August has a private room but the wine room (it's on the first floor so I don't think it qualifies as a cellar) is pretty cool although it's not entirely closed off from the rest of the restaurant. Emerils also has a private wine room.

My friend whose Bachelorette we were there celebrating was very insistent about going to Brennan's but I was hesitant as I'd heard it had gone downhill and read some bad reviews. When I spoke with the concierge at our hotel about recommendations one thing he said was NOT to go to Brennan's. He said they never suggest it for guests and they frequently have guests who come back and voice major disappointment with the restaurant. That confirmed my decision to avoid it; now having heard this I'm so glad we did. Looking forward to hearing about the rest of your trip.

Laura, we stayed at the Hotel Monteleone and LOVED it! The location could not have been better- one block away from Bourbon Street, walking distance to everything you want to see and do in the Quarter yet nice and quiet when you turn in for the night. The staff was incredible, there was a great rooftop deck and pool and we had a blast in the Carousel Bar (which has been renovated since our visit). To make it even better we paid less than $200/night for a premium room with my AAA discount. I would definitely recommend staying there and can say it is absolutely where I'll be staying on my next trip.
If you're looking for things to do while you're there I'd highly recommend the walking cocktail tour (through Grey Line tours). We arranged a private tour for our group but apparently the public version is just as much fun and more reasonably priced. We got to see so much of the Quarter and several fabulous bars and restaurants (including private eating club rooms, wine cellars, etc) while learning a lot about the city. Drinks aren't included so you can pick and chose where you want to order a drink (or like us share with someone- which we realized we'd need to do after the first stop if we wanted to make it through the tour). They don't make mention of it but keep in mind you are going into some of the city's nicer restaurants so you should try to look presentable. Our tour guide actually thanked us for dressing so nicely and being respectful of the places we were going to visit.
And you must, must, must do brunch at Commanders (ask to be seated in the Garden Room) and August (the wine room is pretty cool).
Enjoy and let me know if you want any more recommendations!

I thought I'd follow up with some feedback now that I'm back from a fabulous weekend in New Orleans.

Friday night we had dinner at Mr. B's- We had a good meal (the bbq shrimp were a little tough) in the back room but it wasn't anything terribly special. I will say we ate a ridiculous amount of that yummy, warm bread they kept dropping of at the table.

Saturday we had lunch at NOLA- We sat on the first floor next to the kitchen and it was really fun to watch them preparing our food. Everything was delicious! The BLT salad may be the least nutritious salad I've ever had but the fried tomatoes were amazing. We also shared the pocket bread which was also delicious. For my entree I have the fried chicken which was incredible, and I don't even really like fried chicken (but I figured, when in Rome...)
For dinner we ate at August- all I can say is that I died!!! The service was out of this world, the ambiance incredible and food was beyond devine. Our table shared an order of the gnocchi with crab- OMG! Light, airy bites of potato deliciousness with tender crab and a creamy sauce. I think about it several times. The salad with brittle was simple but delicious and the beet and crab salad that I had a few bites of was also delicious. I wasn't sure what to order for my entree (so many delicious choices) but when our waiter described how the trout was made I was sold. I love fish but usually shy away from trout- this was hands down the best fish dish I have ever had. To finish I had the banana pudding dessert which was then followed up by a plate of candies and pralines from the pastry chef. If you're in New Orleans, do NOT miss August.

Sunday brunch was at Commander's Palace, in the garden room. Everything about brunch was special and wonderful- the food, the service, the jazz band. We even went second lining with the band and other guests through the dining room! The eggs cochon were out of this world! I'd like to spend every Sunday experiencing CP brunch.

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Commander's Palace Restaurant
1403 Washington Ave, New Orleans, LA 70130

We have other things planned for the day and I would never ask anyone to spend 3 hours sitting and holding a table (besides I can't imagine that Galatoire's would allow two people to hold a table for 14 for any amount of time).

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Galatoire's Restaurant
209 Bourbon St., New Orleans, LA 70130

I've looked into all of them and they do sound amazing. We really need a restaurant closer to our hotel (the Monteleone) that doesn't require 4-5 cabs to get us all there.

Any suggestions where we should eat on Saturday night then?

Again, we're 14 people so waiting for a table at 8:00 on a Saturday night isn't an option. I'm sure downstairs is fabulous but waiting 2+ hours isn't going to happen.

We have a reservation so we won't be sitting downstairs.

Was also able to get a reservation for Herbsaint for Friday night (I like having options!). Now I'm torn- Mr. B's or Herbsaint???

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Herbsaint
701 Saint Charles Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70130

Thank you all for your suggestions! I made some changes after reading everything you had to say and doing some more research.

Friday dinner- Mr. B's (I'm already excited for shrimp) followed by drinks at french 75
Saturday lunch- NOLA
Saturday dinner- we have reservations at Galatoire's and GW Fins and are holding out to see if the concierge can pull off a table at August. I'm thinking Galatoire's might be a bit to stuffy for our group so we'll go with GW Fins if August doesn't work out (couldn't get resvs at Muriels, Emerils, Herbsaint or Cochon unless we ate before 6)
Sunday brunch- Commander's Palace in the Garden Room

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Cochon
930 Tchoupitoulas St., New Orleans, LA 70130

Commander's Palace Restaurant
1403 Washington Ave, New Orleans, LA 70130

Emeril's Restaurant
800 Tchoupitoulas, New Orleans, LA 70130

Galatoire's Restaurant
209 Bourbon St., New Orleans, LA 70130

Herbsaint
701 Saint Charles Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70130

I am so torn! Emerils, Mr B's, Galatoire's, Herbsaint, Cochon! They all sound so delicious. I've started making multiple reservations as I can't seem to decide. If you had 2 dinners, 1 lunch and 1 brunch to dine in New Orleans, where would it be??

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Cochon
930 Tchoupitoulas St., New Orleans, LA 70130

Emeril's Restaurant
800 Tchoupitoulas, New Orleans, LA 70130

Galatoire's Restaurant
209 Bourbon St., New Orleans, LA 70130

Herbsaint
701 Saint Charles Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70130

I made a reservation for Mr. B's Friday night, Saturday we'll have breakfast at the hotel, Muriels for lunch (still looking into other options but thought lunch on the Square might be nice), and dinner at Galatoires (is upstairs really that different than downstairs?) and Sunday brunch at Commanders.

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Galatoire's Restaurant
209 Bourbon St., New Orleans, LA 70130

I've heard amazing things about Cochon Butcher but it sounded like there isn't much in the way of seating. Because we're such a large group we'd need somewhere that can accommodate all of us, especially if the weather is bad and we can't eat outside. We're doing a private cocktail tour Saturday afternoon in the FQ so we need to be somewhere nearby.

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Cochon Butcher
930 Tchoupitoulas, New Orleans, LA 70130

I am heading down to New Orleans at the end of the month with several friends, all of whom are big food fans from NYC and Philly. It's the first time any of us have been so I've been doing lots of research on dining options and am stuck since we'll only be there for 4 meals and can't seem to narrow it down.

So far this is what I'm thinking:
Friday dinner- EAT or Irene's
Saturday lunch- Napolean House for muffaletas (I've heard Central Grocery has insane lines and they're not as good as they used to be)
Saturday afternoon- Cafe Beignet for beignets (again trying to avoid mobs of tourists and hour long lines)
Saturday dinner- Muriels or Mr. B's
Sunday brunch- Commanders Palace

We've also been considering Cafe Amelie and August.

Please let me know what you think about these places or if you have a suggestion for somewhere that you think would be better. There will be 12-15 of us and we're staying in the FQ so not too far off the beaten path.

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Cafe Amelie
912 Royal St, New Orleans, LA 70116

Ironically she lives in the apartment building next door. When she moved in we went over to the Morris Hotel; we were all enamored with the beautiful building and grounds. I didn't know there was a restaurant on the premises and will definitely look into it. Thank you!

I am the maid-of-honor to a friend getting married in Philly and am putting together a bridal shower but don't live in the city. I'd love some recommendations on great places to host the shower within the city so guests don't need to trek too far away. It does not necessarily need to be a restaurant that has a private event space but someplace that could comfortably accommodate a crowd of 25+ (aka not cramped and loud). The shower will most likely be in the warmer months so suggestions for places with outdoor spaces are great too. FYI- she is having another shower at Lacroix so that option is out (plus I'd like somewhere a little more low key, intimate and/or cozy).

Thank you for the help! I'll be sure to look into all of these place. Sam the reviews of Marulilu sound amazing!

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Marulilu Cafe
451 W Broadway, Vancouver, BC , CA

I will be in Vancouver at the end of December to celebrate my anniversary with my boyfriend. We will only be in Vancouver for 2 nights/3 days but want to make our time there memorable. I'm from NYC and a major foodie so therefore looking for some great meals. I have found lots online about some great restaurants but all seem to be really high-end (Market, Tojo, West). As much as I love a posh meal, I also love finding places that are up-and-coming, small family owned places, neighborhood favorites, etc. I would love any recommendations for delicious, fun places to eat- breakfast, lunch or dinner (or a good late night spot as we will be going to the Canucks game one night and may want to grab a late bite after). We will be staying at L'Hermitage near Robson Square (Richards and Robson) so bonus points for anything that's within walking distance.

Have you tried looking on eatwild.com?

You should try Browder's Birds on the North Fork. Their chickens are pasture raised and certified organic. You can buy them at the farm in Southold, at the farmer's market in Westhampton Beach (on Saturdays), and they have recently partnered with a few CSA's who deliver around LI and NYC. Great chickens!