New Orleans...anyplace I have to go?

TRBeck · Post by **TRBeck** » Sat May 15, 2010 5:56 pm

I will be visiting N.O. soon as part of a church youth trip. I won't have a ton of time for shopping and sightseeing, but I may have an afternoon to hit a couple of spots. Bourbon Parfums is on my hit-list. Other than that, where else should I visit? I know about Aidan Gill, but I don't want overpriced Mach 3s. Are there other things worth seeing there (the site mentions a "full line of shaving tools and accessories" or something to that effect, implying that there are things they don't list online available in-shop)? The Magazine Street Barber Shopsounds intriguing, too. Anywhere else worth checking out?

Thanks.

Regards,

levente · Post by **levente** » Sat May 15, 2010 6:51 pm

Tim,

If you are going to Bourbon Parfums, make sure you go to Hove Parfumeur, which is up the street. Give Habanera, Vetivert and Spanish Moss a try.

Regards,
Basil

GA Russell · Post by **GA Russell** » Sat May 15, 2010 8:53 pm

Cafe du Monde. Coffee and doughnuts. Chicory with beignets.

Find some local packaged foods at a Schegmann's, such as Community Coffee.

bernards66 · Post by **bernards66** » Sat May 15, 2010 9:00 pm

Tim, I entirely agree regarding the lame M3 shave offering at Aidan Gill, however, I believe that they carry a fairly impressive collection of shave soaps, creams, colognes, etc. so it might be worth a visit anyway. I'd certainly check them out if I was ever in New Orleans.
Regards,
Gordon

Janus · Post by **Janus** » Sat May 15, 2010 11:44 pm

Tim, did you check out the photos? That Mag st. place seems to be offering Mach3 shaves just like Aidan Gill you mentioned. The interior looks "traditional" enough but may well be newly designed for all we know. Still, there's always a chance it's more than just a tourist attraction. Only one way to find out, unless someone here is better informed.

Post by **Sam** » Sun May 16, 2010 6:12 am

Near Cafe Dumond, the Farmer's Market. Chance to try a ton of hot sauce. They used to have Popcorn that you could dip into it, and that was a lot of fun, seeing if you could burn your tongue off. Also, I love Aunt Sally's Pralines, oh wow.

TRBeck · Post by **TRBeck** » Sun May 16, 2010 8:36 am

Yeah, I'll hit some of the food hot spots, no doubt.

Janus, the Magazine St. place does offer the Mach 3 shave, but I'd be going there for the Harris toiletries, many of which I've not seen/sniffed in person, and for the other soaps and creams they keep on hand. Ditto Aidan Gill. I just didn't know if Aidan Gill had more than the handful of products they list on their website, which include the overpriced Mach 3. I won't get a shave either place, but if they have high-quality toiletries beyond ivory Gillette handles, well, they're worth checking out.

Regards,

TRBeck · Post by **TRBeck** » Sun May 16, 2010 2:29 pm

Basil, thanks for the tip on Hove Parfumeur. Sounds very promising indeed.

Regards,

bernards66 · Post by **bernards66** » Sun May 16, 2010 2:33 pm

Tim, Yeah, they do...at least that's what I've heard. Aidan Gill used to stock Coate's and I think they have D R Harris's and probably Trumpers.
Regards,
Gordon

Squire · Post by **Squire** » Sun May 16, 2010 3:54 pm

Hey Tim, take the kids to the Aquarium and next door is the multi storied shopping mall that houses Brooks Bros and Saks. Brooks has their house colognes and Saks carries almost the full Creed line.

The flood didn't hit the Quarter but it put the small restaurants out of business because it destroyed their customer base. They are now owned by corporations like Disney who hire managers who don't know how to cook. Last time I was there we fired three places in a row because they used a commercial base for their roux.

So get your food recommendations from a local who works at the hotel or a cab driver.

Post by **Sam** » Mon May 17, 2010 5:53 am

Squire, if that is true about new corporate ownership, that really in my opinion destroys the French Quarter. Antoines, Commander's, the family tie-ins for years and years made the places special. I see that some chains do well because of the consistency from place to place (say, the thousand island dressing tastes the same in Peoria as it does in Chicago) but I like quirkiness.

TRBeck · Post by **TRBeck** » Mon May 17, 2010 7:22 am

Squire wrote:Last time I was there we fired three places in a row because they used a commercial base for their roux.

Okay, cab driver it is. Truthfully, much of our time there has already been planned, but I will have a couple of hours on three afternoons when I may be able to pop in somewhere, as long as it's in the Quarter or near the convention center. Probably won't be much fine dining on this trip...

Regards,

Thalay Sagar · Post by **Thalay Sagar** » Mon May 17, 2010 8:24 am

Tim, who says beignets and a po' boy ain't fine dining?

stanmog · Post by **stanmog** » Mon May 17, 2010 9:03 am

Oysters on the half shell at Acme Oyster House

www.acmeoyster.com/

Regards,
Stan

TRBeck · Post by **TRBeck** » Mon May 17, 2010 9:41 am

Thalay Sagar wrote:Tim, who says beignets and a po' boy ain't fine dining?

Quoted for truth.

Regards,

Squire · Post by **Squire** » Mon May 17, 2010 11:12 pm

Unfortunately true Sam and quite disappointing. The big dogs like Commanders are still rocking and family owned. It's the small mom and pop outfits that were taken over and they were the charm of the Quarter.

Squire · Post by **Squire** » Mon May 17, 2010 11:34 pm

Chris, the po boys were great and available on every corner in places where dad cooked and mom ran the register, those were the ones taken over. The po boys now are the same as what you would get in Peoria. Not bad, good actually, just not exceptional like they used to be when each family had their own recipes honed over generations.

Thalay Sagar · Post by **Thalay Sagar** » Tue May 18, 2010 5:35 am

Well, Squire, that is truly sad. The local joints were the real heart of the city's food scene. Do you know if Camellia's is still a going concern?

Post by **Sam** » Tue May 18, 2010 6:06 am

Is Mothers still there? What about the places over on Lake Ponchatrain, I think one was called Harrys?

Squire · Post by **Squire** » Tue May 18, 2010 8:15 am

Hey Stan, I was introduced to the Acme Oyster House by my Father about 50 years ago. Was a great place then, much like the web site portrays. It used to be the first place we hit when visiting New Orleans but not anymore. Its now a sort of Applebee's with an old name.