Traveling for work has its perks! After traveling to be onsite with a client, we made the most of the visit to New Orleans by staying a few extra days.
Day One: Checking In!
When it comes to great hotel stays in New Orleans, I have stayed in several different hotels in NOLA in the past. On this trip, I needed to be within walking distance to a customer and Hilton New Orleans/St. Charles Ave. fit the bill! I love that the street car runs down St. Charles Ave in front of the hotel and has two stops, one just before the hotel and at the next street past the Hilton. Hilton moved in to this building and restored it after Katrina.
This building’s story began in 1926 when it was constructed as the Louisiana Masonic Temple, and is now a proud member of the Historic Hotels of America. Some floors are still under restoration including the beautiful Masonic Chapel that is being restored and rented for events and weddings.
Our room was well equipped and bedding was comfortable. My only complaint is that the attached restaurant, Luke’s, is the only bar and food option. We enjoyed evening cocktails, but ultimately opted not to try the seafood inspired dinner menus.
We did try one breakfast at Luke’s, and I would give it 3/5 stars, as it didn’t really suit my breakfast tastes. We found a lovely cafe across the street, the Street Car Cafe, that had wonderful breakfast options. We didn’t try the lunch or dinner options, but they also looked enticing. I highly recommend making time for a stop there!
For dinner on our first night we found the August Restaurant, a contemporary French-Creole restaurant making everything with locally sourced ingredients. We opted for the four course meal menu and I can’t express enough how wonderful this dinner was. Hats off to Executive Chef Corey Thomas for artfully made dishes that tasted as good as they looked.
Day Two: Taking a Gamble!
I’m not a casino queen, but I enjoy playing a slot machine or two when the opportunity arises! On day two, we took a walk on the wild side and decided to visit a casino in New Orleans, the Caesars New Orleans, to drop a few dollars in a fun penny slot machine.
After losing $20 to “the game”, we went on a short Bourbon Street stroll and enjoyed an early dinner at Acme Oyster House. I’m never disappointed with the quality of food we have tried here! There was a short line to get a seat since we wanted the raw bar, but we were seated quickly.
The local raw oysters were sweet with a nice brine. The cocktail sauce is a bit hot with lots of horseradish in it. We also had an order of fried shrimp and they were large and fried to perfection. We washed it all down with a local beer and dinner was done.
On the walk back to the Hilton we stopped in the Ritz Carlton for cocktails in their lounge area on third floor. Greg had a side car and I had an espresso martini again. There was a lovely piano player tickling the keys during happy hour. The hotel featured a beautiful lobby as well. I would definitely put this hotel on a splurge wish list to stay at in the future.
For a late dinner, we visited Mulate’s on Julia Street. I had the best Fried shrimp I’ve had in a long time and Greg had the fresh fish catch, sheepshead topped with Creole shrimp and sauce.
Day Three: Wrapping Up!
For our last day, we opted to take the Street Car through the Garden District, passing by both Tulane’s main campus and Loyola University. We hopped off at Royal and Canal Street to do some antique shopping. I highly recommend shopping on Royal Street for English antiques and perusing several gallery shops.
We stopped for a nice lunch at Mr. B’s Bistro. We enjoyed the Fried Oysters and Caprese Salad.
After Mr. B’s, we walked to Jackson Square to enjoy views of the Mississippi River, horse carriages, and the original spot for the iconic Cafe Du Monde. We passed on the Beignet and Chicory coffee due to the heat and headed back to the hotel for cold beers at Luke’s.
For dinner we made our way to Desi Vega’s Steakhouse. It was a very lively atmosphere and the steaks were incredible. Greg enjoyed the fish special, a snapper topped with crab. When you visit, be sure to try the “Who Dat Shrimp”, a bacon wrapped gulf shrimp with crab meat dressing, sweet Thai chili, chipotle remoulade. A friend of ours kindly referred us to the maître d’ who comped us an order of their decadent Bread Pudding for dessert.
I finished up with a wonderful espresso martini and we took a nice après dinner walk back to hotel, passing by Lafayette Square and the historic Building Gallier Hall. Gallier Hall was originally designed to be the city hall of New Orleans, explaining its imposing facade.
Overall, my favorite part of this trip was dinner at August Restaurant and our ride through the Garden District on the St. Charles Streetcar. If you have questions about this itinerary, email me at contact.audra.w@gmail.com and we’ll help you plan your next NOLA adventure!
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