Chowhound Post
Both the Crescent City Tuesday farmers market Uptown (Broadway & the River) & the Saturday market in the CBD have vendors selling prepared foods. Tuesday has a green plate special always. You can take it and go eat at Audubon Park or out on the "Fly"
behind the zoo, where you can see Mississippi River traffic.
Charlie H is on target about the bikes. This would be a great way to get around.
Although NOLA drivers are not bike savvy so be careful. There's Gerken bikes on
St Claude & Port St. (across the street from the Marigny neighborhood), Bicycle Michaels on Frenchmen also in the Marigny. Plan B, the Bike project is on Chartres off Elysian Fields and they too are in the Marigny.
There are alot of B & B's (regular and under the radar) in the Marigny and Bywater. Plus you are walking distance to the French Qtr from the Marigny. So google around for that.
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Luke twice? Maybe you could stay @ Hilton St. Charles rather than La Pavillion. Then you could do a late breakfast @ Luke instead of a heavier lunch. You can go downstairs and read the paper (they have them hung on wooden rails - neat!) while princess gets dressed. They do a great breakfast too. Also the bar at Luke is great & gets locals
from the banks and brokerage houses in the late afternoon.
It's alot of meals and running around to get to them. United Cab 522-9771.
Music could be Snug Harbor on Frenchmen in the Marigny. Depending on the day
of the week, you could have dinner at Feelings on Chartres in the Marigny - this is
a little gem of a restaurant with a patio and carriage house bar. Great peanut butter pie.
Don't let the name put you off - it has NOTHING to do with the song either. Visually Feelings is very old New Orleans. Then either walk 1 block to Mimi's for another drink or cab it over to Snug for music. After Snug you can go to DBA or other bars on Frenchmen.
Another music option is Vaughan's on Thursday night in the Bywater. This starts late
and almost never on time. It can be a bit of a crush if Kermit Ruffins is playing, so wear
casual clothes and have a big sense of humor.
If you want to treat you're princess right, you must take her to Sucre on Magazine.
If Hermes opened a chocolate shop, this would be it. Perfect place for take-home gifts.
Absinthe truffles, cafe diabolique creams. You can walk there from Commander's.
Have fun. Thanks for visiting the city and spending $$$.
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If you're looking for the latest in the CBD, it's Vicki Bailey's & Mike Fennelly's
new place at the Lafayette Hotel. It is in the same space where they had
Mike on the Avenue in the 80's. Would be a good "new" place to try. And if you just hate the menu you can cross the street to Herbsaint.....or walk down Poydras to Luke.
Chowhound Post
All great ideas. Keep in mind that November has Saint's games, Thanksgiving, Bayou Classic and the big Realtor's convention 11/5-8/10, so it's a compressed calendar.
The buy-out idea is great if you can do this on an "off" night like a Wed or a Sunday. If you have to have the dinner on Friday night, that's prime time.
If you can go outside of FQ, there's Board of Trade (inside space and the courtyard).
BOT has Pigeon for catering, on Tchoupitoulas there's Rosy's Jazz Hall & NO Public Belt Railroad space (they can do cocktail parties in old RR cars), Audubon TeaRoom (probably too big) and the smaller Audubon Golfcourse Clubhouse (this is a gem and you can set tables out on the ground under the trees). Also uptown is Valencia Club - if
you want something more casual. House on Bayou Road & Pitot House are other non-restaurant options. Some require a local wedding planner to book. Good luck!
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Ohhhh someone has done their homework, I love this! Yes shrimp/grits for cocktail. I would caution on the wonton for an d'oeuvres. The curve of it keeps it moving on the plate, you don't want it flying off onto Aunt Alicia. The lemon chicken and the brushetta
are both terrific app's. They do really great gnocchi - maybe there is something
seasonal they can do.
What about using cafe brulot porcelain cups (the kind Antoine's and Galatoire's uses,
tall, narrow with small saucer) for your soup course? That would be such an only
in New Orleans presentation. Gumbo would be too busy for this but a winter vegetable soup (butternut squash, sweet potato) could work.
Also keep in mind that Colemen Adler owns Latrobe's. So should you be looking
for bridesmaid's/groomsmen etc. gifts for your party from Adler's, all that can be co-ordinated. You should also be able to get a bit of a discount too. It never hurts to ask!
Congratulations, hope you have lovely weather.
Chowhound Post
For any and all Asian, and a good selection of Latin, go to Hong Kong Market on Berhman Highway. If you have the time, you can go to the Bubble Cafe adjacent to it OR the dumpling cafe also adjacent. (also cell phone providers and hairdressers). There is a just opened cookware store also in the shopping center. This is worth the field trip!
Hong Kong has Cfood tanks - you stand in line to have the chance to pick out the one you want. Pretty serious stuff. Their produce can be iffy but the selection is large. It's the
sort of place that has 10 different jars of Sambal paste to choose from. Unless you speak languages, help is also iffy, but they try. Very busy on the weekends.
I think overall Dorignac's is the best overall for groceries and liquor, Also they really support local smaller vendors (good selection of Louisiana made products, like honey).
The layout of the store isn't the most modern and takes getting used to (bakery and bread NOT in the same area but it's fresh challah on Friday).
You could start @ Dorignac's, then work your way down Vet's: Byblos, Rouse's and Whole Foods and then back to the Westbank. Maybe a sidetrip to NorJoe's for
pasta's, pesto and parmesan. It's maybe 5 minutes from Dorignac's via back streets.
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30% tax & SC is standard. Also some places will require 75% non-refund advance
during season, which November is. $ 75 - 125 is the average white tablecloth rate.
Nap house is great. If anyone has issues with steep stairs, it won't work as there is no elevator. This is an issue at alot of Fr Qtr places - so keep that in mind.
Should we assume you want the Qtr ? If so, other options are one of the rooms upstairs @ Arnaud's (the ballroom might be too big but there's plenty more). Arnaud's has the Germaine Wells museum on the 2nd floor which gives you're guests something to walk around in. Pat O' Brien's at the Jax Brewery is another option - food is actually OK and the view is great. Japanese room @ Antoine's would work for 50 also. Muriel's has a private dining room too.
If the bride is working with a hotel for wedding guests, you might see what they can do
for a rehersal dinner, if costs from independent restaurants are still too steep. Good luck.
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Visually LaTrobe's is wonderful. I've done corporate events there which is different than
weddings but here's my suggestions: a seated dinner that's all small plates - tapas like -
will be very service heavy, tables will be busy with china and should cost extra. Do you run the possibility that your guests, especially the older or more traditional ones, just might not "get" the small plates at a seated wedding reception? That being said the shrimp and grits is a winner. I'd let them know your price ceiling and let them suggest a menu based on that. These are pro's and know how to make a girl happy. Remember to factor in all costs like taxes.
Are you getting married there or are you're guests coming in from uptown to the Quarter for the reception? If the latter, you might want to have them do mini water's for the early arrivals, who don't go to the wedding, to have just in case there are traffic issues.
What are you doing for the cocktail hour? Passed heavy hor's or just drinks? You could work 2 small plates in along with passed items during this time.
Also you need to verify IF the patio & courtyard will be open to your guests. If there is another event that day (at the same time or later on) or the next day, it may be closed.
I was a guest at a party where that happened - MIL was some kind of mad.
They have a set preferred group of vendors. They are all "A" list (Flour Power, Sucre, Urban Earth, Glenn Vesh, etc.) and there's not alot of $$ negotiations. Remember to factor the outside vendors into your costs. FP's strawberry bavarian bridal and choc strawberry truffle groom's make a beautiful & tasty pair of wedding cakes.
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New Orleans hound has a ? for those with Santa Fe insight. We're looking for recomendation's
for New Years Eve and New Year's Day. We're going to the concert @ the Lensic
for NYE - which will probably run till 8:30 or 9 PM. We'd love to go someplace in the
Plaza area for a light dinner after that (4 top) that does NOT do an over-the-top streamers &
lots of commotion for New Year's. Someplace we can walk from the theatre. Any ideas?
Also something like the Frontier in Albq. for late breakfast/early lunch dining in Santa Fe that would be open New Years Day? We'd prefer something in the main Plaza area but driving is fine. Full bar would be a plus, too, Thanks!
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Edible is wonderful and all new and top notch equipment., but it would be quite a haul
from Norco to the Bywater. Plus do you really need an AltoSham?
If you're still looking for a prep location in the Marigny, you might want to try contacting
the schools: St. Paul Lutheran @ Port/Burgundy or Bishop Perry on Dauphine X from
La Peniche or NOCCA - all three have good sized kitchens that aren't always in use.
Film crews do this all the time. You will need to pay a usage fee or a donation upfront for the day or two or three but well worth it. Another possibility is Loretta's on Rampart - another big commercial kitchen - again you will need to pay a usage, plus you could have her do those wonderful sweet potato cookies.
Remember both AJ's down from NOCCA & Bubba's on Marigny will sell to you -
go after the commercial trucks have loaded around 8:00 AM and it's all cash. Much later than that and all the good stuff is sold or their closed. Take your list - sometimes you can hand select and sometimes not. Tip is appreciated.
If you find you have you're hands full, maybe have Cake Cafe on Chartres & Spain do
the cake or Swiss Confectionary on St Charles. The Swiss owners were in the Marigny
on Frenchman for years. Good luck!
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Weather is the key to going to Green Goddess. As others have said, it is tiny. This used to be a lawoffice that turned into a deli ages ago, the "dining" area is maybe 16' X 12' but has a dz or so wrought iron tables onto Exchange Alley right in front of the Goddess.
Exchange is not a true street or an alley but a European style passageway with shops, offices and galleries - there's a couple of these left in the Quarter.
If you go and it's just too crowded inside and weather too miserable outside (like it
is this week), you can go over to The Pelican Club for a lovely meal & good bar, or
walk around the corner to the Carosel bar at the Monteleone Hotel for your adult beverage and then go back to Goddess.
Thanks for visiting the city and spending $$.
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It's all in the details - I would imagine it's set up so that the LG Trust will set the agenda for the future, maybe 6 votes - 1 for each LG, MG, DA and 1 for TK representing the trust and 1 each for Trosclair & George's. So it always leans to the Trust to have the majority. No other owners. I have to hand it to Leon, Michelle, Attaway and the LGTrust to file against SMelvin, Gooch and investor group Conwill /Bollinger/White, et all from acquiring ownership. If that would have happened, it would have been much more radical of a change.
As I said in my posting on 10/26, the expression on Gooch's face, when he
got the phone call - that apparently let him know that the lawsuit was going
in the Trusts and not his or Melvin's favor - was priceless.
It seems the staff is happy about the results of the lawsuit & sale too.
Chowhound Post
What a great list EC!
Allstate's Sugar Bowl is a huge corporate event, that really starts on the 26 and runs thru
Sunday. As such, alot is already on reserve. I'd try going on open table to see what's there asap - really, do it this weekend at the latest. Restaurants may ask for a cc# for reservation, because of the higher # of no-shows that sports events draw.
Keep in mind that Wed & Thurs is fan fest in the Jax Brewery area - NOPD usually blocks
off a section of Decatur because of this, so allow more time if you're walking about this
area of the quarter. There is always a really good band for this - e.g. Blues Travelers -
that draws a crowd. The tailgate party at the Dome starts early too, again always a good
band, lots of crowds walking down Poydras for it.
If you find your first choice group is booked-up, try Brightsens, Clancy's, Upperline, Patois, Gautreau's, Lillette, La Petite Grocery - places further out from the CBD & FQ that
you would need to drive to. It always seems that every Florida fan drives in for the game!
Chowhound Post
So you're NOT going to the game? Sugar Bowl is that weekend and with Florida playing, it will be an especially big crowd as folks can drive. If you haven't set in place reservations, you need to do it asap. Because of the nature of sports crowds, most restaurants will require a CC# at the time of reservation.
Allstate's fan fest is all day Wed & Thursday between Jax 1 & 2, and usually Decatur will be closed or detoured in that area, so keep that in mind if you're planning on walking around. Tailgate/pregame starts midmorning the 1st, lots of walking traffic on Poydras
This is a big $$$ corporate week long event, starting with the regatta the 26/27, so
the restaurants will be full.
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Well, I must say that today's Friday's lunch will be most interesting in decades. Tut Kinney is quite the man through all this to be able to get the 2 deals done within 24 hours. The day of the deal was Trosclair's birthday, too. I'd give SMellvin through Carnival season.
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Yes the Marigny & Bywater are great.:
Jack Dempsey's - fried frog legs and beer in a mug; Elizabeth's for lunch; Mimi's for tapas and late night adult beverages; Feelings for brochette & peanut butter pie & the best bar; Cake Cafe for breakfast; Orange Couch & Marigny Perks for coffee and snack.
Also you may want to look @ NOCCA to see if they have an event going on.
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Fairgrounds food is good - not great - for New Orleans standards. IMO it's more about the experience of horse-racing New Orleans style and for $ 85 a deal. There are families that this is their extended family Thanksgiving tradition- they all drive in to meet there and party like it was their auntie's house with legal gambling. It's fun if you're a part of it or are very social and make friends easily. If you want dependable service, tip out when you
get seated and you won't get overlooked when you need something.
Also folks are serious about the racing - Risen Star is still spoken about as if he had just passed. When I went for several thanksgivings in the early 90's, there were always nuns & priests there in party mode. It was like a scene in a book.
Poboy festival is great. Vaucresson's will be selling their sausage there. Hubig pie's too.
Music - of course. Wear sturdy shoes - there still might be some construction areas.
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Yes, seems to be 2 different holding companies. The Royal O deal went through
right before the holidays last year - 2008. It was referred to as The Royal Ogden in some circles as he is one of the investors for that one. They clamped down on small things, like the ability to get Touche red beans & rice on Monday in the Rib Room, letting you be seated while you awaited the rest of the group (to folks that have long standing every Tues at 11:30 lunch types). The begging for bread was the tipping point for us. The good part is Patrick vonH left the Rib Room for August - a much better fit. Seems that the wine / luncheon groups have switched over to August too.
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Central doesn't open till 9/9:30 so if you're leaving early, buy the muff the day before.
Take Ziplocks. They last for days refrigerated.
Dong Phuoug also has just the best french bread. You could take Hwy 90 east out of the city, stop there and if you have time, stop @ Fort Pike (this just re-opened) then cross the Rigolets bridge and then go up to merge back onto I-10 in Slidell.
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I would choose Pelican Club 1st - 6 PM is nice as you could take a walk along Royal Street at sunset before and even afterwards. There's something just so unique in
walking onto Exchange Alley. If not there, then Stella!
The Rib Room and Royal Orleans is under new ownership (Berger Group) and it's not quite as enjoyable as before (had to just about beg for 2nd's on bread).
While you're in town, do go to the Roosevelt and walk thru the Holiday "Angel Hair
Everywhere" display and stop at the Sazerac bar while you're there too.
Thanks for visiting NOLA and spending $ here.
Chowhound Post
Quite a few locals leave NOLA that weekend - the Bayou Classic crowd should be leaving on Sunday too, so you could possibly own your table downstairs.
Enjoy. Thanks for visiting New Orleans and spending $ in our city.
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If you're really set for $ 30 max you are just so limited in being able to cut a deal in the Spring. Think about what you really want the event to be about.
The cash bar is going to be a problem and a deal killer if you really need to keep it to
$ 30 a head. Whomever you use for catering will need to have extra personnell in order to do just the cash bar and that ends up being a dedicated staffer for that alone and if yours is NOT a true drinking crowd a profit loss and you will get charged for all opened bottles and corkage (so make sure you take them with you...)
The Audubon Tea, NOMA, Katz Sculpture garden, LaTrobe's, Board of Trade (probably the least expensive of this group) are all going to be beyond $ 30 head in order to do anything decent - also most spring 2010 weekend dates for places are already booked for Fri & Sat. Think about if Sunday is an option, would a brunch be an option? Spring is Jazz Fest and Fr Qtr Festival and NOW&FE so all those weekends will be likely taken.
The crawfish idea is great - Micheaul's on St. Charles does this and has a house band also (they only do private parties); also there's Mulates's that does the same too. Out of towners seem to just love what they do.
If you wanted to do this yourself, you could rent the Valencia Club and cater through
Mr Mudbugs, book the band directly. Or rent the Pavillion at City Park and do the same.
I love the ideal of the Country Club - fun!.
Pat O' s @ the Jax brewery also is great for a private party - view is terrific and there's room for a band. Also have been to one @ the rooftop bar @ Royal Orleans - another great view. Cafe Amelie also does lots of weddings.
$ 30 will limit your menu options - $ 50 @ person is really the low end for receptions.
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I just can't see FrMkt Corp turning the space back to a true Farmer's Mkt - the trinkets, t shirts, masks and bad feather boa's have just too much of a profit margin. If they wanted food vendors in, doing spaces such as the one Loretta's has would have been a priority, which sadly was not the case.
The St Rock Market building on St. Claude would be a great mini Pike Place - the city owns it and nothing has happened at the site except for a sagging sign. You could imagine it expending into the huge neutral ground behind it too - the trees there are just beautiful.Hopefully whatever ends up being the new administration makes cultural tourism a priority. Remember 8/12/07 Nagin's .violent crime "keeps the New Orleans brand out there", We just cannot have another 4 years of that mindset.
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It's too late in the season for fresh Hatch. The peak of season is around the start of the school year. The best true Hatch product lines - outside of the small NM family ones - seem to be the ones from HEB/Central Markets in Texas. HEB does a very organized tumbled roasting fest at all the CM locations and did a fund raiser for the farmers the bad weather year (07?). They sell 2 different ones - a Salsa Roja y a Salsa Verde under the CM label, also Hatch chili tortillas (these freeze well) and a queso. So the next time you're in TX look stop at an HEB.
That being said - you might try substituting Anaheim (still in season) & roast them. They are milder than Hatch.
For frozen Hatch, try Hatch Chili Express
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Bistro Vatel - a perfect bistro
Liberty Bar - this cannot be missed, especially since it will be closing next year for
the new venture @ St. Scholastica
for Mexican: Rosarios's (fun & more trendy); Los Barrios (well crafted and more sedate)
La Paloma Blanca (elegant interior food); El Mirador (traditional, great soups)
Le Reve has closed
I'm not a fan of MiTierra food BUT having some of their pan dulce (Mexican sweet breads) and an adult beverage in the outdoor seating at El Mercado is great.
Azucar & the Menger Bar - great bar, locals and tourists
If you have the time, please do walk along the Riverwalk, especially the new extension
to the museum. It is just amazing, especially at dusk or early nighttime.
Also if you have time, the Southwest Craft Center Sw School of Art & Craft is great to wander through and it does have a restaurant - the Copper Kitchen - open for lunch.
The gallery is perfect for gifts.
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We go there about several times yearly because Tommy's is just about perfect for
this scenario: you have friends/family/clients in NOLA for a conference or event at the convention center & you have other f/f/c that want to meet you and they are driving in from
the Northshore, Metry, Baton Rouge, etc. & this group is the type that wants & expects a very good meal but not cutting-edge meal & there will be a segment of the group that will want to continue to drink and socialize after the meal.
Tommy's is perfect for this, as they have a whole bar area with different seating nooks, have valet parking, it is walking distance to the major CDB hotels & convention center, great bartender. Ask for Sergio or if he's busy ask him to select your waiter.
Tommy was @ the Fairmont ages ago, then Alex Patout's, till he & his now ex-wife opened Irene's in the FQtr.
Chowhound Post
Was in for Friday lunch- Godchaux & goute - wonderful as always. Gooch was
manning the register, he got a call and left the restaurant not even closing the drawer.
I'm assuming that the ownership suit decision just came down and that was the phone call.
Based on the expression on his face, I'm thinking the decision was in favor of LG, MG, and the
family foundation, et all and not in his, Melvin or the investors group. Thoughts, hounds???
Chowhound Post
Try the New Orleans Cake Cafe on Chartres in the Marigny sometime to see if there's
something they do that you'll like. I would try them on a Wed or Friday morning (challah
on Friday) and NOT over any weekend as they are just slammed.
Also in the Marigny is BInder's Bakery on Frenchmen. They do the super crispy New Orleans style po boy and french bread - not the artisanal quality of SS but great anyway.
Susan Spicer's breads....I too fondly remember her breads and that great store. She had Mario Batalli, John Besh (back in Artesia days) in for cooking demo's - just amazing. I'm remembering that the Spice Inc bread equipment got sold to Ti Martin for the Foodies Cafe venture but the recipes and branding went to Liedeheimer's. I haven't seen
Wildflour on the shelves in quite a while.
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We (3) too were there on Friday. We did everything you had but also did the Berkshire pork pate appetizer - was surrounded by 6 demi spoonfuls of: satsuma chutney; creole mustard (full grain); fig preserves; olive tapenade; german mustard; and another sweet item - great savory /sweet balance and also served with grilled toast points. Almost a meal in itself. Now that I think about it, a 3 top is perfect for the prix fixe menu as every item can be tried. I really liked how the crepes were cut into wedges and fanned out.The fritters got first place for the dessert choices from us.
I am so glad that Patrick van Hoorebeek has found his new "home" there - service was
just outstanding. IMO he is all of what a Maitre D' should be about. I think they were
@ 100% occupancy from noon on. Upstairs too!
It's smart that Besh and Legasse are doing these so reasonably priced lunches -
as you want to return and not just for the special event/birthday/anniversary.
Chowhound Post
It's a few blocks from the streetcars to the Uptown market. If you don't & won't have a car, can you possibly get bikes with a basket & a good lock (a must), that would be a great way to explore Uptown. If you're seriously ingredients shopping, bring insulated bag & frozen blocks - October can still be pretty humid & warm.
When my son was little, we'd do a Tuesday Uptown market, buy a lunch & snacks there & then go to the "fly" to eat & watch river traffic (this area is right behind the zoo, over the RR tracks and it a huge greenspace that fronts the Mississippi) & then to the zoo. It's only 5 minutes away from CCFM Uptown locale.
CCFM sells tote bags, koozie's etc, which make for great gifts for your foodie friends.
Thanks for visiting the city and spending $$.
