Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
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Over the next few blocks you'll pass several more bars and lounges, among
them Rick's Cabaret, one of Bourbon Street's fancier strip clubs; the Fam-
ous Door, where pianist, actor, and
American Idol
judge Harry Connick Jr.
played his first gig at 13 years old; and the Chris Owens Club, a burlesque
joint whose ageless namesake is a French Quarter nightlife legend.
The Four Points by Sheraton French Quarter, at 541 Bourbon, occupies the
one-time site of the legendary French Opera House, which served as the cen-
ter of the city's social and cultural life, especially among the Creoles. The
Opera House opened in 1859, and New Orleans quickly became known as
“The Opera Capital of North America.” It remained that way until 1919,
when a fire destroyed the building.
At the corner of Bourbon and Toulouse Streets is Tropical Isle, known for a
drink called the Hand Grenade, a melon-flavored concoction that, with its
mixture of “liqueurs and other secret ingredients,” is billed as “New Or-
leans's most powerful drink.” Farther down the block, to the left, is Chan-
ning Tatum's Saints and Sinners, the bordello-themed restaurant and bar
that Tatum, a regular visitor to New Orleans, opened with a business partner
in 2012.
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From Toulouse, walk one block to St. Peter Street and turn right. On this
block, you'll pass two of the city's most beloved landmarks: Preservation
Hall and Pat O'Brien's. Preservation Hall opened in 1961 to honor tradition-
al New Orleans jazz. Nightly performances feature bands made up of such
musicians as Greg Stafford, Charlie Gabriel, and Ernie Elly. All ages are
welcome, so if you have children in tow, bring them along for this one-of-a-
kind learning experience.
Pat O'Brien's, or Pat O's for short, is a playground within itself, an enter-
tainment mecca since 1933, when, at the end of Prohibition, Pat O'Brien con-
verted his speakeasy to a legal drinking establishment. Pat O's features sev-
eral bars, among them a patio bar and a piano bar, where dueling entertain-
ers lead sing-alongs from two copper-topped baby grand pianos. The signa-
ture drink is the Hurricane, a rum-based libation served in a 26-ounce
souvenir glass.
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Walk one block to Royal Street and turn right. Royal is the antithesis of
Bourbon: a ritzy shopping stretch lined with antiques shops, art galleries,
jewelry stores, and boutiques. Among them are M. S. Rau Antiques, Ida
Manheim Antiques, Sutton Gallery, and Vincent Mann Gallery.
