New Orleans has long been a subject of fascination for The New York Times, whose journalists have chronicled the city over the years, dining at neighborhood hole-in-the-walls and renowned restaurants, drinking at gritty dives and fashionable lounges, listening to live jazz along Frenchmen Street and, at one point, declaring it was like “no city in the world.”
Last week, the Times returned to New Orleans for the second time in its “36 Hours” series, in which reporters travel to destinations around the world to assemble itineraries of restaurants, bars, attractions and hotels. This time, reporter Shannon Sims wrote that the city’s latest Michelin stars, the new waterfront park connecting multiple neighborhoods and the arrival of autumn “warrant a fresh visit.”
Its latest appearance reflects New Orleans’ appeal beyond its signature events, from Mardi Gras to Jazz Fest, drawing visitors year-round with its growing culinary scene, storied music venues and eclectic shops.
For lodging, the Times recommended several hotels, including Hotel Peter and Paul, the Garden District Hotel and its sister property, Blackbird, as well as the Dew Drop Inn.
Here’s a look at the full itinerary assembled by the Times.
Attractions and activities
For outdoor activities, Sims recommended Audubon Park and City Park, including its weekly Crescent City Farmers Market, where she highlighted the breakfast pastries at Leo’s Bread, as well as the Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden and Cafe Du Monde.
She pointed to two tours: A Street Tour Named Desire — a bike tour that rolls through the Bywater and Marigny neighborhoods — and the tours offered by Treme Luxury Experience. She also recommended taking the Canal Street ferry to Algiers.
Beyond the outdoors, Sims suggested catching live music shows at Tipitina’s and along Frenchmen Street, including the Spotted Cat Music Club and Snug Harbor.
People sit down to eat at Snug Harbor as pedestrians walk by on Frenchmen Street in New Orleans, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (Photo by Sophia Germer, The Times-Picayune)
STAFF PHOTO BY SOPHIA GERMER
In the French Quarter, she stopped at Fleurty Girl, Krewe, Nola Kids and Fifi’s Custom Wigs. She then meandered through several museums downtown, including the National World War II Museum, the Cabildo, the New Orleans Jazz Museum, the historic New Orleans Collection and the New Orleans Pharmacy Museum. She also recommended the Presbytère when it reopens in October following summer renovation.
Restaurants and bars
Sims began at Bearcat Cafe in the Central Business District, where she ordered “a hearty breakfast with Gulf flavors,” including a tofu quesadilla and crab scramble.
At Commander’s Palace, she called the Garden District institution’s jazz brunch “a festive way to toast a successful New Orleans weekend,” noting it might serve the best gumbo in the city and praising the bread pudding soufflé. For a more casual brunch, she recommended the “memorable” drag brunches at the Country Club in the Bywater.
For lunch, she headed to the Seventh Ward, where she ate seafood gumbo, a sausage sampler with crawfish and chicken, and collard greens at Vaucresson’s Creole Café & Deli.
A spread of dishes, including a hot sausage po-boy, gumbo and fried seafood, is served at Vaucresson Creole Cafe & Deli in New Orleans. (Staff photo by Brett Duke, The Times-Picayune)
STAFF PHOTO BY BRETT DUKE
The Times once again spotlighted Dakar NOLA, a modern Senegalese restaurant in the Leonidas neighborhood that appeared earlier this month in the publication’s annual list of the best restaurants in the United States. Sims wrote that chef and owner Serigne Mbaye “taps the throughline between West Africa and Louisiana to reimagine traditional Senegalese food.”
In Mid-City, she dined Mid-City at Zasu, ordering marinated crab claws, pimento cheese and potato pierogies and red snapper with gnocchi. Owner and chef Sue Zemanick’s “Slovak heritage and use of traditional Louisiana ingredients create unique flavor profiles,” Sims wrote.
For dessert, she crossed the street for cannolis and spumoni at Angelo Brocato.
Sims also visited Galatoire’s for oysters en brochette and wrapped in bacon and oysters Rockefeller on a bed of spinach. She described the French Quarter institution as “a step back into Jazz Age elegance” with its mirrored walls and meticulous service.
Dining and Cooking