Your First Trip to New Orleans, 🇺🇸 - Jill Thomas

Jill Thomas is a rambler, traveler, and storyteller with a big laugh who believes life takes her where she needs to go, no matter the roundabout path.

The idea of New Orleans has always enchanted me. I'm unsure why. The stories and music from this place fascinated me as early as I can remember. So, I was sorely disappointed that the city did not meet my expectations the first time my hubby Stormy and I visited.

It wasn't New Orlean's fault. We got it all wrong. It was the first time we used Google Maps, and we didn't understand how it worked and got lost. Predictably, we were grumpy when we finally arrived at our hotel.

Our hotel was on Canal Street - an extraordinarily vibrant street and one of the best places to watch people on God's green earth, competing only with nearby Jackson Square. But it's loud, busy, and overwhelming, especially when one is new to the scene. We stay in the Garden District these days, happily retreating into her quiet, leafy streets after enjoying the boisterous French Quarter.

After Canal, we went to Bourbon Street because, like many before us, it's the only place we'd heard of. Bourbon Street has many hidden gems I now adore, like the Marie Laveau House of Voodoo, Fritzels Jazz Bar, Maison Bourbon Jazz Club, Galatoires, Clover Grill, and Lafitte Blacksmith Bar, to name a few! However, it can also be next-level noisy, plastic strewn, and back then, before they updated the road, it smelled like piss and puke.

So, we were discouraged.

I returned to work on Monday morning and announced in front of 30 colleagues in our weekly check-in that I disliked New Orleans.

This comment was met with an embarrassed silence - the kind that often accompanies socially unacceptable announcements. In Pensacola, not liking New Orleans is akin to hating babies, dogs, and football. It's just not kosher.

Thirty minutes later, Harlan Butler, the President of the 120-million-dollar hotel company I worked for, stomped into my office and said, "Hell no! Come on!" Bring your friend (I had a Canadian visitor); we're going to New Orleans. We're leaving immediately, and we'll be back tomorrow night."

Harlan took us on a 24-hour whirlwind tour, and I fell head over heels in love. I suspect I would not have been welcome back to work if I had not.

I don't often patronize the establishments we visited on Harlan's first tour these days. I've since made my own discoveries and found many new favorites.

However, 12 years and 50+ visits later, Harlan's tour is still how I introduce newbies to the city. Much like Harlan, I feel responsible for ensuring first-time visitors fall in love, and this tour is surefire.

Roosevelt Hotel

Since 1893, the hotel lobby has welcomed guests and is renowned for its exquisite holiday decorations. The Sazerac lobby bar is famous for being the birthplace of the Sazerac cocktail, a classic New Orleans drink.

The hotel's glory days were in the mid-20th century when its famous Blue Room was the favored destination for glamorous events, fine dining, and lavish decor. It hosted the city's most privileged citizens and celebrated musicians. These days, the Blue Room is mainly used for meetings and events, but I recommend sneaking in for a peek.

Galatoire's Restaurant

Stepping into Galatoire's for the first time fulfilled my long-time dream of experiencing one of New Orleans's most famous historic restaurants (like Antoine's, Dooky Chase's, Brennan's, Broussard's, and Commander's Palace), where tuxedoed waiters swan around society ladies wearing hats, soused judges, Carnival royalty, and bewitched tourists.

Galatoire's dining room is both formal and riotous in a way that only New Orleans can be. Men must wear a dinner jacket, but they have some available to lend, which adds to the charm.

The restaurant is run by fourth-generation descendants of French immigrant Jean Galatoire, who opened the doors in 1905. The French Creole menu and turn-of-the-century decor have changed little since.

The best way to order is to enjoy reading the menu, then close it, and ask the waiter what's good, and order whatever he recommends. At Galatoire's, regular guests establish relationships with their waiters that last a lifetime - the firing of a Galatoire waiter once caused an uproar that made national news.

The dining room has high ceilings, green and gold Fleur de Lis wallpaper, brass hooks for coats, slow-moving paddle fans, and mirrored opposing walls. Some of their most famous dishes are Souffle Potatoes, Shrimp Remoulade, Fried Eggplant, Crabmeat Maison, Oysters Rockefeller (even though this dish was invented at Antoine's), and Trout Amandine.

New Orleans is known for being America's finest city for lunching, and Friday lunch at Galatoire's is the most renowned place to do so. The people-watching is fantastic as the city's business elite are known to jumpstart the weekend over a Sazerac and Shrimp Remoulade in the Galatoire's dining room.

Famously, no reservations are accepted in the main dining room, so you might meet notable people waiting for a table in the upstairs bar. President Ronald Reagan once called former U.S. Senator J. Bennett Johnston while waiting in line for a table at Galatoire's. After the President's call ended, Senator Johnston graciously returned to his position in line.

Garden District Mansions

Established by New Orleans' American elite in the late 1840s, the Garden District is a bastion of heart-stoppingly beautiful and architecturally notable residences nestled in lush grounds on oak-lined streets. This district contains the best-preserved collections of historic mansions in the Southern United States.

Riding one of the famous St. Charles Street streetcars is the best way to get there - hop off at Washington Avenue, one of the prettiest streets in the area and home to the famous Commanders Place restaurant.

I recommend taking an architectural walking tour. I've done three different ones and was enchanted every time.

Your aimless rambles will take you past stunning homes owned by famous personalities like Sandra Bullock, John Goodman, and Anne Rice and local celebrities like the New Orleans Saints football team owner, who resides in the biggest mansion in the district (of course he does - Who Dat!).

The Garden District remains a tightly knit community still occupied by families who've upheld New Orleans' most famous social traditions since the 19th century. During Carnival season, it's common to see the Krewe of Rex flag flying from neighborhood homes, signifying that the resident is a former King or Queen of Carnival. This is a tremendous honor!

The homes, many of which are known to be haunted, flaunt various architectural styles, with the Italianate being the most common, alongside Colonial and Greek Revival.

The area once consisted of several plantations, the most well-known being the Livaudais Plantation. Many mansions still have outbuildings that once housed enslaved people and later indentured domestic servants. The gorgeous double-wide boulevards, like the Louisiana Parkway, were originally the main roads dividing the plantations.

After your walking tour, head to Magazine Street, known for the best six blocks of shopping in New Orleans. The further uptown you walk, the trendier the shops get. If you get hungry, stop for the world's best Chicago Italian beef sandwich at Stein's Market and Deli, and then grab a donut at District Donuts.

Then hop back on the St. Charles Streetcar and ride it to "the bend" in the Mississippi at the terminus of St. Charles Street. Grab a wooden seat, open the window wide, and rubber neck at the incredible mansions, Audubon Park, and Tulane and Loyola Universities.

Commanders Palace Restaurant

Located on the corner of Coliseum St. and Washington Ave across from the Lafayette Cemetery sits another local icon: Commander's Palace. You can't miss it; the Victorian mansion (sometimes nicknamed Victorian Cuckoo) is painted in deep teal, complemented by a cheery white and teal striped awning.

The restaurant is so beloved that locals are known for including clauses in their will dictating that their loved ones must enjoy a meal at Commander's in their honor.

Dinner is served Monday-Sunday, and three-martini lunches are on offer on Thursday and Friday. However, my favorite Commander's mealtime is their famed booze-soaked Jazz Brunch on Saturdays and Sundays. I love watching the pro-level tuxedoed servers bustle about, ferrying trays of classic Bloody Marys, Sazeracs, and crisp French Sauvignon Blanc around a dining room bedecked with ornate hand-painted wallpaper and crystal chandeliers. 

Commander's Palace has attracted gourmands from around the world for over 130 years. It has won seven James Beard awards and was inducted into the Culinary Institute of America's Hall of Fame in 2008. A steady parade of renowned chefs - including Emeril Lagasse, Paul Prudhomme, Jamie Shannon, Tory McPhail, and now Meg Bickford - have made it the world-class restaurant it is today.

Even if you don't eat here, you should sneak in for a look around. Insider tip - the upstairs dining room is the prime spot.

French Quarter Especially Royal Street

Every visit to New Orleans must include a long, slow, purposeless ramble in the French Quarter and its storied adjacent neighborhoods. You'll find heart-stopping architecture, street music, pop-up parades, the world's best food, haunted boutique hotels, corner neighborhood dive bars, antique shops, galleries, and surprise trail magic on every block.

I never tire of it. I love it in a way that makes my heart hurt a little every time I visit.

Royal Street is hands down my favorite street in the French Quarter. Start at Canal and keep rambling until you're tired out. Poke through the beautiful shops and galleries and find the most opulent antiques, modern art, crystal chandeliers, antique guns, vintage costumes, fabulous hats, and tasteful souvenirs.

Be sure to grab a beer (served in a paper bag) from Rouses grocery store, sit on the curb outside, and enjoy some of the best buskers in the city.

Insider tip - the shop windows after dark are a delight.

Preservation Hall Concert

Situated in the heart of the French Quarter on St. Peter Street, Preservation Hall is hard to spot because it looks like a charming but abandoned historic building.

You must buy tickets in advance and stand in line to get in. They do not serve food and drink, and the seats are uncomfortable and in short supply.

Expect to sit quietly and bear witness to the joy-filled evolution of a living tradition called New Orleans Jazz. It will blow your mind and break your heart.

Pat O'Brien's Dueling Pianos and Hurricanes

This place started as a speakeasy during prohibition and still flaunts a clamorous party atmosphere. It's famous for serving classic southern cocktails like the Hurricane and Mint Julep. In fact, the now renowned Hurricane cocktail was invented in this bar during WWII when manufacturing replaced distilleries, making whiskey scarce.

I think Hurricanes are too sweet, and they give you a kick-ass hangover. But if you want to try these famous southern cocktails, this is a great place to do it.

The rowdy party room is always packed, often with drunken college students. Still, the dueling pianos and the hilarious man playing a washboard with thimbles on his fingers make it worth a stop.

Lafitte's Blacksmith Bar

According to a tour guide, this is the oldest bar in the United States. I wonder if this is true, but it is undoubtedly a super historic spot. Constructed in 1770, it is one of the oldest buildings in the city.

Often packed to its ancient rafters (again often with drunk twenty-somethings), you may not want to spend an entire night here. But it's a fun place to stop for a drink. I like to sit in the front windows and people-watch. If you decide to join the party, I suggest grabbing a stool around the grand piano in the back room and participate in the singalong.

Brennan's For Breakfast

Brennan's is another iconic New Orleans restaurant with a long and storied past. It is also the flagship restaurant of a family dynasty in the New Orleans restaurant scene. Today, various branches of the Brennan family operate 13 restaurants, seven of which are in the French Quarter and its periphery.

The empire was founded in 1946 by Owen Brennan, the beloved proprietor of the Old Absinthe House. It was said that he opened the famous Vieux Carré Restaurant on Bourbon Street, where Bananas Foster, Breakfast at Brennan's, and history were made after Count Arnaud teased him about his Irishman's culinary skills.

The first time I visited, it took us a while to order because I read every word on the 10-page breakfast menu. It was a love story about food accompanied by an extensive breakfast wine menu with suggested pairings for their most famous dishes.

If you don't have time to eat, at least grab a craft cocktail in the downstairs piano bar and enjoy the gracious leafy patio.

Insider tip . . . watch the kitchen staff at work through a little window on Royal Street. This kitchen operates on the French Brigade system. The French, who pioneered the modern restaurant experience during the French Revolution, formed their back-of-house teams like army brigades. A military-like hierarchy creates a line of command in the kitchen. Each team member has a specific role that they fulfill with utmost precision. Nobody speaks unless spoken to; when spoken to, the only response is a vigorous Yes, Chef! It's fascinating to watch.

Another insider tip . . . When you walk in the front door off Royal Street, act like you own the place, eyes forward, and then turn right and climb the grand staircase. First, it's the best place to sneak in and use the bathroom in the Quarter. More importantly, it is where the Mardi Gras royalty in the Krewe of Rex celebrate during Carnival season. Wander through the King and Queen dining room and marvel at the royal settings and artifacts. You'll feel like you are in Buckingham Place. FYI, I do this almost every time I walk Royal Street and have never been stopped.

Guided Tour of St. Louis Cemetery No. 1

This is another no-miss. I have done it several times and look forward to doing it again. Your guide will take you through the city's most famous historical figures and explain New Orleans's unusual burial traditions. You must enter the cemetery with a tour!

Read More > Ramble Logs, Rambler Cafe Blog