Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
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Turn right on Bourbon and brace yourself for the adult-themed playground
that lies ahead. Ironically, one of the city's most critically acclaimed restaur-
ants, the legendary Galatoire's, is among the first places you'll pass. Gal-
atoire's dates back to 1905, when Jean Galatoire brought his culinary talents
to New Orleans from the village of Pardies, France. Known for its French
Creole cooking, Galatoire's boasts such dishes as crabmeat Sardou, chicken
Clemenceau, oysters Rockefeller, and shrimp rémoulade. Eating at Gal-
atoire's is the ultimate fine-dining experience, with tuxedoed waiters tending
to your every need. If you're a regular, you likely have your own waiter. Al-
though reservations are taken for the second floor, waiting in line for the
more festive first floor—especially on Fridays—is the way to have a true Gal-
atoire's experience.
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Continue down Bourbon, where you'll pass strip joints, T-shirt shops, dai-
quiri shops, and the like. At the end of the block is Jean Lafitte's Old Ab-
sinthe House, which opened its doors in 1807. Legend has it that the pirate
Jean Lafitte and Andrew Jackson met on the second floor to plan the victory
of the Battle of New Orleans. Over the years, the tavern has hosted such
celebrities as Frank Sinatra, Mark Twain, and Liza Minnelli. Its interior fea-
tures antique chandeliers and the jerseys of football legends hanging from
the exposed cypress beams.
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In the next block, the Royal Sonesta Hotel is to the right. The Sonesta has
long been one of the Crescent City's finest hotels. It's home to Restaurant
R'evolution, the latest restaurant of chef John Folse, and Irvin Mayfield's
Jazz Playhouse, the jazz club of Grammy Award-winning trumpeter and
bandleader Irvin Mayfield. One of the city's musical treasures, Mayfield is
an amazing talent who also teaches, composes, and travels the world spread-
ing the gospel of New Orleans jazz. He and his New Orleans Jazz Orchestra
perform at the club on Wednesday nights in a show billed as Irvin Mayfield's
NOJO Jam; other regulars include the James Rivers Movement, Glen David
Andrews, and Shannon Powell. One of the most famous traditions associated
with the Sonesta occurs every Mardi Gras, when those lucky enough to book
balcony rooms arm themselves with beads to toss to the raucous revelers be-
low. The celebrating begins the Friday before Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday) with
the annual “Greasing of the Poles,” a Sonesta-sponsored event in which
celebrity greasers spread petroleum jelly on the hotel's supporting poles to
prevent partiers from climbing up to the balcony.
