Brass horns sing out at every turn in the city of New Orleans. The moment you step off the plane, you’ll hear the notes of a Dixieland jazz band performing for incoming travelers on a purpose-built stage in the central terminal. Exploring the rich musical and culinary tradition of the French Quarter and the Garden District makes for the perfect weekend in the Crescent City.
Canal Street
DAY 1
When it comes to sandwiches, Maine might have the lobster roll and Philadelphia might have the cheesesteak, but New Orleans is home to two of the most celebrated sandwiches in the country — the muffaletta and the po’boy. The muffaletta traces its roots to the Sicilian immigrants who arrived here in the early 1900s. The sesame seed-topped round muffaletta bread is cut and stuffed with deli-style ingredients like ham, salami, mortadella sausage, Swiss and provolone cheese and a thick spread of diced olives and peppers soaked in oil. Central Grocery and Deli, a third-generation storefront located on Decatur Street in the French Quarter, prides itself in being the “home of the original muffuletta” and is the perfect place to try one. The second sandwich synonymous with New Orleans is a po’boy. It got its name in the 1920s when striking streetcar workers in search of a filling lunch sought tasty and cheap “poor boy” sandwiches. Today’s version is typically filled with roast beef, sausage or fried seafood and served on locally baked, baguette-shaped Leidenheimer loaves.
Spend some time in the historic French Quarter to find out more about the city’s Creole culture and community — people of mixed French, African, Spanish and Native American ancestry, many of whom still live in and around this neighborhood. On Royal Street, experience a step back in time with elegant shops selling antique furniture, heritage antiquities, silver collectibles and contemporary artwork. The French Market, by the banks of the Mississippi River, dates back to 1791 and hosts a number of food stalls offering skewers of fried alligator and cups of chicken and sausage gumbo served over steamed rice, to name a few. Then, head over to Bourbon House, owned by local restaurateur Dickie Brennan, for a bourbon milk punch. This heady milkshake of bourbon, vanilla ice cream and vanilla extract topped with nutmeg is a must-try.
A short walk from here is Jackson Square, which was called Place d’Armes by French settlers and Plaza de Armas by the Spanish in the late 1800s. The square is crowned by the Roman Catholic St. Louis Cathedral. The Cabildo, a National Historic Landmark next to the cathedral, houses two centuries’ worth of artifacts tracing the history of Louisiana. This area is also a hotspot for street performers who entertain tourists all day and into the night.
When it comes to dining out, Galatoire’s is legendary — especially on Fridays. This French Quarter mainstay is known for its lingering lunches which then become early happy hours, and eventually turn into lively dinners. Since 1905, it’s served New Orleans classics like shrimp creole, duck and andouille gumbo, redfish with meunière sauce and crabmeat Yvonne. Dress codes requiring sport coats and forbidding tank tops are enforced at many of the city’s four- and five-star establishments, including Galatoire’s.
Later on, drop in to the Davenport Lounge at the Ritz-Carlton on Canal Street. The striking building previously housed department store Maison Blanche. Reserve one of three booths to hear resident jazz musician Jeremy Davenport and his band perform, or for somewhere a little grittier, secure bench seats at Preservation Hall for one of the nightly hour-long jazz sets.
In the evening, the French Quarter’s bars offer an appealing collection of signature cocktails. First-time visitors often seek out a rum-based, bright red hurricane from Pat O’Brien’s or Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop Bar. At The Napoleon House, a refreshing Pimm’s cup is made of Pimm’s No. 1, a gin-based liqueur, ginger ale and lemon juice and garnished with cucumber. Meanwhile, at the Roosevelt Hotel’s Sazerac Bar, the must-try is the cocktail that bears the bar’s name, created in the 1850s and comprising just four ingredients: rye whiskey, a sugar cube, Peychaud’s Bitters and anise liqueur. If stamina allows, head to Frenchman Street, where clubs like the Spotted Cat, Blue Nile, DBA New Orleans and Snug Harbor feature local musicians playing into the early hours.
National WWII Museum
DAY2
En route to The National WWII Museum, dip into Willa Jean for a fresh pastry and coffee to kick off the day. The museum is here thanks to resident Andrew Higgins who created the Higgins boat — a vessel used in the Normandy landings on D-Day. The boats were originally built for oil drillers and trappers and subsequently used by bootleggers for smuggling alcohol into the U.S. during Prohibition. In a 1964 interview, former President Dwight D. Eisenhower stated, “Andrew Higgins is the man who won the war for us.” Learn more from personal accounts, video exhibits and displays of uniforms and weaponry.
For lunch, head to The American Sector restaurant, located within the museum, to sample local flavors like andouille sausage fritters, shrimp and fried green tomato napoleon and gulf fish creole. Alternatively, make your way to Domilise’s on Annunciation Street in the Garden District for a po’boy and ask for it “dressed” — meaning it’ll come with lettuce, sliced tomato, mayo, ketchup and sliced dill pickles. Favorites include fried oyster, fried shrimp and roast beef.
After you’ve eaten, enjoy some window shopping on Magazine Street. Magpie is great for a carefully chosen selection of vintage clothing and jewelry, while Alice & Amelia offers New Orleans gifts, apparel and home decor. At the much-loved La Boulangerie just down the road, try a slice of lemon doberge — a layer cake where thin rounds are interspersed with a lemon curd filling before being encased in a coating of buttercream.
If you have room for more, make a booking at Mosquito Supper Club. Tucked within a residential area, it’s here that chef Melissa Martin’s tasting menu highlights the region’s freshest seafood, waterfowl, fruits and vegetables — and it’s all served communal style. Try the oyster stew, which is served in an iron pot to a table for 10. For dessert, order the hand-crafted caramel and Louisiana satsuma ice cream.
After dinner, see a show at Uptown’s storied music venue, Tipitina’s, named after the song by R&B singer and pianist Professor Longhair. Tickets are available for advance purchase online. Check the local weekly paper Gambit for events, news and a schedule of live performances.
Close out the evening at The Pontchartrain Hotel. Opened in the 1920s, the 14-story architectural gem attracts locals and visitors alike to its maximalist Jack Rose restaurant, cozy Bayou Bar and panoramic rooftop space. Relax in the bar and order the renowned mile-high pie — the six-inch slice with layers of chocolate, strawberry and peppermint ice cream plus a thick layer of meringue, topped off with a generous drizzle of warm chocolate sauce. Wash it down with a honeysuckle hottie, made with Cathead Honeysuckle Vodka, chamomile, warm water and Benedictine herbal liqueur.
Bananas Foster
DAY THREE
For a decadent breakfast, head to Brennan’s on Royal Street, which has been operating since 1946. The eggs hussarde — English muffins topped with coffee-cured Canadian bacon and poached eggs — is a standout. Don’t miss the theatrical tableside production of bananas Foster, invented in 1951 and named after Richard Foster, a friend of restaurant founder Owen Brennan. This iconic dessert consists of sliced bananas being flambeed tableside in a mixture of brown sugar, cinnamon, butter and banana liqueur and served with vanilla ice cream.
After breakfast, embark on a Music Legacy Tour that takes you from Congo Square, along Rampart Street and into Armstrong Park by the Mississippi. Congo Square is now a park commemorating enslaved Africans who gathered on Sundays to play the music that would later emerge as jazz. Pioneering artists like Louis Armstrong, Jelly Roll Morton, Dr. John, Irma Thomas and the extended Neville family shaped the city’s music scene for over 100 years. And then there’s city native Fats Domino — whose songs included Blueberry Hill, Walking to New Orleans and Ain’t That a Shame, and who Elvis Presley credited as “the real king of rock ‘n’ roll.” The heritage of these local legends is carried forward by talents such as Branford Marsalis, George Porter Jr., Kermit Ruffins and Trombone Shorty.
New Orleans also has an eclectic lineup of festivals. Time a visit in early February to catch the city’s most famous celebration: Mardi Gras. Carnival season here is marked with king cake (an iced round of cinnamon-swirled brioche), festive purple, green and gold decor and spirited parades that start weeks before the big day. The international Jazz & Heritage Festival is always scheduled for the last weekend of April through the first weekend of May and brings in acts like the Rolling Stones, Foo Fighters, Chris Stapleton, and the Killers.
Meanwhile, if the Saints are playing, there’s no better window into local life than a football game in the Superdome on a Sunday afternoon. Local basketball team the Pelicans play in the Smoothie King Center next door. Both venues are walkable from the French Quarter and Central Business District.
