This week rollcall

[Jaguar]

Anyone have any good recommendations for New Orleans?  Going there this weekend to hear some music, eat some food, drink some drinks.

It's been years since I've been there but here are a few basics. Go hungry. The food is very good and you can't find bad food anywhere. Don't be afraid to try little out of the way places as well as the well known establishments. Just avoid chains. Why bother? You'll be in NOLA!

It's always hot and very humid. Pack and dress accordingly.

The tourist places are cool, as well as some of the off the beaten track places. You might want to visit the Voodoo Museum, if it's still there. It's really more of a shop than any kind of museum. Can't remember what street it's on but one of the major cross streets in the French District. Oh, if Chicken Man is still there (some other voodoo shop, not the Museum) please let me know. He was a really cool character. I remember he was showing us and telling us about this shrunken head he had just brought back from the Amazon. Was charging $5,000 for the thing... not that I was in the market for such an item. Interesting to have a price put on someone's head. Wouldn't condone such a purchase anyway but couldn't believe that I was actually seeing one. All kinds of other cool items in his store though. Then about a year later, I saw him on the Johnny Carson Show. Blew my mind and he was just as much of a character then as he was in his shop. Don't even know if it still exists but would love to find out.

Of course there's always Tipatino's but buy your tickets in advance if you are interested in any of the shows because the place is small.

Royale St. is nice for some garish antiques and other period pieces. Pricey but you can find lots of other interesting items along the way.

Just take scads of money and roam free. A tour of the Garden District is nice to get out and see a little more of the area. Includes some interesting talk about why the houses were built this way and that. Always to avoid some new taxing structure. Should also pass by the real street car named Desire. It's near some McDonald's that is also near a little Eiffel Tower built from removed pieces of the real Eiffel Tower. It had been shortened years ago due to ongoing structural problems.

Take the graveyard tour too. There's some interesting history. It's also where a part of Easy Rider was filmed. It all fits in nicely with the history of the city which is very, very rich in culture and intrigue.

[K8teebug]

Already have a reservation there for Monday.  Hitting up both cemeteries (St. Louis and Layfayette) and going to MiLa for lunch on Monday.  Other than that, preservation hall and cafe du monde, was going to play it by ear.

[K8teebug]

I have been there twice, but only for a few hours each time.  Looking forward to exploring and eating more this time.  Thanks for the suggestions!

[Jaguar]

If I remember correctly, as it's been many years since I was last there, the Voodoo Museum was on the same street as Preservation Hall. Could be wrong though but I do know it wasn't far. Then again, don't even know if it's still there. Chicken Man's place is better though.

NOLA is one of the few places where the touristy stuff is as good as the little unknown out of the way places.

A river boat ride would be nice relaxing thing to do too.

Don't even bother with the River Walk. It's nothing but a big mall exactly like you'll find in any old American city.

Please give us a recap once you come back... and rest up. Have a great time!

[Jaguar]

Sad news. Chicken Man is no longer with us.

"Then there was Fred Staten, "Chicken Man" to the city's residents. A true New Orleans voodoo king, Staten could be found eating fire, handling live snakes and sticking needles into his throat. There was one ritual, however, that earned him his name. He'd hypnotize a chicken, bite off its head and then drink its blood through its neck.

Despite his gruesome proclivities, Chicken Man was often asked to lend his mystical assistance to the people of New Orleans. They would seek his counsel on matters of love, work and money; he'd oblige by giving them what's known as a "gris-gris bag," an amulet of sorts, and they'd have to follow certain instructions in order to achieve the desired result. Chicken Man died in 1998, years before the hurricane."

http://www.forbes.com/2009/04/24/new-orleans-people-lifestyle-travel-new-orleans.html?feed=rss_forbeslife

In any event, if you get to chatting with any of the old time regulars, ask them about Chicken Man. You will be sure to get a good story. RIP.   

Edit:

Here ya go:

Chicken Man

[K8teebug]

Will do.  That is sad! 

[notme]

tipitina's is actualy pretty big but about 3-4 miles from d'town on tchop. check out frenchmen street in the marigny across esplanade from the french qtr, that's where the locals hang.. also checkpoint charlies at decater and esplanade. howlin wolf, maple leaf. magazine street in the garden district.

[wml7]

Thursday Band Of Horses Chicago
Fri-Sun Lollapalooza
 

[Bombay Chutney]

Saturday - Poseur's Reunion @ RNRH!

[killsaly]

Friday - Ring of Honor TV Taping at Du Burns Arena Baltimore

[hutch]

if you weren't at amadou and mariam...well...you weren't there!


awesome


thank seth for bringing them to a club venue!

i wish amadou had taken a few more rippling solos..man that guy can play.

[K8teebug]

tipitina's is actualy pretty big but about 3-4 miles from d'town on tchop. check out frenchmen street in the marigny across esplanade from the french qtr, that's where the locals hang.. also checkpoint charlies at decater and esplanade. howlin wolf, maple leaf. magazine street in the garden district.

Thanks everyone for the suggestions!  Loved Frenchmen Street.  Really great bars and clubs, and the po'boys and fried pickles at Praline Connection were great.  Ate some wonderful food, a ton of oysters, and capped the long weekend off with Cochon and Anthony Bourdain walked in to film his new show!  A great way to end a fabulous weekend of food, music, and drink.

Here's a list of where we went:


Central Grocery - inventor of muffaletta.  The one and only.  I didn't get to go here last time and had to settle for the place across the street.  Not as good.
Bourbon House (good deal on raw oysters at happy hour for one dollar each)
Remoulade (not as good as Bourbon house, but a cute space)
Luke - really great food.  Baked oysters were delicious as was the gumbo and shrimp and grits.  I wanted to try their bread pudding, but was too full!
Bistro B - The only disappointment.  Went there because the BBQ shrimp was supposed to be the best.  The server totally forgot about us and we waited about 35 mins for the entree (we were splitting it).  Didn't even comp our drink!  Annoying. 
Praline Connection - A really low-key spot on Frenchmen.  Overdid it there a bit, but the food was delicious.
Dragos - Went for their charbroiled oysters.  They were good, but I prefered the ones at Cochon.  Entertaining place though as there was some very vocal drama going on with the waitstaff there that day.
MiLa - One of my favorites of the weekend.  Went for their 3 course 20 dollar lunch and it was terrific.  Had a salad, red fish with quinoa and currants, and homemade peach ice cream.  Definitely try to go here if you can.  The bartender at the hotel Wed-Sat is supposed to be one of the best in the city.  Great French 75.
Sazerac Bar - Didn't eat here, but they made my favorite Ramos Gin Fizz in town.
Hermes Bar - Really cool space.  Good Ramos Gin Fizz as well.
Commander's Palace - I went to the bar here as well after a steamy morning at Lafayette Cemetery No. 1.  I will admit that I only wanted to go here because of the Anne Rice Witching Hour book 
Went to the carousel bar, but it was too crowded to get a drink.  There was a cocktail convention going on there at the time.
Cafe Du Monde - of course
Cochon - One of the best meals I've ever eaten.  To top off the entire weekend, Anthony Bourdain walked in at the end of our supper to film his new show.  Ultimate foodie sighting for me
Toured both St. Louis and Lafayette cemeteries with Save our Cemeteries.  Would highly recommend this group as they use the money to restore and keep up what they are able to in each one.  Very hot, but a great experience.

Thanks everyone for your suggestions!  I did manage to get to magazine street and walked so many miles!  Next time I hope to make it to Tipatina's and some of the places I didn't get to this time around (like Patois).

[hutch]

 best looking women i've ever seen at the 930 club last night...

[Vas Deferens]

i bet it was worth $35....

if you weren't at amadou and mariam...well...you weren't there!


awesome


thank seth for bringing them to a club venue!

i wish amadou had taken a few more rippling solos..man that guy can play.

[Jaguar]

K8teebug, you're back already!?! That was too quick. Thanks for the rundown. Sounds like you had an incredible time. New Orleans is such a great place to visit, especially for food freaks.