This is a rundown of some of the places we will be hitting in New Orleans this summer. As a family we like to keep things on a budget so we won’t be making it to any of the really high end places this time around, but we are still going to be eating well. So here are the places on our “hit list” and a short description too, I’ll provide an Internet link for those places that have a web presence as well.

Cafe du Monde (http://www.cafedumonde.com/) – Established in 1862 and serving cafe’ au lait and beignets ever since, this historic coffee stand is located on Decatur Street in the French Quarter. An order of beignets includes three of the pillow shaped crispy fried yeast dough squares topped with a generous amount of powdered sugar. It is open 7 days a week and 24 hours a day with the exception of Christmas Day and the occasional day a hurricane passes through the area, in fact it did close for Hurricane Katrina at midnight before the storm hit and remained closed for about two months. During this time the owners took the opportunity to renovate the kitchen while the population was also returning and in the initial stages of rebuilding. The French Quarter location re-opened up to great fanfare on October 19, 2005 and has remained open since. Since the 1980’s Cafe du Monde has opened up many retail locations at local shopping malls in and around New Orleans and the Northshore.

800 Decatur Street, New Orleans, LA 70116
Open 24 hours a day, closed 6pm December 24, opens 6am December 26
(504) 525-4544

Palace Cafe (http://www.palacecafe.com/) –  Opened on March 11, 1991 by Dickie Brennan from the famous New Orleans restaurateur family of the same name, this restaurant features a casual dining room but an upscale menu at a moderate price point. Located on Canal Street in the heart of Downtown New Orleans, it is only 6 blocks from the Mississippi River. Some of their famous dishes include the Crabmeat Cheesecake, Andouille Crusted Gulf Fish, and the White Chocolate Bread Pudding is not to be missed. While not on the regular menu anymore, one appetizer that was a hit in it’s early years was Oyster Shooters, the last time we ate there and mentioned it to the waiter he said that it can be requested if called in ahead or while making reservations. Palace Cafe is open for both lunch and dinner, and for brunch on Sunday. Reservations are recommended, but not required, and the dress code is upscale casual and jackets are not required.

605 Canal Street, New Orleans, LA 70116                                                                                                                  Lunch 11:30-2:30 Monday – Friday
Dinner 5:30-9:00 Monday-Saturday
Brunch 10:30-2:30 Sunday
(504) 523-1661

Quartermaster Store – Located on the corner of Bourbon Street and Ursulines Avenue in the French Quarter this is one of those off the beaten path places that only the locals now about. The Quartermaster is a small corner grocery store that French Quarter residents frequent and it also has a deli in the back that serves breakfast, hot lunch meals and makes some of the best Po-Boys in town. One of our favorites is the Philly Cheese Steak Po-Boy, it is to die for! The only thing is that all the food is take out or delivery and will even bring liquor, beer and wine to your doorstep as well in the French Quarter service area, there is no in-house seating. If you want to go where some of the locals go for a quick take out lunch or Po-Boy sandwich in the French Quarter, this is the place, I guarantee! Prices are very reasonable too!

1100 Bourbon St. New Orleans, LA 70116                                                                                                                        (504) 529-1416

Da Wabbit – Another place where only the locals go to eat and drink, and it is located on the Westbank across the Mighty Mississippi River in Gretna, LA. A neighborhood bar and restaurant with a name like that you can only guess that they would have some rabbit on the menu too! And it is some good eating at this fun family restaurant. It is also known as Cafe 615 Home of Da Wabbitt and it features seafood dishes prepared grilled, fried, boiled, or broiled. The boiled crawfish is some of the best you can get while they are in season which is typically from early spring to mid summer months where they peak typically in the April to May time frame. The Thursday special is typically the fried rabbit with white beans and rice, and is not to be missed.

615 Kepler St, Gretna, LA 70053
(504) 365-1225