Into the Big Easy, New Orleans

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29th August 2024

New Orleans is like no other city in the USA, a vibrant, cultural and historic mélange that will set all your senses alight.

Some call it the Crescent City, others, the Big Easy and some call it NOLA (which stands for New Orleans, Louisiana). Just don’t call it New ‘Orleens’, a mistake Australians tend to make.

This city consists of a cocktail of French, Spanish, American (Thomas Jefferson bought Louisiana off Napoleon for a staggering $15million in 1803!), African and German. The city itself has different faces that range from the elegant historic façades of the French Quarter to the Garden District, Treme, Faubourg Marigny, and don’t forget the mighty Mississippi itself, which was the reason this place was ever settled.

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New Orlean's French Quarter.

First stop in this incredible river city is the French Quarter, or Vieux Carre, with its 13 blocks on the National Register of Historic Places. We spend hours wandering its streets, stopping often to listen to musicians playing on the footpaths of Royal Street, ducking into galleries to be sorely tempted with an array of art, and marvelling at the architecture.

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A snapshot of New Orleans during Mardi Gras.

Things to do

We learn a lot about New Orleans on a walking tour with Unique NOLA Tours. This is a tour of the French Quarter run by locals, and the stories spill out around every corner, about the history, architecture, cuisines, Mardi Gras and even Voodoo. When the two hours are up, we have a long list of restaurants and bars to try – recommended by our guide.

With our interest piqued on Mardi Gras, we spend time at Mardi Gras World, a look inside what this colourful and legendary festival is all about. The tour gives us a great insight into the history, as well as what it takes to bring Mardi Gras to life, showing how the floats are created, and how masks are made. There are 500 floats built and decorated every year. There is a free shuttle that picks up in Vieux Carre.

The WWII Museum is a much more sober affair, and we found it fascinating learning about the American experience in the war, as we are more familiar with our own Australian battles.

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Vue with a view.

To lift our spirits, we headed up to the Vue Orleans observation deck, for sunset cocktails. The deck sits on top one of the tallest buildings in the city, and gives 360 degree views.

We take in some sporting action, picking up VIP tickets to see the Pelicans – New Orleans’ NBA team – play. We are on the floor so the action is fast and furious and the excitement is palpable with baskets sunk at breakneck speed.

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A night at the Spotted Cat. Photo: Visit New Orleans.

The best way to end every day in NOLA is with music, so we wander around Frenchmen Street, watching incredible jazz at the Spotted Cat, Snug Harbor, d.b.a and Apple Barrel Bar. Another evening, we are blessed with front row tickets at Preservation Hall.This iconic club was established in 1961 to protect, preserve and honour traditional New Orleans jazz. Over the summer, the Hall is undergoing some maintenance so nightly performances will be moving to the historic Toulouse Theatre.

A wander up Bourbon Street is not to be missed. Perhaps resist the temptation to have a Hurricane from Pat O’Brien’s or a Hand Grenade served up at the Tropical Isle. They are hard core and hangover inducing.

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Napoleon House, New Orleans. Photo: Chris Granger.

A Foodie Affair

New Orleans has incredible dining options, including Antoine’s on St Louis Street. Antoine’s has been serving food since 1840, and is now in the hands of the fifth generation of the same family. The 14 rooms all abound with history, with famous diners including George Bush, Bill Clinton, Franklin Roosevelt, Pope John Paul II, Brad Pitt (he parked his motorbike in the hallway once), Bruce Willis, Tom Cruise, Kate Hudson, Jimmy Buffet, Whoopi Goldberg, Bob Hope, and Bing Crosby. As for the meals? Try the alligator bisque, the Chateaubriand and the famous Baked Alaska (order when you get there).

A quintessential New Orleans experience is to head to Brennan’s, where Tennessee Williams went every day for breakfast. He had eggs, grits and Bananas Foster accompanied by a jug of martinis. The Bananas Foster is absolutely delicious, cooked at our table complete with flame.

Don’t wear your best clothes to try the NOLA staple, a beignet. The place to go is Café du Monde, which is across from Jackson Square so you can tick off another famous New Orleans location. Another place where you can sate your beignet fix, is Café Beignet. We liked the one on Royal Street, but there are several others around the city.

Another foodie highlight was a visit to Napoleon House to indulge in traditional muffaletta. This property has quite the history. It was built in 1797, and in 1821, the mayor offered it as a refuge to the exiled Napoleon Bonaparte. Napolean House is known for its Pimm’s Cup cocktail and its muffaletta, a sandwich of cured meats, zesty olive salad, and sesame-studded bread, all made in house, and served warm. Divine. A drink at Sazerac House is a must, with its trendy cocktail and whiskey menus, spirit tastings and NOLA history blended in. Wear your finery to dinner at Mr B’s Bistro in Royal Street. The menu boasts signature items such as Gumbo Ya Ya, Barbequed Shrimp, and Creole Bread Pudding with Irish whiskey sauce. It is the food of Louisiana but done in style.