Where to eat in New Orleans?

[Ben E Lou]

I'm going to be there for a week on bidness soon. Any places in particular I need to go to sample the local cuisine?

[QuikSand]

Nah, not really much good eatin' down that way.

[cartman]

NOLA, one of Emeril's places, is awesome.
Cafe du Monde is the spot for coffee and beignets
Mother's is another one my favorite spots

[Tigercat]

Best of the high end restaurants:
Stella! (French Quarter)
August (Warehouse district)

Still very, very nice, but not totally break the bank:
Brigsten's (uptown, great creole)
Gautreau's (uptown, great creole/american)
Pelican Club (quarter, great creole)
MiLa (warehouse, very good modern)
Bayonna (quarter, very good creole)
Herbsaint (warehouse, very good american)

Less fancy, still nice, good city (creole, cajun) staples:
Mr B's (quarter, Get BBQ Shrimp (not really BBQ, but great) or Gumbo Ya Ya)
Muriel's (quarter, good creole)
Couchon (warehouse, very good authenticish cajun choices)

French Quarter, non dinner:
Stanley (very good ecclectic menu, sandwhiches and dishes for lunch)
Johnny's Po Boy's (best po boy's in the quarter)
Central Grocery (best place to pick up a muffaletta)
Restaurant EAT (nice spot for breakfast)

Outside the quarter, other very good options

UPTOWN
Casamento's (great restaurant/oyster bar in Uptown, best fried oysters in city)
Crepe Nanou (good french food)
Le Petite Grocery (ditto, good french food)
Upperline (good creole)


I could keep going forever. If you have some guidelines on what you are looking for let me know. I work down in the quarter a couple of days a week with tourists/visitors primarily.

[Ben E Lou]

As for guidelines, it really depends. I'm not much of a night owl, but I love me some good eatin'. If there's a high-end joint that's worth it, that's probably ideal: break the bank once, then just eat near the hotel the other three nights. But I could also see myself going with "solid" three or four nights to get a taste of several options.

[miked]

In the french quarter, I always enjoy Felix's for oysters and some good gumbo. There's a place near the waterfront called mama's that has awesome red beans and rice, prepare to wait, but it's well worth it. If you are in to brunch, Brennen's is pretty good from what I recall. Of course, these are all touristy places and the locals will probably tell you it's poo.

[Tigercat]

Stella! is definitely the best high end in the quarter. Mr. B's is reasonable and BBQ Shrimp which they do very well is one of the unique New Orleans dishes that many don't know about. Definitely hit up Johnny's for lunch, beware long lines. (All great Quarter lunch spots have them though) Beyond that just search restaurants online for ratings before you walk in the doors. There are too many good restaurants to accidently get stuck in a bad tourist trap, which there are plenty of in the quarter.

Couple of other things, if you have time make sure you hit Frenchman street at night if you never have to sample the real local music scene. The best hamburger in the city is in between the quarter and Frenchman at Port of Call on Esplanade ave. Go for drinks at Napolean House in the quarter one evening or night. (Best bartenders in the city.)

[Tigercat]

Originally Posted by miked

In the french quarter, I always enjoy Felix's for oysters and some good gumbo. There's a place near the waterfront called mama's that has awesome red beans and rice, prepare to wait, but it's well worth it. If you are in to brunch, Brennen's is pretty good from what I recall. Of course, these are all touristy places and the locals will probably tell you it's poo.

Felix's and Acme are still the best in the quarter for raw oysters, never really a consensus on who's better. (And they are right by each other.) Brennan's is a classic, and has contributed much to American cuisine, but at this point it is just overpriced compared to what you can get elsewhere. Not to say you can't have a great meal there though.

[Eaglesfan27]

Lots of good suggestions, but Jacques-Imos is a must eat in my opinion. Great Creole Soul food. Only downside is that there is usually a wait.

[Eaglesfan27]

Originally Posted by Tigercat

Felix's and Acme are still the best in the quarter for raw oysters, never really a consensus on who's better. (And they are right by each other.) Brennan's is a classic, and has contributed much to American cuisine, but at this point it is just overpriced compared to what you can get elsewhere. Not to say you can't have a great meal there though.

Agreed about Brennan's... there are much better places for value and quality - even though they are good.

[Tigercat]

Originally Posted by Eaglesfan27

Lots of good suggestions, but Jacques-Imos is a must eat in my opinion. Great Creole Soul food. Only downside is that there is usually a wait.

Jacques Imo's is actually my favorite place in the city. (Well maybe second after Brigsten's, but JI's is easier to swing on a regular basis.) I can't believe I didn't suggest it. Being also carrolton/uptown though, the location along with the wait time can be a hassle for tourists. Boucherie is also excellent in the same general area of carrolton.

[path12]

Ate the best burger I've ever had at Luke on St. Charles last fall.

Hard to go wrong with most of what's been posted already. There are plenty of places that won't break the bank. You really should be sure and get a muffaleta at Central Grocery. Dick and Jenny's is good also.

Oh, and second the rec on Johnny's Po Boys as well.

[Pumpy Tudors]

Of all t he places named in this thread so far, the only place I've ever eaten is Johnny's Po-Boy. I love Johnny's, by the way. If anybody's expecting recommendations from me, though, it ain't happening. I don't really remember where I used to eat down there, and I have no idea which places are open now anyway.

So just eat at Johnny's every day.

[Doug5984]

Port of Call is good, Mother's ferdi special po-boy is a must...
Camelia grill was great before the storm, haven't been since so I'm assuming still good?

I like Deanie's seafood in the quarter. - Like someone said earlier BBQ shrimp is great

[cschex]

It's been years since I've had a Central Grocery muffaletta. I really need to get back to NO. Can't go wrong with Johnny's and Mother's used to be reliable, though I haven't been in a while.

[JPhillips]

I wish I could remember the creole place I ate at back in 2000. I had a lamb shank with a dijon mustard sauce that I still dream about.

[albionmoonlight]

Basically, people have named so many good places that I don't need to really add to it.

I might mention Crabby Jacks--a lunch joint owned by the guy who owns Jacque-Imos. But, assuming that you are staying downtown, it will be hard to get to Crabby Jacks.

I will also note that Herbsaint (mentioned above) is known for its Gumbo, which a lot of people going to N.O. want to try.

And, if you are there for a work conference instead of actual work (i.e. you don't need to be sober in the afternoon) I will mention that Cafe Adelaide has 25c martinis at lunch (limit 3) and very good food.

But, really, the places noted above by the others won't do you wrong. If I had to pick one place to eat a make-or-break meal in N.O., I would pick Commander's Palace or August.

[Coffee Warlord]

As someone said, hit the Camelia Grill for breakfast. It's awesome (or at least it was pre-storm, I assume it still is)

[Ben E Lou]

Originally Posted by albionmoonlight

...But, assuming that you are staying downtown...

Hampton Inn & Suites New Orleans-Convention Center

1201 Convention Center Blvd., New Orleans, Louisiana, USA 70130

[cartman]

Oh hell, then you've got breakfast covered Ben.

[albionmoonlight]

Originally Posted by Ben E Lou

Hampton Inn & Suites New Orleans-Convention Center

1201 Convention Center Blvd., New Orleans, Louisiana, USA 70130

Good location. You can take a streetcar uptown and hit places along St. Charles Ave. But your best (and easiest) bet may be to stay in the Quarter and take the Quarter/Warehouse recommendations that people have listed here.

Some people really like the Streetcar ride down St. Charles--it goes through an area of really nice older Southern homes. But, living in Charleston, you have--I'd expect--had your fill of seeing nice older Southern homes. Either way, it might be worth considering that the commute to Uptown on the Streetcar is actually pretty pleasant as public transit goes.

[Ben E Lou]

Originally Posted by albionmoonlight

Some people really like the Streetcar ride down St. Charles--it goes through an area of really nice older Southern homes. But, living in Charleston, you have--I'd expect--had your fill of seeing nice older Southern homes. Either way, it might be worth considering that the commute to Uptown on the Streetcar is actually pretty pleasant as public transit goes.

Heh. You might say that. We were down at the battery just this weekend, as a matter of fact. Kinda hard to top that. Not sure I even want to.

[Ben E Lou]

And yes, albion, actual work during the day. Completely off after 4:30 or so each day.

[Eaglesfan27]

Wife's suggestions (only listing ones that aren't already mentioned, she seconded many of the aforementioned places):

Wife likes John Besh Steakhouse in Harrah's.

Also, we both like Vincent's on St. Charles for good Italian food.

She also likes Deanies' which is a seafood place.

Finally, Little Tokyo on St. Charles is good if you like Japanese.

[albionmoonlight]

Originally Posted by Eaglesfan27

Also, we both like Vincent's on St. Charles for good Italian food.

We love Vincent's too. To complete the restaurant circle of life, we discovered it one night when we tried to go to Jacque-Imos and found out that it was closed for the holidays.

[Doug5984]

John Besh's steak house- I got the prime rib one night after a Saints game- oh it was amazing.

Vincents another great one. Damn I'm getting hungry

[Eaglesfan27]

Originally Posted by albionmoonlight

We love Vincent's too. To complete the restaurant circle of life, we discovered it one night when we tried to go to Jacque-Imos and found out that it was closed for the holidays.

Vincent's has a special place in our heart because it is where we went on our first New Orleans date way back when.

[Mota]

Arnaud's in the french quarter was a really great restaurant for the "break the bank" one. Mind you I went in 2003 so it might be different now.

I would definitely second the recomendations for the Acme Oyster House, I had a Po'boy and it was absolutely fantastic, my wife had the jambalaya and it was just as good.

Cafe Du Monde is a must ... the coffee is good but it's all about the beignets, it was windy outside when we ate ours, we were wearing black clothes and were completely covered in powdered sugar. Some guy was just watching us as we were eating them and laughing. I didn't care, it was that good.

I want to go back just for the beignets. And I live in Toronto.

[ntndeacon]

I have a different place that I adore in the french quarter ...
the Old Coffee Pot. can't remeber which street it is on but it is right off Bourbon pretty far down. very tasty!

[Ben E Lou]

Having Crawfish Benedict at Marigny Brasserie right now (corner of Royal and Frenchmen). It was the #1 breakfast recommendation from the locals I'm working with. They chose....wisely.

[Ben E Lou]

Oh yeah...and not to mention that since I've been here I've heard "I Wish" by Stevie Wonder, "Say It Loud!" by James Brown, and currently "Papa Was A Rollin' Stone" by the Temps is playing.

[albionmoonlight]

Frenchman street rocks. I've never been to the Brasserie out there--will have to be sure to hit it next time we are down there.

[path12]

Last fall at Lafitte's I accidentally played "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" three times.

[Ben E Lou]

Landry's Seafood?

[cartman]

Originally Posted by Ben E Lou

Landry's Seafood?

That's a chain out of Houston. Good food, but not something you couldn't get elsewhere.

[Sun Tzu]

damn...there was a couple of great places I ate when I was down there. I have some friends that have lived there almost their entire lives so they really knew the best places. I'll see if I can dig the names up.

[Sun Tzu]

Ok...well for the life of me I can't remember the name of the dinner joints, but one was a southern/creole place that had frog legs and the whole nine yards. The other one was a small-ish seafood place that's locally known for great shellfish.

One place I do remember is where I had breakfast...twice. The Camellia Grill. I strongly, strongly, strongly, strongly suggest going. If you go, just listen for this.

I scream caffeine.

That way you'll think of me, Sun Tzu.