Appeal editor and publisher Jeff Ackerman is right. New Orleans is not a "Positive Place for Kids" and it may not have been the best venue for the national conventional of the Boys and Girls Club that he attended recently, but it is a great place for a Superbowl.
My first trip to New Orleans was for Super Bowl XXIV, the Forty-Niners versus the Broncos in 1990.
Besides having a ball, so to speak, at the Super Bowl, I fell in love with the city. Since then, I, along with my husband and a variety of family and friends, have made a pilgrimage to New Orleans almost every year. I love the music, the architecture, the history, the ambiance, the friendly people, the soft warm breezes, but even if New Orleans did not have all of that, I would go just for the food.
If Jeff had consulted with me prior to leaving, I could have made some suggestions for his visit. After checking into the hotel, we always go directly, do not pass go, to the Acme Oyster House, to enjoy a dozen of the best oysters God ever made with a Dixie beer.
Leaving the Acme, we turn right, not left. This way we avoid Bourbon Street almost completely. To judge New Orleans by Bourbon Street is like judging Carson City by the Lucky Spur.
There is only one reason to go to Bourbon Street and that is Galitoires. This is a New Orleans tradition. They do not take reservations and until the last few years they did not take credit cards. New Orleans power brokers still meet here for lunch, so while it is on Bourbon Street, it is very much a locals hangout. The food is great. For an appetizer, I recommend the crab maison and shrimp remoulade, the Pompano Almandine is always good and the bread pudding is great. A side of puffy potatoes souffle is a must. This year I had the soft shell crab fresh from their tanks and it was incredible.
In between meals I recommend lots of walking through the cobbled streets of the French Quarter or the elegant Garden District. Even better, a run on the river walk or through Audubon Park, otherwise you'll blow up like New Orleans chef Paul Prudhomme.
Jeff is right, turtle soup is not green. What he may not have known is that the main ingredient is not turtle but rather veal. The best turtle soup I have found is at Mandinas, which is like treating your taste buds to Christmas. Be sure to get the drizzle of sherry on the top.
I am not sure what was in that Hurricane that Jeff drank but he is correct, it is not fit for human consumption. Avoid the Hurricanes at all costs but do go to Pat O'Briens and enjoy the dueling pianos. In between meals, there is music.
If Jeff has never been before, Preservation Hall is a must. This is traditional New Orleans Jazz at its best. He might have caught one of the Nevilles or the smooth sounds of Ellis Marsalis (the daddy of Wynton and the boys) on the piano at the intimate Smug Harbor. Irma Thomas often plays at her place, the Lion's Den, but one of the most unique venues is the Mid-City Lanes Rock and Bowl. This is a bowling alley that features some of the best Zydeco music in the region, Zachary Richard, BooZoo Chavis, and Wayne Toups, and he could have bowled a few rounds, too.
If he had the time and energy, he could have checked out Jimmy's, a great place to see Marcia Ball or Les Bon Temps Roulez, where he might have caught Sun Pie. My best advice, do not stop dancing, it burns calories and you are preparing for your next meal.
At this point, the choices become overwhelming: Emerils, Commanders Palace, NOLA, Mikes on the Avenue, Brennan's, Antoine's, the Rib Room, try at least one of these. In between, a Muffelata sandwich and a Dixie beer from the Central Grocery is a must. We go across the street and eat it while watching the tankers make the Big Easy (a bend in the Mississippi River where many a boat has crashed). Often times an old, toothless, African-American man will offer to serenade us with Otis Ridding's "Sittin' at the Dock of the Bay." He is thoroughly entertaining.
New Orleans schools are not the best, the city has a history of police corruption, crime is a concern and I am not really sure about the water supply, I never drank any of it; why would you when you can have a Dixie. Next year the Boys and Girls Club should have their convention in Akron and save New Orleans for the Super Bowl.
Linda E. Johnson is a wife, mother, attorney and a 25-year resident of Carson City. After Carson City and San Francisco, New Orleans is her favorite city.
