Frugal Gourmet Trip Report part one

As you can see, I like the bang for the buck. I spend the money, I know it has to be done, but...

Day One: Flew American Airlines. I know people have had problem with this carrier, but we didn%26#39;t. Hotel was Wyndam La Belle Maison, traded in our time share week for that. Impressively large suite, biggest hotel room I%26#39;ve ever had, which was useful cause we had 3 people rather than the original 2. Two thumbs up for the room. The maid service was non-existant, as it turned out (unless you%26#39;re gold or platinum or some darn thing), but a person can pick up after themself, after all. You can have them send up towels and can pick coffee up and what-have-you at the front desk.

After settling in at the hotel we hit Bourbon Street. A drink at the Old Absinthe House, which I can%26#39;t recommend. After a Mango drink, we started cruising for dinner, originally aiming at Johnny%26#39;s Po-boys, but they%26#39;re only open for lunch. Couldn%26#39;t find the Gumbo Shop (a little addled by drink at this point) and famished, finally settled for dinner at Evelyn%26#39;s a dive bar off of Decatur. Briteeyes saw a cockroach on the bar as soon as we got in there, but she stuck it out. The gumbo actually wasn%26#39;t bad, the bread was excellent. Can%26#39;t recommend it, but not bad.

Hit the Funky Pirate, where Big Al was appropriately soulful and risque. Perfectly willing to take pictures with us. A good time, drinks are a little expensive, as expected. After that the evening was a haze: I do remember Briteeyes falling off a bull. Oh, and the Famous Door is R rated.

Day 2: Breakfast at Mothers. I know it%26#39;s an institution, but not a good meal. They screwed up our order originally and we sat there forever with basically nothing. The eggs were very steam table. My meat biscuit was good, excellent ham. Otherwise, 1 thumb down.

Out the St. Charles streetcar. Light lunch at Joey K%26#39;s, 1 thumb up. Good gumbo, good remoulade.

Dinner at Feelings Cafe out in Farboug Marigny, 1 thumb up (well, almost 2). My casserole (don%26#39;t be scared of that word in NO) on eggplant was great. Chicken with a Hollandaise was great.

Bar-hopped on Frenchman St. DBA, Spotted Cat (I%26#39;m a sucker for a washboard). A little walk to the Hi Ho Lounge, where the Zydecopunks wouldn%26#39;t get on till after 1, it looked like. So we went across the street, where there was a sweet/psycho bartender, which is always interesting.

Day 3: Breakfast at Lukes. Since it was the weekend they had the breakfast buffet, which gets maybe half a thumb. Order off the menu and it%26#39;s a lot better, I suspect. On the expensive side.

Out to city park, which gets 2 thumbs up. Huge! Hit the Botanical garden, especially on weekend when the model trains are running. Find the bird houses, too.

Lunch at Mandina%26#39;s: 2 thumbs up. Meatball po-boy especially.

Dinner at Tommy%26#39;s Cuisine. As far as the food, 3 thumbs up, the best meal we had there. Have the duck and die happy. Trout Nancy gets 2 thumbs up too. Pricey (although not the worst): drinks can kill your wallet. They lose half a thumb for having a house white wine for $13 a glass. Sorry, but that%26#39;s not right.

More later.

Frugal Gourmet Trip Report part one

Thanks for your report! I think Mother%26#39;s is totally overrated, but it%26#39;s okay for breakfast. Luke%26#39;s is great off the menu, too! Glad you enjoyed Tommy%26#39;s!

Frugal Gourmet Trip Report part one

Good report. I never send anyone to Mother%26#39;s. Glad you found Tommy%26#39;s and Mandina%26#39;s.

Good trip report. Included a lot of not so often reviewed places-that is always nice.

You guys ate at a place even after you saw a cockroach? Seriously?

But, it%26#39;s New Orleans and there are cockroaches at Port of Call and Coop%26#39;s (of late) too!

Yes, we ate after we saw a cockroach. My fiance was freaked out, but...I figured it wasn%26#39;t the worst thing, and we talked her down. Actually, the meal wasn%26#39;t bad

';You guys ate at a place even after you saw a cockroach? Seriously?';

Seriously, I give different cleanliness standards to places in the Quarter lol. I%26#39;ve eaten at Evelyn%26#39;s Place a few times and survived. Those are some old buildings and old kitchens down there, and sometimes ';you just don%26#39;t want to know...'; :)

Actually, I would bet that there are roaches in all of the eateries in the Quarter at one point or another- the brazeness of one being on the bar though- must be a resident, not a tourist roach lol. I am sure that they are a challenge for all the establishments with the river so close and so much food available

We prefer to call them Palmetto Bugs, thanks! ;)

with relationship advice