Hidden New Orleans: How to Visit Like a Local

Location: 600 Poland Ave.

At the end of Poland Avenue in the city’s Bywater neighborhood, Bacchanal is tucked away but always full of life. You enter the establishment through its wine and cheese shop, but the real magic is in its outdoor courtyard—a romantic space adorned with twinkle lights that features nightly live music. There’s also indoor seating and a cocktail bar upstairs. In addition to wine and cheese, Bacchanal also offers a full menu with small plates, salads, meat, and seafood specials and desserts.

Location: 1201 Burgundy St.

A few blocks from the touristy hustle and bustle of Bourbon Street, Cosimo’s, in the lower French Quarter, is seemingly a world away. It’s situated in a quieter residential area (full of beautiful historic buildings), and tends to be full of regulars who generally live in the vicinity—becoming more populated (but rarely overwhelmingly so) on weekends, Fat Tuesday, and New Orleans Saints football game days. Cosimo’s offers cheap drinks and a menu that includes pizza, fried treats, and gourmet hot dogs. In the upstairs back room you can play pool or darts. It’s a great place to start off the night, duck in for a nightcap, or spend the entire evening.

Location: 1 Palm Drive

New Orleans’ City Park is one of the biggest urban parks in the country, and it is a place that you could spend all day exploring. Natural attractions include a lagoon, a small lake, and an abundance of picturesque oak trees and greenery—plus, it is also home to the New Orleans Museum of Art, a sculpture garden, an amusement park, Morning Call Coffee, and its newest attraction, City Putt, a mini-golf course. Go for a walk or a bike ride, throw a Frisbee or sit down for a laid-back picnic. Throughout the year, it also hosts free concerts, movie screenings, and other community events.

Location: 4413 Banks Street

Crawfish-boiling maestro James Clesi once ran a pop-up catering operation, driving over to busy bars and other hangout spots that didn’t serve food. It became so popular that after just a year of doing this, he was able to open his own establishment—serving hot, spicy, perfectly boiled crawfish when it’s in season, and other seafood dishes and comfort food year-round. Don’t bother if you’re on a diet—the menu includes fried cheese ravioli, fried boudin, catfish, and fries. Do you see a recurring theme? It’s definitely a place to go if you’re in search of deliciously memorable food in a friendly environment.

Location: 4920 Freret St.

Gasa Gasa is nestled among cocktail bars, dives, and restaurants on Freret Street, an area that experienced a major renaissance post-Hurricane Katrina and was rezoned as an arts district in 2008. Gasa Gasa, which stems from a Japanese slang term meaning “doing too many things at once,” is primarily known as a concert venue—but it’s kind of like a folk museum too, hosting film screenings, art exhibitions, and even serving as a recording studio. Concerts feature a broad spectrum of artists, from local, independent artists, to national acts.

Location: 4801 Tchoupitoulas St.

New Orleanians rarely make it through the hot spring and summer months without requiring the aid of a snowball. This dessert is not to be confused with the ubiquitous snow cones found across America—because it is just so much better, due to its texture. In 1939 Ernest Hansen invented an ice-shaving machine he dubbed the Sno-Bliz, and his wife, Mary, created her own flavored syrups to form this popular local dessert. Their modest location has remained a popular destination ever since for clientele of all ages and flavor preferences. The business is now run by the Hansens’granddaughter, Ashley, and last year it even won a James Beard Award. Pro tip: When you order a snowball, request the addition of sweetened condensed milk.

Location: 8316 Oak St.

Tucked away on Oak Street is the Maple Leaf, a small but iconic music venue that’s been a local favorite for more than three decades, as well as a hot spot for visitors. What it lacks in size it makes up for in sound and festivity. Its proximity to the Uptown universities of Tulane and Loyola makes it a popular destination for students, but it’s by no means a college joint—here people of all ages and backgrounds come together for the common cause of listening and dancing to some of the best local music in the city. Try and get there on a Tuesday to catch Rebirth Brass Band perform its weekly gig, but all other nights are game too as the music booms from the stage and the dance floor is packed.

Location: 4400 Banks Street Bar

With a ’90s throwback atmosphere, a full bar, and a creative menu, Mid-City Pizza is decorated with murals, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle-themed artwork, and vintage arcade games. The vibe is casual and friendly, and the top-quality pizzas are made with homemade ingredients. On exceptionally nice nights eat outside on the wooden deck, and you can hear the nightly live music from Banks Street Bar across the street.

Location: 1504 Oretha Castle Haley Blvd.

The brainchild of executive chef/owner Ryan Hughes, this restaurant specializes in innovative Southern cuisine—a particular highlight, when in season, is the Low-Country Boil: shrimp, clams, blue crab, local corn and baby potatoes in a spicy lemon-cayenne broth. If you can, try to sit at one of the seats that wraps around the open kitchen—chefs are in full view and willing to chat with guests as they work. It’s also noteworthy that Purloo shares a space with the Southern Food and Beverage Museum, which explores the traditions and cultural influences on the culinary scene, frequently hosting guest lectures and demonstrations.

Location: 5339 Prytania St.

The Prytania, as it’s called for short, is New Orleans oldest operating movie theater, having just celebrated its 100th birthday last year. It really hasn’t changed much since its early days, besides ever-expanding its repertoire. So for a movie going experience with a hint of nostalgia, check out the family-owned, single-screen theater, situated Uptown. The theater shows a blend of old favorites, cult classics, Oscar nominees, independent films, and popular new releases. Plus, it also plays a key role in the New Orleans Film Festival every October.

Location: 2381 St. Claude Ave.

The St. Roch Market, a former fish market that fell into disrepair and was abandoned for nearly a decade following Hurricane Katrina, recently re-opened after undergoing extensive renovations and adopting a new business model with new management. Today it’s a vibrant, collaborative space occupied by 13 independent vendors, who sell items including coffee, baked goods, fresh seafood, cocktails, wine, and sweets. There’s an outdoor seating area, as well, which encourages guests to sit and stay a while as they enjoy their purchases.

Location: 501 Napoleon Ave.

An old yellow building that was once a gambling house, gymnasium and brothel, Tipitina’s is named after a Professor Longhair song, because he performed there so much over the course of his career. The two-story venue has a timeless appeal—it hasn’t changed much over the years, and old concert posters adorn the walls. It hosts local and national acts throughout the week, and the crowd stays late.