Food fanatic from Los Angeles needs help in New Orleans!!

[burtBAKMAN]

I will be in beautiful New Orleans at the end of October for a friends wedding. The main reason i decided to go is so I can finally go to this city and have some food. I am looking for any and all unique eats the city has. Whats a must? Whats special to the area? Anything else you can suggest? I travel the country and the world in search of special foods, and this is a first time for me there.. PLEASE HELP!

[burtBAKMAN]

Thank you all for your input. I love the help. THANK YOU. I am aware of New Orleans' deep history of food and culture. I know you cant just say where to go, but I am looking for the one place you would take someone you know who comes to town. One place. If you guys come to Los Angeles, I would take you to In n out burger. Thats LA. Pinks hot dogs. Thats LA. And we have a whole slew of other places, both staples like Langer's Deli in downtown LA or hot places like Animal on fairfax or Ink. I am a fan of 3 star places, but I love the hole in the wall. The place thats been there 100 years. Thank you guys! I feel like I have friends now in the big easy..

[califkatie]

Not for food but for drinks i would take you to Miss Mae's Club House on the corner of Magazine and Napoleon. Then next door to Casamentos for the best oysters and fried seafood around.

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Casamento's Restaurant
4330 Magazine St, New Orleans, LA 70115

[karendor]

Ditto:

*Casamento's
*August
*Patois, they also do Sunday brunch
*Coquette,
*Pelican Club (at the bar, apps/drinks -- try their Exchange Alley signature drink)

Also for fun, and latish night food.

Three Muses on Frenchman, (drinks/music/vibe). Love their signature cocktail: The Muse, and their lamb sliders. They serve food til 12 on weekends.

I am very excited about Miss Mae's for my next trip, thanks califkatie

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Three Muses
536 Frenchmen St, New Orleans, LA 70116

[califkatie]

for the last 20 years, ms. maes drinks were only a dollar. but times have changed, alas, they are now $2. but it is a dive bar for sure, so be prepared.

[califkatie]

if you want to some reading before you go, check out some of these websites- gonola.com, neworleansonline.com and nomenu.com.

[califkatie]

burt, with 1200 restaurants in the greater New Oleans area, it is so hard to make choices. there are Traditional Creole restaurants like Galatoires, Antoines,Arnauds and Broussards. i've been to them all. but as a fellow foodies, i try to eat all kinds of New Oleans cuisines in my limited time there. so, i usually pick Galatoires for my "traditional". there are Contemporary Creole restaurants. too many to list but i like Brigtsens, Cafe Adelaide, Commanders Palace, Pelican Club and Upperline. Old Style Creole like Dooky Chases and Praline Connection. Creole Italian like Pascal's Manale, Mandinas and Frank's. Seafood places like Acme Oyster House, Casamento's and Red Fish Grill. Big Name Chefs like Donald Link with his empire, Cochon, Herbsaitn andCochon Butcher. John Besh with August , Lukes, Dominica and many more. well, Burt, i could go on and on. I have been coming to New Orleans for over 20 years and still haven't hit all the places i want to go to. Good luck and happy eating.

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Mandina's Restaurant
3800 Canal St, New Orleans, LA 70119

Praline Connection
542 Frenchmen St, New Orleans, LA 70116

Cochon
930 Tchoupitoulas St., New Orleans, LA 70130

Casamento's Restaurant
4330 Magazine St, New Orleans, LA 70115

Acme Oyster House
724 Iberville St, New Orleans, LA 70130

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

Brigtsen's Restaurant
723 Dante St, New Orleans, LA 70118

Dooky Chase Restaurant
2301 Orleans Ave, New Orleans, LA 70119

Cafe Adelaide
300 Poydras St, New Orleans, LA 70130

Pelican Club Restaurant & Bar
312 Exchange Alley, New Orleans, LA 70130

Red Fish Grill
115 Bourbon St, New Orleans, LA 70130

Upperline Restaurant
1413 Upperline St, New Orleans, LA

[LexDiscman]

indeed

[JazzyB]

Having a limited #of meals here:

skip Mondo (Spicer's Harrison Ave rest)

Skip Mandina's turtle soup...it contains zero turtle and IMO is flour thickened glop. The best turtle soup is at Commander's. Although not often mentioned here, Galatoire's is very good as well.

Commanders is the best of the Brennan restaurants, Don't bother with the others. Lunch in the garden room m-f is a "must". Food is good enough, experience is great.

Lunch offers many fine dining bargains...August m- f is an absolute steal...3 courses $20
Emeril's m- f 3 courses $19.50, Coquette w-sat 3 courses around $20. Specialty cocktails $5on thur. MiLa 3 courses $20.

Happy hours, IMO the 2 best are 3-6daily at Luke and Domenica. We often hit them both. Luke has $.50 oysters, 1/2price libations. Domenica has 1/2 price, excellent wood fired pizzas, wine, beer and well drinks.

Brigtsen's will give you a good sampling of local flavors. Resv a must. Have an all appetizer meal.

for dinner consider: Herbsaint, Coquette, August, Patois, Galatoire's (a quintessential Nola experience, solid, classic preparations,let your waiter be your guide), Emeril's (monster pork chop or andouille crusted redfsh/drum)

Pick up a muffaletta at Central Grocery, stick it in your mini frig to take home. They keep and travel well, just don't put it near your clothes. ha!

Go to Frenchmen in the Marigny for music.

Be sure to take the St. Charles streetcar all the way to the Riverbend to get a glimpse of the rest of Nola. The Canal St. line will take you to City Park. It is a gem with many attractions including the art museum.

Want a sandwich....Cochon Butcher.

Oyster poboy??? Try an oyster loaf at Casamentos.

That's my 2 cents, Bon Appetit!

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Mandina's Restaurant
3800 Canal St, New Orleans, LA 70119

Casamento's Restaurant
4330 Magazine St, New Orleans, LA 70115

Emeril's Restaurant
800 Tchoupitoulas, New Orleans, LA 70130

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

Brigtsen's Restaurant
723 Dante St, New Orleans, LA 70118

Herbsaint
701 Saint Charles Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70130

Domenica
123 Baronne Street, New Orleans, LA 70112

Mondo
900 Harrison Ave, New Orleans, LA 70124

[hazelhurst]

I think you are dead on...and I agree about the turtle soup. Mandina's last few efforts have not been what they used to be. It's not a difficult thing to do right but it does take time.

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Mandina's Restaurant
3800 Canal St, New Orleans, LA 70119

[LexDiscman]

yep, the soup isn't actual turtle, but I do like it...its veal of some sort I think they told me; you are gonna have a blast... music at Tip's on Tchoupitoulas is always a good time if the music is right...Maple Leaf and Bon Ton do the music and atmosphere properly as we;;...Maybe a drop in on Preservation Hall, then a visit to the fountain at Pat O'Briens and a Pete's Special instead of the Hurricane...or not

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Bon Ton Cafe
401 Magazine St, New Orleans, LA 70130

Preservation Hall
726 St Peter St, New Orleans, LA

[shanefink]

I just realized that I have the same opinions as you.

[burtBAKMAN]

I wrote these down.. seems casamentos is a spot i must hit. As well as Galatoire's. I arrive Friday and go straight to some swamp or something. Some tour. But then I eat. I will make it to the wedding, but otherwise, im eating. Id prefer to keep it strictly to "new Orleans" dishes. Specialties... Pizza ive had from Italy to Brooklyn to Bianca in Arizona, great lakes in chicago, DiFarras brooklyn, Mozza in LA.. chicago's ginos east.. all that. But if its something special, ill do my best to go. When do bars close? do they? Can I get some food 24 hours? where are the late night places that drunk people go to?

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

[LexDiscman]

Crescent Meat Pie on Banks; Camellia Grill; Henry's Soul Food(if open); Mandina's on Canal(seafood/turtle soup); Bayona or Susan Spicer's place out on Harrison Ave(forgot name/less $$); Charlie's Seafood(Frank Brigston's other place) out on Jefferson Hwy(my favorite, hands down, Chef Gab is doing it all right); Middendorf's or Adam's Catfish(very different directions; either worth the haul); Drago's for smoked oysters and hi end scotch(to die for ); this should get you started; then to Brocato's for either gelato, tira misu or cappachino...Cafe Dumonde for begniets or ......stop me

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Mandina's Restaurant
3800 Canal St, New Orleans, LA 70119

Camellia Grill
626 S Carrollton Ave, New Orleans, LA 70118

Bayona
430 Dauphine St, New Orleans, LA 70112

[hazelhurst]

How long will you be here?What with wedding festivities you may be limited to only a few lunches and dinners (moreover where are your rehearsal and reception bashes? Those venues might have excellent examples of local stuff.) The classic New Orleans items, just off the top of my head, would be Oysters Rockefeller, Oysters Bienville, shrimp remouland (local version, not French), BBQ shrimp, pompano/redfish/trout, grits and grillades, gumbo of course, turtle soup, chicken bonne femme, any number of desserts, strong coffee. As to Cajun, which is country stuff, Bon Ton offers a good selection of things such as etoufee, Cochon is a decent representation of the butcher items such as boudin. Tjhe question is, as you can see, broad-ranging.

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Cochon
930 Tchoupitoulas St., New Orleans, LA 70130

Bon Ton Cafe
401 Magazine St, New Orleans, LA 70130

[burtBAKMAN]

How about the best Cajun? Those beignets?

[burtBAKMAN]

im there next friday-sunday. Halloween weekend. I appreciate all the input. Where should I go for the best of each of those dishes? Oysters Rockefeller, Oysters Bienville, shrimp remouland (local version, not French), BBQ shrimp, pompano/redfish/trout, grits and grillades, gumbo of course, turtle soup, chicken bonne femme, any number of desserts, strong coffee, etoufee, cajun..

what about that cafe dumond place?

[califkatie]

Try Pascal's Manale for oysters bienville and bbq shrimp. or if you are in the French Quarter, bbq shrimp at Mr. B's and oysters rockefeller and bienville at Antoines. Fish at Galatoires. Any of these restaurants have great gumbo or turtle soup.

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

[shanefink]

I love the shrimp remoulade at Clancy’s and the turtle soup at Commander’s. Everyone on this board thinks that Mr. B’s serves the best BBQ Shrimp. Rue de la Course has a nice strong coffee. Galatoire’s has the best pompano. Oysters Rockefeller has to be Antoine’s.

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