The New Orleans Guide

The Perfect Fit

2008-07-23T15:15:42-07:00

1355 Saint Bernard Ave. (7th Ward) 504.322.2608. Credit Cards. Thursday through Sunday: 5pm to 'till. They serve an honest 2 for 1 happy hour special. On Fridays, from 5pm to 10pm their $5.00 drinks double, literally -- not two weak shots in one glass, not two drinks for a special inflated price. Order one drink and get two. Period. Their happy hour special is just one of the many charms of The Perfect Fit, a bar and grill run by the family that owns "The Wisdom" catering hall next door. The Perfect Fit's two bars are decorated with flat screens, couches, natural wood and well-dressed bartenders. It's a lush, dark atmosphere that seems to capture -- without fake iron railings and plastic oleanders -- the graceful, life is just a stroll and a dance spirit of New Orleans. Warning: there's a dress code (no tennis shoes, white shirts, shorts), but we've broken the code a couple of times to no effect. Old school hits. Food. Professionals.

2008-07-21T11:36:44-07:00

Dauphine St. 7/21/08, 11:45am.

Nola Grocery

2008-07-16T06:35:14-07:00

351 Andrew Higgins Dr. (Warehouse District) 504.302.9928. Cash Only. 7 Days: 7am to 10pm, lunch and dinner. Right around the corner from the ironically decorated Cochon (that's Formica, not real wood) is the hole-in-the-wall Nola Grocery -- a grocery and deli that serves construction workers and office jockeys from the surrounding warehouse district. Meat from cajun country is the star here, our favorite being the Cajun Turkey sandwich: spicy, rich with just a touch of smoke. It's one of those sandwiches that kind of lingers with you the rest of the afternoon. The boudin sausage is good too. A picnic table set up in an open garage serves as the only seating. ATM. Bread, milk, Hubig's Pies, toiletries.

The Ferry

2008-07-14T14:12:05-07:00

"The Algiers ferry?" you say. "But I'm not going to Algiers." You are now. The ride is free for pedestrians and provides a view of the French Quarter that few visitors bother to see--but is worth the trip. Once you get to Algiers Point, there are several walkable and worthwhile pubs, including the Crown & Anchor. The ferry ride, which is admittedly a little short, begins with a 180-degree turn that we've never quite figured out but it still is sort of mildly amusing. Service begins at 6 a.m. and continues until midnight. $1.00 per car charge from the Algiers side. To take the ferry, look for the pier at the foot of Canal, next to the aquarium.

Mandina's Restaurant

2008-07-06T17:19:49-07:00

3800 Canal St. (Mid-City) 504.482.9179. Monday through Thursday: 11:00am to 9:30pm; Friday and Saturday: 11:00am to 10:30pm; Sunday: Noon to 9:00pm. Cash Only. Order the Meuniere. People who complain about Mandina's have never ordered the Meuniere. Maybe they ordered the Meatballs and Spaghetti (beloved by regulars) or the Hamburger Steak (beloved by regulars) or the Chicken Parmesan (beloved by regulars) and left Mandina's old (but recently renovated) clapboard building bewildered and a little disappointed. Meuniere is a brown butter sauce preparation -- a local cuisine standby that Mandina's uses with trout, catfish and soft shell crab. And french fries dipped in meuniere sauce is oh so incredibly good. On Sundays the after-church crowd packs the place, and both dining rooms roll with a Special Sunday Menu that delivers 50s-style salad and luke-warm bread pudding with every entree. Yum. Casual but somewhat expensive. Garlic crackers and butter on the tables. Update: some of the people who complain about Mandina's have indeed ordered the Meuniere. But still. Kids menu. On the Canal Streetcar line. ATM.

Verti Marte

2008-07-01T07:09:00-07:00

1201 Royal St (French Quarter) 504.525.4767. Credit Cards. 7 days: 8am to 11:30pm. Their slogan is "The best kept secret in the Quarter." Not really. Maybe at some point in the indistinct past, but not now. Almost everyone we know has had a late, drunken bite to eat at this takeout deli. The cooking is butter busting New Orleans southern: creamed spinach, ribs, crab cakes, country fried steak, fried oysters, shrimp, bread pudding. We almost always order the prepared food displayed in their huge deli case. Many faithful customers order the sandwiches cooked to order. (Sometimes we go for the oyster poboy, which works for hangovers.) A local favorite is the "All That Jazz" poboy ("a medley" of grilled ham, turkey & shrimp, swiss & american cheese, grilled mushrooms, tomatoes, on grilled french bread). Before the storm Verti Marte was open 24hrs, and maybe -- someday -- they will return to those hours. They sell booze. ATM.

Nighthawks

2008-06-30T09:22:27-07:00

2529 Dauphine St. (Marigny) Cash Only. A paper sign taped to the door marks Nighthawks, a new diner down the street from Mimi's. As of yet, the hours and menu are not finalized, but there's promise here. Modern lamps hang over the windowless dining room, throwing light on deep red walls, exposed brick. Customers sit in old booths or at a small, circular counter that echoes Hopper's painting. It's a clean, hip looking place. The handwritten menus feature an all-day breakfast (cornmeal pancakes, biscuits with white gravy, fresh fruit, root beer floats). Service is friendly and the food is good. Nighthawks also has a separate barroom that opens sometime in the afternoon. Tattoos, hipsters, youngsters with striped socks.

Igor's Lounge

2008-06-30T08:45:55-07:00

2133 St. Charles Ave. (Uptown) 504.568.9811. 7 Days: 24 hrs. Credit Cards. We landed at Igor's one Saturday night, at 3am and it was packed with college students, service workers, professionals. Not packed with stumbling, yelling crazy people giddy to be up past 2am, but casual drinkers and pool players sipping at their cocktails, having a good time, conversing as if it had just turned 6pm. New Orleans is just that way. The bartenders here command a very long bar while cooking short order food, slinging Igor's signature drink -- a sweet, premixed blue concoction. (Maybe it's called "Blue Mambo.") In any case, they do it well. We like the poppers. Igor's also has 24hr. laundry facilities and lovely patio chairs chained together in such a way that it's almost impossible to sit down. Pool table. On the St. Charles Streetcar line. Live music. ATM. Video Poker.

Mimi's in the Marigny

2008-06-25T16:40:00-07:00

2601 Royal St. (Marigny) 504.872.9868. Credit Cards. Sunday through Thursday: 4pm to 5am, Kitchen 'till 2am; Friday & Saturday: 4pm 'till 6am, Kitchen 'till 4am. The kitchen is closed on Mondays. Happy hour every day until 7pm. Mimi's genius is in its late-night menu of small plates ($6 or $7) -- they serve squid, fancy cheese, sausage, olives and lots of heavy stuff that goes great with cocktails. The second floor is where you'll find bistro tables and a performance area that presents cover-free music. Downstairs features a pool table and lots space for good conversation. Mimi's mix of excellent food, friendly bartenders and good location attracts a wide variety of people including locals, transplants and hipsters with haircuts that look horrible out of the context of New York. Weekends can get a little too crowded and douchy. Video Poker.

The Abbey

2008-06-18T21:50:33-07:00

1123 Decatur St. (French Quarter) 504.523.7177. 7 days: 24hrs. Cash only. It would seem that the best "dive bars" recreate the world of a toddler -- a world where one can do no wrong as long as one doesn't puke or hit. Crying is okay, yelling is tolerated and almost every action turns into something hilarious, unpredictable, timeless. And it's like this at The Abbey. The bartenders are tolerant. The jukebox is excellent. A mix of service workers, punk and post-punks mix with tourists in the small, dark space. Dusty stained glass hanging over large wooden booths remind drinkers that in New Orleans even the most fucked up bars have a touch of aristocracy. ATM. Video Poker.