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Swamp Travel Guide-New Orleans as a couple
Posted: Wed May 02, 2018 2:20 am
by TT2.0
Taking the (hopefully soon to be) fiancee to New Orleans next Monday through Thursday. Shes never been, and I only spent one brief night in the city two years ago as a single guy. She loves cajun food, seafood, loves to drink, and this is our first trip away together out of state. What are some good restaurants/bars foodwise, romantic things to do, must see attractions etc. etc. I want to take her to cafe du monde for beignets and take her someplace for hurricanes but other than that im pretty ignorant of the city. Any help would be appreciated. Her father passed away a couple weeks ago and I really want to make this trip special
Re: Swamp Travel Guide-New Orleans as a couple
Posted: Wed May 02, 2018 6:23 am
by wlu_lax6
Take street car to Audobon Park if you are looking for a nice walk
Hit Preservation Hall
https://www.preservationhall.com/
I like just walking the French Quarter during the day. There are lots of neat art galleries and such you can just take in, find food, etc.
Stay up late and see some old blues person playing or find some bounce.
If you want to do more music stuff, Tipitina's is a classic New Orleans venue.
Classic places to hit to eat..Acme Oyster for dinner (Fried seafood) and Clover (great breakfast place)
Re: Swamp Travel Guide-New Orleans as a couple
Posted: Wed May 02, 2018 7:06 am
by govmentchedda
Hit up the Marigny. And remember, there's pride on Bourbon Street.
Re: Swamp Travel Guide-New Orleans as a couple
Posted: Wed May 02, 2018 7:06 am
by mister d
I'm sure there are better restaurants there now, but
Cochon is still one of my favorites in the entire country. Cafe du Monde is actually really solid despite being a place that could probably just coast on reputation. Avoid the quarter as much as you can; there are a lot of other sections that are less gross like the Marigny and Arts District. I'd verify this strongly with someone who knows the city better, but I think if you're on Canal, you can go left or right and be fine but don't head up Canal. (And don't go down Canal because you'll fall in the river.) Its a great walking city, make sure she doesn't wear dumb shoes.
Re: Swamp Travel Guide-New Orleans as a couple
Posted: Wed May 02, 2018 7:06 am
by mister d
Jinx.
Re: Swamp Travel Guide-New Orleans as a couple
Posted: Wed May 02, 2018 7:19 am
by Giff
Stop at Darrell's in Lake Charles either on the way there or back. Best po boys I've ever had.
Re: Swamp Travel Guide-New Orleans as a couple
Posted: Wed May 02, 2018 7:21 am
by testuser2
I was there for conferences a few times. I didn't have a car and I was only free during the evening. So I didn't get to see much beyond what I could walk to. As far as food I'd recommend Mother's for some real southern food. A Po-boy at Acme is also excellent. The patio behind Pat O'Briens is nice and quieter compared to the rest of Bourbon street.
Re: Swamp Travel Guide-New Orleans as a couple
Posted: Wed May 02, 2018 7:38 am
by Gunpowder
Cochon is bomb af. We go the sandwich shop (Cochon Butcher) for lunch every time I'm there for a convention. Most restaurants there are great. Wear shoes that you wouldn't mind getting piss on.
Ask a concierge where to go to avoid the Quarter and they'll tell you "oh you have to go to Frenchmen Street" and then go to Frenchmen Street and be like "this is it?". You have to go to the Quarter at least one night to see what 1/Nashville would equal if life were a math equation.
Re: Swamp Travel Guide-New Orleans as a couple
Posted: Wed May 02, 2018 7:42 am
by Gunpowder
Oh and whatever you do, avoid the strip joints on the fringes of the Quarter.
Re: Swamp Travel Guide-New Orleans as a couple
Posted: Wed May 02, 2018 9:27 am
by EnochRoot
The Ruby Slipper Cafe is a damn good brunch spot (Canal St and also over on Magazine)..though I’m sure locals will point you to a better option (there are a few of them throughout the city)...
Re: Swamp Travel Guide-New Orleans as a couple
Posted: Wed May 02, 2018 9:47 am
by brian
EnochRoot wrote: ↑Wed May 02, 2018 9:27 am
The Ruby Slipper Cafe is a damn good brunch spot (Canal St and also over on Magazine)..though I’m sure locals will point you to a better option (there are a few of them throughout the city)...
These are all good suggestions, but this is the best brunch suggestion (if that's your thing). Echo Cochon Butcher as well for lunch.
Check out a dive on Decatur Street for lunch or dinner called Coop's Place. Best cajun/creole in town. It's a hole in the wall but great atmosphere and a lot of fun (you might have to wait a bit for a table -- that's true of most of these places listed so far).
I like the Marigny as well, but only during the day. Frenchman Street is great if you like live music like how the French Quarter probably used to be 30 years ago, but now all of the decent music venues have been priced out. If you want to listen to some great local music you can walk up and down Frenchman during the day and hit several places, get a (relatively) cheap buzz on and see some great music.
Re: Swamp Travel Guide-New Orleans as a couple
Posted: Wed May 02, 2018 9:52 am
by Sabo
I've never been to New Orleans, but if you like tiki bars, I've heard very good things about Latitude 29.
Re: Swamp Travel Guide-New Orleans as a couple
Posted: Wed May 02, 2018 9:52 am
by brian
Also, you've been so you know pretty much what to expect, but to the people who complain about the Bourbon Street/French Quarter -- it is what it is. It can be fun or it can suck, it largely depends on your attitude.
The right attitude to have isn't to think of New Orleans as the seediest city in America, but instead as the most well-organized city in the Caribbean.
Re: Swamp Travel Guide-New Orleans as a couple
Posted: Wed May 02, 2018 9:59 am
by mister d
I can't remember if you care about beer, but Ghost in the Machine (Parish Brewing) is a legit great beer and most of the rest from Louisiana are pretty terrible.
Re: Swamp Travel Guide-New Orleans as a couple
Posted: Wed May 02, 2018 10:26 am
by Rush2112
Re: Swamp Travel Guide-New Orleans as a couple
Posted: Wed May 02, 2018 8:32 pm
by TT2.0
mister d wrote: ↑Wed May 02, 2018 9:59 am
I can't remember if you care about beer, but Ghost in the Machine (Parish Brewing) is a legit great beer and most of the rest from Louisiana are pretty terrible.
She cares a bit about neer, but cares a shitton about whiskey. i care about getting drunk cheaply so im filing this away for her. i appreciate the thoughts and input guys
Re: Swamp Travel Guide-New Orleans as a couple
Posted: Fri Mar 01, 2019 11:26 am
by brian
I honestly wondered about the GIANT ASS BEERS vs. HUGE ASS BEERS thing many times when I'm in NOLA (I'm weird). This story is awesome.
Re: Swamp Travel Guide-New Orleans as a couple
Posted: Fri Mar 01, 2019 11:35 am
by mister d
"Ass, of course, is ass."
Re: Swamp Travel Guide-New Orleans as a couple
Posted: Fri Mar 01, 2019 11:35 am
by brian
mister d wrote: ↑Fri Mar 01, 2019 11:35 am
"Ass, of course, is ass."
Yeah, that is the payoff.
Re: Swamp Travel Guide-New Orleans as a couple
Posted: Fri Mar 01, 2019 11:39 am
by rass
I love permissive open-container laws.
Re: Swamp Travel Guide-New Orleans as a couple
Posted: Fri Mar 01, 2019 11:43 am
by mister d
rass wrote: ↑Fri Mar 01, 2019 11:39 am
I love permissive ...in...laws.
Re: Swamp Travel Guide-New Orleans as a couple
Posted: Sun Nov 17, 2019 10:36 am
by brian
Day 1 of vacation: Panic attack
Day 2 of vacation: Crippling attack of food poisoning.
Let’s see what Day 3 has in store. By tomorrow I might be a withered shell of a man.
Re: Swamp Travel Guide-New Orleans as a couple
Posted: Sun Nov 17, 2019 11:38 am
by mister d
Where/what poisoned you?
Re: Swamp Travel Guide-New Orleans as a couple
Posted: Sun Nov 17, 2019 12:58 pm
by brian
mister d wrote: ↑Sun Nov 17, 2019 11:38 am
Where/what poisoned you?
Likely either Commander’s Palace or some fried pickle chips at a bar in the quarter that my wife ordered but I had some of. We both got sick so it’s not entirely clear. Most likely the latter obvs though we got sick a couple hours after the brunch.
Re: Swamp Travel Guide-New Orleans as a couple
Posted: Sun Nov 17, 2019 1:28 pm
by brian
Could have even been some bad ingredients in mojitos we had at one place.
Re: Swamp Travel Guide-New Orleans as a couple
Posted: Sun Nov 17, 2019 1:36 pm
by mister d
I imagine double food poisoning is quite the bonding experience in a hotel.
Re: Swamp Travel Guide-New Orleans as a couple
Posted: Sun Nov 17, 2019 2:14 pm
by govmentchedda
brian wrote: ↑Sun Nov 17, 2019 12:58 pm
mister d wrote: ↑Sun Nov 17, 2019 11:38 am
Where/what poisoned you?
Likely either Commander’s Palace or some fried pickle chips at a bar in the quarter that my wife ordered but I had some of. We both got sick so it’s not entirely clear. Most likely the latter obvs though we got sick a couple hours after the brunch.
My first time in NOLA (UF/FSU 5th quarter in the French Quarter 1996 National Championship), everyone else in my group got food poisoning from eating bad po'boys the day of the big game. Luckily for me, I missed that meal with alcohol poisoning from the night before. Luckily for them, the food poisoning didn't take hold until after the game. The car ride home was absolutely horrendous in bumper to bumper traffic with everyone headed back east on I-10.
There was about a 24 hour gestation period from consumption of bad food to bodily faucets beginning to leak.
Re: Swamp Travel Guide-New Orleans as a couple
Posted: Sun Nov 17, 2019 3:19 pm
by brian
In a weird way it’s better it happened to both of us though in another way I’d rather one of us (especially me) had missed it. It hit me worse but I’m better today and she’s still not feeling great but she’s kind of a wuss. I think she might have also “fought” the effects all day yesterday to her ultimate detriment. My philosophy is to just be as sick as possible as quickly as possible and then try to start bouncing back.
Re: Swamp Travel Guide-New Orleans as a couple
Posted: Mon Nov 18, 2019 8:41 pm
by brian
Very few things irrationally piss me off as the “homeless by choice” assholes up and down Decatur Street. Almost all of them have dogs to up their begging take and they’re almost all huge dicks of you don’t give them money. Would love to take a baseball bat to the lot of them and do society a favor.
Re: Swamp Travel Guide-New Orleans as a couple
Posted: Mon Nov 18, 2019 10:19 pm
by The Sybian
mister d wrote: ↑Sun Nov 17, 2019 1:36 pm
I imagine double food poisoning is quite the bonding experience in a hotel.
Re: Swamp Travel Guide-New Orleans as a couple
Posted: Wed Jun 09, 2021 12:28 pm
by brian
NOLA has been decimated by COVID. Sooo many empty bombed out shopfronts. Only like 10 ppl at Cochon Butcher for lunch now. Not sure I’ve ever been able to sit inside here before.
Re: Swamp Travel Guide-New Orleans as a couple
Posted: Wed Jun 09, 2021 12:52 pm
by mister d
God I love that place. Has the Louisiana beer scene gotten any better since ... 2018?
Re: Swamp Travel Guide-New Orleans as a couple
Posted: Wed Jun 09, 2021 2:01 pm
by brian
mister d wrote: ↑Wed Jun 09, 2021 12:52 pm
God I love that place. Has the Louisiana beer scene gotten any better since ... 2018?
About the same though there’s some surprisingly good local spiked seltzer’s of all things.
Re: Swamp Travel Guide-New Orleans as a couple
Posted: Wed Jun 09, 2021 3:28 pm
by The Sybian
brian wrote: ↑Wed Jun 09, 2021 2:01 pm
mister d wrote: ↑Wed Jun 09, 2021 12:52 pm
God I love that place. Has the Louisiana beer scene gotten any better since ... 2018?
About the same though there’s some surprisingly good local spiked seltzer’s of all things.
A bunch of local breweries started making flavored spiked seltzers. I kind of like spiked seltzer, but I can’t imagine getting it from a brewery, if I’m at a brewery, I’m getting beer.
Re: Swamp Travel Guide-New Orleans as a couple
Posted: Wed Jun 09, 2021 3:47 pm
by Giff
Not to turn this into a spiked seltzer thread, but I really enjoy Vizzy. There are a couple breweries here that have them too and they've all been very good. Helps me with my cider cravings too.
Re: Swamp Travel Guide-New Orleans as a couple
Posted: Wed Jun 09, 2021 3:58 pm
by mister d
The Sybian wrote: ↑Wed Jun 09, 2021 3:28 pmA bunch of local breweries started making flavored spiked seltzers. I kind of like spiked seltzer, but I can’t imagine getting it from a brewery, if I’m at a brewery, I’m getting beer.
I get the idea from a "need something for non-beer drinkers and want to avoid selling outside products". Trillium just got in the game too.
Re: Swamp Travel Guide-New Orleans as a couple
Posted: Wed Jun 09, 2021 4:09 pm
by Steve of phpBB
Is there a difference between spiked seltzers and the wine coolers that girls used to drink back in the day?
Re: Swamp Travel Guide-New Orleans as a couple
Posted: Wed Jun 09, 2021 4:15 pm
by Giff
Steve of phpBB wrote: ↑Wed Jun 09, 2021 4:09 pm
Is there a difference between spiked seltzers and the wine coolers that girls used to drink back in the day?
Tons of calories and sugars and carbs and what not.
Re: Swamp Travel Guide-New Orleans as a couple
Posted: Wed Jun 09, 2021 5:46 pm
by A_B
Giff wrote: ↑Wed Jun 09, 2021 4:15 pm
Steve of phpBB wrote: ↑Wed Jun 09, 2021 4:09 pm
Is there a difference between spiked seltzers and the wine coolers that girls used to drink back in the day?
Tons of calories and sugars and carbs and what not.
MIlder flavors in my experience as well, mostly related to sweetness.
Re: Swamp Travel Guide-New Orleans as a couple
Posted: Thu Jun 10, 2021 10:59 am
by Giff
Closer to an alcoholic Clearly Canadian.