Once I knew the #SBC23 Annual Meeting was coming to New Orleans I immediately thought of assembling a list of things to taste, touch, smell, hear and see while messengers visit this most unique of American cities. The following “list of lists” is certainly not exhaustive but I believe it’s a good start. I will likely tweak, add to, or otherwise update these groupings from time to time. I will also be Tweeting out individual portions of these lists from now until convention time.
Also, be sure to take a look at the website NOBTS has put together as a resource for visitors. It is fantastic. You can find that helpful site HERE.
There is also a great site put together by the New Orleans Convention and Visitor’s Bureau with helpful general information that can be found HERE.
Pastor Jay’s 10 Restaurants & Food Picks:
- New Orleans Food and Spirits – Blacked Redfish Pontchartrain
- Parkway Bakery – Surf & Turf Poorboy
- Port of Call – Cheeseburger & Baked Potato
- Willie Mae’s Scotch House – Fried Chicken
- Dooky Chase – Gumbo, Red Beans (Art & History too)
- Brennan’s – Sunday Jazz Brunch
- Drago’s – Chargrilled Oysters & Crab Dip
- Crescent City Steaks – Any steak on the menu
- Deanie’s – Standard NOLA Seafood
- Middendorf’s – Thin Fried Catfish (2 locations – both outside of the city but worth the drive)
These are some of my favorite places to eat around our area (I could have listed 100 more). They are in no particular order (except for the first one. That’s my favorite dish here). A new favorite place of mine is Chicken’s Kitchen which is over here on my side of the river in the town of Gretna but is probably too far away for a quick meal. Plus they only have room for a few folks to sit and eat… but, my Lord, the classic soul food is AMAZING! The best I’ve ever had, really.
EDIT AND ADDITION: Pastor Jay’s 10 Breakfast Spots (added 01/21/23):
- Brennan’s
- Surrey’s Cafe
- Ruby Slipper (multiple locations)
- Slim Goodies
- Willa Jean
- Toast
- Another Broken Egg
- Who Dat Cafe
- The Camellia Grill
- Two Chick’s Cafe
After a month of this list of lists being published, I realized at least one major missing piece. In this list are 10 of my favorite spots for breakfast. Just like the others lists, I could have added many more, but these are a great place to start. A few of these are relatively close to the convention center (others are not). Try at least one while you are here. You won’t regret it.
Pastor Jay’s 10 Famous Restaurants to Consider:
- Commander’s Palace
- Emeril’s
- Antoine’s
- Brennan’s
- Galatoire’s
- Pelican Club
- Court of Two Sisters
- Arnaud’s
- Shaya
- Herbsaint
These restaurants are some of the most famous in New Orleans. A few are famous across the United States. Still a couple are famous the world over. These will be slightly-to-significantly on the upper end of the price range. I absolutely would encourage a visit to at least one of them on your visit here. They are all special.
Pastor Jay’s 15 Good Restaurants in Relative Walking Distance from the Convention Center:
- Mulate’s
- Flamingo A-Go-Go
- Barcadia
- Tommy G’s Coal Fired Pizza
- Mother’s
- Ugly Dog Saloon
- Lucy’s
- Manning’s
- The Legacy Kitchen
- Cochon
- Peche
- Ruth’s Chris
- Emeril’s*
- Drago’s*
- Riverwalk Mall Food Court
There are so many great places to eat around the city but it might be helpful to have a list of good places in relative walking distance from the Convention Center. The top few in this list are some of my favorites in the CBD (Central Business District). These spots are all solid choices. This is a spectrum of lesser to more expensive eateries for your perusal. Those marked with an * are mentioned in other lists in this article. Note: the Riverwalk Food Court is just next to the Convention Center. It has sufficient eating area but not a lot of food choices (certainly nothing like the Assembly Food Hall at 5th and Broad in Nashville). I’m told we will also have a number of Food Trucks available on site this year. That’s gonna be a plus! Our local food trucks are fantastic!
Pastor Jay’s 15 Essential South Louisiana Foods to Try:
- Poor Boy – “Poboy”
- Red Beans and Rice
- Gumbo
- Jambalaya
- Crawfish Etoufee
- Thin-Fried Catfish
- Boudin
- Muffulettas
- Turtle Soup
- Alligator
- Shrimp Remoulade
- Chargrilled Oysters
- BBQ Shrimp
- Frog Legs
- Soft Shell Crab
These are favorite foods of South Louisiana. More Cajun than Creole, these foods are a staple of southwest Louisiana in particular, but have become part of the New Orleans pantheon of dishes as well. You can find most any of these foods at the restaurants around the area. My challenge is to try at least 5 of these offerings while you are here.
Pastor Jay’s 5 Desserts to Try:
- Beignets (French style doughnuts)
- Bananas Foster (created by the Brennan’s family here in New Orleans)
- Bread Pudding (My wife makes the best you’d ever have)
- Pralines (“praa’-leenz” French confectionary. Sugar & vanilla paste-covered pecans)
- Hubig Hand Pie (just back after a 10 year absence)
- (and one as lagniappe) Sno-balls (like a snow cone but infinitely better)
These are the most famous, yummy, sweet treats you can find in the Crescent City. Pick one (or all of them) and enjoy.
Pastor Jay’s 15 Family Things To Do:
- Take a cruise out of the Port of New Orleans before or after the Convention
- Tour the St. Louis Cathedral
- Visit Mardi Gras World
- Swamp Boat / Air Boat tour in Westwego
- The Natchez Riverboat Cruise
- The Creole Queen Riverboat Cruise
- Beignets and Coffee at Café Du Monde (or at Morning Call)
- Storyland Amusement Park at City Park
- Ride the Red Street Car line downriver to get souvenirs at the French Market
- Ride the Green Street Car line “round trip” up & down St. Charles
- Rent a Blue Bike and ride around the Quarter
- Golf at the TCP course in Westwego
- Botanical Gardens at City Park
- VueOrleans (scenic overlook)
- NOLA Motorsport Racetrack
Take a look at the major cruise lines before planning your trip. Taking a short cruise out of the Port of New Orleans might be a nice way to extend your visit (before or after the convention) to grab some real “vacation time” while you are here.
Pastor Jay’s 10 Places Worth Visiting:
- The WWII Museum
- The Old US Mint & Jazz Museum
- The Cabildo & Presbytere
- The Historic New Orleans Collection
- The New Orleans Museum of Art
- The Ogden Museum of Southern Art
- The Children’s Museum
- The Audubon Aquarium (currently being renovated)
- The Audubon Zoo
- The Audubon Insectarium
Everything on this list is either a museum or related to the Audubon Society. Each is a great place to spend some time. The WWII Museum is currently ranked as one of the top museums in the world. In one recent list I saw that it was ranked the third best museum in the world (right behind the Louvre).
Pastor Jay’s 10 Couples Activities:
- Dinner and a Show at Snug Harbor
- Dinner at (5-star) Commander’s Palace
- Preservation Hall for Traditional Jazz
- Walk Frenchman Street for Music and Art
- Walk Royal Street for Art and Antiques
- Historic Carriage ride through the Quarter
- Shopping on Magazine Street
- Shopping at the River Walk Mall (near the convention center)
- See a show at the Saenger Theatre
- See a play at Le Petit Theatre
There are many things couples can do to enjoy some alone time together here in the Big Easy (or double date time). Here are just a few simple but fun activities to get out and do together. Snug Harbor is one of the greatest Jazz Clubs in the country.
Pastor Jay’s 15 Historical Sites to See:
- Plessy v Ferguson Historical Marker
- The St. Louis Cathedral
- The Cabildo
- The Presbytere
- The Chalmette Battlefield
- The Ursulines Convent
- Madame John’s Legacy House
- The Degas House
- The Eagle Saloon
- Congo Square in Armstrong Park
- Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop
- Le Eiffel – the original top of the Eiffel Tower from Paris
- Lafayette Cemetery #1
- Lakefront Airport
- The Old US Mint
These sites, and many others, tell the story of the history of New Orleans (and in some cases the history of the U.S.). For an educational and maybe even emotional experience, stop by and see a few of these spots while you are here. Some you can enter, others are just historical markers or buildings you can examine from the outside only. If you want more history, check out this site curated by the University of New Orleans. https://neworleanshistorical.org/tours/browse/
Pastor Jay’s 30 Songs to Prepare You for Your Visit:
- When the Saints – Louis Armstrong
- Do You Know What it Means to Miss New Orleans – Louis Armstrong
- Saint James Infirmary – Louis Armstrong
- Way Down Yonder in New Orleans – Crosby & Armstrong
- Bourbon Street Parade – Pres Hall
- Go to the Mardi Gras – Pres Hall
- Louisiana Fairytale – Pres Hall
- Jambalaya on the Bayou – Harry Connick Jr.
- Oh My Nola – Harry Connick Jr.
- Joe Avery’s Blues – Harry Connick Jr.
- Mardi Gras Mambo – The Hawketts
- Iko Iko – The Dixie Cups
- Big Chief – Professor Longhair
- Basin Street Blues – Dr. John
- My Indian Red – Dr. John
- Sweet Home New Orleans – Dr. John
- Going Back to New Orleans – Dr. John
- Down in New Orleans – Dr. John
- Gonna Take You There – Jim Cummings
- Treme Song – John Boutte
- Walking to New Orleans – Fats Domino
- They All Asked For You – The Meters
- Hey Pocky Way – The Meters
- Drop Me off in New Orleans – Kermit
- Mardi Gras Day – Kermit and Rebirth
- I Thought I Heard Buddy Say – Wynton Marsalis
- Carnival Time – Al Johnson
- Do Whatcha Wanna – Rebirth Brass Band
- 12 Yat’s of Christmas – Benny Grunch
- Christmas time in New Orleans – Louis Armstrong
So, here’s the thing, what you HEAR is just as much a part of the culture in this place as what you SEE and TASTE. This list is made up of many standard tunes that well-represent the unique and unusual character of the city of New Orleans. Here are a few playlist options I created for you (thanks to my son, Canon). This is the Apple Music Playlist and the Spotify Playlist.
Pastor Jay’s 20 Great Music Venues:
- Snug Harbor
- Preservation Hall
- Buffa’s
- Blue Nile
- Tipitina’s
- Spotted Cat
- Maple Leaf
- The Maison
- Mid-City Rock n’ Bowl
- New Orleans Jazz Market
- Cafe Negril
- D.B.A.
- Mother-In-Law Lounge
- Fritzel’s Jazz Club
- Dos Jefes
- Chickie Wah Wah
- Gasa Gasa
- Royal Frenchman Hotel
- Mahogany Jazz Hall
- Palm Court Jazz Cafe
It feels silly to limit this list to 20. As a musician myself I have enjoyed having the privilege to take in New Orleans’ robust music scene over the last 20 years. There are so many venues that host great shows on a nightly basis that any short list will be deficient. Nonetheless, I wanted to offer something for those who will be looking for live music. Take a listen to wwoz.com to get a pre-taste of the wonderful music available to you while you’re here. And about a month out, check their “Live Wire” music calendar to see who is playing where and on what night.
Pastor Jay’s 15 Movies to Watch Before Your Visit:
- New Orleans (1947)
- Streetcar Named Desire (1951)
- King Creole (1958)
- Suddenly, Last Summer (1959)
- The Big Easy (1986)
- JFK (1991)
- Pelican Brief (1993)
- Ruby Bridges (1998)
- Double Jeopardy (1999)
- Runaway Jury (2003)
- When The Levees Broke (2006)
- Deja Vu (2006)
- The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)
- Disney’s Princess and the Frog (2009)
- Jazz Fest: A New Orleans Story (2021)
This might seem like an odd list to offer here but there is a reason for it. These movies each capture an aspect of the “feel” of this place. Some of the movies simply include New Orleans as a setting for some scenes. Others present New Orleans as a sort of character in the movie. Please note that my inclusion of these movies do not equal a personal endorsement of the content, but they do present a helpful picture of the history and feel (even if fictional) of New Orleans. You should at least try to watch Disney’s The Princess and the Frog (especially if you have kids) before you come. Also, the classic movie “New Orleans,” which I’ve linked above, is a really neat old film and is available on YouTube.
I’m looking forward to seeing everyone here in June. We are praying for a great convention and a great time together. Please let me know in the comments if you have any questions regarding any of these suggestions. Prepare yourself for a big Jesus loving party! See you soon.
