Best Bloody Mary & Pimm's Cup?

[wendimac22]

We are visiting over Labor Day. This will be my fourth visit in as many years, and my hubby's second. We are also going with a couple who are NOLA virgins, so I am looking forward to playing tour guide a little.

I know Napoleon House has out of this world Pimm's Cups, but are there any other places in the FQ, CBD or Garden District that compare? Also, where do I get the absolute best Bloody Mary?

[Boatman]

The best Pimm's Cup I've ever had (by far) was at Tujague's.

[Gizmo56]

Curious to know what they do differently at Tujague's that results in a superior P. Cup? In most renditions, including Napoleon House, the Pimm's Cup is certainly not an especially complex or nuanced cocktail.

[Boatman]

I agree and wish I knew what their difference is. This was last May, on the last day of a long visit. I met someone there for drinks, they recommended the Pimm's Cup (which I've never been particularly excited about), and it was better than I could have imagined one being. Do not know what they do differently, if anything, but if you get a chance to try one, please let me know what you think.

[Ziggy41]

Marie's Bar in Marigny - perhaps best bloody I ever had

[StRoch]

And I'm the proud one that clued you on that one!!

[Ziggy41]

Yep, good call thanks. I may never have another one without a pickled okra inside. This was much better than Mr. B's btw.
Also had a good Pimms at Boucherie but got nothing to compare it to

[StRoch]

It made #10 on this list: http://nola.eater.com/archives/2012/1...

Some real classy company.

[Omniverous]

Both are great at BarTonique in the FQ - and only $5 if you go on Saturday for the Bloody Mary and Monday for the Pimm's. However, despite their exceptional cocktail program, BarTonique looks like a dive, which may or may not be your thing but deserves a mention when recommending a bar to a stranger.

[wendimac22]

Great! We love dive bars. Thank you for that rec :)

[bronwen]

Mr. B's makes great Bloody Marys. I think the Swizzle Bar has Pimm's Cups. Also the bar at Windsor Court and Ritz Carlton have them.

[kukubura]

Mr B's is actually a mislabeled Bloody Bull, aka a bloody mary made with beef broth. Something for vegetarians to consider... It is good though.

[lillidalla]

You like dive bars?.....try a Bloody Mary at Molly's at the Market on lower Decatur St......my favorite.

[JoeyH]

I had a very good Bloody Mary at Harry's Corner, a dive bar at Chartres and Dumaine.

[wendimac22]

Awesome. Hubs loves Harry's Corner!

[nolala]

Now that's a dive...and an often right wing loony clientele.

[kibbles]

i actually wouldnt consider Tonique a dive. it's a little classier, modern corner booths, hi-end drink components, hi-end ice, etc.. it does have brick walls tho but thats the only divey thing i can think of.

[nolala]

Agreed. Tonique looks nothing like a dive. Far more classier in look, service, and selection. That comment makes no sense. Dive compared to what?

[Wannabfoode]

We were in town recently and had the bacon bloody mary at Bar Tonique and it was out of this world. Not as thick or chunky as your traditional bloody, it seemed more like a tomato water base and it was just delicious.

[Christine]

Think the poster was referring to Harry's Corner Bar in the FQ?

[JazzyB]

Rue 127, Commander's and R'evolution make excellent bloodys. I always order "very spicy". Not a fan of Atchafalaya's bloody bar. Really, the condiments don't matter when you start with a lousy base. Sure you can "doctor" it, but it's not nearly as good as starting with something more substantial than either a watery mix or plain tomato juice.

Not a fan of the touted Napoleon House Pimms. I make them at home using fresh lemon and lime juice (usually picked from my trees), a bit of sweetner, gingerale( not gingerbeer) and cucumber.. Fresher and cleaner tasting than the lemonade and 7up used at NH.

[wendimac22]

We have Commander's on our itinerary for lunch one day, since we are staying at the Hotel Modern and are conveniently in between there and the FQ. I'll definitely try one there! The build your own bars aren't my cup of tea. I tend to make them horribly!

[TaTee]

Zing Zang, IMHO, is the best bloody mary mix EVER.

Plan to eat at Tamarind in the Hotel Modern...delicious French Vietnamese food. Nice view of Lee Circle and the St. Charles Street car.

Eons ago, Bruno's on Maple Street had a good Pimm's Cup,

[JazzyB]

TaTee, Any recs for Tamarind?

[TaTee]

Jazzy B, Have only eaten lunch, but it was delicious. I am partial to crunchy spring rolls, so I had those. Perfectlion! I believe they have a three course pre fixe, so we got a yummy dessert as well. Ask your server for specials. Ours was most informaiive and gave us the proper pronunciation for "Pho" which was quite amusing ;-)

[JazzyB]

"fa"

[Gizmo56]

One way to get the best Bloody Mary is to visit Atchafalya for Saturday/Sunday brunch and visit their Bloody Mary bar. They have a terrific array of garnishes and you can construct your personal ideal Bloody Mary.

Napoleon House's famed Pimm's Cup is very refreshing,especially after a long walk in hot weather, but NH's recipe is actually very close to the simple one printed on the back label of Pimm's #1. See: http://napoleonhouse.com/pimmscup.html . Pimm's Cup is a good drink to experiment with at home. My favorite variation involves using a berry-flavored sparkling lemonade, garnished with fresh strawberries. Some folks like it made using ginger beer, rather than citrus.

[swampsue]

It's been awhile, (note the weather) but I seem to recall the Carousel Bar having a really delicious Pimm's, It was a shade less sweet than the Napolean House's, and really, really refreshing. They've undergone massive renovations, I haven't personally experimented to see if this has effected their drink-making or not.