oysters & beer (you can take the streetcar), or go to Casamento's for raw & fried. Acme's lines are clogged with tourists.
--Boudin is available in the Warehouse District at Cochon, or at NOLA Grocery.

[JazzyB]

Not a fan of Jacques either. Try Commander's for lunch M-F (garden room). 25 cent martinis. You can take the streetcar to Canal and cross the street to FQ. One (streetcar to Riverbend) is good for dinner. Brigtsen's is in the same area. Herbsaint in CBD is very good. We like to stand at the bar at Felix's for oysters and an Amber. Parkway for po-boys. Thanks for coming and enjoy!

[pitu]

Thx all for the excellent starter list -- I know some of you from the Home Cooking board, and I too about to make my virgin voyage to NOLA . . . but I don't know what district I'm staying in...but it's a BnB that I'm told has great breakfasts
:) :) :)

[lawstudent]

Skip Jacque - Imo's. Or if you go, get the fried chicken.
Go to Guy's Poboys for lunch one day, cash only and delicious! It's a hole in the wall. Best shrimp poboy ever.
Commander's at lunch is a must.
Do happy hour at the Columns Hotel before dinner at Delachaise one night, they are both on the street car line and a short walk from one another.
The only restaurant that Food network has featured that I would actually go to is Bridgsten's (on Rachel Ray).
Have fun! And try some abita beer with your oysters.

[Soco]

I agree as well with all the posters that have said that J'Imo's isn't worth the trouble. As for the best oysters in town, in the FQ area 'Remoulade' has the best, although their horseradish is a little pulpier and I personally don't like that. The overall best in the whole area is 'Bozo's,' which is in Metairie, but worth the ride. Freshest oysters, bought direct from the boats etc, but no atmosphere (sorry). If you're in the uptown area, you've absolutely got to head to Clancy's - it's one of the better low profile fine dining places around, or Dante's Kitchen, same deal. I love Commander's Palace, but they do such volume that it's easy to get lost in the shuffle there, or to get one of the less-experienced teams of waitstaff (they work in 3's, captain, front waiter and back waiter) - whereas at those other two places that is impossible. If you want the best fried fish in the area you're staying, try Big Al's Seafood on Annunciation - he's a guy from Houma who gets super fresh seafood and does all his own stuff, and his fish fry is the best I've ever tasted. Unfortunately, it doesn't work as well on the oysters and shrimp, but on the catfish it's unbeatable. Last note, something you should definitely do if you love oysters, is go to Drago's - they have something called char grilled oysters served with a bunch of nice buttery sauce and french bread - and it's totally worth making a special trip. Don't bother with any of the rest of the food though - don't make it a big production going out to dinner - but while you're in that downtown area, stop in around lunch time or for a nice snack, and order a dozen or so for each person in your party - they're phenomenal. Make sure you specify that you want them to err on the side of undercooked, because that is the only occasional problem is that the grill man gets a little fiesty with the heat and if he's not careful or you don't specify, they can come out a little overdone.

[HalfShell]

I'd do one day in the French Quarter, and if you want to dine there at night, avoid Bourbon Street. (Look for a recent post about low-key, grownup bars in the area, though--they do exist.) I think Galatoire's (downstairs) is a quintessential New Orleans experience. Friday lunch is a hoot. Also good in that area are Cochon, Stella, Herbsaint, Cuvee and Bayona. (Some of those are in the Warehouse District.) If the weather for your trip is going to favor one day over the other two, then make that day your French Quarter day--the Quarter never looks better than when there is good sunlight on the buildings.

I second the Clancy's recommendation, and I think Brigtsen's is good for very traditional fare. For poboys, they don't get any better than Parkway, but Guy's and Domilese's are closer to the Garden District. Lillette on Magazine gets high marks as well, and it's the general area of your B&B. I have not eaten there.

I also second the Columns Hotel for a cocktail on the porch. You can watch the streetcar go by and feel like it's your house--until a group of Tulane undergrads shows up to break the illusion.

[JazzyB]

Imo Clancy's is mediocre and overrated along with Stella! Try Herbsaint and as previously stated, Commander's (garden room, lunch preferred), Cuvee , Galatoire's for the quintessential NOLA experience ( food is old school). Lilette is ok, August is much better.

[pikawicca]

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: Can't imagine visiting NOLA and not dining at Galatoire's. Even if the food were not wonderful, the service alone is reason to go. I get around the U.S. and Europe quite a bit, but at Galatoire's I just kind of sink into a gentle sea of calm, attentive, service. Love this place!

[Tonto]

As Hungry Celeste once posted.and I agree. To take a muffeletta on a plane and subject all the other travelers on the plane to the smell of your food is beyond rude IMO. How would you like to sit next to that. Show a little consideration.

[dock]

Thank you for all the recs. NOLA is a wonderful city full of friendly people with lots of opinions.
We arrived Friday nite and rushed over to Casamento's just before closing. We had freshly shucked oysters, oyster stew (outrageous!), and oyster loaf. All washed down with Abita Restoration ale. Welcome to NOLA! I'll never figure out how they could fry those oysters in lard and have them taste so light and greaseless.
Lunch the next day was muffaletta from Central Grocery. Loved that olive salad. Not to be argumentative but I would have no problem bringing that on a plane. People brought on hot dogs with sauerkraut and fried chicken that reeked of oil. This is a new era of air travel and I don't think the olive salad smell is offensive.
Dinner that evening was at Cochon. Terrific place that we really enjoyed. We all shared appetizers after reading the boards. They were all very good but the highlights were fire roasted oysters with chile butter, headcheese with fried pig's ear and rabbit livers. For dessert my friend had a root beer "sundae" made with a root beer reduction which was very tasty and my wife had another order of those oysters! Afterwards we went to Frenchman St. and heard some music.
Lunch the next day was at Acme. Was going to go to Felix's but since the Saints game had just ended there was no line at Acme and we thought what the heck. The place is a bit of a factory and I don't need to go back, but the raw oysters were good and the roasted ones were very tasty. Parmesean, butter, oysters and heat. What a concept! We then went to Tipitina's for some Cajun music and dancing. Met some interesting locals, Charlie and Bucktown Mary, and made some new friends and enjoyed the zydeco.
Dinner that nite was at Commander's Palace. The garden room was lovely and the attitude of the staff was very hospitable. But while the service was friendly and personable and they make you feel like part of the family, the service itself was lacking for a high end restaurant. When the waiter says he will be taking care of us along with Scott and the captain(Scott) comes by after 40 minutes and asks "everything good? good. and walks away for the rest of the evening thats not right. When I pour the wine myself it's not right. So I would describe the service as inattentive. The food was good but perhaps I was expecting to be wowed. Turtle tastes like chicken. The courtboullion (koo-bee-yon) was very tasty and the quail was like a southern thanksgiving. But I would go back just for the bread pudding souffle. That's a great dish.
Our flight the next day had us leaving the B & B at 3PM. So we walked Magazine St. and went to Big Fisherman and got some crabs and shrimp and sausage. Unfortunately, The Bulldog didn't open until 2 so we bought a sixpack of Abita and went back to the B&B and spread some newspaper on a patio table and enjoyed. The shrimp were a little old but the crabs and sausage were outstanding. Got to love that spicy crab boil!
On the way to the airport we stopped at Crabby Jack's for a cochon du lait po boy and a braised duck poboy which we ate on the plane. These are things you just cannot get in NYC and there were no complaints or dirty looks from other passengers. In fact, the flight attendant complimented us on our dinner. Wish we had more time to try the other po boy places and join the arguments on which is the best! But all in all, we had a nice little taste of NOLA.

[N.O.Food]

Glad you got to hit Crabby Jack's. Most visitors don't get to. Excellent poboys. The best fried shrimp in town, in my opinion.