posted 03-03-2004 20:14            

quote:

---

Originally posted by bigfrank:
Steve I realy do not mind the expensive part as long as it is worth it. I feel since my wife will only be there for a half a week and I will be there a whole week(not to mention that I will be there without her on our wedding annivesery)That I should make it as good as I can.

---

The thing is that I've heard mixed reviews about the place when it's really crowded, like at brunch. While you don't mind the money, I suspect that you would mind paying $150 for a brunch that is less than stellar.

Also, to heighten the "New Orleans" experience for your wife, consider taking a horse-drawn carriage ride through the French Quarter. I would bet she would find that quite romantic, even though I think it's a bit contrived. Do you think she would enjoy a tour of some of the Southern Mansions there? I've heard that those tours can be quite impressive.

Edit: I meant to add, if you do decide to have dinner there, and you really don't mind the price, but are looking for an outstanding experience, I've heard that the tasting menu, paired with the wine, is supposed to be very good. It will probably come to just about $300 with tax and tip, but it is supposed to be an impressive culinary experience.

posted 03-03-2004 21:00               

quote:

---

Originally posted by Hoc:

Also, to heighten the "New Orleans" experience for your wife, consider taking a horse-drawn carriage ride through the French Quarter.

[b]I Already did that the last time we were there.

I would bet she would find that quite romantic, even though I think it's a bit contrived.

Do you think she would enjoy a tour of some of the Southern Mansions there? I've heard that those tours can be quite impressive.

We did a few the last time allso. we want to go there to eat.

Edit: I meant to add, if you do decide to have dinner there, and you really don't mind the price, but are looking for an outstanding experience, I've heard that the tasting menu, paired with the wine, is supposed to be very good. It will probably come to just about $300 with tax and tip, but it is supposed to be an impressive culinary experience.

[This message has been edited by Hoc (edited 03-03-2004).][/B]

---

The problem with the tasting menu is I do noteat fish and there is alot of that there. I do not mind spending $200 for the 3 of us on alacart.
If you realy think I should change the dinner to lunch I will if you say so. I will even can the brunch if you do not think it is worth it. what should I do.

------------------
Where to next ? Check My 18 Rci Journals login big_frank, And do not make fun of my Spelling. My spell checker Theresa was not there when I wrote them.

posted 03-03-2004 23:35            

quote:

---

Originally posted by bigfrank:
The problem with the tasting menu is I do noteat fish and there is alot of that there. I do not mind spending $200 for the 3 of us on alacart.
If you realy think I should change the dinner to lunch I will if you say so. I will even can the brunch if you do not think it is worth it. what should I do.

---

Well, it's a matter of personal taste. I don't think you can go wrong with the quality of the food at Commander's Palace for dinner, but $200 for 3 people might be getting away a bit cheap there. More likely to plan on about $100 apiece or so. At least, I've never gotten out of a decent restaurant at less than that for dinner.
Take a look at the online dinner menus and see what you think. Based on that menu, I figure about $35 each for the main course, an additional $15 or so per person for salad/appetizer and $15 or so per person for dessert/coffee/aperitif, and maybe $100-$180 for wine for the whole table. Then add an additional 25 percent or so for tax and tip. So, for three people, that's $370-$465. I love fine dining as much as the next person, and I have spent as much as $280 for two people for a good meal, but nearly $500 for a dinner for 3 is still a bit pricey for me.

It looks like you can get the complete dinners for a bit less, about $40 or so a person, which include appetizers and desserts, so that your final bill for 3 with wine, tax and tip is closer to $270 to $370.

Maybe my thought is also that there are so many good restaurants in NOLA (Commander's, K-Paul's, Peristyle, Emeril's, NOLA, Pascal's Manale) that it seems a shame to eat more than one meal in a single restaurant. Now that I think about it, that's probably more my advice. Go to Commander's Palace once, at any time you want, but go to a bunch of different great restaurants and sample the variety.

posted 03-04-2004 17:38            

quote:

---

Originally posted by bigfrank:
We want to go to Kpauls at least twice. The last time we were there we felt that the best food came from there.

---

posted 03-04-2004 18:01               

quote:

---

Originally posted by Hoc:
I agree. Some of the best food I've had in NOLA has been at K-Paul's (from a fine dining perspective). I think you said above that you don't eat fish. Do you like shrimp? If you do, you are missing out if you don't go to Pascal's Manale at least once and order the BBQ Shrimp there. Also the bread pudding there is among the best I've ever had. I think we started with some kind of chopped salad or olive salad that was also great.

---

posted 03-05-2004 08:31               

quote:

---

Originally posted by Blues:
Rick, if anyone in your party has any interest in the Civil War, then of course you won't want to miss the National memorial in Vicksburg (don't remember exactly what it's called). It's huge; a drive-yourself tour.

Natchez is great for viewing the antebellum mansions. Take the horse & buggy tour around the old town.

---

Blues, thanks for the leads. I see the Natchez Trace is between these two towns too. (Knew the name, but not really where it was before.) The horse and buggy sound nice already. Thanks! Any suggestions for eating and sleeping in these towns?

quote:

---

Originally posted by Hoc:
In Memphis, you have to have real Barbecue. Not only Charlie Verdoux's Rendezvous, but don't miss the Mr. Brown sandwich. Without a doubt, the best pork BBQ sandwich I've ever had.

---

Hoc, my wife's not fond of repeated days of long drives (I'm hoping one day with FOUR drivers she'll be more game). I'm even thinking that a long loop from NOLA to Memphis might be too much driving (although for me I'd drive the day for a sandwich and something cool to drink) so we'll see how far north we get.

I'm still stocking ideas for a driving week in the Baton Rouge-Vicksburg-Mobile triangle, beginning and ending in NOLA. Places I've listed so far are:
in LA: Magnolia Mound, River Road, Nottoway Plantation, Houmas House, the Lake Ponchatrain area, the 'Fat City' area of Metairie (thanks GinGin)
in Miss: Vicksburg, Natchez, the Trace, Woodville, Port Gibson

Depending on the whims of these days we may stay on the road the whole week or come back closer to NOLA sooner. Depends how long it takes to get around there. We're used to CA distances and traffic times and speeds. Car travel may be different there so where we go will depend. The second week we'll be on foot and street cars in NOLA, trying all the different foods.

BTW, years ago my folks went to a bakers convention in NOLA and brought home a cookie recipe that was a huge seller -- a Ritz cracker topped with a dollop of peanut butter, all dipped in melted chocolate. Let cool and enjoy! Be sure and send your royalties!

posted 03-05-2004 09:28            

Of course, around large cities such as New Orleans and Baton Rouge the traffic is greater, but NOLA traffic is NOTHING compared to Atlanta traffic or even Memphis traffic to us.

The civil war park in Vicksburg is a must if you have any interest at all in the that war. I've never been to Natchez, but I'd love to go there one day to see the antebellum mansions.

Your trip should prove interesting.

posted 03-05-2004 09:31            

quote:

---

Originally posted by bigrick:
a Ritz cracker topped with a dollop of peanut butter, all dipped in melted chocolate.

---

posted 03-05-2004 09:34            

The ONLY problem with the area is that it has very few timeshares .

P.S.S. If you like gardens and flowers you must stop by Bellingrath Gardens which is south of Mobile on hwy. 163. They have a very nice lunch area also. If you go to Bellingrath Gardens you can continue you trip south to Dauphin Island on 163 and take the car ferry across Mobile Bay to the Ft. Morgan area which is a short drive from Gulf Shores and Orange Beach.

------------------
www.picturetrail.com password:gingin (see 14 timeshares we've visited, please lighten screen before viewing)

posted 03-07-2004 17:18            

Speed limit is 70 MPH so you should make it in 9.5-10 hours pure driving time.

If you will be doing this in January when the Tug cruise is the days will be short that time of year. It will be dark by 5:00 p.m. central time so keep this in mind in case you should want to stop for a night layover somewhere between Orlando and NOLA.

posted 03-10-2004 18:20               

We already have one local highlight on the Saturday afternoon when the local swim club goes all out with a great crawfish lunch for everyone..... I love NOLA folks, they are so warm and welcoming !

Last year did the zoo already (it was great), so was thinking :
- Swamp tour on the full day we have free
- Streetcar, aquarium and walk around the french quarter on the half day

Any other ideas ?.. Oh, and good family friendly restaurants around New Orleans (we will be based near Kiefer Arena (UNO).. thx guys !

posted 03-10-2004 19:02            

quote:

---

Originally posted by TomCayman:
Last year did the zoo already (it was great), so was thinking :
- Swamp tour on the full day we have free
- Streetcar, aquarium and walk around the french quarter on the half day

---

That sounds like a good plan. But, you will not have time to do the streetcar, aquarium and French Quarter in a half day. You should pick only one of those activities. I would go for walking around the French Quarter (particularly antiquing and shopping on Royal St., admiring the architecture throughout the Quarter, and listening to the live music and street entertainers at Jackson Square, on Bourbon St., and elsewhere), as it is the most uniquely New Orleans activity.

BTW, the Museum at the Cabildo (at Jackson Square) is well worth spending some time.

For family friendly (read inexpensive and very casual, perhaps a bit noisy, atmosphere) restaurants:

1) Mothers. Mothers. Mothers. Can't say it enough. Food is great, atmosphere is extremely casual, and relatively inexpensive.
2) The Coffee Pot is good, casual and also inexpensive. I'd go for breakfast, where they serve things like some pretty unique New Orleans-Style omelets, and Callas, which are fried balls of rice, flour, cinnamon and egg, coated with powdered sugar and served with Maple Syrup and butter. These are a traditional New Orleans breakfast that goes back to the Colonial days, when the Creole women would walk through the streets with baskets of these for sale.
3) The Gumbo Pot has, in addition to some of the best Gumbo in town, a very relaxed atmosphere and would be good for children.
4) Johnny's Po' Boys. Inexpensive, casual, and good sandwiches. Beware, they close around 4 pm.
5) I suspect the children might enjoy Jackson Square, followed by a breakfast of Beignets and milk at Cafe du Monde. You can have coffee there. A plate of 3 Beignets (drenched in powdered sugar) is about $1.10, coffee is about another dollar, milk or OJ is usually $1 to $2, depending on the size. All they serve there, though, is Beignets, coffee, milk, iced coffee, OJ, water, and maybe some other stuff to drink (non-alchoholic). In the mornings, there is usually a street musician entertaining the diners at the restaurant, which is entirely made up of an open-air, covered patio dining area.

posted 03-11-2004 07:42            

Our timeshare guests in NOLA last Sept. went on the swamp tour and to the acquarium. They loved both. The steetcar down St. Charles is a must do. This ride shows the true architectural essence of NOLA outside the Quarter in the fine homes and mansions along this route.

I agree with you concerning the NOLA zoo. I believe it must be one of the finest in the country. It's not only a zoo, it's a horticulturists dream with all the flora, exotic plans and trees (many very old live oaks).

You also may want to consider a paddle wheel boat ride if you can find the time or perhaps for your next trip.

posted 03-12-2004 11:14               

quote:

---

Originally posted by Hoc:
BTW, Tom, unless you have walked down Bourbon St., I don't think it's fair for you to say that you "did the zoo" in New Orleans.

---

ROTFLMAO !

posted 03-13-2004 08:34               

If I arrive around noon on Saturday and check in at the ship after lunch on Sunday, what would those of you most knowledgeable suggest for my culinary itinerary? Would you also suggest what you'd add if I arrived at about noon on Friday and had another dinner, breakfast and lunch opportunity? I won't have a car, so it's all got to be walking distance or a short cab ride from my hotel.

Entertainment-wise after dinner I'm assuming I can just wander around until I find a spot that suits me, right?

Have any of you ever stayed at the Provincial Hotel? Should I request any special room/floor/view?

Thanks in advance!

Kathy Q

posted 03-13-2004 10:40            

quote:

---

Originally posted by Kathy Q:
This has been an incredible thread full of great information. I have a couple of questions. I've booked one night (Saturday, Jan 22) at the Provincial Hotel at the corner of Rue Chartres and St Phillip St. I may book the Friday night as well. The TUG cruise leaves on Sunday 1/23/05 and since I've never been to NOLA, I wanted to stay in the French Quarter rather than by the Port.)

---

You're in the gay area of the Quarter. Not a big deal, unless that bothers you. It shouldn't, as the Quarter is pretty flamboyant, in any case.

quote:

---

Originally posted by Kathy Q:
If I arrive around noon on Saturday and check in at the ship after lunch on Sunday, what would those of you most knowledgeable suggest for my culinary itinerary?

---

It depends on what you are looking for. For example, the New Orleans School of Cooking in the French Quarter provides for a very enjoyable experience, and you get to eat some good Gumbo, Jambalaya, Bread Pudding and other traditional New Orleans foods. The food is good, and the atmosphere is a lot of fun, but it's not fine dining. You do get a pretty good meal and a "cooking show" for about $25 or so (if you get there by 10 am. If you get there for the 2 pm class, you will get corn & crab bisque, shrimp creole and pralines for $20).

If you are looking only to eat, then it depends on what your tastes are. Mother's has great, "down home" style food but no atmosphere (unless you consider "noisy hash house style" to constitute atmosphere). K-Paul (my favorite) has great food and atmosphere, but it's expensive. NOLA has a very creative menu, sometimes good, sometimes great, but it's fairly noisy, though upscale. It's also expensive. Food and atmosphere-wise, you would not go wrong with Bayona, though it is also a bit expensive.

You could read "A Confederacy of Dunces," (Pulitzer prize-winning novel set in New Orleans) and see whether that makes you crave a Lucky Dog (it makes a lot of people crave them for some reason). Then you could get a dirt-cheap meal by buying a Lucky Dog off the carts in the streets of the Quarter. Felix Oyster House (less famous than Acme Oyster House, but better, fresher food) has a good raw bar, and decent casual seafood selections (also casual, low to medium priced). Ralph & Cacoo's (about the quality level of Macaroni Grill) makes some of the best Shrimp Remoulade in town. But most of their other offerings are mediocre, unless you like blackened gator. Their blackened gator is quite good.

If you don't want brunch on Sunday, then the Quarter Scene Restaurant makes a great Caribbean Waffle (Waffle covered with Whipped Cream, chopped apples, mangoes, melon, strawberries, pecans, and other various fruits and nuts) and has very good coffee. At about Burgundy and Dumaine, it's really close to you. But the Wyndham Brunch, while a bit pricey, is worth the splurge for me. I love to sit there, listening to Louis Armstrong type music, watching the river and the Quarter from two-story high windows, and eating some very nice (though not spectacular) food.

On Saturday, you might just choose to have Beignets and Coffee in the open air patio at Cafe du Monde, then stroll over toward the French Market, snacking on samples of fudge and pralines on the way, listening to the music that you will inevitably hear from the various street musicians, and getting in some good souveneir shopping.

All of the above places are within, or no more than about 3 blocks' walk from, the French Quarter.

quote:

---

Originally posted by Kathy Q:
Would you also suggest what you'd add if I arrived at about noon on Friday and had another dinner, breakfast and lunch opportunity?

---

I would go for dinner at Pascal's Manale. You will have to take a cab or the streetcar, but it's worth it. Or else, get the BBQ Shrimp at Old Nawlins restaurant in the Quarter. Before I tried Pascal's, that was my favorite BBQ Shrimp. An additional lunch would definitely be some kind of Po Boy. The Ferdi's Special at Mother's is good, or anything at Johnny's Po Boys is good. Or get a Muffaletta at the store next to Central Grocery. Breakfast, if you haven't done it at some other time, has to be Beignets and Coffee at Cafe du Monde.

Walk Jackson Square with your extra time and enjoy the street musicians, mimes and the artists displaying their wares on the wrought iron fence around the square. Take a tour of the Cabildo and check out the museum. That night, go to Pat O'Briens and have a hurricane. While under the influence, take a nighttime ghost walking tour. Then stop by the old Jazz Preservation Hall and listen to the band play old standards (ragtime and 20's jazz) for about $5.

quote:

---

Originally posted by Kathy Q:
I won't have a car, so it's all got to be walking distance or a short cab ride from my hotel.

---

You don't need a car in New Orleans.

quote:

---

Originally posted by Kathy Q:
Entertainment-wise after dinner I'm assuming I can just wander around until I find a spot that suits me, right?

---

posted 03-15-2004 04:02               

Thanks! That was perfect. Just what I was looking for!

posted 03-17-2004 15:51               

quote:

---

Originally posted by Hoc:
Do you like shrimp? If you do, you are missing out if you don't go to Pascal's Manale at least once and order the BBQ Shrimp there. Also the bread pudding there is among the best I've ever had. I think we started with some kind of chopped salad or olive salad that was also great.[/B]

---

Did not eat at Pascal's Manale but just last week a neighbor had us over for dinner and served a delicious shrimp dinner with her favorite recipe from Pascal's Manale - it was called shrimp meniere or something like that. It was really a treat.
------------------
rapmarks