2010 New Orleans Roadfood Festival

Thanks, Stephen (and will_work_4_bbq and MikeS)

I would only be able to write about Louisiana and Wisconsin, though, Stephen. Haha!

X1, thank you for posting all that.  Our plans include a few extra days in New Orleans, so we have a bit of time to try these tips.


We're particularly interested in some of the tours. Are there tours you would particularly recommend or disrecommend?



We're also interested in trying some of New Orleans' renowned fine cuisine amidst all our Roadfooding, and would appreciate recommendations there.

ralphmelton


X1, thank you for posting all that.  Our plans include a few extra days in New Orleans, so we have a bit of time to try these tips.


We're particularly interested in some of the tours. Are there tours you would particularly recommend or disrecommend?



We're also interested in trying some of New Orleans' renowned fine cuisine amidst all our Roadfooding, and would appreciate recommendations there.

I know most if not all will NOT be considered Roadfood-----------but I was on the road and here is where we ate:
 
Cochon
The Butcher
Herbsaint
Bayona
American Sector
Bombay Club
Bourbon House
Acme Oyster House
Harrah's Buffet
Oceana
Cafe Du Monde
 
Each unique and different and after 3rd trip to NOLA-----------best eatin' yet!
 
RUSS ----------Xmas 2009 in NOLA

I would recommend Cochon for sure - and no, it's not Roadfood, but the food is outstanding.
Camellia Grill for breakfast
Acme Oyster is fun, as I mentioned.
Casamento's on Magazine
OF COURSE the Cafe du Monde! 

Parkway Bakery & Tavern

There are a few other places I mentioned in my post, most notably Coop's - that's a must-do.

ralphmelton - will you have a car?

As far as tours go, it's up to your walking capabilities and awakeness - I would recommend a cemetery tour (with a group!).
Swamp tours are very fun, but a bit expensive. And, unless it's been very warm for a while beforehand, the gators might be in hibernation in March, still.
I would also recommend a Katrina tour - it's sobering, but the places where rebuilding is occurring is inspiring and happy.
There are a few self-guided walking tours available, as well.
And I do recommend you get on the streetcars and ride them, end to end, both lines. The scenery is excellent.
If you like ghostie stuff, the haunted history tour is fun, but it's a walking tour, so take note, and also usually happens after dark.
If you can, I would take a riverboat cruise, as it's quite lovely.

If you have time, see the Audubon Zoo, the Insectarium, and the Aquarium.

There is a new BBQ place that I haven't tried, but is creating a buzz - it's called Squeal. You might try it.

Thank you for the recommendations. It'll be a pleasant challenge fitting it all into the few days we're there.

The streetcar ride and the haunted history tour sound particularly lovely. One of our fondest memories of our honeymoon was the ghost tour of San Francisco.

I was not planning to have a car, but could get one if there was reason. I'm trying to change my bias to not have a car after a couple of trips to other cities in which the car just stayed in the hotel for the whole trip.

No reason, except that I was going to recommend places out in Cajun country if you had a vehicle and wanted to see the sights, eat the food and had time to do so.

We'll arrive Wednesday night and leave Sunday evening, so we have only two nights and two days there outside the festival. My expectation is that this means I'll be gazing wistfully at more than half the 20 Roadfood-listed places in New Orleans, even if I don't manage to visit Cajun country. My plan is to hope the festival brings some Cajun cooking to us.

ralphmelton


We'll arrive Wednesday night and leave Sunday evening, so we have only two nights and two days there outside the festival. My expectation is that this means I'll be gazing wistfully at more than half the 20 Roadfood-listed places in New Orleans, even if I don't manage to visit Cajun country. My plan is to hope the festival brings some Cajun cooking to us.

Hey Ralph----------X1 is indeed a font of knowledge in depth and breadth---------------advice on car--------------unless you have a lot of time and intend to go out into bayou country for a couple of days----------fuggidaboutit--------------on top of rental there is parking averaging about 30 bucks a day unless you are in hotel with free parking(rare). Cabs are fairly expensive but if you,as we did,figure car plus parking treat yourself to a couple of cab rides and they trollies. Make sure you give cab driver exact addresses and if you know routes which ones to take as they get "distracted" to stay the least and have a tendency to "run the meter"---not all but enuff.
If you have time a must see is the WWII museum----also Mardi Gras museum-------------is a photo op waiting to happen----so much to do so little time.........................at aquarium they also have a very good IMAX presentation on Katrina.  Also,in Royal Sonesta is a music club called the Playhouse,went 3 nights in a row-----------different musicians-----all great---------no cover---------one drink minimum --------a good time had by all.
ENJOY !
 
Russ

Unless you get in a fly-by-night cab, the advice about cabs running the meter is wrong.

Which is why I said to stick to United Cab if you can. 

Also - they are not TROLLEYS - they are STREETCARS. We're very sensitive about that.

I agree about the D-Day Museum. Very, very worth a visit.

X1


Also - they are not TROLLEYS - they are STREETCARS. We're very sensitive about that.

Just be careful of the third rail while crossing the neutral ground.    

X1- I definitely will make plans to be there.  You've done a wonderful job, you could be a NOLA tour guide/goodwill ambassador.

If I may, I'd add a couple of things of interest, strictly my own personal picks: 

Restaurant reviews, listings, and recipes go to:  www.nomenu.com
This is the website of Tom Fitzmorris, who's a local restaurant critic, and cookbook author who also has a radio call-in show from 4pm-7pm Mon-Fri. which you can listen to online.

Some food-related things to do:

Grayline tours (graylineneworleans.com) offers a walking tour called Tales of the Cocktail, and a dining tour called Crescent City Nights

The Absenthe Museum of America - 823 Royal Street

Southern Food and Beverage Museum - (www.southernfood.org   inside the Riverwalk, # 1 Poydras Street)

For history buffs: The paddlewheel cruise ship Creole Queen (www.creolequeen.com) has started a cruise down river to the Chalmette battlefield, where you are met at the dock by a park ranger who gives a narrative history of the Battle of New Orleans.

For a complete calendar of events and info on tours  - the Metropolitan Convention and Visitors Burea - www.neworleanscvb.com 

For cemetery tours, no finer group than Save Our Cemeteries (SOC) www.saveourcemeteries.org

Blaine Kern's Mardi Gras World - www.MardiGrasWorld.com warehouse tour has moved from the westbank and is now on the river near the cruise ship terminal.  They run a minivan shuttle service in front of the Algiers ferry every day.

The National WW II Museum -  www.nationalww2museum.org
 

Just booked my flight. See ya'll there!  

Thanks for all the tips -- I am really excited for this!  

My flight is booked, as well. 
On the phone to Avenue Garden Hotel right now, bookin' my room...

russ2304

I know most if not all will NOT be considered Roadfood-----------but I was on the road and here is where we ate:
 
Cochon
The Butcher
Herbsaint
Bayona
American Sector
Bombay Club
Bourbon House
Acme Oyster House
Harrah's Buffet
Oceana
Cafe Du Monde
 
Each unique and different and after 3rd trip to NOLA-----------best eatin' yet!
 
RUSS ----------Xmas 2009 in NOLA

There's nothing wrong with that list Russ.  When I think of eating in New Orleans the last thing I think about is Roadfood.  (Note to Mods - Don't ban me Bro!)

Bobbi & I will be in NOLA one month from today.  And unless someone talks us out of it, we'll be eating at Commander's Palace at this time on that first night.  We are taking a 5-day cruise to Mexico and will spend a night at the Avenue Garden before we sail and a night in the Quarter before flying home.

Big thanks to X1 and BelleReve for your advice and recommendations.  We are trying to work them into the 48 hours we'll be there.

Wow!   Lovely  vacation.  Commander's Palace  is just wonderful.  The last time we ate there was  4 nights  before Katrinka  hit.  I  still think about that  dinner and the  great service that we had.  Hope to hear all about  your meal there.

I will be there only for the festival but I will be doing it up right and attending both the Friday evening event and the Saturday evening crawfish boil!  Oh boy!!!  Cannot wait!

PP and I will be leaving home Monday the 22nd. Will drive to Nashville that day and spend a day or 2 with family there. Then will head to NOLA for the RF festivities. I don't have to be back to work until Friday April 2nd.

Do any of you NOLA people know of a place to rent an electric scooter from? Hover-round type machine.

www.cityscootertours.com/neworleans

www.bigeasyscooter.com/rentals

Thanks X1, that 1st link is just what I needed.

Oh, forgot to add an important point - after sunset, a large portion of Bourbon Street is closed to vehicular traffic.
SO..sometimes, if a cabbie *does* seem to be going out of their way, it's not on purpose, if Bourbon lies between you and your destination.

LMAO X1! On my very first trip to N'awlins I stopped in for a Hurricane at Pat O's - then as I made my way down Bourbon Street (feeling quite buzzed) I saw the sign for a Hand Grenade and thought that me and my DH needed one of those! After drinking that, I staggered to my dinner at Court of Two Sisters (I think ;-) I did not taste my food because I was too drunk and I stumbled back to my hotel room early. I concur - have a Hurricane OR a Hand Grenade, but not both!

Oh yeah, I did NOT puke :-)

My husband, myself and our 21 year old daughter will be there for our first RoadFood event! I can't wait! We did not sign up for the Friday night dinner, but we will be there for the Saturday night crawfish boil!  Our 21 year old has been wanting to hit Bourbon Street since she became of age, so we will be roaming around there somewhere on Friday night.

I am looking forward to meeting everyone!

My mother and I have just booked non-refundable tickets. I WILL be there this year!

Bobbi and I arrived in New Orleans today.  We figure a month head start will put us a close third or fourth in consumption behind the usual suspects.  No respect, I tell ya.  I get no respect.

But seriously folks, we are doing the full X1 NOLA tour for about 24 hours before starting our cruise - Avenue Garden Hotel, David the Cabbie, and a Streetcar ride to the Garden District. An absolutely perfect experience.

Tonight we dined at Commander's Palace.  I asked the waitress who took our drink orders if photography was allowed and was told it was encouraged.  We told her we were taking pictures for Roadfood and she asked what Roadfood was and wrote down the website.  When our dinner waitress came out she asked about Roadfood, too. They were very interested in what is going on here.

We had a fantastic meal, including these two entrees.






As we were leaving, one of the managers asked about our meals, which were superb as was the service, too.  He then asked us about Roadfood.  It seems that Roadfood was the talk of the kitchen tonight.  If you happen to go out for a big night ($$$) during the festival next month, consider Commander's Palace.  As Roadfooders you would be very welcome.

It was only after we had left the restaurant that I asked, how did he know we were the ones who mentioned Roadfood?

Yay!

Looks fantastic. What kind of fish is that?

How was David? You found each other OK? Do you like Avenue Garden and Ms. Lydia?

That is a Redfish.  We also were given menus, which we are thinking of framing.

David was fun to talk with.  We even ended up having lunch with him at Please-U.  Miss Lydia and her staff are fantastic.

We have met many nice people so far.  One lady on the streetcar even made sure we got off at the right stop for dinner, and also made sure we didn't go in the wrong direction .

I LOVE The Please-U! Such a wonderful dive. Great food.
David's really interesting, yep!

Glad you're having a good time. 

Christin - We wouldn't be having half the experience without your help and guidance.

Thank you again for sharing your love and knowledge of NOLA.

Jim

Aww...