Back in October I planned a very last minute work trip to New Orleans and while I may have been on the clock, it was a great trip. Sometimes you get lucky with coworkers who are on the same page as you, and that was definitely the situation here. I was traveling with someone who recognized when we needed to hole up with our laptops in the lobby, was willing to pound the pavement networking, and also wanted to make time for all the amazing food Nola has to offer. Because I’d been to the city twice before, I knew the touristy spots to show her (beignets, duh), but I also hit up some native buds for local recommendations. In the end, we had a great balance.
New Orleans is a truly unique city with a culture that can only be described as vibrant. While it may be possible to lump other big cities together (Atlanta/Dallas, Chicago/DC, etc.), I always look at New Orleans as being in a league of its own. Even my hometown of Savannah can be describes as “it’s like Charleston but smaller.” It’s impossible to liken New Orleans to another city, which is why it should be a must on your list.
Wednesday, October 18th
I had arrived around 11 pm on Tuesday night so it was straight to bed for me. I was bummed to learn that the hotel gym was closed due to renovations, but it pushed me to get outside for a nice run on Wednesday morning before conference activities kicked off. I ran down the river walk and around the French Quarter before stopping for breakfast and coffee. I always think running is a great way to explore a new city so if you’re staying in an urban area or anywhere with running paths, I highly recommend.
My breakfast stop of choice was Willa Jean, where I got a massive chicken biscuit that required a knife. I was wary of the restaurant options in our area – we were at the border of the French Quarter and the business district and business districts don’t typically lend themselves to great food. Willa Jean, however, was a very solid spot that bucks the boring business district tradition. The chicken was nicely spiced and the biscuit fluffy – fine for sit down but also nice if you’re just looking to grab a pastry or two to go.
I got all showered up and headed to the conference with my coworker, Zhana, and before we knew it, it was lunch time. Zhana is a fellow foodie (albeit, a pescatarian one) and had never been to New Orleans so she wanted to try all the local specialties. We happened to be right by Mr. Ed’s Oyster Bar and Fish House so we loaded up on fried green tomato napolean, alligator tail, jambalaya, and etouffée. Have I had better etouffée? Probably, but it was definitely good and I wasn’t looking for anything fancy – just a solid meal on the streets of the French Quarter. If you’re looking for a casual lunch and the opportunity to try almost all the creole mainstay food items, this is a great place to do it.
With a bit of time left before the post-lunch sessions started, we walked over to Jackson Square so Zhana could see how vibrant the area is…and of course pop into Cafe du Monde for some beignets and chicory. I don’t care if it’s touristy, it’s a must. We sat right down (it was a random Wednesday, after all) and proceeded to dust ourselves with powdered sugar. So good.
We had plans to do some networking at the official event happy hour, but we had about an hour and a half to kill before that started. We were concerned we wouldn’t have enough time for a full dinner so we went to Hotel Monteleone for a drink or two at the legendary Carousel Bar instead. We were able to sidle right up to the rotating bar – a nice reminder that it often pays to plan a trip with a weeknight if you want to hit up popular touristy spots – and ordered classice New Orleans cocktails like the sazerac.
After a couple hours of networking at a party that was seriously lacking in food, we were starving and needed to soak up the booze. My cousin married someone from New Orleans and they’re often there so I trusted him to direct me to someplace good. Extra points if it was in walking distance, but mostly I wanted something tasty and not touristy. He knocked it out of the park with The Will & The Way. I ordered most of the menu and I don’t regret it at all. We shared the pimento cheese and the pickle plate while I got the burger (where I substituted fries with the Korean loaded fries for an upcharge) and Zhana got the roasted cauliflower. The saltines that came with the pimento cheese were spiced and took the basic dip to new levels – so did the pickles so I highly recommend ordering bothe snacks together. My cheeseburger was legit with its red wine fois gras butter and the loaded fries that were topped with kimchi and gochujang aioli were spicy and fun. I didn’t taste the cauliflower but Zhana ate every bite and talked about it for two days so I think it was good. Also of note: this place has a courtyard. In fact, tons of places in New Orleans have courtyards or beer gardens and its such a lovely feature. More of that, please.
Thursday, October 19th
I desperately needed caffeine when I woke up and another run was not in the cards so I walked to the closest coffee shop I could find on my way to the conference. Fourth Wall is a cozy space that felt worlds away from any central business district coffee shop I’d expected. The coffee was great, they don’t try to hard with the space, and it’s wide open to make gathering or just working at your laptop easy. It was so good I made a second stop during the trip.
After attending a panel, I met up with Zhana who was brunching and working at Coterie. I wasn’t quite ready for lunch, but I did want a little oyster snackie so I got the 2+2+2 (2 Bienville, 2 Chargrilled, and 2 Rockefeller). The place looked a little too squeaky clean so I assumed it would be bland – can’t speak to the rest of the food, but the oysters hit.
It wasn’t long before I was ready for actual lunch. Zhana was stuffed from her brunch and had a meeting so I took myself on a quick date at Killer PoBoys. This is where I had a gamechanger of a debris poboy. The beef was topped with pickled green beans and banana peppers and a light horsey sauce. Those pickled veggies made all the difference. It was a perfect poboy.
Once again, we had some time to kill between conference events but not enough to shower or hunker down so we sought out some happy hour specials. Kingfish had some great deals and a late septagenarian waiter that we fell in love with. Food-wise they add a little twist to Nola faves and it’s got the upscale casual vibes of the restaurants I grew up in – a different generation.
On our way to the conference happy hour, I spotted a bookstore and, well, it’s simply impossible to find a local bookshop and not go in. Crescent City Books specializes in antique books and I found several in French, including two cookbooks that had to come home with me.
Several of the event attendees decided to make Thursday night the Bourbon Street night. You gotta experience it at least once in your life, right?! We popped into several spots, including the iconic Pat O’s
I ended the night with late night food that I ordered to the hotel. Thank you, Seamless.
Friday, October 20th
That midnight snackie saved me and I was in good enough shape to go on another run on our last morning. I tried to change up the route and this time ended up at the Funny Libraray for coffee inside the Virgin Hotel. It was a quirky spot and fun to look around. I think I would have enjoyed chilling there as a hotel guest, but as someone not staying there, it felt like more of a grab-and-go thing. Not bad, but overall I preferred Fourth Wall.
Zhana had oysters on the brain after seeing my snack the day before so we headed to Felix’s for lunch. It’s across from Acme, which is slightly more famous…but that meant we could get into Felix’s quicker. We split some oysters and I got some turtle soup. I think there are better spots because this has become such a thing based on its primo location, but it certainly satisfied the craving.
On my first trip to New Orleans, I had tried all the food on my list, save the muffaletta. I asked the doorman at the hotel what his favorite place was (yes, I’d heard about Central Grocery and the others) and he said Napolean House. I walked there with my suitcase and got the most massive sandwich to go that I took to the airport. I enjoyed every bite and thought it was the perfect sendoff. Here I was well over a decade later and in the same spot. I walked myself to Napolean House and got a quarter to go (a quarter is only $7.50 and all you need, trust me) that I ate in our hotel lobby while waiting for the Uber. Perfect. Side note: the restaurant is landmark status but doesn’t seem as talked about as other French Quarter spots. It was certainly packed to the gills and Pimm’s Cups were flying out the bar left and right but I don’t hear about it as often. Fine by me – let it fly everrr so slightly under the radar.
On my way back to the hotel (sandwich in tow) I stopped in at Nola Kids. They had some cute clothes and a great local book selection so I was able to grab a souvenir for Finn that we’ve now read to death.
New Orleans Details
- Accommodations
- Magnolia Hotel: This is where we stayed and it was great. Location was perfect and it has undergone a lovely remodel. It wasn’t a boutique hotel…but it also didn’t feel cookie cutter/boring.
- Other good spots – Honestly there are so many unique hotels in New Orleans and I’d love to splurge on them all. A few that are particularly high on my list are:
- Hotel Peter & Paul: I love a boutique hotel with history and this one is in a former Catholic church and school where no room is exactly the same
- The Chloe: In an old mansion, this hotel is full of charm and boasts a pool and record room.
- Hotel St. Vincent: This one began as an infant asylum, has fun decor with an enviable veranda, and a nice lobby bar(s).
- Food and Drink
- Nola Specialties: Nobody does these items like New Orleans. If you don’t try them, your visit was essentially wasted.
- Turtle soup (with that sherry!)
- Oysters (all the ways, but especially chargrilled and topped with cheesy goodness)
- Poboys (all are good but I think debris – even when not from Killer PoBoys – is unique so I’d opt for that since you’ll have plenty of other opportunities to eat fried oysters and shrimp)
- Etouffe & Jambalaya
- Beignets
- Mufaletta
- Snoballs (the one and only New Orleans specialty I have yet to try)
- Sazerac & View Carre cocktails
- Restaurants that I wanted to try but didn’t make it to:
- Seaworthy (good food and good drinks)!
- Turkey & the Wolf (I keep hearing about these sandwiches!)
- Lilette (my friend says there’s a great bar next door)
- Le Petit Grocery (a classic)
- Clancy’s (my friend called it the “go-to neighborhood restaurant”)
- Jewel of the South (Named one of the World’s Best Bars right before I arrived. Sadly, we ran out of time.)
- Nola Specialties: Nobody does these items like New Orleans. If you don’t try them, your visit was essentially wasted.
- Activities
- Eat. New Orleans is known for its creole cuisine that is unlike any other area. Take advantage.
- Hit up Bourbon Street. You gotta say you did it – even if it’s just for a few minutes.
- Listen to jazz. Home to so many jazz greats, you need to take in some live music and Marigny is the neighborhood to do it in. (Also Bacchanal, Tipitina’s, Spotted Cat)
- Museum of the Southern Jewish Experience. Being a Southern Jew in the deep South is a truly unique experience (one I can personally attest to). I love that there’s an entire museum devoted to our quirks. I didn’t have to opportunity to visit, but it’s high on my list for my next trip.
- Studio Be. This massive gallery established by local artist Brandan BMike Odums provides a platform for creators and a viewing space for admirers.
- Magazine Street shopping. From boutiques to antiques – this is where it’s at if you’re looking to spend some $.
Peaches to Apples 