So, you may have noticed there was no GYST Sunday post this week because our collective shit was just not together.
Melissa and I spent the weekend in New Orleans in a house off Bourbon and Dumaine celebrating the upcoming marriage of a close family friend. Being a bachelorette weekend, we spent much of our time on or around Bourbon Street in various degrees of costume. As such, this post will focus on enjoying yourself in the more touristy haunts of the French Quarter; a rundown of destinations off the beaten path is for another time.
STAY:
We rented a house off Airbnb at that was just a few doors down from what I like to call the "right end" of Bourbon Street, near Clover Grill and Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop. This end is a little quieter and within easy walking distance of the decidedly less touristy Frenchmen Street, but with all the people-watching potential of the rest of that mess. If you opt to stay in the quarter, I'd recommend this side or scooping something just a few blocks off in either direction.
EAT:
We did one nice meal at The Court of Two Sisters and one brunch at 801 Royal (where they had the good sense to give us our own cinder block (read: sound-proof) back room, but spent the rest of the weekend ducking into po boy shops or sustaining ourselves with French Market oysters as needed. This helped everyone stick to their personal budgets and keep a constant base going for all those cocktails, with the added bonus of avoiding the marked-up, mediocre food some French Quarter establishments are known for.
DO:
Tour Jackson Square, survey the buskers and street artists and then stroll through the nearby open-air French Market. (Pro-tip: Skip the big bar and all of its saccharine frozen offerings in favor of an all-natural homemade Italian Ice and then have the big bar free-pour vodka over it.) Do not miss a conversation with or a generous heap of oysters from the Bad Mothashucka.
Duck into some service industry-preferred bars on and off Bourbon. Johnny White's Hole in the Wall, just down from Patty O's, is an ideal spot to find refuge from the street but maintain a bemused view of it. Erin Rose, down Conti, is another gem just off Bourbon with a motley crowd with whom you can literally rub shoulders thanks to the too-close bar stools.
Dance your way down Frenchmen Street to the music of a big brass band. Better yet, file into a second-line (abundant on Saturday nights during wedding season) and check out Bamboulas, Maison and Three Muses.
Walk off your late night Dat Dog BaconCheddarRanch fries with a joyous commute to The Goldmine Saloon, where you'll burn off your excesses with excessive dancing.
