Ah, New Orleans—a mecca for college spring-breakers, bachelor and bachelorette partiers, and middle-aged not-so-crazies hoping to recapture the wild abandon of their youth.
I know the allure of America’s original Sin City more than most, having spent 27 years there.
But having that long acquaintance, I also know the pleasures New Orleans offers that don’t result in a three-day hangover. I’ve said this before, and I’ll say it again. In my book, New Orleans is America’s most culturally significant city.
That culture rose organically from the sultry swamp surrounded by bayous, river, lake, and Gulf.
Fashioned by Spanish, French, Afro-Caribbean, and Anglo influences, New Orleans created its own cuisine and music, and adopted a zest for life that resulted in its motto, Laissez les Bon Temps Roulez.
The good times haven’t exactly rolled in New Orleans over the past two decades. The twin blows of Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and the COVID pandemic in 2020 sent this tourism-dependent city into a tailspin.
But New Orleans is nothing if not resilient. From the French Quarter and the Faubourg Marigny to Mid-City to the Garden and Warehouse Districts, it has rebounded with a vengeance and come back stronger than ever.
Ground zero for the new development is the Mississippi River waterfront, and leading the charge is the Audubon Nature Institute, which recently reopened the Audubon Aquarium and the Insectarium following a $41 million renovation.
Routinely voted one of the top 5 aquariums in America, the redesigned Audubon Aquarium is a feast for the senses.
Visitors can walk through a 450,000-gallon Gulf of Mexico exhibit; a lush Amazon rainforest; a Louisiana swamp (it’s good to see Tchomp, the rare white alligator, back in his domain), and an Arctic Penguin Encounter.
The Aquarium now has a companion as the Insectarium has been relocated from its former home at the U.S. Customs House to its new one, right next door.
Here, you’ll find species ranging from beautiful butterflies soaring in their garden paradise to not-so-beautiful Madagascar hissing cockroaches having, well, hissing fits.
While it won’t be in the running for any James Beard nominations, I was nevertheless drawn to the Bug Appetit Café. Chef Zack presides over a kitchen where chocolate chip and cricket cookies and apple chutney with poached waxworms are menu highlights. I took a cookie, but left the chutney to the flock of brave kids in line behind me.
The excitement surrounding the Aquarium and Insectarium 2.0 is palpable, in the words of Ron Forman, president and CEO of the Audubon Nature Institute.
“The riverfront serves as New Orleans’ front porch, and we are excited to be part of the transformation of this vital part of the city,” says Forman.
The Aquarium/Insectarium may be the anchor of the riverfront development, but other attractions await the visitor.
One is Vue New Orleans, a $30 million interactive experience atop the Four Seasons Hotel. Located on the 33rd and 34th floors, it offers a 360-degree panorama of the city and the Mississippi as the river twists and turns its way to the Gulf.
What’s inside of Vue New Orleans is as impressive as what’s outside. Want to catch a glimpse of the elusive Mardi Gras Indians or listen to the wail of a trombone at Preservation Hall? Just press any of the wall panels, and the color and pageantry of New Orleans surrounds you.
And while at the Four Seasons, you can’t leave without stopping in the Chandelier Bar with its 28-foot chandelier made of 15,000 hand-strung Bohemian crystals, and its impressive list of libations (the cocktail is said to have been invented in New Orleans).
Speaking of libations, skip those overly fruity French Quarter concoctions and head straight to Loa Bar at the International House Hotel on Camp Street, just across Canal Street from the French Quarter.
The best time to indulge in the atmosphere is at night, when flickering candles pay homage to a room named for voodoo spirits.
But any time is good to grab a stool at the bar presided over by award-winning mixologist Abigail Gullo. Ask her to make you one of her inventive signature cocktails, and you'll see art comes in many forms.
Continuing the spirits theme, make it a point to visit the Sazerac House on the corner of Canal and Magazine Streets.
A museum, bar, and distillery under one roof, it takes visitors on a deep dive into New Orleans’ original adult beverage.
Spread over three floors, it features a working distillery, two “secret” saloons, and my favorite, the virtual bartender, even though he did experience a minor malfunction before he could mix my martini.
Next up was a stop at the New Orleans Museum of Art in City Park, where I was eager to see the expanded Sculpture Garden adjacent to the museum.
Scattered throughout 11 acres of lushly landscaped grounds, interlaced with lagoons, are works by masters such as Henry Moore, Fernando Botero, and Jaime Plenska. From Louise Bourgeois’ menacing steel spider to George Rodrigue’s lovable Red Dog, the garden’s sculptures are a delight.
If you are seeking respite from the soupy-thick humidity, pop into the museum for lunch at Café NOMA with its elevated small plates and garden views.
Of course, no one can come to New Orleans without partaking of its iconic cuisine. On this trip, I tried one new spot—King in the Warehouse District’s Fontenot Hotel—and left having had the best frittata I’ve ever eaten.
But for the most part, I stuck to my favorites, sorely missed since my departure. Brennan’s bountiful breakfasts—beginning with a Ramos Gin Fizz and ending several hours later with flambeed bananas Foster—may be the real reason (not debauchery) that New Orleans earned the nickname Sin City.
Magic always seems to happen at Commander’s Palace in the Garden District as bold-faced names visiting the city wouldn’t think of missing a meal at this temple of gastronomy.
On the night I was there, native Orleanians actress Patricia Clarkson and Broadway’s Brian Batt were at the next table catching up.
I occasionally joined in the conversation, but most of my time was spent salivating over the Louisiana Crab and Coconut Custard, followed by the pecan-crusted Gulf Fish.
And even though I was surprised to learn that Tujague’s, the city’s second-oldest restaurant (since 1895) had moved from its original location across from the French Market to a new one a few blocks up Decatur Street, I was thrilled to see that its Cajun-inspired menu remained the same.
The gumbo was as thick and seafood-laden as ever; the Gulf Fish Almondine was butter-poached perfection, and don’t even get me started on the Bananas Foster Bread Pudding.
So, if you are one of those who believes New Orleans begins and (sadly for some) ends on Bourbon Street, consider expanding your horizons on your next trip to the Big Easy.
For more information, go to NewOrleans.com.
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