We are planning a Girl%26#39;s weekend in NOLA. We will spend 1 afternoon / night in French Quarter before departing for weekend in Destin.
Any recommendations for things we must do while visiting? Here is what I am thinking:
Afternoon - Cafe du Monde -coffe, French Market - shopping. Any must see shops?
Evening - Dinner at ?? (would like a nice dinner near Quarter for less than $50). Any recommendations??
After Dinner - ?? Any recommendations.. We are mid 30%26#39;s, not too loud, but fun and entertaining?
Thanks!
Girls Weekend in NOLA
If you can afford to splurge a litte bit, ( and it would be well worth it) I highly recommend K-Paul%26#39;s. You must make a reservation in advance. It is the most delicious food I have ever eaten and I recommend everyone try it at least once!!! The owner is Paul Prudhomme. He is a world renound cajun cuisine expert. It is well worth the money!! The food is amazing!!! After dinner you will have no problem finding something to do. There is something on every corner too choose from. Have a great time!!!
Girls Weekend in NOLA
I agree that K-Pauls is wonderful. But you could also try The Gumbo Shop on St. Peter in the French Quarter. Also read different forums here for other suggestions. After dinner jazz at Maison Burbon on Burbon Street would be my first stop.
The French Market is definitely a good place for bargains, but be forewarned, it%26#39;s a little ';junky.'; for must-see shops, I would head up and down Royal Street, particularly between Coni and Dumaine Streets. Lots of cute stores with less toursity, more original, gifts, and away from the raunchiness of Bourbon Street. Not that you should avoid Bourbon, I would just not buy any gifts there! :)
Cafe du Monde is a great must-do. I love their frozen coffee too.
I think K-Paul%26#39;s is a good rec for dinner, but also I think you could do Nola (one of Emeril%26#39;s restaurants) for about $50 per person. The food and service are excellent. Another place to try in the FQ that I love is Muriel%26#39;s (at Jackson Square). You wouldn%26#39;t be disappointed there either.
My after-dinner recommendation would be the Carousel Bar, at least for one drink. It%26#39;s one of my favorite places. It is attached to the Monteleone Hotel on Royal Street.
When you are in the french market area, check out the Artist%26#39;s Market on the far end of Decatur. We love that place. Royal Street is great for high-end antiques and general browsing, too. As for ';must do'; shops, what are your tastes? If you have pets, stop in the Three Dogs Bakery for something to take home to your fur babies.
So many places to recommend for dinner. Again ... what are your tastes? There has been some talk about Irene%26#39;s here lately. It%26#39;s definitely a favorite of ours. It has an Italian flare, neat location in the quieter part of the French Quarter. It%26#39;s especially good for early dining since the wait can get very long later.
We%26#39;ve really enjoyed Muriell%26#39;s right on Jackson Square, too. Red Fish Grill is great food, but can be a bit loud. It%26#39;s a good choice if you want to try at least one Brennan restaurant while there.
After dinner ... if you dine early, take a walking tour and soak up some ';history'; or at least some fun stories. There are several tour companies that do haunted tours and I%26#39;ve been reading about a cocktail tour, as well.
You%26#39;ll find music on Bourbon Street at all hours. And over-priced drinks, with a one drink per set minimum in a lot of places. A quick cab ride to the Fauburg Marigny will take you to some neat clubs, too. Snug Harbor is one of them. I know they have a website. Back in the Quarter on North Rampart, there%26#39;s jazz most nights at Donna%26#39;s. For a girls-only outing, I would still recommend a cab ride there and back. Won%26#39;t cost you much of anything to go those few blocks.
Have fun!
Definately go up Decatur (on the du Monde end) and go to Sterling Silvia. Great New Orleans themed jewellry for a great price. I picked up a pendant with the famous sewer cover design. There are several places on Royal worth going thru, just take one end at random and walk your way down. But for feathered Mardi Gras masks and voo-doo dolls, those souveniers that people always expect, go down to the riverfront market area where you can get them super-cheap.
My last visit we got dressed up and took a cab to Emerils, it was more than $50 with desert and cab, but an experience that you will never forget. Napolean House is great for lunch. Order a muffuletta and a Pimms and enjoy the cool air. Later, Pat O%26#39;briens is a safe place to enjoy a few cosmos. If you have never been to NOLA, you HAVE to go there.
I like the Redfish Grill too and they have one of the best desserts ever, double chocolate bread pudding. Mr.B%26#39;s is the Brennans restaurant I always recommend first though.
After dinner hit the Carousel Bar at the Monteleone and Jean Lafittes Blacksmith Shop in addition to the above suggestions. Try a hand grenade from Tropical Isle too. They are tasty but be careful they are strong.
You have to try a hand grenade and a hurricane...not too many or you%26#39;ll regret it later!
I am not sure what you guys are into, but I actually sang kareoke at the cat%26#39;s meow...which is something I definitely never thought I would do. I%26#39;m sure my rendition of ';don%26#39;t stop believing'; is legendary ;-)
I feel like New Orleans is the type of place you can just get crazy with your friends and do things (within reason of course) that you never thought you would do.
I say you all just go on bourbon street, walk around, go into hustler hollywood, hit up some bars and dance the night away. good friends and good times in a great city, what could honestly be better?
I would recommend Emeril Lagasse%26#39;s NOLA Restaurant in the French Quarter for dinner. It is fantastic and you could probably keep it near or under $50.
Cafe du Monde is a must.
You must get a hurricane at Pat O%26#39;Briens in the French Quarter. It is a great experience. You can get a hurricane anywhere in the Quarter, but in my opinion, Pat O%26#39;s is the best.
www.emerils.com/restaurants/neworleans_nola/
If you are going before the end of September..many restaurants have price fixed three course meals for about $30 a person. This is a special primarily designed to get locals to eat out but tourists can benefit!
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