Notes from Shemetra on New Orleans

These are my notes - taken in haste - while waiting for our first course at Delfino's last week. If anyone is traveling to N.O. anytime soon check these places out and report back.

Okay, here are my notes from Shemetra who begs a big disclaimer that although she has been back one time since Katrina she hasn't lived in N.O. since Katrina so she's afraid some of this might be outdated. Plus, she has refrained from sending you to places that have great food, but that (in her words) "you'd be shot dead if you went there."

Also, she said, her favorite place to eat in N.O. is her mother's kitchen and since that wasn't a real option for you I'm not listing it. She said not to bother getting red beans and rice since her mom's his the best, but I'm not entirely sure you need to follow her advice that closely...

Lunch:
Mendina's (off Canal Street - take street car all the way up - before the bend where all the cemetaries are)

French style lunch: Degas (across from City Park and Museum). She says go to the museum in the morning and have lunch at Degas.

Spanish style lunch: Lola's paella (byob) - near the fair grounds

At 10:00am go to Mother's and order the package "Gumbo to Go" - freeze it and then right before leaving for the airport wrap it in a double layer of aluminum foil and bring it home with you - make gumbo when you get back and fell like your still in N.O.
(Shemetra says don't eat at Mother's - always crowded and overrated in her opinion, but if you ignore her advice she says that you could get a good Po' Boy there)

Places with great service:
A must: Antoine's (in the French Quarter) for Eggs Benedict.
Galatoire's (old N.O. style service) try the bread pudding souffle
Bayona's kind of nuovo, but amazing

You could go to Paul Prudhomme's restaurant "Cape Halls" - she gives it a nod.

Then she stressed "be careful what neighborhood you go to and what time of day - I have no idea where the bad neighborhoods are these days."

And the final vague suggestion (she couldn't remember the name), "there is a great place off the causeway for barbeque shrimp"... for what it is worth.

Hope you have a great time and enjoy some great eats.