Anniversary trip April 2013

[vegan73]

my husband and I are headed to NO for our anniversary next april. i lived in NO from 1993-1994 and have been back a few times but not since Katrina. my husband has never been. i want to take him to my old favorites - CP and Bayona for nice dinners, Lafitte's for drink, Pat o'Brian's for a hurricane and Camelia Grill to stave off the inevitable hangover, but I also want to know what else is new and good. we are probably going to stay 4-5 nights and then head out to a plantation for a night before going home. so far that is the plan - eat, drink, walk, shop.

[teachergirl23]

If the weather is nice I'd highly recommend sitting on the patio at the Columns Hotel to nurse a few drinks. It's just lovely.

[Johnbliss]

Try a meal at Coquette 2800 magazine, I think you will be pleased

[collardman]

There are too many choices with your open slate. Check some of the similar past threads for ideas, or maybe give some ideas on what you like, where you will be staying...

[vegan73]

Ok. We are staying in the FQ. I was also thinking of tacking an extra night on and heading out to Madewood. We really like fresh seafood and I'm greatly looking forward to eating my weight in fried oysters and beignets. We are not big meat eaters at all. We also love a great cocktail. We were in SFO last spring and had drinks at the Comstock Saloon if that gives you any idea of what I mean. :)

[collardman]

Then GW Fins should go on your list. For oysters and beignets the best choices are the old names that you are familiar with as they are still rolling. Also try Borgne in the Hyatt. Very informal but we enjoyed the straigt forward local seafood.
There have been a number of recent good threads on the wondrful N.O. cocktail scene. We are pretty lazy going places close to our chosen restaurant. There is of course the Sazarac in the Roosevelt, Cafe Adalaide, the bars at Antoines and Arnauds, and we like Bombay Club. Oh, Carousel too.

[Bill Hunt]

I also agree with G W Fins. They do a lot of local seafood, with many local recipes.

Many years ago, we dined there as part of the New Orleans Wine & Food Experience, and Joel Petterson, the then owner of Ravenswood Winery was the featured winemaker for their dinner - his comment was "what am I doing here, as this place specializes in great seafood, and I make almost all red wines?" He was correct - he should have been at a steakhouse, with his Zinfandels, and not at an almost exclusively seafood restaurant, but he DID pick up on the great food there.

While NOLA is a great Gulf seafood city, most of the restaurants are not exclusively seafood - though that is often a big part of the menu.

As for cocktails/bars, I do agree - many recent, and very good threads on this board.

Enjoy!

Hunt

[vegan73]

Thank you for the info. Still strategizing and hoping to fit in a lot of runs up St. Charles to burn off the calories