New Orleans
Our itinerary and highlights for a pre-Mardi Gras weekend in "the empire of the devil"
Winters in the Midwest suck. By February, we’d rather be literally anywhere else but Indiana. When we started daydreaming about warm weather amidst our single digit temps, Arizona + the Grand Canyon sounded perfect — but we tragically learned that the average high is just in the 40’s in Feb. Was there no escape?
Emily went to New Orleans with friends in February 2020, you know, weeks before a Bourbon Street bar would become a great place to contract a globally disruptive virus… Anyways, she loved the trip, I hadn’t been before, and the average high is in the 60’s leading up to Mardi Gras. That’s all I needed!
We spent 3 full days (February 9th-12th) and got the best of the food, fun, and culture that NOLA has to offer, without the price and busyness of Mardi Gras week.
Highs
👍 Live jazz at Preservation Hall was the most intimate and impressive show we’ve seen. Five world-class musicians + only 19th century gear + a tiny venue made for an unforgettable concert that transported us back to a secret club in the 1920’s.
👍 Brunch in its alleged birthplace was a highlight. The Eggs Benedict at both Stanley and Ruby Slipper Cafe were a triumph! Braving the long line for a beignet at Cafe Du Monde was also worth it, but starting our days with a delicious, big brunch was the move.
👍 Live music + bars on Frenchmen Street was our favorite place to hang out. This street, just east of the French Quarter, is home to a bunch of venues with some of the highest quality and most authentic music in NOLA. If you want nights of getting wasted on crowded balconies soundtracked by a Journey cover band, then get wild on Bourbon Street. But if you prefer to sip cocktails at a more low-key spot with live jazz/funk/zydeco, Frenchmen can’t be beat.
👍 Our Airbnb was fantastic. A “Creole cottage” nestled beside the backyard garden of a massive historic home, decorated in yellow + purple lights and decorations for Mardi Gras. It was so cozy and very walkable.
Lows
👎 The weather was atypically chilly (in the low 50s) and just rainy enough to be annoying. We got everywhere in NOLA on foot, so the temps and precipitation made walking a little rough. Luckily, we packed rain jackets and the abundant balconies provided lots of cover.
Buffalos
The odd, funny, and/or both
🦬 Zydeco swing dancing was a people-watching treat. We got a seat at the bar for a Tuba Skinny show at dba, and were loving the traditional jazz/blues/ragtime. Over the course of the next hour, a dozen dancers of all ages were on the floor, showing off moves that were at times impressive, and others wildly funky and unforeseen.
🦬 We had dinner with the Budweiser Clydesdales one fine evening. A giant, red branded Budweiser semi truck was parked in the street as we dined at Gus’s, and I wondered why a fast-casual chicken restaurant would need hundreds of kegs of beer. Then, one-by-one, the iconic Bud Clydesdales were led onto the truck!
Itinerary
Here’s our itinerary, featuring highlights + tips!
Day 1
Landed at MSY, and took an Uber into town
Checked in at our Airbnb on Esplanade Avenue
Grabbed dinner at Buffa’s Bar & Restaurant (⭐️⭐️⭐️)
Maybe we overhyped our first stop for the signature Cajun/Creole we’ve been craving, this dive was fine
Made our way to Frenchmen Street
Shopped at a pop-up art market, caught live jazz at The Spotted Cat, and funk at The Blue Nile
Day 2
Started the day with beignets at the famous Cafe Du Monde (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)
Brunch at Stanley (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and a half)
Two hour walking tour of French Quarter (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)
Our guide was the best and the tour was a great way to dive into the rich history of NOLA
Krewe of Cork parade through the French Quarter
Preservation Hall show, led by Mark Braud (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)
Dinner at Original Pierre Maspero’s (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)
The Cajun/Creole of our dreams. I got the Crescent City Sampler: a combo of their 4 most iconic dishes, and loved it.
Krewe of Oshun parade on Canal Street
Walked the entirety of Bourbon Street on the way home
We stopped in a few places, but Fritzel’s European jazz bar was the only one that was our vibe
Day 3
Brunch at the Ruby Slipper Cafe (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and a half)
Checked out the New Orleans Jazz Museum (⭐️⭐️⭐️ and a half)
This museum was perhaps more of an art gallery, and I think I expected more of a walk through the history of jazz music, since it’s in the birthplace of the genre. Worth the visit though, since it was only $8/ticket
Shopped at the open-air French Market
Got to dba early for the Tuba Skinny show
Had a late dinner at Budsi’s Thai (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)
Day 4
Made our way to the Warehouse District / Garden District
This was the only day that we needed to Uber within the city
Had an early lunch at Cochon Butcher (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)
Incredible deli, their Muffuletta was SO good.
Spent around 4 hours exploring the National WWII Museum (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)
I’m a WWII history buff™️, so this was a must. Huge, new, immersive museum.
Dinner at Gus's World Famous Fried Chicken (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)
Watched the Super Bowl at Royal Street Inn (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)
This was a great spot to watch football, with an indoor and outdoor projector screen, great drinks, and both local and visitor-friendly
Day 5: early flight home
Links & Stuff
The music schedule from New Orleans’ radio station WWOZ is a great resource!
Yelp collection with all of the notable shops, restaurants, and bars that we spent time in