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ANNA & DAVE
Things to Do
We love New Orleans and know you will too! Here are some recommendations from Anna's dad and the couple below!
Mark's List
While many of the guests coming to New Orleans for Anna and Dave’s wedding have been here before, for many others this will be a first. Accordingly, here are a few highlights we think are worth seeing and doing.
The National World War II Museum: The Museum was built in New Orleans in large part because the Higgins boats used for the D-Day landing were designed and built near New Orleans. Originally focused on the European theatre in World War II, the museum has expanded over time, and now covers much of the War in the Pacific. Easy to spend a
day there, but if you only catch a half day, you will leave impressed. (The Ogden Art Museum, featuring Southern art and artists, is only a couple of blocks away, but I have found their hours to be irregular, so call ahead.)
Stroll Chartres Street and Royal Street. These two streets capture the architecture and design of the French Quarter, and are home to many galleries and restaurants. Starting at Jackson Square and the St. Louis Cathedral, heading in either direction for about 6 blocks in each direction will give you a good feel for what makes the Quarter so popular.
Café du Monde: Across the street from Jackson Square, at any time while you are strolling the Quarter, or to start or end your time there, you can stop in (may be a line, no reservations, but it moves fast, is CASH ONLY), and grab an order of beignets (fried donuts covered in powdered sugar; don’t sneeze while eating!), and a Café au Lait (half a cup of coffee with chickory with half a cup of hot milk). If you're looking for beignets but want to try somewhere else, try Morning Call.
Pat O’Brien’s: Long-established watering hole, featuring a piano bar indoors, and an outdoor garden, which will have heating if the weather is cold. Nice place for an afternoon or late night drink, just so you can say you did it. If you order a Hurricane, don’t expect to be of much use to anybody for a few hours. By the way, New Orleans liquor laws allow you to take an alcoholic beverage out of any establishment; the only restriction is that you can’t take it in a glass container.
Preservation Hall: For many years, it was close to Pat O’Brien’s. The venue has been undergoing renovations for some time now, but the musicians are still performing at another location. You should probably go online to see where they are performing now. Historically, it is standing room only, i.e., no seating. Sets last about 45 minutes, and then
you exit. About $20 per head last time I was there, and worth it to see accomplished (very senior) performers playing classic jazz pieces.
Street Car Ride: You can catch a street car on Canal Street, and ride as far as the Carrollton Street terminus, if you like, or exit where St. Charles intersects with Carrollton, and catch the return journey. You will get views of the former warehouse district, the Garden District, and Uptown New Orleans, as well as Audubon Park, Loyola University, and Tulane University. You’ll need exact change, which is ($0.__/p) each way.
Monteleone Hotel: On Royal Street. Has the Carousel Bar, which is the only revolving bar in New Orleans. Can be full of people waiting for a seat, which can be, or sometimes not be, an orderly process for who gets
seated next.
Sazerac Bar in the Roosevelt Hotel: This bar lays claim to the drink the Sazerac, which seems to have a bigger following in the South than in other regions.
Anna & Dave's Picks
Hotel Saint Vincent: Cool hotel in the Lower Garden District that has a small bar, a secret little DJ area, and a Vietnamese restaurant (Elizabeth Street Café).
Frenchmen Street: Recognized as one of the best places to find live music. You can hop around to find the vibe you're looking for.
Food Recs: There are too many to name them all - check out this link for inspiration! Here are a few that are big ones or ones we like:
AYU Bakehouse: Get the Boudin Boys with the crispy chili oil
Parasol's for po-boys
Brennan's for brunch - It has fun decor and is a little fancy
Napoleon House for muffuletta's
Molly's Rise & Shine for breakfast
Turkey and the Wolf for lunch
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