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New Orleans2006An up- to-date downloadable gu ide to the

bes t res taurants , ho te l s , and exper iences

p lus de ta i led repor t ing of Hurr i cane

Katr ina’s impac t on the ne ighborhoods of

New Or leans .

Contents

From the Publisher . . . . . . 2

Frequently Asked Questions . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Katrina’s Aftermath: New Orleans 2006 at a Glance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

What to See . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Mardi Gras . . . . . . . . . . 13

Where to Eat . . . . . . . . . 16

Nightlife . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Shopping . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Where to Stay . . . . . . . . 28

Useful Links & Upcoming Events . . . . . . 32

For the latest information go to www.fodors.com/neworleans

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From the PublisherEven with all of the media coverage, it’s difficult to under-stand the extent of the damage inflicted on New Orleansby Hurricane Katrina without witnessing it firsthand. As theFrench Quarter, Garden District, and riverfront come backto life, a visitor to New Orleans today can sample the foodand hear the music that have made the city a top traveldestination. But a visitor will also have a historic opportu-nity to see the enormous economic, political, and techno-logical challenges the city faces as it seeks to rebuild.

Despite the devastated condition of many of the neighbor-hoods, city and business officials are encouraging touriststo return. Travel dollars are crucial to the revitilization ofNew Orleans. And though service may be a bit ragged at times, the city is readyto host Mardi Gras, the Jazz Festival, and a series of conventions scheduled forspring and summer.

But even as tourists return, a trip to New Orleans will be a raw experience. Youwill be overwhelmed by passing through miles and miles of neighborhoods with-out power and covered with mud and debris. You may also come away with adeeper understanding of how vulnerable New Orleans was to a natural disasteron a scale that has not been seen in this country since the San Francisco earth-quake of 1906.

We at Fodor’s are proud to provide you with this up-to-date downloadable guideto post-Katrina New Orleans, featuring our unbiased recommendations of top restau-rants, hotels, and experiences. Written by writers who live in New Orleans, thisguide also details the impact of Katrina on each of the city’s neighborhoods. Per-haps most importantly, we provide you with an overview, so you will know ex-actly what to expect as you plan your trip.

We suspended publication of our 2006 New Orleans guidebook, and we willrelease a totally revised book this fall. In the interim, this guide will enable youto see the impact of Hurricane Katrina on New Orleans, and to witness the re-birth of this historic city.

Tim Jarrell, PublisherFodor’s Travel www.fodors.com

Publisher Tim Jarrell (left) chats with a carriage driver, across from Café duMonde, October 2005.

For the latest information go to www.fodors.com/neworleans

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F.A.Q.Is New Orleans really ready for tourists?Hotels, restaurants, and shops that depend on visitors are certainly ready and want tourists to return.But are tourists ready for New Orleans? Faced with a severe labor shortage, many businesses are strug-gling to provide the level of service that visitors enjoyed before Katrina. Checkout lines can be longerthan normal, waitstaffs are stretched thin, and some hotels may clean rooms a bit less frequently. Butthose tourists willing to endure a few inconveniences will find that much of what they like about thecity—food, music, and history—are still here. Travelers should be aware, however, that as of thiswriting, only one New Orleans hospital with an emergency room, Touro Infirmary, has reopened;Tulane University Hospital is expected to open before Mardi Gras. Both hospitals will haveemergency services; more extensive medical services are available in suburban areas.

Is it safe to go?People were understandably shaken by (sometimes exaggerated) reports of widespread looting andmayhem that followed in Katrina’s immediate wake. But local officials and the National Guardquickly got a handle on things. Now the mayor is fond of pointing out that New Orleans is proba-bly one of the safest cities in America, and he may be right: A radically diminished population, com-bined with stepped-up law enforcement, sent the city’s violent-crime rate plummeting. The greaterrisk these days seems to be on the road: many streetlights are still malfunctioning throughout the city,a number of streets are potholed and poorly lit at night, and debris—including glass and roofing nails—can make driving in some neighborhoods hazardous.

How do I get around the city?Taxis are available, if not as plentiful as they once were, and the city’s transit system is running againin many neighborhoods, including Uptown, Bywater, and Bayou St. John, near City Park. There aretaxi stands throughout the French Quarter and in front of major hotels, but it’s better to call for a cabrather than try to hail one on the street. Rates, including the $28 flat fare between the airport and Down-town, have not changed since the storm. The historic streetcars are rolling along the Mississippi Riverand a short stretch of Canal Street but not yet on elegant St. Charles Avenue, where buses are fillingin while the heavily damaged streetcar tracks are being repaired. Almost all roads are open to vehicles.

Are the hotels up and running?Although a few large Downtown hotels remain closed for repair and renovation, most properties areaccepting guests once again (F see Where to Stay). But rooms can still be scarce; thousands of hur-ricane evacuees are still occupying rooms while federal officials make other housing arrangements forthem. The city hoped to have 25,000 hotel rooms available by Mardi Gras, but it now appears thatthe number will be lower.

What about restaurants?Many restaurants in the parts of town that did not flood—the French Quarter, CBD/Warehouse Dis-trict, Garden District—have reopened or in some cases changed hands; the city even picked up a few

For the latest information go to www.fodors.com/neworleans

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new places in Katrina’s wake. Early on, a shortage of cooks and kitchen staff made dining out in NewOrleans a limited experience; there were a lot of hamburgers served on paper plates. But as the resi-dents returned, so has the variety of restaurants, from sushi bars to old-line Creole stalwarts. Be pre-pared for long waits at some; restaurants can be crowded at peak times, and there’s still a shortageof servers at many places. For a selection of what’s open, F see Where to Eat.

What shape is the French Quarter in?The French Quarter fared remarkably well in the storm. The neighborhood did not flood, and dam-age to its collection of historic buildings was relatively mild. Hardest hit, perhaps, was the Old U.S.Mint, which lost much of its roof and a portion of its collection of jazz artifacts; the site remains closed.Many shops and houses had roof damage, broken windows, and fallen shutters. Although repair crewsare still working in parts of the Quarter, most shops, restaurants, clubs, and museums are open.

What other parts of the city are open?Other parts of the city that did not take on floodwaters after Katrina—Faubourg Marigny, Bywater,the CBD/Warehouse District, and Uptown—quickly repopulated. The curfew that was in effect formonths after Katrina has been lifted in all areas but the Lower Ninth Ward and a few other spotswhere debris and a lack of electricity make driving at night hazardous. F See Katrina’s Aftermath,for information on affected neighborhoods.

Can I visit the flooded areas?Although it might strike some as ghoulish, the city’s flood-ravaged neighborhoods—especially the LowerNinth Ward and Lakeview—have become pilgrimage sites of sorts, not unlike Manhattan’s GroundZero. Visitors need not stray far from the French Quarter to find neighborhoods that took on severalfeet of water and remain largely uninhabited. Use extreme caution when visiting these areas, anddon’t visit at night. Many of these streets are still filled with debris and many street and traf-fic lights do not work. For those who don’t have transportation, or are apprehensive about visitingsome parts of town on their own, Gray Line Tours (w www.grayline.com) conducts guided Katrina-themed tours that reportedly take pains to be informative not exploitative.

What is there to do other than walk or drive around?Hit one of the Warehouse District’s museums or the New Orleans Museum of Art, which reopens onMarch 1. Browse for art and antiques on Royal Street and Magazine Street. Catch the Canal Streetferry to Algiers Point, on the West Bank of the Mississippi, and visit Blaine Kearn’s Mardi Gras World.Play a round of golf at Audubon Park. Check out the music clubs and restaurants on Frenchmen Streetin Faubourg Marigny. Explore the galleries in the Julia Street arts corridor in the Warehouse District.Haggle with vendors at the historic French Market. Shop for clothes and gifts at the Riverwalk Mar-ketplace or Canal Place, which reopens in February. Or just grab a beignet and a cup of coffee at Cafédu Monde and a bench in Woldenberg Park, and watch the Mississippi River roll by.

What health concerns should I be aware of?Early on in the disaster, some experts predicted that the city would become a cauldron of waterborneinfectious diseases and chemical contaminants. Fortunately, this did not happen. Tap water is safe todrink and bathe in, and trash has been cleared in the French Quarter, CBD, and Garden District, aswell as parts of Uptown and Faubourg Marigny. Pharmacies in the French Quarter, Uptown, and inNew Orleans suburbs are open and able to fill prescriptions.

Is it safe and appropriate for children?In general, post-Katrina New Orleans is a safe and appropriate place for visitors with children. Olderkids, certainly, can appreciate some of the same things adults do: the architecture of the French Quar-ter and Garden District, for example, or the musicians and other performers who have returned to thestreets. Starting with Mardi Gras, spring 2006 offers a number of events, including the French Quar-ter Festival and the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, that youngsters can participate in. Activ-ities for little ones are a bit more limited; the Aquarium of the Americas and adjacent Imax theater willnot reopen until summer 2006, and the Louisiana Children’s Museum’s Web site promises an “early2006” opening date but gives no specifics. In March, however, the Audubon Zoo will expand its hoursto five days a week. Bourbon Street at night is hardly appropriate for children. But was it ever?

Frequently Asked Questions > 41

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Katrina’s AftermathNEW ORLEANS 2006 AT A GLANCENearly five months after Hurricane Katrina struck, most New Orleans neigh-borhoods are still struggling to recover. The French Quarter and Lower NinthWard represent two extremes: the former roughed up but intact and unflooded,the latter a wasteland of rubble. For most areas, reality lies somewhere inbetween.

Large swaths of the city are in limbo: flooded homes and buildings may berepairable, but businesses are unable to reopen until residents return. Res-idents, meanwhile, are waiting for a number of factors to kick in—insur-ance settlements, a federal commitment to flood protection, a signal of whattheir neighbors intend to do—before they start rebuilding. All of the storm-affected areas below can be reached by car, but be prepared for streetclosings where crews are repairing roads and clearing debris.

The French QuarterNew Orleans’s oldest and most famous district took on a few feet of water onits Canal Street edge. But the Vieux Carré remained mostly high and dry and,equally important, well patrolled during the storm’s aftermath. Work crews arecurrently repairing roofs and cosmetic damage to historic buildings throughoutthe Quarter, but that does not detract from the visitor’s essential experience. Mostshops, bars, and restaurants have reopened, and residents have returned to theLower Quarter.

Faubourg Marigny & BywaterThe Marigny’s lively café and nightclub scene has rebounded nicely; stroll downFrenchmen Street on a weekend night and you’d be hard pressed to find signsthat anything is amiss. The mostly residential neighborhood, across EsplanadeAvenue from the French Quarter, stayed dry but was without power for weeksafter the storm. Now most restaurants and bars have reopened, and when thereare short power outages, as was the case one recent Friday night, patrons take it in stride. Bywater,which hugs the Mississippi River’s banks from Marigny to the Industrial Canal, also remained abovethe flood. A handful of restaurants are up and running, and jazz trumpeter Kermit Ruffins has re-sumed his late-night Thursday jams at Vaughan’s.

By Russell McCulley

“There were 90 guests whocouldn't leave. And as soon as[Katrina] was over, I got onthe horn and started to lookfor buses to get them out ofhere because we had nowater or electricity. I foundthis company called Bus Bank,and they sent me a couple ofbuses and charged me$6,000. I said, 'That's OK.' Isent the buses directly toHouston International.”

–Hans Wandfluh, presidentand general manager of theRoyal Sonesta Hotel

To hear this and other inter-

views, log onto

www.fodors.com/neworleans.

For the latest information go to www.fodors.com/neworleans

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A breach in the 17th St. levee flooded suburban Lakeview with water as high as 10 feet.

Some 20,000 evacuees sought refuge inside theSuperdome whileawaiting buses to take them out of the city.

Floodwaterspunched two holesin the Industrial Canal levee,filling the Lower Ninth Ward with water, forcingsome residents to seek refuge on rooftops.

Water poured inthrough two leveebreaches on both sides of the canal, flooding both Gentilly and the Ninth Ward.

New OrleansSept. 2, 2005,4 days after Katrina

Source: adapted from the Center for the Study ofPublic Health Impacts of Hurricanes, Louisiana State University

Levee Breach

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AlgiersThe portion of New Orleans that lies across the Mississippi River did not flood after Katrina and wasthe first to reopen schools and welcome residents back. The area doesn’t have a lot to interest visi-tors, however, other than a walk around Algiers Point, where many homes date to the 19th century,and a visit to Mardi Gras World, where parading organizations go to have their floats built. Gettingto Algiers point from the Quarter via the ferry that docks at the foot of Canal Street is half the fun.

CBD & Warehouse DistrictFloodwaters topped the sidewalks and poured into the lobbies of many CBD hotels and high-rises,particularly those near the Superdome and the Tulane Avenue hospital corridor. The hospitals and alarge shopping center adjacent to the dome have yet to reopen, but other commercial establishments,including hotels, are back in service or are finishing renovations. The Warehouse District, with its siz-able residential population, suffered some wind damage but did not flood; most of its museums, artgalleries, and restaurants have since reopened.

Garden DistrictOther than wind damage to homes, and a few toppled oaks and downed limbs, the stately GardenDistrict fared well in the storm. Many businesses in the lower Garden District’s commercial corridor,however, were looted. But stores and restaurants have reopened, and weekend shoppers are once againbrowsing Magazine Street’s antique and furniture stores. The popular Garden District restaurant Com-mander’s Palace remains closed but has vowed to reopen by early summer. St. Charles Avenue andMagazine Street are the main throroughfares through the neighborhood.

UptownLike the Garden District, most of Uptown escaped flooding. The area was quick to rebound after thestorm and got a real boost in January, when Loyola and Tulane University students returned to classes.Audubon Park and the zoo are open, and restaurants along Magazine Street and in the Riverbendsection are packed nightly. It may be a year before the St. Charles Avenue streetcars roll again, how-ever; falling tree limbs destroyed the network of overhead wires that power the cars.

TreméMost of Tremé, the historic district across Rampart Street from the French Quarter, endured little morethan minor street flooding. Many houses suffered structural damage from wind, however, and St. Au-gustine, the oldest African-American Catholic church in the United States, lost a large section of roof.The collection at the Backstreet Cultural Museum, a shrine to Mardi Gras Indians, jazz funerals, andNew Orleans street culture, was unharmed. Louis Armstrong Park and its complex of buildings, in-cluding the Theater of the Performing Arts, sustained water and wind damage and is undergoing re-pairs. St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 was flooded but has reopened; the nonprofit group Save OurCemeteries (www.saveourcemeteries.org) has resumed Sunday tours of the cemetery.

Mid-CityA half-mile outside the French Quarter, on Canal Street, the waterline marking the point to which thefloodwaters rose and stayed for weeks becomes apparent. It’s an ugly brown stripe that creeps alongthe sides of houses, on fences and abandoned cars, and it’s pervasive throughout Mid-City. The neigh-borhood took on just enough water to render houses, most of which are raised a couple of feet abovestreet level, uninhabitable, and repopulation has been slow in coming. The intersection of Canal andCarrollton Avenue used to be a lively, ethnically varied restaurant scene. So far, none of the restau-rants have reopened. Canal Street, which runs from the French Quarter to the cemeteries at City ParkAvenue, is open.

Katrina’s Aftermath > 7

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The following areas suffered the most damage. Use extreme caution when visiting theseareas, and don’t visit at night. Many of the streets are still filled with debris and many streetand traffic lights do not work.

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Esplanade Avenue & City ParkEsplanade Avenue lost a lot of its tree canopy to Katrina, but the houses along the natural ridge stayedmostly above water. However City Park, at the far end of the avenue, was hit hard; much of the parkremained covered in brackish water for weeks, many trees fell, and the huge carousel in Carousel Gar-dens was damaged. The collection at the New Orleans Museum of Art survived, and the museum, atthe park’s entrance, is scheduled to reopen on March 3. To get there, follow Esplanade Avenue fromthe French Quarter; return to the Quarter via City Park Avenue and Orleans Avenue for another viewof Mid-City’s flood damage.

New Marigny & Ninth WardThe neighborhoods east of the French Quarter and north of the Mississippi River took on several feetof water, and large sections remain sparsely populated and dotted with heavily damaged houses. Com-merce has been slow to return, but a few residents are trickling back. A FEMA trailer village has goneup near St. Roch Cemetery, one of the area’s few points of interest to tourists. St. Roch’s small chapel,from 1878, was closed on a recent visit. There’s no word on the fate of the braces, crutches, and pros-thetic limbs that once lined the walls, donations from worshippers who claimed to be healed. To getthere, take Claiborne Avenue east from Downtown and turn left on St. Roch Avenue.

Lower Ninth WardNo words or images can convey the full horror of the Lower Ninth Ward, which was destroyed by atorrent of water when a levee on the Industrial Canal collapsed. Cars sit atop houses; houses collapseinto streets. And amid blocks and blocks of rubble are poignant reminders—a stuffed toy, a remark-ably clean and unbroken coffee cup—that this was once a real neighborhood. Since city officials beganallowing people into the Lower Ninth, there has been a steady stream of former residents, mourners,and disaster tourists coursing through. Bulldozers could start clearing away the debris any day now.To get to the Lower Ninth Ward, take Claiborne Avenue from Downtown; cross the drawbridge overthe canal, and turn left on any cross street. Most of the streets have been cleared of debris, but watchfor potholes and lumber, which may contain nails.

Lakeview & LakeshoreThe other widely publicized levee breach occurred on the Lakeview side of the 17th Street Canal, send-ing water as deep as 9 feet cascading through one of the city’s most expensive neighborhoods, whereit stayed for weeks. The devastation was thorough; it will be years before the neighborhoods and com-mercial areas near Lake Pontchartrain recover, although some residents are back, living in trailers parkedin driveways while their homes are being renovated. To get a look at the levee, take Interstate 10 Westfrom Downtown to the West End Boulevard exit; continue on West End to Robert E. Lee Boulevard,where a left turn will lead to a spot near one end of the flood-wall breach.

GentillyGentilly Boulevard, east of City Park and north of the French Quarter, sits atop a natural ridge, andthe handsome houses that line it were built on high, terraced lawns. Head a block or two on eitherside of the boulevard, however, and the flood damage quickly becomes apparent. Gentilly is like Mid-City; a once pleasant neighborhood that was of little interest to tourists but important nonetheless inNew Orleans history (it’s home to prominent African-American politicians and business leaders). Toget there from the French Quarter, take Elysian Fields Avenue to Gentilly Boulevard. A left turn willlead past Dillard University’s campus and the New Orleans Fair Grounds, site of the Jazz and Her-itage Festival; a right turn leads through the heart of Gentilly’s residential section.

New Orleans EastSporadic resettlement is taking place in parts of New Orleans East, but the sprawling mix of com-mercial, industrial, and residential property suffered badly in Katrina’s winds and storm surge andremains largely abandoned. The only tourist attractions in the area—Six Flags New Orleans amuse-ment park and the Audubon Institute’s Louisiana Nature Center—are closed indefinitely. You can getan overview of the area by driving east from Downtown on Interstate 10. Exit Bullard Avenue andturn left for a close-up view of what the storm did to the Little Woods neighborhood; a right turnleads to some of the East’s more expensive subdivisions, which were hit hard by flooding.

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What to SeeSitting on high ground along the Mississippi River, the French Quarter, Faubourg Marigny, Cen-tral Business District, Warehouse District, Garden District, and Uptown managed to escape theflooding that devastated so many other neighborhoods in New Orleans. With essentially onlywind and rain damage to overcome, these neighborhoods were able to rebound quickly. Asearly as mid-October 2005, they were beginning to crackle with life, and that momentum con-tinues. At the time of writing, all places below are open, except the Louisiana Children's Musuem,which is expected to open in March 2006.

THE FRENCH QUARTERThe Cabildo. Dating from 1799, this Spanish colonial–style building is named for the Spanish councilthat met here. The transfer of Louisiana to the United States was made in 1803 in the front room onthe second floor overlooking the square. Three floors of multicultural exhibits recount Louisiana his-tory—from the colonial period through Reconstruction—with countless artifacts, including the deathmask of Napoléon Bonaparte. E Jackson Sq. P 504/568–6968 A $5 C Tues.–Sun. 10–4.

Café du Monde. Open 24 hours, this New Orleans institution serves café au lait and beignets (and notmuch else) in a style that has not varied for more than a century. Don’t miss it. E 800 Decatur St.P 504/525–4544 w www.cafedumonde.com.

French Market. The French Market’s graceful arcades have been mostly enclosed and filled with shopsand eateries. Originally a Native American trading post, the market begins at Ursulines Street; aftera block or so, the shops give way to a flea market filled with bargain collectibles, jewelry, posters, andthe occasional quality craftsperson. E Decatur St. C Daily 6–6; hrs vary depending on season andweather.

Germaine Wells Mardi Gras Museum. During a 31-year period (1937–68), Germaine Cazenave Wells,daughter of Arnaud’s restaurant founder Arnaud Cazenave, was queen of Carnival balls a record 22times for 17 different krewes, or organizations. Many of her ball gowns, in addition to costumes wornby other family members, are on display in this dim, quirky one-room museum above Arnaud’s restau-rant. E Arnaud’s restaurant, 813 Bienville St., 2nd fl. (enter through restaurant) P 504/523–5433A Free C Daily 10–2 and 6–10.

Historic New Orleans Collection. This private archive and exhibit complex, with thousands of historicphotos, documents, and books, is one of the finest research centers in the South. It occupies the 19th-century town house of General Kemper Williams and the 1792 Merrieult House. A museum shopsells books, prints, and gifts. Children under 12 are not admitted. E 533 Royal St. P 504/523–4662w www.hnoc.org A $4 C Tues.–Sat. 9:30–3.

Jackson Square. Surrounded by historic buildings and filled with the city’s atmospheric street life, theheart of the French Quarter is today a beautifully landscaped park. A statue of Andrew Jackson, vic-torious leader of the Battle of New Orleans in the War of 1812, commands the center of the square;the park was renamed for him in the 1850s. Among the notable buildings around the square are St.

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Louis Cathedral (615 Père Antoine Alley) and Faulkner House (624 Pirate’s Alley), where WilliamFaulkner lived and wrote his first book, Soldier’s Pay, in the 1920s. Two Spanish colonial–style build-ings, the Cabildo and the Presbytère, flank the cathedral. The handsome rows of brick apartments oneach side of the square are the Pontalba Buildings. In the daytime, artists hang their paintings on thepark fence and set up outdoor studios where they work on canvases or offer to draw portraits of passersby.You’ll be entertained by musicians, mimes, tarot-card readers, and magicians who perform on the flag-stone pedestrian mall surrounding the square, many of them day and night. C Daily 8 AM–dusk.

Musée Conti Wax Museum. The history of New Orleans and Louisiana unfolds in colorful vignettes inthis fun museum. Local legends are captured life-size at seminal moments: Napoléon leaping out ofthe bathtub at news of the Louisiana Purchase; Marie Laveau selling gris-gris to Downtown customers;the Duke and Duchess of Windsor attending a Mardi Gras ball. E 917 Conti St. P 504/581–1993or 800/233–5405 w www.get-waxed.com A $7 C Mon.–Sat. 10–5.

Napoleon House Bar and Cafe. Stop here to snack on a muffuletta sandwich (ham, salami, mozzarella,and olive salad on seeded bread) and a beer, and enjoy the surroundings. E 500 Chartres St. P 504/524–9752 w www.napoleonhouse.com.

New Orleans Historic Voodoo Museum. A large collection of artifacts and information on voodoo as itwas practiced in New Orleans is here in a two-room homegrown museum. Items on display includeportraits by and of voodoo legends, African artifacts believed to have influenced the development ofthe religion, and lots of gris-gris. E 724 Dumaine St. P 504/234–2096 A Museum $7 C Daily 11–5.

St. Louis Cathedral. The oldest active cathedral in the United States, this church at the heart of the OldCity is named for the 13th-century French king who led two crusades. The statue of the Sacred Heartof Jesus dominates St. Anthony’s Garden, which extends behind the rectory to Royal Street. The gar-den is also the site of a monument to 30 members of a French ship who died in a yellow fever epi-demic in 1857. E 615 Père Antoine Alley P 504/525–9585 A Free C Tours Mon.–Sat. 9–4:30, Sun.1–4:30.

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CBD & WAREHOUSE DISTRICTThe Warehouse District is bordered by the river, St. Charles Avenue, Poydras Street, and Andrew Hig-gins Drive and filled with former factories and cotton warehouses—is home to many excellent eater-ies and contemporary-art galleries. The Central Business District (CBD) covers the ground betweenCanal Street and Poydras Avenue, with some spillover into the Warehouse District’s official territory.Some of the old government and office buildings, especially those around Lafayette Square, are quitebeautiful.

Harrah’s New Orleans. The only land-based casino in Louisiana, Harrah’s contains 175,000 squarefeet of space divided into five areas, each with a New Orleans theme: Jazz Court, Court of Good For-tune, Smugglers Court, Mardi Gras Court, and Court of the Mansion. E 512 S. Peters St. P 504/533–6000 or 800/427–7247 w www.harrahs.com/ C Daily 24 hrs.

Julia Street. Contemporary-art dealers have adopted this strip in the Warehouse District as their own.The street is lined with galleries, flower shops, and modern apartment buildings. The first Saturdayevening of each month, gallery owners throw open their doors to show off new exhibits, to the ac-companiment of wine, music, and general merriment.

Louisiana Children’s Museum. An invaluable resource for anyone traveling with kids, the top-notch Chil-dren’s Museum is fun and educational. Favorite activities include a giant bubble station and amini–grocery store, with carts and registers manned by visitors. Children with disabilities are wel-comed: most exhibits are accessible, and some are aimed at increasing children’s awareness of the dis-abilities of others. E 420 Julia St. P 504/523–1357 w www.lcm.org A $6 C The museum plansto open in Mar. 2006.

New Orleans School of Glassworks and Printmaking Studio. A fun family stop, the School of Glassworksgives demonstrations of all stages of glassmaking and design, printmaking, and silver alchemy in alarge warehouse space. A shop and gallery up front display and sell the finished products. E 727 Mag-azine St. P 504/529–7277 w www.neworleansglassworks.com C June–Aug., weekdays 11–5;Sept.–May, Mon.–Sat. 11–5.

Ogden Museum of Southern Art. Art by Southerners, art made in the South, art about the South, andartistic explorations into Southern themes fill this elegant new building. More than 1,200 works col-lected since the 1960s by local developer Roger Ogden are on display. E 925 Camp St. P 504/539–9600 w www.ogdenmuseum.org A $10 C Fri.–Sun. 11–8.

Riverwalk Marketplace. This three-block-long shopping-and-entertainment center with 140 shops andeateries is laid out in three tiers and lined in places by a promenade along the river’s edge. (As of thiswriting, only 50% of the shops are open.) Plaques along the walkway relate bits of the MississippiRiver’s history and folklore. E 1 Poydras St. P 504/522–1555 w www.riverwalkmarketplace.comC Mon.–Sun. 10–6.

GARDEN DISTRICTThe Garden District, with its beautifully landscaped English-style gardens surrounding elegant ante-bellum homes, remained intact following Katrina’s wrath, barring a few toppled oaks and power lines.Since then, many residents have returned and subsequently cleaned up the neighborhood. The homeshere, many of which are not open to the public, are constructed in three architectural styles: the three-bay, London-parlor, Greek Revival design; the center-hall, columnar Greek Revival; and the raisedcottage. Allow at least two hours for this walking tour.

Begin at the intersection of Washington Avenue and Prytania Street. Walk down Washington Avenuetoward Coliseum Street: the 1600 block, on your right, is taken up by the white-walled Lafayette Ceme-tery No. 1. One of the grandest restaurants in New Orleans is Commander’s Palace, across from thecemetery. Farther along Washington Avenue is the Bosworth-Hammond House (1126 Washington St.),or Bow-front Mansion.

Next, a stroll down Coliseum Street toward Jackson Avenue takes you past some of the most beau-tiful and historic homes in the South. On your right, the 2700 block of Coliseum Street is lined withthe five once-identical houses of Freret’s Folly. At Coliseum and 3rd streets are the extravagant Robin-son House (1415 3rd St.) and Musson House (1331 3rd St.). The Schlesinger House (1427 2nd St.), toyour left, is a classic Greek Revival. Continuing along Coliseum, turn right and walk down 1st Street.

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Across Chestnut Street is the transitional Brevard House (1239 1st St.), home to author Anne Rice from1989 to 2004, and on the right is the Payne House (1134 1st St.), where Confederate president Jeffer-son Davis died. Returning to Coliseum Street, look toward Jackson Avenue to glimpse the Seven Sis-ters Houses and the triple ballroom of the Buckner Mansion (1410 Jackson Ave.).

The blocks along Philip and 1st streets, between Prytania and Coliseum, have many noteworthy homes.At First and Prytania streets you’ll find the regal Bradish-Johnson House (2343 Prytania St.), now aprivate girls’ school, and the relatively modest Toby-Westfeldt House (2340 Prytania St.). At the cor-ner of 2nd and Prytania is the predominantly Greek Revival Adams House (2423 Prytania St.), as wellas the hybrid Women’s Guild of the New Orleans Opera Association House (2504 Prytania St.), with itsdistinctive octagonal turret. The Maddox House (2507 Prytania St.), across the street, is an excellentexample of the five-bay expansion of the basic Greek Revival model. Venture to your left down Pry-tania Street, the main artery of the district. No expense was spared in the construction of the Lons-dale House (2523 Prytania St., at 3rd St.). Across 3rd is the Briggs-Staub House (2605 Prytania St.),one of the few Gothic Revival houses in the city. Cross Prytania Street at the corner of 4th Street toColonel Short’s Villa (1448 4th St.), best known for its cornstalk fence. To conclude the Garden Dis-trict tour, walk down 4th Street to St. Charles Avenue.

You have so many beautiful things to observe along this walk that you should allow two hours forthe tour.

UPTOWNLying west of the Garden District, Uptown is the residential area on both sides of St. Charles Avenuealong the streetcar route, upriver from Louisiana Avenue. It includes many mansions as sumptuousas those in the Garden District, as well as Loyola and Tulane universities and a large urban park namedfor John James Audubon.

Audubon Park. Formerly the plantation of Etienne de Boré, the father of the granulated-sugar indus-try in Louisiana, Audubon Park is a large, lush stretch of green between St. Charles Avenue and Mag-azine Street, continuing across Magazine Street to the river. Designed by John Charles Olmsted,nephew of Frederick Law Olmsted (who laid out New York City’s Central Park), it has a river viewand contains the first-class Audubon Zoo; a 1.7-mi track for running, walking, and biking; picnic andplay areas; a golf course; riding stables; and a tennis court. Calm lagoons wind through the park, har-boring egrets, catfish, and other indigenous species. The park and zoo were named for the famous or-nithologist and painter John James Audubon, who spent many years working in and around NewOrleans. E 6500 Magazine St. P 504/586–8777 w www.auduboninstitute.org A Park free; zoo cruise$17, combination ticket for cruise, zoo, and aquarium $38.25 C Hours vary.

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Mardi GrasMardi Gras, which is celebrating its 150th anniversary in 2006, is ready to roll. And even thoughit may be a few days shorter, those days will be packed with parades and much celebration.Not even a hurricane can stop locals and tourists from descending on the city for the ultimateparty day of the year: February 28, 2006.

Parties and parades will fill the days and nights leading up to Mardi Gras, including the week-end before, Feburary 17–19. Then on Mardi Gras day, the entire city dons costumes, face paint,and masks and takes to the streets for the final bash. It’s an official city holiday, with just abouteveryone but the police and bartenders taking the day off. Some dozen parades roll throughthe city’s streets along various routes, with large floats carrying riders, who throw plastic beadsand trinkets to onlookers.

PARADESCarnival parades begin in earnest two weekends before Mardi Gras, with parades day and night onweekends and every evening during the week. Mardi Gras parades are not the spectator activities thatthe term “parade” usually signifies. The give-and-take between the riders on the floats and the pa-rade watchers is what defines these events. The communication medium here is the “throws,” or giftsthe riders throw or hand to spectators. The most common throws are plastic beads, often worn liketrophies by proud receivers. Other favorites include doubloons, plastic cups with the date and themeof the parade, medallion beads with a krewe’s insignia, and stuffed animals.

Almost all Carnival krewes, or organizations, select a theme each year for their parade. Themes rangefrom whimsical to hard-edged political, though all have a tendency toward irreverence and satire. Thethrows from a given float or parade will sometimes reflect that year’s theme.

Mardi Gras WeekendChanges sometimes occur, but the following parades are staples of Mardi Gras weekend.

Friday. Hermes, one of the oldest parading krewes, rolls first, followed by Krewe d’Etat, a relativelyyoung krewe formed by local business leaders with a taste for satire. The krewe prides itself on newand imaginative throws, such as a small stuffed jester that changes outfits annually and, whensqueezed, drops such pearls of wisdom as “Live to ride—ride to live!,” “Hail to the Dictator!,” and“Krewe d’Etat rules!”

Saturday. Saturday spotlights the largest women’s krewe, Iris, which was formed in 1922 and beganparading in 1959. Ordinarily pristine members of Uptown garden clubs let loose from behind theirlong masks and white gloves, flirting with the men along the route and tossing flowers to young hunks.Following Iris is Tucks, a young, fun parade founded some 37 years ago by Loyola students who touredthrough a few Uptown streets on the way to their favorite bar, Friar Tucks. The theme is always tongue-in-cheek, and the throws are beautifully coordinated with the decor of the individual floats.

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Following Tucks, a several-hour break occurs before Endymion, one of the blockbuster parades ofthe season. Endymion’s extravagant floats usually roll down Canal Street through Mid-City. Due todamage to that part of the city from Hurricane Katrina, Endymion is rolling down the St. Charles–CanalStreet route this year. Endymion finishes by rolling straight into the Ernest N. Morial Convention Cen-ter for the Extravaganza, a party attended by upwards of 14,000 people. The lineup for 2006 includesBetter than Ezra, the Commodores, and the Blues Brothers Revue, featuring Jim Belushi, Dan Aykroyd,and John Goodman.

Sunday. Thoth, a daytime parade, takes an anomalous route that passes numerous nursing homes andhospitals. The only Mardi Gras parade to follow Magazine Street, it eventually turns onto NapoleonAvenue and rejoins the usual St. Charles–Canal route. The other daytime Sunday parades are Okeanosand Mid-City, named for the neighborhood it originally rolled through.

One of the great Mardi Gras parades, Bacchus takes the St. Charles–Canal route Sunday night. Thefloats are spectacular, including some regular favorites like the endless Bacchagator and the mammothKing Kong, and there are new floats each year. The monarch is always a celebrity; for this year, it’sMichael Keaton.

Monday. There are no day parades on Monday, but Lundi Gras, or the Mondaybefore Mardi Gras, has become a major event downtown, especially at SpanishPlaza by the Riverwalk. Zulu then Rex (F see Mardi Gras Day) arrive by boatalong the Mississippi and formally greet one another and their subjects at theSpanish Plaza dock. A large stage at the plaza hosts live music throughout theday. Monday night brings one of the oldest krewes and one of the youngest endto end. Proteus, formed in 1882, pays tribute to the sea god with beautiful floatsin the old wagon style. Orpheus, meanwhile, always has the latest in parade tech-nology, such as confetti blowers and automatic plastic-cup dispensers.

Mardi Gras DayEarly on Mardi Gras morning, you can catch Zulu, the oldest African-Ameri-can parade. Zulu rolls down Jackson Avenue, turning onto St. Charles aheadof Rex, and reaching Canal Street around 11 AM, though in keeping with theirmischievous customs, this timing can vary dramatically. This year, riders willget off at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, reconvene around theLouisiana Superdome, then have a second-line (walking) parade down throughTremé. Rex, traditionally regarded as king of Carnival, greets his subjects fol-lowing Zulu. His floats are intricate, old-fashioned affairs, one of the visual highpoints of Mardi Gras day.

Walking Clubs and the Mardi Gras Indians. Mardi Gras day also brings theappearance of the Mardi Gras Indians and the walking clubs. The walkingclubs zigzag all over town, stopping in bars and swapping paper flowers andbeads for kisses. One of the more regular clubs, the Krewe of St. Ann, is namedafter the main gay strip of the French Quarter, where its parade winds up.The parade begins in the Bywater District and works its way through FaubourgMarigny before entering the Quarter.

Predating most of the major parades, the Mardi Gras Indians hold their ownrituals in the backstreets on Mardi Gras morning. The Indians are members ofAfrican-American organizations who dress in intricately beaded costumes thatoften take all year to create (the traditional Indians do not wear the same suittwo years in a row). The Indians parade through backstreets, chanting songsfrom the Mardi Gras Indian repertory. The Indian tribes fall into two major cat-egories: Uptown and Downtown. To seek out the Uptown tribes on Mardi Grasmorning, venture into the streets across St. Charles Avenue from the Garden Dis-trict, between Jackson and Washington avenues. The Downtown tribes gener-ally revolve around Tremé. To find them, head away from the French Quarteron Ursulines Street.

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When You Gotta GoParkingParking is at a premium duringMardi Gras. It’s best to use yourhotel’s parking facilities, even if itmeans extra walking to the paraderoute. During the final weekendof Carnival the French Quarter isclosed to automobile traffic; scopeout a lot or a spot in the CBD. Itis impossible to cross the paraderoute at any point in a car, andmany bus routes are disrupted. Ifpossible, leave the car behind andtake a taxi, a bike, or just walk.

RestroomsThe city sets up several hundredportable restrooms during MardiGras. Many Downtown hotels,bars, and restaurants allow onlyguests to use their public rest-rooms. Plan ahead. When you dofind yourself patronizing a bar orrestaurant, take advantage of therestrooms.

TaxisCabs cruise the French Quarterand CBD but rarely venture be-yond. Reliable companies with24-hour service are United Cabsand Yellow-Checker Cabs. The me-tered fare is $2.50 at the flag drop,$1.60 per mile, and $1 for eachadditional passenger.

i United Cabs P 504/522–9771 . Yellow-Checker CabsP 504/943–2411.

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WHERE TO WATCHIt’s important to choose your parade-viewing point carefully. Uptown is more of a family zone, whichis not to say it is not crowded and frenzied. Most activity, though, is focused around the parades; out-side parade hours, the streets revert to relative normalcy. Particularly good places to catch the paradesinclude the vicinity of the Columns Hotel (3811 St. Charles Ave., between Peniston and Gen. TaylorSts.). The expansive front porch provides a good vantage point for those who don’t need to catch anymore beads. The corner of Napoleon and St. Charles avenues is a crowded but exciting place to watch,as the floats and bands turn onto St. Charles Avenue. On Mardi Gras day, costuming begins early onSt. Charles Avenue, and the street is fairly crowded by 8 AM. If you plan to spend time Uptown, it’sworth getting up and out early to share in the anticipation. The day begins with walking clubs andmakeshift bands strolling by, followed by the Zulu Parade, with Rex close on its heels.

A week or so before Mardi Gras, things heat up downtown and along Bourbon Street and through-out the French Quarter. By Mardi Gras weekend the crowds are so thick it is difficult to walk downBourbon. Drinking, exchanging beads, and exhibitionism are popular activities along Bourbon, wherelines form to enter the bars and drink prices go through the roof. The side streetsoffer some degree of refuge while still sustaining a high party pitch. Most pa-rades roll down Canal Street at some point, and the crowds shift over accord-ingly to bounce to the marching bands and catch some beads before duckingback into the bars or the street scene. Unlike Uptown, where parades are thefocal point, downtown the parades seem merely a blip on the screen of generalfrenzy.

MARDI GRAS SAFETYWhether you choose to watch the parades or to give yourself over to the mad-ness of the mass party on Bourbon Street and throughout the Quarter, use com-mon sense, dress comfortably, and leave your valuables safely locked up athome or in safe-deposit boxes at your hotel. Don’t carry excessive amounts ofcash, and don’t wear tempting jewelry. Travel with one or more people ratherthan alone if possible, and set a permanent meeting spot where your family orgroup will convene at preset times throughout the day.

Women at Mardi GrasMore women than you would imagine flash as barter for good beads; if you feeltempted, be aware that the personal videos shot on Bourbon Street often windup on cable shows like Girls Gone Wild! Also be aware that New Orleans police do crack down onpublic indecency during Carnival. And if you are groped or feel threatened in any way, be assuredthat a police officer will probably be in your sight range.

Children & Mardi GrasIn many respects Mardi Gras seems designed for kids. Floats, parades, whimsical gifts, costumes, streetvendors with tasty snacks and exciting toys mark the season, and revelry carries the day. The daytimeparades are most suitable for family-rated fun. If you want to bring children to the evening parades,the Garden District around Third Street is a good option, though no spot is immune from the rau-cous and the bawdy.

Children are especially vulnerable during Mardi Gras and must be carefully watched. Each year acci-dents occur when children (and adults) venture too near the wheels of floats. If you have kids with you,pick a spot some way back from the rolling parade. Keep a trained eye on little hands and running feet.Many parents take the added precaution of having each child carry a note in her pocket with the par-ents’ names, contact phone numbers, and local address.

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Mardi Gras LinksYou’ll find parade routes, sched-ules, and all things Mardi Grason the following sites.

i Arthur Hardy’s Mardi GrasGuide w www.mardigrasguide.com. MardiGras.com w www.mardigras.com. New Orleans Con-vention and Visitors Bureauw www.neworleanscvb.com.

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Where to EatIt wasn’t long after Hurricane Katrina swept through New Orleans thatits restaurants began opening up to feed FEMA contractors, the Na-tional Guard, and a handful of returning residents. And as the sun roseon 2006, the local restaurant scene was again bubbling, with manyhigh-profile restaurants and local favorites back in full swing.

Despite this rebirth, many of the restaurants are short on staff right now,which means you may wait longer than usual for tables and occasion-ally experience slower service. As of this writing, all the restaurantsbelow are open.

French Quarter

Cafés & CoffeehousesW Café du Monde. No trip to New Orleans is complete without a cup of chicory-laced café au lait andsugar-dusted beignets in this venerable Creole institution. The tables are jammed at every hour withlocals and tourists feasting on the views of Jackson Square. The magical time to go is just before dawn,when the bustle subsides and you can hear the birds in the crepe myrtles across the way. E 800 De-catur St. P 504/525–4544 c No credit cards.

Cajun-InspiredW K-Paul’s Louisiana Kitchen. In this comfortable French Quarter café of glossy wooden floors and ex-posed brick, chef Paul Prudhomme started the blackening craze and added the word Cajun to Amer-ica’s culinary vocabulary. Two decades later, thousands still consider a visit to New Orleans partlywasted without a visit to K-Paul’s for his inventive gumbos, fried crawfish tails, blackened tuna, roastduck with rice dressing, and sweet potato–pecan pie. E 416 Chartres St. P 504/524–7394 r Reser-vations essential c AE, D, DC, MC, V C Closed Sun. No lunch Mon.–Wed.

ContemporaryW Peristyle. Though you won’t find founding chef Anne Kearney’s name at the bottom of Peristyle’smenu anymore, her most beloved specialties survived the restaurant’s sale to chef Thomas Wolfe. Thebeets with horseradish-dressed Louisiana crabmeat, the prosciutto-wrapped veal sweetbreads, acaramelized-onion and olive tart, and yellowfin tuna with raisins and sun-dried tomatoes in a deep,dark reduction remain. The main dining room is lined with sleek tufted banquettes and exhibits thelaid-back elegance of a fine French bistro. E 1041 Dumaine St. P 504/593–9535 c AE, D, MC, VC Closed Sun. and Mon. No lunch Tues.–Thurs. and Sat.

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W Bayona. “New World” is the label Louisiana native Susan Spicer applies to her cooking style, whichresults in such signature dishes as a goat-cheese crouton with mushrooms in Madeira cream, and crispy-fried smoked quail over salad with bourbon-molasses vinaigrette. These and other imaginative dishesare served in an early-19th-century Creole cottage that fairly glows with flower arrangements, ele-gant photographs, and trompe l’oeil murals suggesting Mediterranean landscapes. E 430 DauphineSt. P 504/525–4455 r Reservations essential c AE, DC, MC, V C Closed Sun. and Mon.

Contemporary CreoleW Muriel’s Jackson Square. In the large downstairs rooms, quaint prints and architectural relics evokethe city’s colorful past, while diners in comfortable chairs indulge in hearty updated renderings of oldCreole favorites. Chef Erik Veney wins tummies over with such combinations as seared foie gras andcaramelized apples, and crepes of crawfish and goat cheese. Other dishes stick closer to local tradi-tion, employing sweet potatoes, pecans, Creole tomatoes, mirlitons, and gulf fish. E 801 ChartresSt. P 504/568–1885 c AE, DC, MC, V.W Nola. Fans of chef Emeril Lagasse who can’t get a table at Emeril’s in the Warehouse District havethis sassy and vibrant French Quarter restaurant as an alternative. Appetizersare freewheeling, with Vietnamese stuffed chicken wings listed beside almond-crusted fried oysters with Brie. The combinations seem endless, and so does thenoise: the space is arty and bright, but too many hard surfaces keep the volumehigh. E 534 St. Louis St. P 504/522–6652 r Reservations essential c AE,D, DC, MC, V C No lunch Sun.W Bourbon House. Perched on one of the French Quarter’s busiest corners, thisis the Brennan family’s biggest and flashiest restaurant yet, and it’s a solid hitwith seafood aficionados. At the raw bar are sterling oysters on the half shell,chilled seafood platters, and antique decorative oyster plates. Glistening beneaththe golden glow of bulbous hanging lamps, the main dining room is a moreappropriate place for digging into the Creole catalog—stuffed crab, oysters Bi-enville, gulf fish amandine. E 144 Bourbon St. P 504/522–0111 c AE, D,DC, MC, V.

ItalianW Irene’s Cuisine. Its walls are festooned with enough snapshots, garlic braids, and crockery for atleast two more restaurants. From Irene DiPietro’s kitchen come succulent roasted chicken brushedwith olive oil, rosemary, and garlic; original velveteen soups; and fresh shrimp, aggressively seasonedand grilled before joining linguine glistening with herbed olive oil. The wait can stretch to the 90-minute mark during peak dinner hours. E 539 St. Philip St. P 504/529–8811 r Reservations notaccepted c AE, MC, V C No lunch.

Po’boys & Other SandwichesW Central Grocery. This old-fashioned Italian grocery store produces authentic muffulettas, one of thegastronomic gifts of the city’s Italian immigrants. Good enough to challenge the po’boy as the localsandwich champ, they’re made by filling round loaves of seeded bread with ham, salami, mozzarella,and a salad of marinated green olives. Each sandwich, about 10 inches in diameter, is sold in wholesand halves. E 923 Decatur St. P 504/523–1620 c D, MC, V C No dinner.

SeafoodW GW Fins. A bounty of fish species from around the world is among the menu’s lures. The menuchanges daily, but typical dishes include a luscious riff on bouillabaisse, sea bass in a hot-and-sourshrimp stock, and impossibly light lobster dumplings. The large dining room’s attractive modern decorand spaciousness, and the enthusiastic service, make this a relaxing refuge from the French Quarter’scrowds. E 808 Bienville St. P 504/581–3467 c AE, D, DC, MC, V C No lunch.

Traditional CreoleW Arnaud’s. In the main dining room of this grande dame of classic Creole, ornate etched glass re-flects light from the charming old chandeliers while the late founder, Arnaud Cazenave, gazes froman oil portrait. The overflow spills into a labyrinth of plush banquet rooms and bars. The ambitious

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menu includes cold shrimp in a superb rémoulade, and oyster stew, as well as fish in crawfish sauce,beef Wellington, and crème brûlée. Jackets are requested in the main dining room. E 813 BienvilleSt. P 504/523–5433 r Reservations essential c AE, D, DC, MC, V C No lunch.W Antoine’s. Though some people believe that Antoine’s heyday passed before the turn of the 20thcentury, others wouldn’t leave New Orleans without at least one order of oysters Rockefeller, a dishinvented here. Other notables on the bilingual menu include pommes de terre soufflées (fried potatopuffs), pompano en papillote (baked in parchment paper), and baked Alaska. E 713 St. Louis St.P 504/581–4422 r Reservations essential k Jacket required c AE, DC, MC, V C No lunch.W Galatoire’s. Galatoire’s has always epitomized the old-style French-Creole bistro. Many of the recipesdate to 1905. Fried oysters and bacon en brochette are worth every calorie, and the brick-red rémouladesauce sets a high standard. The setting downstairs is a single narrow dining room lit with glisteningbrass chandeliers; bentwood chairs and white-cloth tables add to its timelessness. E 209 BourbonSt. P 504/525–2021 k Jacket required c AE, D, DC, MC, V C Closed Mon.

Faubourg Marigny

Creole with SoulW Praline Connection. Down-home cooking in the Southern-Creole style is theforte of this quirky restaurant a couple of blocks from the French Quarter. Thefried or stewed chicken, smothered pork chops, fried chicken livers, and collardgreens are definitively done, and the soulful filé gumbo and crowder peas withokra are welcome in a neighborhood where soul food is in short supply. E 542Frenchmen St. P 504/943–3934 c AE, D, DC, MC, V C Closes at 8.

CBD & Warehouse District

Cajun-InspiredW Bon Ton Café. The Bon Ton’s opening in 1953 marked the first appearance ofa significant Cajun restaurant in New Orleans. Its crawfish dishes, gumbo, jam-balaya, and oyster omelet have retained their strong following in the decades since. E 401 MagazineSt. P 504/524–3386 c AE, DC, MC, V C Closed weekends.

ContemporaryW August. If the Gilded Age is long gone, someone forgot to tell the folks at August, whose main din-ing room shimmers with masses of chandelier prisms, thick brocade fabrics, and glossy woods. ChefJohn Besh’s prime beef and lamb dishes could hardly be improved upon, tiny soft-shell crabs cracklewith sea flavors, and lumps of back-fin crabmeat and pillows of springy gnocchi glisten in truffle oil.E 301 Tchoupitoulas St. P 504/299–9777 r Reservations essential c AE, MC, V C Closed Sun.No lunch Sat.W Cuvée. The menu here rests on a firm French foundation, but the flavors are often distinctively NewOrleans. Talented chef Robert Iacovone sometimes seems unstoppable, like when he fashions the city’smost elegant boudin from shrimp and scallops, and when he makes a savory crème brûlée with foiegras. Main courses are equally gutsy, as is the wine list, full of interesting bottles. E 322 MagazineSt. P 504/587–9001 r Reservations essential c AE, DC, MC, V C Closed Sun. No lunch Sat.W Herbsaint. Chef Donald Link turns out food that sparkles with robust flavors and top-grade ingre-dients. “Small plates” and side dishes such as charcuterie, a knock-’em-dead shrimp bisque, house-made pasta, and cheese- or nut-studded salads are mainstays. More substantial appetites are courtedwith duck and dirty rice, rabbit fricassee, and pork belly. The plates provide most of the color in thelighthearted, often noisy rooms. E 701 St. Charles Ave. P 504/524–4114 r Reservations essentialc AE, D, DC, MC, V C Closed Sun. No lunch Sat.W Rio Mar. Each of chef Adolfo Garcia’s several ceviches has its own distinct marinade and combina-tion of superfresh seafood. For entrées, try the stewlike zarzuela of seafood, with chunks of fin- andshellfish in a peppery red broth. The gold-hue walls with their rustic iron ornamentation would notbe misplaced in Barcelona. One drawback: the dining room’s low ceiling and tile floor don’t makefor great acoustics. E 800 S. Peters St. P 504/525–3474 c AE, D, DC, MC, V C Closed Sun. Nolunch Sat.

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Contemporary CreoleW Emeril’s. Celebrity chef Emeril Lagasse’s big and bouncy flagship restaurant is always jammed. Awood ceiling in a basket-weave pattern muffles much of the clatter and chatter. The ambitious menugives equal emphasis to Creole and modern American cooking—try the barbecue shrimp here for oneof the darkest, richest versions of the local specialty. E800 Tchoupitoulas St. P504/528–9393 rReser-vations essential c AE, D, DC, MC, V C No lunch weekends.

ItalianW Tommy’s Cuisine. You might consider bringing a flashlight for reading the menu in the two dark,clubby, tightly–packed rooms, for you wouldn’t want to overlook the panéed oysters; the lamb chopsblanketed with béarnaise sauce; or the roasted half chicken saturated with rosemary and garlic.E 746 Tchoupitoulas St. P 504/581–1103 r Reservations essential c AE, D, DC, MC, V C Nolunch.

Po’boys & Other SandwichesW Mother’s. Mother’s dispenses delicious baked-ham and roast-beef po’boys (askfor “debris” on the beef sandwich and the bread will be slathered with meatjuices and shreds of meat), home-style biscuits and jambalaya, and a goodchicken gumbo in a couple of bare-bones dining rooms. Service is cafeteria-style,with a counter or two augmenting the tables. E 401 Poydras St. P 504/523–9656 r Reservations not accepted c AE, MC, V.

Garden District/Uptown

Cajun/CreoleW Jacques-Imo’s Cafe. Deep-fried roast-beef po’boys, alligator-sausage cheese-cake, Cajun bouillabaisse, and smothered rabbit over grits are among the ex-cellent only-at-Jacques-Imo’s specialties. All main courses come with salad andcorn muffins. Reservations are accepted for parties of five or more. E 8324 OakSt. P 504/861–0886 c AE, D, DC, MC, V C Closed Sun. No lunch.

Contemporary CreoleW Brigtsen’s. Chef Frank Brigtsen’s fusion of Creole refinement and Acadian earthiness reflects hisyears as a protégé of Paul Prudhomme. Everything is fresh and filled with deep and complex tastes.The cream-of-oysters-Rockefeller soup is a revelation. Rabbit and chicken dishes, usually presentedin rich sauces and gravies, are full of robust flavor. The roux-based gumbos are thick and intense, andthe warm bread pudding is worth breaking a diet for. Trompe l’oeil murals add whimsy to the inti-mate spaces of this turn-of-the-20th-century frame cottage. E 723 Dante St. P 504/861–7610r Reservations essential c AE, DC, MC, V C Closed Sun. and Mon. No lunch.

SeafoodW Casamento’s. Tiled in gleaming white and cream-colored ceramic, Casamento’s has been a havenfor Uptown seafood lovers since 1919. Family members still wait tables and staff the immaculate kitchenout back, and a reliable handful of oyster shuckers ensure plenty of available cold ones for the stand-ing-room-only oyster bar. Specialties from the diminutive menu are oysters lightly poached in sea-soned milk, and fried shrimp, trout, and soft-shell-crab platters. Everything is clean, and nothing issuperfluous. E 4330 Magazine St. P 504/895–9761 r Reservations not accepted c No creditcards C Closed Mon. and early June–late Aug.

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NightlifeNew Orleans nightlife quickly came back to life following Katrina’s aftermath, with bars andlounges providing refuge and relaxation for the few residents and relief workers. As more localmusicians returned and the citywide curfew lifted, music clubs reopened their doors and the gigcalendar started filling up.

The heaviest concentration of live music is in the French Quarter and Faubourg Marigny, andhigh standards of musicianship prevail despite the sometimes tawdry atmosphere. Showtimescan vary greatly; call ahead to double-check times and ask for directions if you need them. Themonthly OffBeat magazine has in-depth music coverage and listings and is available at manyhotels, stores, and restaurants.

For neighborhood clubs hosting music or just serving drinks, it’s best to bring cash. Many takeplastic, but a few do not. Dress codes are as rare as snow in New Orleans. On any given nightin the French Quarter, and especially during the Carnival season, you’ll see everything fromtutus, fairy wings, and ball gowns to T-shirts and torn jeans.

BARS & LOUNGES

French QuarterCarousel Bar. The advertisement should say, “Drink here and write a novel.” Tennessee Williams drankhere, and so did Truman Capote and Ernest Hemingway. A veritable institution, this piano bar in theMonteleone Hotel has a revolving carousel that serves as a centerpiece, with the bar stools revolvingaround the service area. E 214 Royal St. P 504/523–3341.

Crescent City Brewhouse. This convivial brewpub is known for its extensive menu of micro- and spe-cialty brews; three are brewed on the premises, with one seasonal selection. E 527 Decatur St.P 504/522–0571.

French 75. Sophistication awaits in the form of rich cigars and fine liquor served in cozy French-stylesurroundings. The specialty here is the French 75, made with a premium champagne. After a roundor two, venture upstairs to the Germaine Wells Mardi Gras Museum, showcase for many ball gownsworn by the original owner’s daughter. E 813 Bienville St. P 504/523–5433.

Kerry Irish Pub. One of a number of pleasant Irish-influenced bars along this strip of Decatur Street,Kerry’s is a small, friendly wisp of a pub. There’s no-cover live music every night and Guinness ondraft. E 331 Decatur St. P 504/527–5954.

Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop. Very popular with locals, Lafitte’s is an atmospheric bar in a rustic 18th-cen-tury cottage. Regulars often sing along around the pianist, but the small outdoor patio is also appeal-ing. You won’t feel like you’re on Bourbon Street here. E 941 Bourbon St. P 504/593–9761.

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Napoleon House Bar and Cafe. This vintage watering hole has long been popular with writers, artists,and other free spirits. Chipped paint, diffuse light, and a tiny courtyard with a trickling fountain andlush banana trees create a timeless escapist mood. The house specialty is a Pimm’s Cup; a menu in-cluding sandwiches and soups is also available. This is the perfect place for late-afternoon people-watching. E 500 Chartres St. P 504/524–9752.

O’Flaherty’s Irish Channel Pub. Here’s the spot if you find yourself hankering for a Guinness or a sin-gle-malt in a jovial pub setting. Proprietor Danny O’Flaherty often regales his guests with Irish fid-dling, and Saturday nights bring Irish dance classes. Local folk musicians set up here many other nightsof the week. E 508 Toulouse St. P 504/529–1317.

Old Absinthe House. This popular watering hole draws out-of-towners and locals from afternoon tolate at night. The decor consists of hundreds of business cards pinned to one wall, money papered onanother, and absinthe jugs hanging from the ceiling. It is a refreshingly low-key diversion from therest of Bourbon Street. E 240 Bourbon St. P 504/523–3181.

Pat O’Brien’s. One of the biggest tourist spots in town is also the home of the oversize alcoholic bev-erage known as the Hurricane. Actually five bars in one, Pat O’s claims to sell more liquor than anyother establishment in the world. E 718 St. Peter St. P 504/525–4823.

Faubourg Marigny & Bywaterd.b.a. A little slice of New York City comes courtesy of this Southern branch of New York’s East Vil-lage hot spot. The selection—chalkboards above the bar list quite a variety of scotches, rums, beers,and other drinks—makes this a candy store for adults. Jazz as well as other types of bands play in theback corner. E 618 Frenchmen St. P 504/942–3731.

Mimi’s. Mimi’s is just the spot to be on a pleasant evening. Large windows face Franklin and Royalstreets, and the bar is open on most nights, so you’ll feel a part of the Downtown neighborhood. Amenu of tapas means that you don’t have to leave for dinner. E 2601 Royal St. P 504/942–0690.

R Bar. A couple blocks off the main Frenchman strip is this unpretentious hangout. A jukebox full ofrock anchors the eclectic bar, the better half of a “bed-and-beverage” operation. Wayward locals drifthere late at night to play pool, twirl atop leopard-print bar stools, and drink cheap. E 1431 RoyalSt. P 504/948–7499.

CBD & Warehouse DistrictLoa. Just off the lobby of the fashionable International House hotel, this equally fashionable bar ex-udes a sense of urban cool unusual in laid-back New Orleans. Though it is upscale, Loa is also friendly,and even those in jeans will find a comfortable perch along the copper bar or at one of the low, can-dlelit tables beside picture windows looking onto the CBD. E 221 Camp St. P 504/200–6514.

Ugly Dog Saloon. An expansive barroom with big-screen sports, video games, and two pool tables, theUgly Dog also happens to serve some of the best barbecue in town. Lunchtime brings conventioneers,and dinner and late-night dining are the province of locals. Exceptionally friendly bartenders welcomeone and all. E 401 Andrew Higgins Dr. P 504/569–8459.

UptownThe Bulldog. The Dawg has 50 kinds of draft beer as well as an extensive bottled selection on a trendystrip of Magazine Street. This is a favorite haunt for Gen X, but other age groups are warmly wel-comed—particularly if they’re trivia buffs. Local trivia contestants often battle here in informal com-petition. E 3236 Magazine St. P 504/891–1516.

Columns Hotel. Sipping an evening cocktail on the expansive front porch of the Columns, shaded bycenturies-old oak trees, is one of the more romantic New Orleans experiences (made even better whena streetcar rattles by). The Victorian Lounge is appointed with period decor, a fireplace, and plentyof decaying elegance. E 3811 St. Charles Ave. P 504/899–9308.

F&M Patio Bar. For some people, an all-nighter in New Orleans isn’t complete until they’ve danced ontop of the pool table at this perpetually open hangout. There’s a loud jukebox, a popular photo booth,

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and a late-night kitchen (it gets going around 8 and keeps serving until early in the morning). Thetropical patio can actually be peaceful at times. You’ll need a car or a taxi to get here. E 4841 Tchoupi-toulas St. P 504/895–6784.

GAY & LESBIAN

BarsBourbon Pub. This 24-hour video bar with a mostly young male clientele has been popular since theearly 1980s. E 801 Bourbon St. P 504/529–2107.

Corner Pocket. Filmmaker John Waters has said the Corner Pocket is his favorite New Orleans bar.The big, oval bar can hold a half-dozen skinny, tattooed strippers. Sleazy fun, but keep your wits aboutyou. E 940 St. Louis St. P 504/568–9829.

Friendly Bar. True to its name, this convivial spot coddles gays and lesbians alike around a spaciousbar just a few blocks from the French Quarter. E 2301 Chartres St. P 504/943–8929.

Dance BarsParade Disco. This glitzy, high-energy disco above Bourbon Pub draws a young crowd of men (mostlygay) and some women. Mixes of classic, pop, and techno disco create a dance-lover’s delight. E 801Bourbon St., above Bourbon Pub P 504/529–2107.

MUSIC VENUES

French QuarterDonna’s Bar & Grill. Donna’s is a great place to hear traditional jazz, R&B, and the city’s young brassbands in an informal neighborhood setting. On Monday night many of New Orleans’s top musiciansstop by after their regular gigs to sit in for the diverse sets of drummer Bob French; free red beans andrice are served. E 800 N. Rampart St. P 504/596–6914.

House of Blues. Despite the club’s name, blues is a relatively small component of the bookings, whichalso embrace rock, jazz, country, soul, funk, and world music, performed by everyone from local artiststo international touring acts. The adjoining restaurant has an eclectic menu, with classic Southerncuisine in ample portions at reasonable prices. On Friday afternoon there’s happy hour in the VoodooGarden with free blues. E 225 Decatur St. P 504/529–2583 concert line.

Margaritaville Café. Yes, it’s named after that song. Jimmy Buffett’s devoted fans, called parrotheads,flock to this shrine to the singer-songwriter-author that has local and regional blues, rock, and Cajunperformers starting sets as early as 3 PM and going into the night. Menu items such as the Cheese-burger in Paradise derive from Buffett songs, and several varieties of the salt-rimmed signature drinkare served. E 1104 Decatur St. P 504/592–2565.

Palm Court Jazz Café. Banjo player Danny Barker immortalized this restaurant in his song “Palm CourtStrut.” The best of traditional New Orleans jazz is presented in a classy setting with tile floors, ex-posed brick walls, and a handsome mahogany bar. There are decent creature comforts here; Creoleand international cuisine is served, and you can sit at the bar and rub elbows with local musicians.E 1204 Decatur St. P 504/525–0200.

Faubourg Marigny & BywaterCafé Brasil. For many years, Café Brasil has been entrenched at the central Marigny corner of French-men and Chartres streets. Music, poetry readings, dance benefits, art shows—Brasil has seen it all,and when a popular local band is playing, it still throbs. But this club is unreliable on the music scene,sometimes closing for weeks at a time. E 2100 Chartres St. P 504/949–0851.

Snug Harbor. This intimate club is one of the city’s best rooms for soaking up modern jazz, blues, andR&B. It is the home base of such esteemed talent as vocalist Charmaine Neville and pianist-patriarchEllis Marsalis (father of Wynton and Branford). The dining room serves good local food but is bestknown for its burgers. E 626 Frenchmen St. P 504/949–0696.

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Spotted Cat. One of the more pleasant places to hear music in town is on the rattan furniture in thewindow of this comfortable little bar. A jazz band plays nightly. E 623 Frenchmen St. P 504/943–3887.

Vaughan’s. This neighborhood joint lights up on Thursday for Kermit Ruffins’s jazz sets. The neigh-borhood is not the safest, so a taxi is a necessity. E 4229 Dauphine St., at Lesseps St. P 504/947–5562.

CBD & Warehouse DistrictHowlin’ Wolf. A former grain-and-cotton warehouse holds a capacious club that’s popular with lo-cals. A grab bag of alternative rock, hip-hop, Latin music, and progressive country fills the schedule.E 828 S. Peters St. P 504/529–5844.

UptownMaple Leaf. An absolute institution, the Maple Leaf presses middle-school science teachers togetherwith the latest crop from Tulane University and everyone in between. Down-home and funky, withpressed-tin walls and overworked ceiling fans, this atmospheric place hosts blues, zydeco, R&B, andmore. E 8316 Oak St. P 504/866–9359.

Tipitina’s. The original Tip’s was founded in the mid-1970s as the home base for Professor Longhair,the pioneering rhythm-and-blues pianist and singer who died in 1980; the club takes its name fromone of his most popular songs. Tip’s hosts a variety of local and global acts. For about a decade BruceDaigrepont has played a weekly Cajun dance on Sunday from 5 to 9. E 501 Napoleon Ave. P 504/895–8477.

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Close UpIrma Thomas Reflects

Had Irma Thomas done nothingelse, her string of early 1960s hits—“Ruler of My Heart”,“Time Is onMy Side”, “I Wish Someone WouldCare”, “It's Raining”—would haveguaranteed her a spot in the pop-music firmament. But the SoulQueen of New Orleans and six-time great-grandmother has con-tinued to record and tour. From herhome in Gonzales, Louisiana,where she and her husband andmanager, Emile Jackson, movedafter Hurricane Katrina floodedtheir eastern New Orleans home,Irma shared her Katrina experiencewith Fodor’s.

Fodor's: How did your family makeout in the storm?

IT: Everybody came out fine....Everybody's affected by it, buteverybody got out safely.

Fodor's: Did you lose a lot in theflood?

IT: I had a crown that was given tome when they dubbed me SoulQueen of New Orleans. That wasnot to be found. In fact, 95% of myCD collection and VHS tapes fromvarious shows that I had per-formed on—all that was just gone. I found CDs half a block up thestreet that had floated out thedoor.

Fodor's: How do you feel about theprospects for New Orleans musicand musicians post-Katrina?

IT: It's going to be by trial anderror. And those who want to come

back will find a way to get back.None of us can predict what thefuture holds. But we are strivingtoward that end—to get back, andget the music industry in New Or-leans back to some semblance ofwhat it was, in terms of peoplewanting to come and see the localentertainers there.

I love New Orleans. I grew upthere, and the few years I stayedaway, I came back. I loved it somuch that I prepaid for my burialplot so nobody would have to takeup a collection to put me in theground. I mean, it's New Orleans.There's no city like that place, andthere never will be, in spite of whathas happened.

Fodor's: Will we see you at theNew Orleans Jazz and HeritageFestival?

IT: I've been playing JazzFest since1974. As of now, I have not missedone. Not yet.

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ShoppingThe main shopping areas in the city are the French Quarter, with its narrow streets lined withspecialty, gift, and antiques shops and art galleries; the Central Business District (CBD), with itsdepartment stores and clothing; the Warehouse District, popular for Julia Street’s contemporary-art galleries; and Magazine Street, between Jackson Avenue in the Garden District and AudubonPark, near Tulane University, for its antiques shops, galleries, and myriad fashion venues. Beloware the highlights of each area.

French Quarter

AntiquesThe French Quarter, especially Royal and Charters streets, is well known for its shops filled with fineantiques from the 17th to 20th centuries. The Royal Street Guild (P 504/524–1260 w www.royalstreetguild.com), a merchants’ association, distributes informative brochures in shops and ho-tels.

The French Antique Shop. One of the largest collections of European crystal and bronze chandeliers inthe country glitters on gilded mirrors, authentic 18th- and 19th-century European hand-carved man-tels, furniture, porcelain, and objets d’art. E 225 Royal St. P 504/524–9861 w www.gofrenchantiques.com.

Royal Antiques. Open since 1899, this shop specializes in French, English, and Continental antiquesfrom the 18th and 19th centuries, including furniture, chandeliers, estate jewelry, decorative arts, andmore. E 309 Royal St. P 504/524–7033 w www.royalantiques.com.

Waldhorn & Adler. New Orleans’s oldest antiques store, established in 1881, specializes in French, Ital-ian, and English furniture from the 18th, 19th, and early 20th centuries; estate jewelry; and watchesfrom such manufacturers as Rolex, Patek Philippe, and Cartier. E 343 Royal St. P 504/581–6379w www.waldhornadlers.com.

Art & Crafts GalleriesBergen Putman Gallery. Limited edition and original prints of Jazz Fest and Mardi Gras are among thethousands of prints in inventory, as well as posters and prints by local artists. E 730 Royal St.P 504/523–7882 or 800/621–6179 w www.bergenputmangallery.com.

Elliott Gallery. An impressive list of contemporary artists’ paintings and prints is for sale here, includ-ing works from Joan Miró, Theo Tobiasse, Max Papart, Nissan Engel, James Coignard, DavidSchneuer, and Garrick Yrondi. E 540 Royal St. P 504/523–3554 w www.elliottgallery.com.

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A Gallery for Fine Photography. The rare photographs and books here include work from such pio-neers as E. J. Bellocq, Ansel Adams, Henri Cartier-Bresson, and Julia Margaret Cameron. You canalso find work from contemporary masters Annie Leibovitz, Walker Evans, Herman Leonard, andHelmut Newton and local emerging artists. E 241 Chartres St. P 504/568–1313 w www.agallery.com.

Rodrigue Studios. The ubiquitous Blue Dog, collected by such celebrities as Whoopi Goldberg and TomBrokaw, is found in a number of settings; you can buy the images in original paintings or signed andnumbered silkscreen prints. E 721 Royal St. P 504/581–4244 w www.georgerodrigue.com.

Southern Expressions. New Orleans and Louisiana scenes are prevalent here: romantic French Quar-ter street and architectural images in watercolors by Tommy McAfee, and wildlife and landscape paint-ings by John Akers highlight the collection. E 521 St. Ann St. P 504/525–4530.

BooksFaulkner House Books. Named for William Faulkner, who in the 1920s lived and wrote here, this book-store specializes in rare and out-of-print books by Southern authors. It also hosts the annual Words& Music Festival, which salutes Faulkner and new Southern writers and musicians. E 624 Pirate’sAlley P 504/524–2940 w www.faulknerhousebooks.us.

Clothing & AccessoriesFifi Mahony’s. Drag queens love this store, as does anyone else looking for custom wigs, wild acces-sories, cosmetics for costuming, and creative advice. E 934 Royal St. P 504/525–4343 w www.fifi-mahony.com.

Fleur de Paris. The lavish display windows alone are worth a visit to the milliner, which has more than300 custom-made women’s hats fashioned from straw, felt, and everything in between, festooned withribbons, flowers, feathers, and veils. E 712 Royal St. P 504/525–1899.

Rouge Beauty. A beauty bar in the truest sense, this hip spot sells cosmetics not commonly found inNew Orleans, as well as designer and one-of-a-kind handbags, fun body products, and jewelry rang-ing from kitsch to upscale. E 901 Chartres St. P 504/525–8686 w www.rougebeauty.com.

Trashy Diva. Retro fashions inspired by the 1920s to ’50s are mixed with antique women’s apparel,romantic jewelry, upscale shoes, hats, and lamps handmade from vintage fabrics. E 825 Chartres St.P 504/581–4555 w www.trashydiva.com.

Victoria’s Shoes. The latest styles in women’s footwear by upscale designers such as Jimmy Choo, GiuseppeZanotti, and Charles David are the hallmark of this shoe emporium. E 532 Chartres St. P 504/568–9990.

Food & Gift PackagesAunt Sally’s Praline Shop. You can satisfy your sweet tooth with a flavorful array of pralines, from thetraditional confection of cane sugar spiked with pecans to newer versions with chocolate and otheringredients—all made in front of your eyes. There are other tasty items to choose from, including syrupand spices. E 810 Decatur St., in the French Market P 504/524–3373 w www.auntsallys.com.

Laura’s Candies. In the candy-making business since 1913, this shop sells not only mouthwatering pra-lines but also chocolate specialties, such as its signature Mississippi Mud, a concoction of milk or darkchocolate laced with caramel. E 331 Chartres St. P 504/525–3880 or 800/992–9699 w www.laurascandies.com.

MasksRumors. Thirty-five artists from around the country create masks from leather, ceramics, and feath-ers to wear on your face or lapel as jewelry, or to hang on your wall. There are also walking caneswith decorative handles and decorated juju dolls to bring good fortune. E 513 Royal St. P 504/525–0292 or 888/278-6672 w www.rumorsno.com.

Serendipitous Masks. A bejeweled carousel horse in the front of the store sets the style for the masks,which are made by local artists using exotic feathers, jewels, ceramics, and leather. There’s also an as-sortment of dressed-up dolls. E 831 Decatur St. P 504/522–9158.

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MusicLouisiana Music Factory. A favorite haunt for locals looking for New Orleans and regional music newand old, the retail store has vinyl records, cassette tapes, CDs, DVDs, sheet music, and books as wellas listening stations, music-oriented T-shirts, original art by musicians, and a stage for live concerts.E 210 Decatur St. P 504/586–1094 w www.louisianamusicfactory.com.

Novelties & GiftsCommunity Flea Market. Dozens of vendors selling jewelry, clothing, leather goods, art, music, books,and local crafts set up stands in this open-air market, which is typically open daily 7 AM–8 PM. Hoursvary depending on the weather and season. E Governor Nicholls St., in the French Market P 504/596–3420 w www.frenchmarket.org.

Gumbo Ya-Ya. Functional souvenirs will help you remember your Crescent City trip if you pick uplogo T-shirts, cups and glasses, pajama sets, hats, a piano-keyboard plate, or a New Orleans cook-book. E 219 Bourbon St. P 504/522–7484 w www.gumboyaya.com.

PerfumesHové Parfumeur, Ltd. For three generations, Hové has created fragrances for men and women. Scentedoils, soaps, sachets, and potpourri are made to order on site. House favorites include the quintessen-tial New Orleans scents of Tea Olive and Vetivert, but dozens of other combinations are available.The store also sells new and antique perfume bottles, shaving sets, and other bed-and-bath accou-trements. E 824 Royal St. P 504/525–7827 w www.hoveparfumeur.com.

CBD & Warehouse DistrictCanal Place. At the river end of Canal Street and the edge of the French Quarter, this upscale mall hasmore than 60 shops, mostly national chains, including Saks Fifth Avenue, Gucci, Williams-Sonoma,Pottery Barn, Banana Republic, Ann Taylor, and Brooks Brothers. E 333 Canal St. P 504/522–9200w www.theshopsatcanalplace.com.

Riverwalk Marketplace. On the site of the 1984 World’s Fair International Pavilion, Riverwalk pro-vides a scenic view of the Mississippi River from its long balcony and a half-mile stretch of shoppingand dining venues. You’ll find local businesses such as Café du Monde and souvenir-laden stores aswell as such national chains as Abercrombie & Fitch, the Gap, Banana Republic, and Bebe. (As ofthis writing, only 50% of the shops are open.) E 1 Poydras St. P 504/522–1555 w www.riverwalkmarketplace.com.

Art & Crafts GalleriesArthur Roger Gallery. A required stop for aficionados who want to expand their collection of contem-porary art, this gallery represents Louisiana artists, including Lin Emery, Jacqueline Bishop, andWillie Birch, and international names such as glass artist Dale Chihuly and filmmaker-photographerJohn Waters. E 432 Julia St. P 504/522–1999 w www.arthurrogergallery.com.

Contemporary Arts Center. Focusing on visual and performing arts by mostly local and regional artists,the center consistently provides innovative exhibits, from the beautiful to the bizarre. E 900 CampSt. P 504/523–1216 w www.cacno.org.

George Schmidt Gallery. Artist George Schmidt creates exhibits of “history painting, narrative art, andother reactionary works on canvas and paper,” from small-scale monotypes to mural-size depictionsof historic moments. E 626 Julia St. P 504/592–0206 w www.georgeschmidt.com.

New Orleans School of Glassworks and Printmaking Studio. The South’s largest glassblowing and print-making studio has a viewing room where you can watch glassblowers at work. The gallery includesfunctional and display art in glass as well as metal sculptures. E 727 Magazine St. P 504/529–7277w www.neworleansglassworks.com.

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Steve Martin Studio. Paintings and sculptures by emerging regional artists are showcased in the frontgallery and up a staircase, and the top floor is dedicated to the dynamic wire sculptures of artist-ownerSteve Martin. E 624 Julia St. P 504/566–1390.

Sylvia Schmidt Gallery. The showroom displays some of the region’s most respected contemporary re-alist painters and leans toward the whimsical, especially in the work of Louisiana artists Robert War-rens and Sibylle Peretti. E 400A Julia St. P 504/522–2000.

Magazine Street

Art & Crafts GalleriesThomas Mann Gallery I/O. Handmade jewelry by Thomas Mann, known for his unique “techno-romantic” pins, earrings, bracelets, and necklaces, is showcased here along with creations by a chang-ing slate of other artists. An eclectic mix of housewares, sculpture, and unique gifts rounds out theselection. E 1812 Magazine St. P 504/581–2113 w www.thomasmann.com.

BooksGarden District Book Shop. Gothic novelist Anne Rice has started all her book tours here, and auto-graphed copies and limited editions of her work are usually in stock. The store also gives special at-tention to other regional books and new fiction. E 2727 Prytania St. P 504/895–2266.

ClothingFunky Monkey. Popular among locals, especially college students, the clothing exchange mixes usedand vintage clothing for men and women with hipster couture, new designs, handmade costumes, andquirky accessories, all at affordable prices. E 3127 Magazine St. P 504/899–5587.

Turncoats. It’s a clothing store that doubles as an art gallery. Men’s and women’s used, vintage, new,and reconstructed apparel is transformed by adding silk-screened images, appliqué, and other deco-rations. The fashions are edgy and often unique, which makes this place a hit with the college crowd.E 1926 Magazine St. P 504/299–9004 w www.turncoats.net.

Novelties & GiftsRelics. Pillows handcrafted from vintage fabrics, clocks made from advertising signs, offbeat furni-ture, garden decor, and household accessories are sold in this eclectic shop. E 2010 Magazine St. P 504/524–9190.

Simon of New Orleans. French expatriate chef-turned-artist Simon Hardeveld fills his shop with wildlycolorful fantasies painted on found materials. He also stocks rustic antiques. E 2126 Magazine St.P 504/561–0088.

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Where to StayDeciding where to stay in New Orleans has everything to do with what youwant from your visit. For those who wish to soak up the local color and ex-perience the city’s rich culture, a French Quarter hotel or bed-and-breakfast is the best choice. New Orleans, much like New York, is a walk-ing city. If you’re visiting for the first time, book a hotel that is centrally lo-cated and within walking distance of major attractions. International chainsare well represented in the French Quarter and the CBD/Warehouse Dis-trict. For more options, check www.fodors.com/neworleans.

As of this writing, all of the hotels below are open; however, many are undercontract to provide rooms for FEMA and other relief agencies.

French Quarter/Faubourg Marigny

HotelsX Wyndham New Orleans at Canal Place. The Wyndham was designed with views in mind. The huge,rose-color Carrara-marble lobby, with European antiques, jardinieres, and a grand piano, is on the11th floor of the Canal Place shopping mall. Two-story arched windows overlook the French Quar-ter and the great bend in the Mississippi River. Rooms have marble foyers and baths. E 100 IbervilleSt., 70130 P504/566–7006 or 800/996–3426 B504/553–5120 wwww.wyndham.com a438 rooms,41 suites t Restaurant, room service, minibars, pool, bar, lobby lounge c AE, D, DC, MC, V.

X Omni Royal Orleans Hotel. This elegant white-marble hotel built in 1960 is a replica of the grandSt. Louis Hotel of the 1800s. Sconce-enhanced columns, gilt mirrors, fan windows, and three mag-nificent chandeliers re-create the atmosphere of old New Orleans. Some rooms have marble bathsand marble-top dressers and tables; others have balconies. The rooftop pool has the best overheadview of the French Quarter in the city. E 621 St. Louis St., 70140 P 504/529–5333 or 800/843–6664 B 504/529–7089 w www.omnihotels.com a 346 rooms, 16 suites t Restaurant, pool, gym,hair salon, 3 lounges, business services, meeting room, parking (fee) c AE, D, DC, MC.

X W Hotel New Orleans French Quarter. Most rooms in this hotel are in the main building, and manyhave balconies that overlook either the courtyard or Chartres Street. Some have French doors thatopen directly onto a sundeck. Two of the four carriage-house suites share a cheery sundeck; othersoverlook a courtyard. The hotel also provides a “whatever, whenever” policy—24-hour conciergeswill find you those barbecued ribs you crave at 3 AM, a deep-tissue massage on command, or even alast-minute gown for a Mardi Gras ball. E 316 Chartres St., 70130 P 504/581–1200 or 800/448–4927 B 504/523–2910 w www.whotels.com a 98 rooms, 4 suites t Restaurant, pool, bar, meet-ing room, parking (fee) c AE, D, DC, MC, V.

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X Hotel Maison de Ville. This small romantic hotel lies in seclusion amid the hustle and bustle of theFrench Quarter. Tapestry-covered chairs, a gas fire burning in the sitting room, and antiques-furnishedrooms all contribute to a 19th-century atmosphere. Some rooms are in former slave quarters in thecourtyard; others are on the upper floors of the main house. Those who seek a special hideaway willlove the hotel’s Audubon Cottages. E 727 Toulouse St., 70130 P 504/561–5858 or 800/634–1600B 504/528–9939 w www.maisondeville.com a 14 rooms, 2 suites, 7 cottages t Restaurant, mini-bars, pool, parking (fee); no kids under 12 c AE, D, DC, MC, V.

X Monteleone Hotel. The grande dame of French Quarter hotels, with an ornate baroque facade, liv-eried doormen, and shimmering lobby chandeliers, was built in 1886 and has recently undergone arenovation. Rooms are extra large and luxurious, with rich fabrics and a mix of four-poster beds,brass beds, and beds with traditional headboards. Junior suites are spacious, and sumptuous VIP suitescome with extra pampering. The slowly revolving Carousel Piano Bar in the lobby is a local land-mark. E 214 Royal St., 70130 P 504/523–3341 or 800/535–9595 B 504/528–1019 w www.hotelmonteleone.com a 600 rooms, 55 suites t 3 restaurants, pool, gym, spa, bar, concierge, In-ternet, business services, meeting room c AE, D, DC, MC, V.

X Royal Sonesta Hotel. Step from the revelry of Bourbon Street into the marble elegance of thisrenowned hotel’s lobby, where lush plants enhance a cool, serene atmosphere. Most guest rooms areof average size, furnished with light-color reproduction antiques: many have French doors that openonto balconies or patios. Rooms facing Bourbon Street can be noisy, but most are sufficiently sound-proof. The charming Desire Oyster Bar on the lobby level faces Bourbon Street and serves local seafooddelicacies. E 300 Bourbon St., 70140 P 504/586–0300 or 800/766–3782 B 504/586–0335 w www.royalsonestano.com a 500 rooms, 32 suites t 2 restaurants, minibars, pool, gym, bar, nightclub,concierge floor, business services, parking (fee) c AE, D, DC, MC, V.

Guesthouses & Bed-and-BreakfastsX Melrose Mansion. Down pillows and fine milled soaps; full breakfast served poolside, in a formaldining room, or in your room; and 19th-century Louisiana antiques are among the attractions of thishandsome 1884 Victorian mansion. Rooms and suites are spacious, with high ceilings and polishedhardwood floors. Baths are sumptuous affairs; those in suites have hot tubs. E 937 Esplanade Ave.,70116 P 504/944–2255 B 504/945–1794 w www.melrosegroup.com a 8 rooms, 4 suites t Poolc AE, D, MC, V.

X Soniat House. This singularly handsome property comprises three meticulously restored townhouses built in the 1830s. Polished hardwood floors, Oriental rugs, and American and European an-tiques are complemented by contemporary artwork. Some rooms and suites have hot tubs. Exotic plantsfill two secluded courtyards. Many regular New Orleans visitors consider this the city’s finest hotel.E1133 Chartres St., 70116 P504/522–0570 or 800/544–8808 B504/522–7208 wwww.soniathouse.com a 20 rooms, 13 suites t Concierge, Wi-Fi (fee), business services, parking (fee) c AE, MC, V.

X Vieux Carré Palms. In a residential neighborhood on the edge of the French Quarter, this elegantlyfurnished, spacious bed-and-breakfast provides a private, intimate setting and quick access to FrenchQuarter attractions. The smell of fresh French pastries fills the hallways every morning. Rooms arespacious, well appointed, and homey; some face tree-lined Esplanade Avenue. This inn is for travel-ers who want privacy, upscale home-style comfort, and easy access to the French Quarter and Down-town attractions. E 723 Esplanade Ave., 70116 P 504/949–2572 or 800/523–9091 B 504/949–2572 a 4 suites c MC, V.

X Hotel Villa Convento. The Campo family provides round-the-clock service in this four-story 1848Creole town house. Although it’s just blocks from the Quarter’s tourist attractions, shopping, andgreat restaurants, this guesthouse is on a surprisingly quaint, quiet street, close to the Old UrsulineConvent. Furnished with reproductions of antiques, rooms vary in price; some have balconies, chan-deliers, or ceiling fans. E 616 Ursulines St., 70116 P 504/522–1793 B 504/524–1902 w www.villaconvento.com a 25 rooms c AE, D, DC, MC, V.

X Bon Maison Guest House. Quaint accommodations lie within the gates of this 1840 town house onthe relatively quiet end of Bourbon Street. Rooms in the former slave quarters, off the lush brick patiowith tropical plants, are pleasantly furnished and have ceiling fans. There are two large suites withkitchenettes in the main house. All rooms have private entrances, kitchenettes, and baths. E 835 Bour-bon St., 70116 Q 504/561–8498 w www.bonmaison.com a 3 rooms, 2 suites c MC, V.

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CBD & Warehouse District

HotelsX Renaissance Arts Hotel. Art lovers looking to stay close to Downtown but not in the CBD shouldcheck out this hotel, in what was once a furniture warehouse. Local gallery owner Arthur Rogers hand-selected every piece of art in the hotel and opened a second location of his nationally acclaimed galleryon the lobby level. Rooms are furnished with a minimalist bent and are quite comfortable, spacious,and well designed. E 700 Tchoupitoulas St., 70130 P 504/613–2330 or 800/431–8634 B 504/613–2331 w www.marriott.com a 208 rooms, 9 suites t Restaurant, in-room safes, minibars, cable TV,in-room data ports, pool, lounge, concierge, Internet, business services c AE, D, DC, MC, V.

X Renaissance Pere Marquette Hotel. Inside this historic Downtown urban-chic property, rooms aregenerously sized and surprisingly quiet, even though the hotel sits in the middle of the Central Busi-ness District. Rooms are done in soothing colors and comfortable fabrics, and each has an oversizemarble bathroom. A jazz theme is carried throughout the hotel, with each floor named after arenowned musician. E 817 Common St., 70112 P 504/525–1111 or 800/372–0482 B 504/525–0688 w www.renaissancehotels.com a 275 rooms, 5 suites t Restaurant, room service, in-roomsafes, cable TV with movies, in-room data ports, pool, gym, lounge, shop, babysitting, laundry serv-ice, concierge, business services c AE, D, DC, MC, V.

X W Hotel New Orleans. The sleek, contemporary blend of East Coast sophistication and Southerncharm leads to inspired accommodations. The lobby has a trendy upscale look. Rooms are decoratedin red and black, with first-rate amenities such as Bliss bath products and goose-down pillows andcomforters; 100 are designated as home-office rooms. E 333 Poydras St., 70130 P 504/525–9444or 800/777–7372 B 504/586–9928 w www.whotels.com a 423 rooms, 23 suites t Café, in-roomdata ports, health club, 3 lounges, Internet, parking (fee) c AE, D, DC, MC, V.

X Hotel InterContinental. One of the major convention hotels, the InterContinental is a modern rose-granite structure overlooking St. Charles Avenue. Public spaces include a spacious, inviting second-floor lobby and a peaceful sculpture garden. Guest rooms are large and well lighted, with matchingdraperies and quilted spreads. E 444 St. Charles Ave., 70130 P 504/525–5566 or 800/445–6563B 504/585–4387 w www.intercontinental.com a 482 rooms, 20 suites t 3 restaurants, minibars,pool, gym, pub, dry cleaning, laundry service, parking (fee) c AE, D, DC, MC, V.

X Lafayette Hotel. This small brick building has housed the Lafayette since it was built, in 1916. Hand-some millwork, brass fittings, and marble baths adorn the property throughout. The lobby is tiny butchic, and guest rooms are spacious and sunny. Some rooms have four-poster beds; all have cushy easychairs and ottomans. Some rooms on the second floor have floor-length windows opening onto a bal-cony; a number overlook Lafayette Square. E 600 St. Charles Ave., 70130 P 504/524–4441 or 800/733–4754 B 504/523–7327 w www.thelafayettehotel.com a 24 rooms, 20 suites t Restaurant, mini-bars, dry cleaning, laundry service, concierge, Internet, parking (fee), no-smoking rooms c AE, D,DC, MC, V.

X Le Pavillon Hotel. Magnificent chandeliers adorn the European-style lobby of this historic hotel dat-ing from 1907, and a handsome collection of artwork lines the corridors. The marble railing in theclubby Gallery Lounge is originally from the Grand Hotel in Paris. Guest rooms have high ceilingsand identical traditional decor; suites are particularly luxurious. E 833 Poydras St., 70112 P 504/581–3111 or 800/535–9095 B 504/522–5543 w www.lepavillon.com a 219 rooms, 7 suitest Restaurant, pool, gym, hot tub, bar, laundry service, parking (fee), no-smoking floor c AE, D,DC, MC, V.

X Windsor Court Hotel. Exquisite, gracious, elegant, eminently civilized—these words are frequentlyused to describe Windsor Court, but all fail to capture the wonderful quality of this hotel. Plush car-peting, canopy and four-poster beds, stocked wet bars, marble vanities, oversize mirrors, and dress-ing areas are just some of the pampering touches. The hotel is four blocks from the French Quarter.E 300 Gravier St., 70130 P 504/523–6000 or 800/262–2662 B 504/596–4513 w www.windsorcourthotel.com a 58 rooms, 266 suites, 2 penthouses t 2 restaurants, in-room data ports,Internet, business center, pool, health club, hot tub, sauna, steam room, lobby lounge, laundry serv-ice, parking (fee) c AE, D, DC, MC, V.

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X Sheraton New Orleans. The oversize atrium-like lobby of this hotel is usually bustling with conven-tioneers. A tropical atmosphere permeates the Pelican Bar, which presents jazz nightly and sells a fineassortment of cigars. Roux Bistro encircles the second level. Executive rooms come with many ameni-ties, but even the regular guest rooms are spacious and well appointed. E 500 Canal St., 70130 P 504/525–2500 or 800/253–6156 B 504/592–5615 w www.sheratonneworleans.com a 1,100 rooms, 72suites t 3 restaurants, pool, health club, bar, lobby lounge, parking (fee), no-smoking rooms c AE,D, DC, MC, V.

Garden District/Uptown

HotelsX Pontchartrain Hotel. Maintaining the grand tradition is the hallmark of this elegant, European-stylehotel, which has reigned on St. Charles Avenue since 1927. Accommodations range from lavish sun-filled suites to small pension-type rooms with showers only (no bathtubs). The Pontchartrain has beenthe honeymoon hotel for such famous couples as Prince Aly Kahn and Rita Hayworth; suite nameswill tell you who else has passed through. Nowadays, though, the hotel sees more businesspeople thancelebrities. E 2031 St. Charles Ave., 70140 P 504/524–0581 or 800/777–6193 B 504/524–7828w www.pontchartrainhotel.com a 99 rooms, 19 suites t 2 restaurants, piano bar, concierge, park-ing (fee) c AE, D, DC, MC, V.

X Columns Hotel. This impressive, white-columned, 1883 Victorian-style hotel is listed on the NationalRegister of Historic Places. The wide veranda, set with cloth-covered tables for outdoor dining or cock-tails, is inviting, as are the two period-furnished parlors. One of the most impressive staircases youwill ever climb leads to large, somewhat sparsely furnished rooms. If you can wrangle a Mardi Grasweekend reservation at the Columns you will have one of the best seats on St. Charles Avenue for thenightly parades. E 3811 St. Charles Ave., 70115 P 504/899–9308 or 800/445–9308 B 504/899–8170 w www.thecolumns.com a 20 rooms t Dining room, bar; no room TVs c AE, MC, V.

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FODOR’S NEW ORLEANS

Editors: William Travis, Paul Eisenberg

Editorial Production: Linda K. Schmidt

Editorial Contributors: Kandace Power Graves, Paul A. Greenberg,Molly Jahncke, Russell McCulley, Sue Strachan, Jackie Terrebonne,Troy Thibodeaux

Maps: Mark Stroud and Henry Colomb, Moon Street Cartography;David Lindroth, Inc., cartographers; Rebecca Baer and Bob Blake,map editors

Design: Fabrizio La Rocca, creative director; Melanie Marin, seniorpicture editor

PHOTO CREDITS:

Pages 1 and 32: (left) José Fuste Raga/age fotostock; (middle) DavidRichmond/NewOrleansOnline.com; (right) Doug Scott/age fotostock.Page 2: William Travis. Page 3: (left) Richard Nowitz/New OrleansMetropolitan Convention & Visitors Bureau; (right)IllinoisPhoto.com. Page 5: (left) NASA/Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS LandRapid Response Team; (middle) REUTERS/Rick Wilking; (left) GaryNichols/FEMA/IllinoisPhoto.com; (sidebar) William Travis. Page 9: (left) Doug Scott/age fotostock; (middle) GNOTCC, MichaelTerranova; (right) Carl Purcell/New Orleans Metropolitan Convention& Visitors Bureau. Page 13: (left) Jeff Strout/New OrleansMetropolitan Convention & Visitors Bureau; (right) RomneyCaruso/New Orleans Metropolitan Convention and Visitors Bureau,Inc. Page 15: NewOrleansOnline.com. Page 16: (left) DavidRichmond/NewOrleansOnline.com; (middle)NewOrleansOnline.com; (right) Richard Nowitz/New OrleansMetropolitan Convention & Visitors Bureau.

Page 17: NewOrleansOnline.com. Page 18: William Travis. Page 19: Rough Guides/Alamy. Page 20: (left) James DavisPhotography/Alamy; (right) Richard Cummins/viestiphoto.com. Page 23: Craig Lovell/Eagle Visions Photography/Alamy. Page 24: (left) Corbis; (right) David Richmond/NewOrleansOnline.com. Page 28: (left) Corbis; (right) CarlPurcell/New Orleans Metropolitan Convention & Visitors Bureau.

COPYRIGHT

Copyright © 2006 by Fodor’s Travel, a division of Random House, Inc.

Fodor’s is a registered trademark of Random House, Inc.

All rights reserved under International and Pan-American CopyrightConventions. Published in the United States by Fodor’s Travel, adivision of Random House, Inc., and simultaneously in Canada byRandom House of Canada Limited, Toronto. Distributed by RandomHouse, Inc., New York.

No maps, illustrations, or other portions of this book may bereproduced in any form without written permission from thepublisher.

AN IMPORTANT TIP & AN INVITATION

Although all prices, opening times, and other details in this bookare based on information supplied to us at press time, changesoccur all the time in the travel world, and Fodor’s cannot acceptresponsibility for facts that become outdated or for inadvertenterrors or omissions. So always confirm information when it matters,especially if you’re making a detour to visit a specific place. Yourexperiences—positive and negative—matter to us. If we have missedor misstated something, please write to us. We follow up on allsuggestions. Contact the New Orleans editor at editors@fodors.comor c/o Fodor’s at 1745 Broadway, New York, New York 10019.

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USEFUL LINKSBe sure to visit Fodors.com (w www.fodors.com), a complete travel-planning site. You can researchprices and book plane tickets, hotel rooms, rental cars, vacation packages, and more. In addition, youcan post your pressing questions in the Travel Talk section. Other planning tools include a currencyconverter and weather reports, and there are loads of links to travel resources.

City of New Orleans (w www.cityofno.com), the city’s official site. La Fete News (w www.lafetenews.com)for daily updates on the city. New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau (w www.neworleanscvb.com).New Orleans Tourism Marketing Corporation (wwww.neworleansonline.com). The Times-Picayune(w www.nola.com), the city’s daily newspaper.

Right now, almost every nonprofit in the city has a fund set up directly for Katrina Relief. Nationallythe American Red Cross, the United Way, the Salvation Army, and other groups have Katrina and Ritasites. The Network for Good has links to a number of relief sites.

American Red Cross (w www.redcross.org). Network for Good (w www.networkforgood.org). SalvationArmy (w www.salvationarmyusa.org). United Way (w volunteer.united-e-way.org/cng-uwa-hurricane/donate).

UPCOMING EVENTSHeld at the Audubon Zoo, Earth Fest (P 866/487–1966 w www.auduboninstitute.org) is a fun-fillededucational celebration with exhibits, shows, and nationally known entertainers, all with an eye onthe environment. Because of ongoing recovery efforts at the Audubon Zoo, please call to confirm timesof the event.The Tennessee Williams/New Orleans Literary Festival and Writer’s Conference (P 504/581–1144 w www.tennesseewilliams.net), held in the French Quarter, celebrates the life and cultural legacy of the famousplaywright. Events include panel discussions, French Quarter walking tours, music, food-and-winetastings, and stagings of Williams’s plays. Everyone’s favorite event? The Stanley and Stella scream-ing match that takes place in Jackson Square.

Held in Woldenberg Riverfront Park, the French Quarter Festival (P 504/522–5730 or 800/673–5725w www.frenchquarterfestivals.com) is a weekend of free entertainment for all ages and includes morethan 150 musical performances on 15 stages. There are food-and-beverage booths in Jackson Squareand the world’s largest jazz brunch.

The 37th New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival (P 504/522–4786 w www.nojazzfest.com), held at itstraditional home, Fair Ground Race Course, will host thousands of New Orleans musicians, chefs,and artisans. Fats Domino, who will perform at this year’s festival, will be honored as the subject ofthe Official 2006 Jazz Fest Poster, the most-collected poster series in the world.

The multiday New Orleans Wine & Food Experience (P 504/529–9463 w www.nowfe.com) is a chanceto sample the cuisine of the best local chefs, plus wines from around the world. Culinary-seminar hostsinclude Dave Lieberman, Food Network celebrity and author, and Michele Scicolone, coauthor of TheSopranos Family Cookbook and noted wine educator, and her husband, Charles Scicolone.

MAY 24–28

APRIL 28–MAY 7

APRIL 21–23

MARCH 30–APRIL 2

MARCH 18–19

HURRICANERELIEF

VISITORINFO

For the latest information go to www.fodors.com/neworleans

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