Going to New Orleans this Summer: WTF to do?

[Mr_Tomahawk]

The wife, myself, and another couple are going to New Orleans for 4 nights this summer.

For those who have been there...what do you recommend?

I will be 32 at the time of the trip. I am an outdoors guy. Love the water. Love Beer. Love 'some' seafood. Not a huge wild and crazy night guy....I'd rather sit in a 'chill' environment with a pint in hand.

[In58men]

Originally Posted by NewChief

Here's the solution:

Let the visiting family have an adventure on their own and send them off to Du Monde alone. I can completely understand being bitter about it if you had to do it multiple times, but you shouldn't begrudge someone else wanting to do it once.

I would like it to try it once myself. It's a historical place. Why not?

[TimBone]

Originally Posted by NewChief

Here's the solution:

Let the visiting family have an adventure on their own and send them off to Du Monde alone. I can completely understand being bitter about it if you had to do it multiple times, but you shouldn't begrudge someone else wanting to do it once.

lol...you're right. Last time I did do that. I hit up a craft beer and wine store nearby, while the wife and her family had the experience. I sat next to the river and had a couple of good beers. When the family found me after they were done, they handed me a bag and said, "We got you some beignets too!"

[NewChief]

Originally Posted by Inmem58

I would like it to try it once myself. It's a historical place. Why not?

Right. I tend to avoid touristy type stuff like the plague when traveling. Now that I have children, though, I always feel kind of obligated to take them to do some of the quintessential tourist things (the Arch in St. Louis, Disney, etc). While I'm usually personally annoyed by those places, I have a good time watching the kids experience them and try to suppress my cynicism for their sake.

When I get lucky, though, I can pawn them off on Grandma (who hasn't met an overblown commercialized tourist trap that she didn't love yet) to take them to do that shit while I go do something that I find more interesting.

[bringbackmarty]

Man, all these are great suggestions. You guys nailed all the good restaurants. I would add domilises for a Poboy, Elizabeth's for brunch in the marigny.

I lived there for eight years, still visit every year. It's a wonderful city. The crime is a problem, but packing heat everywhere you go with or without a permit isn't the solution. That could potentially make you a target for the police which you really don't want. Just be aware of your surroundings, don't walk around alone at night or down any dark streets, don't make yourself a target by getting too drunk. If you rent a car don't leave anything in plain sight, your window will get smashed for almost anything of value.

The fishing down there is the best in the world. I highly recommend spending the money for a decent guide and spend a day pounding the banks for some reds and specks. Great bass fishing all over as well.

[In58men]

Originally Posted by bringbackmarty

Man, all these are great suggestions. You guys nailed all the good restaurants. I would add domilises for a Poboy, Elizabeth's for brunch in the marigny.

I lived there for eight years, still visit every year. It's a wonderful city. The crime is a problem, but packing heat everywhere you go with or without a permit isn't the solution. That could potentially make you a target for the police which you really don't want. Just be aware of your surroundings, don't walk around alone at night or down any dark streets, don't make yourself a target by getting too drunk. If you rent a car don't leave anything in plain sight, your window will get smashed for almost anything of value.

The fishing down there is the best in the world. I highly recommend spending the money for a decent guide and spend a day pounding the banks for some reds and specks. Great bass fishing all over as well.

Q

[RollChiefsRoll]

If you wait 15-30 minutes at Cafe du Monde it's because you're a ****ing sucker. There's a walkup window that never takes more than about 5 minutes. Get that shit and go sit in Jackson Sq.

[srvy]

Hook up with Willie Roaf's ex?

Do swamp laps wearing only meatball and steak suit?

[srvy]

Hook up with Willie Roaf's ex?

Do swamp laps wearing only meatball and steak suit?

[TimBone]

Originally Posted by NewChief

Also: since you mentioned beers, here's a good article on best LA beers of 2014. A lot of them might not be available, but will sort of give you an idea of the brewscape:

http://thealerunner.com/2014/12/19/t...siana-in-2014/

Top 14 beers from Louisiana in 2014


2014 was a banner year for craft breweries in Louisiana. Not only did this year see the opening of more breweries, but the quality of the beer produced has really taken off. This time last year, I posted my Top 13 Louisiana beers of 2013, and now I’m returning with a top 14 from 2014. If you recall, I issued a challenge to Louisiana breweries to give us a kickass IPA. Well, we got it, and it tops the list.

Let me preface this by saying that in no way have I tried every beer from every Louisiana brewery. I haven’t been able to have much from Red River in Shreveport, 40 Arpent in Arabi, or Old Rail brewpub in Mandeville. In particular, I know Old Rail has put out an anniversary barleywine as well as a double IPA that I’ve heard good things about. I also excluded brewery only releases that were only available on tap, so the NOLA taproom offerings aren’t on this list either. They have some good barrel aged versions of their core lineup as well as some new sours. I also wanted to include the collaboration black IPA between Gnarly Barley and Chafunkta, called Black Tooth Grin, but decided against it since there was such a small amount produced (only 7 kegs). This one needs to be brewed again on a larger scale (hint, hint).

You’ll see this list is dominated by two breweries at the top. It’s hard to argue that they aren’t the top two breweries in the state, because they are both really putting out some great beer. Hopefully the 2015 list will be a bit more diverse. So there’s my challenge to the rest of the state’s breweries. And I still want a great IPA that I can pick up easily on the shelf every day of the year.

14. Gnarly Barley Korova Milk Porter – this one was introduced in October, and is really a well done style that few others have tried to pull off. You see some milk stouts here and there, but rarely do you see a milk porter. Korova is widely available around south Louisiana on tap at restaurants and bars.

Korova Milk Porter
Korova Milk Porter
13. NOLA Rebirth pale ale – Rebirth was introduced earlier this year on draft and cans followed during the summer. This pale ale was brewed with Citra and Simcoe hops and is a great offering for a hoppy, yet drinkable pale ale.

NOLA Rebirth

12. Bayou Teche Teche Hombres – Teche Hombres is a Belgian style wheat ale brewed with organic agave nectar, aged in French white wine barrels and finished with Spanish orange peel and Peruvian Aji Limon peppers. This was a really tasty concoction that I hope they brew again.

Bayou-Teche-Teche-Hombres

11. Gnarly Barley Radical Rye PA – Radical Rye is a tasty rye IPA that is one of Gnarly Barley’s flagship beers. It’s a highly drinkable IPA that’s got a nice hop punch up front, followed by a spicy rye finish. Available on tap only, it’s also widely available all over south Louisiana.

radicalryepa2

10. Tin Roof Parade Ground – Parade Ground is a coffee porter that’s highly anticipated when it gets released in the late fall. It’s definitely my favorite beer from Tin Roof, and it features New Orleans Coffee Company’s mocha and French roast coffee and notes of hazelnut and vanilla. My hope is that one day it becomes a year round offering (again, hint, hint).

Tin Roof Parade Ground Coffee Porter

9. Parish Farmhouse IPA – this beer was on the 2013 list as well, but the latest release in November 2014 is the best iteration of it. Brewed and dry hopped with Chinook hops, this one really has a great aroma to go along with the saison yeast. It’s not as highly carbonated as previous batches, which actually makes it easier to pour. Give this one a try while it’s fresh.

Parish Farmhouse IPA

8. Abita Bourbon Street Stout – this beer made the top 2 for me in 2013, and it’s still fantastic despite slipping down the list. Bottles of this were released in October, and they can still be found on shelves if you look carefully. This imperial stout was aged in bourbon barrels and the lighter body for the style actually makes it easier to drink.

Abita Bourbon Street Stout

7. Great Raft At Arm’s Length – this India Pale Lager from Great Raft was fantastic. It truly should be higher on this list, but the competition is getting stiff. It features a very hoppy aroma and flavor to go along with a crisp lager finish.

IMG_0300

6. Bayou Teche Biere Noel – This is my favorite beer Bayou Teche has ever made. It’s an imperial porter aged and refermented in whiskey barrels with tart cherry juice. It’s got notes of chocolate, vanilla and oak to go with the cherry flavor. It’s really well done.

Bayou Teche Biere Noel

5. Great Raft Grace and Grit – this Double IPA from Great Raft was released over the summer, and was a very refined and drinkable version of the style. I was fortunate enough to get more than a case of it to share down in south Louisiana with friends who were impressed with it as well. I’m hopeful they’ll make it again next summer and have it available for us down in the southern part of the state.

Great Raft Grace & Grit

4. Parish Grand Reserve – this is the third year Parish has released their barleywine style cellared annual ale, and the 2014 release was the biggest yet. The brewery had a huge party in late November to help celebrate, and it was a “grand” success. The #1 beer on the 2013 list is still fantastic, and a joy to drink now or aged for years.

IMG_0912

3. Parish Imperial Reserve – Imperial Reserve is the second in Parish’s Reserve series, and is a huge imperial stout that is a dark beer lover’s dream. Notes of chocolate, coffee and dark fruits make this a decadent 12% ABV beer. It will be interesting to see how this ages, but it’s fantastic now.

IMG_0805

2. Great Raft All My Tomorrows – this was Great Raft’s first bomber release, and truthfully, it was my favorite. A hoppy saison, it was just so juicy and hoppy and a perfect summer beer. I’m really hoping they make more of this in 2015, because I enjoyed it to no end.

Great Raft All My Tomorrows

1. Parish Ghost in the Machine – finally we hit number one, and for anyone who knows me, this is no surprise. Ghost in the Machine was released on three different occasions in 2014, and it was fantastic each and every time. This truly is a world class double IPA that’s too hoppy for you. The aroma and flavor is just bursting with tropical and citrus hops, while boasting a clean finish that’s not too bitter. Hopefully 2015 sees more batches of Ghost, and I’ll be finishing out the last few bottles I have as this year comes to a close.

Parish Ghost

As you can see, 2014 was a hugely successful year for craft beer in Louisiana. The quality of beers being pumped out of the breweries in this state keeps increasing, and that makes me excited for what will be on the list in 2015.

What’s your favorite Louisiana beer? Tell me in the comments below.

I've found beers down here pretty mediocre for the most part. Theres a couple on that list that are very good, though. From Parish Brewing Company, both the Ghost in the Machine and the Grand Reserve are wonderful. Their Farmhouse IPA is pretty good as well. I've tried quite a few beers from Tin Roof and Bayou Teche, and haven't really enjoyed anything. Same with NOLA, haven't found that one beer that speaks to me. This is going to sound odd, but I've never seen Great Raft in the stores I visit. I'm going to look into that. I'd love to try All My Tomorrows. I'm gonna save this list, and see if any of these change my tune. Thanks!

[Fire Me Boy!]

Originally Posted by saphojunkie

I respect a lot of your opinions on food, but there's nothing wrong with cafe du monde.

It costs three bucks for chicory coffee and three beignets. You can't overrate that.

Now cafe beignet might be better and less touristy but I just don't think you can say overrated here. It's not like your sending him to commanders palace or anything.

Price is beside the point, though $3 for nasty coffee and a powdered donut is not good.

The bigger issue is that chicory is gross, and beignets aren't that special.

[TimBone]

Originally Posted by Fire Me Boy!

Price is beside the point, though $3 for nasty coffee and a powdered donut is not good.

The bigger issue is that chicory is gross, and beignets aren't that special.

Amen!

[BWillie]

Harrahs is in probably a 10 min walk from Bourbon Street, they give you free booze if you just hang out at a slot machine, table game or play poker there.

[NewChief]

This is a cool little google map application showing 21 Iconic New Orleans cocktails and where to get them.

http://nola.eater.com/maps/twenty-ic...in-new-orleans

[Great Expectations]

Originally Posted by Fire Me Boy!

Don't be afraid of gas station food. There is better food in gas stations in Louisiana than in most towns altogether.

If you have a car, take a drive up to Baton Rouge. It's only an hour, hour and a half away. Capital city, some of the best gumbo and jambalaya around. And their specialty is boudin balls. Best. ****ing. Thing. Ever.

Where is the best spot in The Red Stick for boudin balls?


Also, I highly reccommend Willie Mae's Scotch House (won a James Beard award for fried chicken) and Dooky Chase for lunch. Both establishments are around 80 years old. Last time I was at Dooky Chase Leah Chase was still working and joking around with LA politicians who make it a point to eat there on Fridays.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leah_Chase


I'd try to go to both while there is still some daylight outside.

[JimNasium]

Originally Posted by Great Expectations

Where is the best spot in The Red Stick for boudin balls?


Also, I highly reccommend Willie Mae's Scotch House (won a James Beard award for fried chicken) and Dooky Chase for lunch. Both establishments are around 80 years old. Last time I was at Dooky Chase Leah Chase was still working and joking around with LA politicians who make it a point to eat there on Fridays.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leah_Chase


I'd try to go to both while there is still some daylight outside.

I prefer Willie Maes to Dooky Chase but it's hard to go wrong there. Buffa's has great boudin balls and its a great drinking establishment. It's on the Marigny side of Esplanade just outside the French Quarter.