French Quarter Favorites?

[hungry_fox]

Simple as that, what are your favorite eats in/near the French Quarter? I'm looking for your top list, places that whether the person is a tourist or a local, it's a place they have to go to if they'll be visiting FQ. No bias whether it be a street side stand, a tiny hole in the wall, a quick take out, or classic fine dining, What are your favorites in/near FQ and why?

[reiflame]

We just got back from a long weekend trip and at at the following (mostly based on recommendations from this thread):

Stanley
Cochon (not in the French quarter but only a 20-30 minute walk away)
Bayonna
Green Goddess
Royal Street Deli
Central Grocery

I think all were solid choices and we didn't break the bank at any of them (not by DC price standards, at least). Thanks for the recommendations!

[innominate]

i have been dissapointed in central grocery the last few times. too much of an assembly line now maybe? they've been stingy with the olive salad. i'm goin to give nor-joes a try this weekend.

[reiflame]

I thought it was fine - but I'm not a big fan of cold cuts in any situation. I didn't get to try one the first time I was in New Orleans, so I figured I should give it a try this time. I don't feel a strong need to go back.

[montuori]

Without contradicting what others have said...

I'm a recent fan of EAT ... the service was laid back but exceptional, the food was a solid B+, the menu choices were nicely varied but stuck to a theme, and the atmosphere was lively without being obnoxious. Note that it's BYOB but there was no corkage fee (for the one bottle anyway, they advertise $15 for the second and beyond). They were entertaining a group in the back room the last time I was in. (I'm surprised I don't read more about EAT on CH ... is the BYOB thing a big hurdle?)

I always mention the Green Goddess in the context of FQ dining ... their food is solid and the wine program well thought out (and not stupidly priced). Service here has always been well above average and the (admittedly gimmicky sounding) bacon praline sundae is a top 10 anywhere dessert.

In terms of "have to go" ... the places I send people in the quarter are the Napolean House (for Pimms and a Muff), Tujagues bar for a Sazerac, the Carousel Bar for a Vieux Carre, and Bar Tonique for a Ramos Gin Fizz. I maintain that unless you've had these four drinks (done properly, please!) you haven't actually been to New Orleans. It's the same way others feel about Galatoire's; your mileage will vary.

Regarding the PoC ... I'm not sure that I think they have the best burger (I'll usually get my burger fix at Buffa's across the street) or potato but they cook up a mean rib eye for reasonable money and have an entertaining crew behind -- and often at -- the bar. You can't go for lunch at 12:30 without waiting but I've found that it's often the case that finding a couple seats at the bar is easy enough. Skip the sugary PoC "tropical" drinks and go with a boilermaker (I like an Abita & Maker's with a steak) ... if you're behaving, they pour shots with a heavy hand.

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Galatoire's Restaurant
209 Bourbon St., New Orleans, LA 70130

Green Goddess
307 Exchange Place, New Orleans, LA 70130

Tujague's
823 Decatur Street, New Orleans, LA 70116

Vieux Carre Restaurant
201 Bourbon St, New Orleans, LA 70130

Tonique
820 N Rampart St, New Orleans, LA 70116

[Mr Taster]

Great thread. Is Napoleon House good for a group of 10-20?

Would love additional suggestions that are reasonably priced with excellent food that could accommodate a group.

Cajun a big plus. Must be within walking distance of Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop (the closer the better).

Mr Taster

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Napoleon House Bar & Cafe
500 Chartres St, New Orleans, LA 70130

[fat harry]

There are no Cajun restaurants in the French Quarter that I could recommend (google distinction between creole and cajun cuisine). Lafitte's is pretty much accessible from anywhere in the Quarter if you don't mind a 10 minute walk, although obviously closer to the lower Quarter. Mr. B's would be my recommendation.

[Mr Taster]

Thanks for the reply.... I started a new thread addressing my issue with further clarification as to what my group needs. (I also posted a link which helped a little to understand the difference between Creole and Cajun). I'd be curious to know what you think of the recommendations posted there.

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/817835

Mr Taster

[smilingal]

I might be biased - but maybe we all are subjective based on our experiences but......
because I soooo adored our trip there a couple of weeks ago.....
Commander's Palace for the Jazz Brunch
Emerils - for the chef's table in the kitchen
August

Tops on our list - and I think we are discriminating more than most - you know we have that Ny'er "attitude" - NOT! :)

[ml77]

FYI, the OP was asking about places in the FQ, which none of those are.

[smilingal]

I stand corrected - it was my NOLA enthusiasm bursting thru - My apologies! August is almost right there!

[JazzyB]

OP stated in/ near fq.

[Clarkafella]

Don't think that I have ever seen one nice thing posted about it, but the restaurant "Galvez" is certainly worth trying. I don't know if they just started off badly or what, but we ate there several weeks ago and everything was pretty damn wonderful! If nothing else go there for the view of the river and a cocktail- the place will be close to empty so no problem getting a window seat.

http://www.galvezrestaurant.com/

[Ben NOLA]

I have heard many excellant reviews of Galvez, but have not made it there yet.

[JazzyB]

The best thing about Galvez is the view. Should you be determined to go, purchase a $25 gift certificate from restaurant.com, currently 80% off. Your cost $2. Use promo code DEAL at checkout.

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Galvez Restaurant
914 N Peters St, New Orleans, LA 70116

[Clarkafella]

It really is hard to beat the view, but the food certainly wasn't bad either. Most of the stuff posted about Galvez on this board is over a year old- perhaps it is time to give it another shot.

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Galvez Restaurant
914 N Peters St, New Orleans, LA 70116

[Ben NOLA]

Thanks JazzyB! Just got mine on your advice, looks like I'll be trying it sooner rather than later, $2!!!

[Ben NOLA]

Coop's -- cheap, huge portions $8-10, local hole-in-the-wall kind of place
Napoleon House -- cheap $8-12, old-world atmosphere, courtyard, and of course, Pimm's cups!
N'awlins Flavor Cafe -- inexpensive $8-20, large portions of true soul food, exceptionally warm folks
Acme Oyster House -- Oysters. Never met anyone that got sick from a raw one there
Yo Mama's -- $10 premium burger and potato, don't bother with Port of Call they are terrible
Salt n' Pepper -- Great Indian/Pakistani food, Banghra music videos spicy means HOT!!!
Market Cafe -- cheapest buffet with live jazz ($12?), outside, next to Joanie on a Pony, people watching
Little Red Trailer in French Market, weekends -- Vietnamese po-boy $5, must try unique to NOLA
Mona's on Frenchman -- Fresh Middle Eastern / Lebanese, very reasonable $5-12, int'l grocery too
Central Grocery -- Muffaletta. They invented it, highest quality ingredients, consistently good
Cafe Fleur de Lis -- Breakfast til 3pm, fresh and high quality, off the beaten path
Croissant D'or -- French pastries, good coffee, light lunch fare, comfortable feel in a neat space
Eat -- Fresh, good food, BYO drink no corkage fee, no 300% upcharge! Quieter area of the FQ
Deja Vu (the diner, not club) -- Cheap, 24 hour breakfast, $7 steak/potato, and fajita nights
Johnny's Po-Boy's -- Classic FQ po-boy place, super-friendly, not as cheap anymore but not bad ($10)

Well... there's a start. There are so many great little places... I'm starving now thinking about them :)
--Ben

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Napoleon House Bar & Cafe
500 Chartres St, New Orleans, LA 70130

Deja Vu Restaurant & Bar
400 Dauphine St, New Orleans, LA 70112

Port of Call
838 Esplanade Ave, New Orleans, LA 70116

[JazzyB]

Yo Mama's a premium burger, are you serious?

[Ben NOLA]

As opposed to the other $10 burger places, absolutely. Port of Call is dirty, dark, and ALWAYS has a long line for a dry, nasty, poorly made, Taco Bell quality burger and over cooked plain baked potato. All topings are 75 cents on top of that, and they never brought draft beer back and the bottled stuff is more expensive. My main point was Port of Call is terrible, if you are going to pay $10 for a burger you might as well get sour cream and caviar on it (Romanov), or blue cheese and bacon or something, and not have to pay five extra bucks to get a fully loaded potato.
Deja Vu diner is a great place for a burger too and costs $5-7

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Deja Vu Restaurant & Bar
400 Dauphine St, New Orleans, LA 70112

Port of Call
838 Esplanade Ave, New Orleans, LA 70116

[JazzyB]

I've never had a dry burger at POC. I don't quibble over $.75 here and there either. I go when they open or during off peak times thereby avoiding the long lines of folks that love POC. MVB has good burgers and killer shakes.

[rexster314]

We went to Mr B's last month on our casino crawl through Miss and La. The BBQ shrimp there were ok, didn't care for the sauce, hardly any flavor. Paul Prudhomme's recipe for BBQ shrimp from his first cookbook is much better when I fix it at home

[kibbles]

are you you were at Mr. B's? I've never seems anyone who felt their BBQ shrimp lacked in flavor. in fact the praise for this dish, which I love, is near unanimous.

[rexster314]

Yep I was there. Got the bigboy bib and everything. It was ok, not great.

[FoodChic]

I've never heard that before!

[mapleleafgirl]

Seriously? I have had BBQ shrimp at 4 different place in NOLA: Pascal's Manale (the original?) , Deanies, Besh Steakhouse & Mr. B's. Mr.B's is #1 & Besh #2, the others aren't in the same league. So excited to be dining there again next week...mmmm.

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Deanie's Restaurant
1016 Annunciation St, New Orleans, LA 70130

[kukubura]

That is odd. You can like it or not but it's hard to imagine saying it lacked flavor. With those ingredients it would be tough to make it bland!

[kibbles]

yeah I gotta disagree -- if you go to Yo Mama's expecting premium you will be sorely disappointed. I used to enjoy the peanut butter bacon there but last time the bacon was cold pasteurized (or something) stuff, out of a container. I asked for it at least warmed and they just nuked the entire burger. the potato is stock and the buns squashed and sometimes stale.

sorry but Port of Call is much better. to compare its meat with taco bell is absurd...their daily meat supplier is way above average (I can see the truck in my head but not its name). in fact their filet is my second or third favorite in town, right after Mr. John's. I get my cheeseburger with a loaded potato and it's about 14 bucks. definitely not fast food prices, but on par with most the gastropub offerings. combined with the atmosphere (I like dark dim spaces), entertaining bartenders and the characters I meet, it's always a good time and a good value.

[Ben NOLA]

I guess its been a little while since I've been to Yo Mama's, I hope that was a fluke incident and not a new trend though.

[Christine]

Hear, hear! Couldn't agree with you more,kibbles. POC is one place that we've gone to more than once when in NOLA...not only because it's convenient to our lodgings, but because it's freakin' fantastic food and killer drinks. You're right...their burgers are NOT dry and one of the most tasty burgers we've ever tried. They cook them the way you want them. And I'm not even a baked potato fan, never order them anywhere else, but when hubby and I go there, we always split a burger, baked potato and schooner salad, and it is more than enough and DELICIOUS. If you're going to quibble on the cost of add-ons to your tater, better not go. Dirty? Really never seen anything that looks dirty there. Sure it's old and dark, but that's part of its charm. We love Port of Call!

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Port of Call
838 Esplanade Ave, New Orleans, LA 70116

[LeroyT]

We had breakfast last week at Stanley. It was insanely good. The wait for both table and food was long (10am on a beautiful saturday likely had something to do with it), but it was well worth the wait.

[Bill Hunt]

I've done Stanley! three times, and have greatly enjoyed each experience. Now, it's not a McDonald's breakfast, but then I would not be dining there, if it was.

Hunt

[FoodChic]

Agreed! Stanley's is fabulous!

[mrsfury]

Napoleon House for cheap eats, atmosphere and Pimm's Cups. Stella for fine dining. Muriel's for the beautiful view of Jackson Square on the balcony and the food, of course.

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Napoleon House Bar & Cafe
500 Chartres St, New Orleans, LA 70130

[Bill Hunt]

MrsFury,

You make me want to go back, and give Muriel's one more go. The venue is lovely, especially on the balcony, and we DID dine there at events, albeit culinary events, so I need to give them another chance. Many love them, and maybe I just hit them on bad nights - events, regardless of the function, are not a true test.

Now, all I need is to sneak my wife off for about 3 weeks back in her home town...

Hunt

[kibbles]

the view is nice, but IMO theyve never fired on all cylinders when it comes to food. definitely a step below places like Iris, Irene's, or most brennans spots. i must consider that to be management decision, going for tee-shirt-and-shorts-clad tourist volume.

but hey, they do have those goat cheese crepes.

[expatorleanian]

Sure, there are tourists there - how could there not be given the location? Have you not seen the tourists is Mr B's, Dickie Brennan's, Antoine's, Arnaid's, Galatoire's, etc, etc? As far as comparing to various Brennan family restaurants, Muriel's Executive Chef is Gus Martin, who has been Executive Chef at several of those, including Commander's. And if you are a local and hesitate to go there, we've never been turned away at the parking garage at Place d'Armes if we mention that we are dining at Muriel's.

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Galatoire's Restaurant
209 Bourbon St., New Orleans, LA 70130

[kibbles]

in our experience, the tourists at Muriel's are beyond the others you mentioned. more tee shirts, more shorts and sandals, louder, etc..they seem to cater to it. that combined with underwhelming food and mediocre service have kept it off rotation. periodical return visits confirm.

nice space, love the upstairs bar and lounge. but food doesnt seem to be their focus.

[Rosedale]

Can't visit NO without a Pimm's cup or three at Napolean House. And Cafe du Monde of course for not only breakfast, but prime people watching.

[Bill Hunt]

Well, my "thunder" has been stolen.

My favs. are:
Galatoire's - fine dining in the best of New Orleans tradition
Stella! - exciting food with a New South bent, in an Old South setting
Bayona - New NOLA cuisine in a lovely setting
Brennan's - breakfast/brunch with elegant, attentive service
Original Coffee Pot - funky little breakfast restaurant, right next to Pat O'Brien's
Felix's - neat oyster and po-boy spot
NOLA - though it does not get much love here, they have delivered on the food and the service
G W Fins - local seafood done in many ways, a bunch traditional to NOLA

Enjoy,

Hunt

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Coffee Pot Restaurant
714 Saint Peter St, New Orleans, LA 70116

Bayona
430 Dauphine St, New Orleans, LA 70112

Galatoire's Restaurant
209 Bourbon St., New Orleans, LA 70130

[Pam in NJ]

the more thunder, the better!!!

[Pam in NJ]

Here's my list of FQ faves over the course of my 5 previous visits....the atmosphere, the food, the service...they are all memorable

Stella!
Bistro at Maison de Ville
Irene's
K-Pauls - where blackened began....
Bayona - consistent
Mr. B's Bistro - amazing BBQ shrimp
Brennan's - for breakfast & bananas foster.....
Leah's Pralines - the best pralines in nola!

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Bayona
430 Dauphine St, New Orleans, LA 70112

Leah's Pralines
714 Saint Louis St, New Orleans, LA

[JazzyB]

Galatoire's, Stella, Irene's.

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Galatoire's Restaurant
209 Bourbon St., New Orleans, LA 70130