A few weeks ago, the G&G editorial team packed up and headed to New Orleans for an offsite retreat and inspiration for an upcoming issue. Though we did our fair share of brainstorming from the comfort of Virgin Hotels, the trip certainly wasn’t all work—we dined at Emeril’s and La Petite Grocery, stopped by the lovely Bevolo museum and workshop in the French Quarter, gobbled up sandwiches from Cochon Butcher and Stein’s Deli, dropped in on April/May 2024 cover star Andrew LaMar Hopkins, caught late-night jazz at the Spotted Cat, and generally ate and drank and wandered and shopped our way all over the city.
Below, editors share their favorite Crescent City finds.
Belly Up
I’ve been a fan of chef Justin Devillier ever since I made his fried sea trout over grits with an egg topper, but after a staff dinner at La Petite Grocery I might as well become the president of his fan club. With its welcoming vibe and terrific waitstaff, the restaurant sets itself up for success and delivers when the plates hit the table. To start off, the G&G team snapped up the delicious blue-crab beignets and decadent ricotta dumpling appetizers. My delightful rabbit schnitzel entree was both surprising and familiar, while others raved about the spaghetti studded with fresh vegetables. And the cardamom ice cream was the perfect capper. All of this to say, next time you’re in NOLA, grab a table. —David DiBenedetto, editor in chief
Park My Words
After plenty of “les bons temps” in and around the French Quarter, City Park offered what I craved: a quiet respite. I was second-guessing myself when I set out under a dark, stormy sky, but the ensuing summer downpour rained itself out in the length of the streetcar ride. I took the Canal-Cemeteries line from Bourbon Street to Saint Anthony, a good route that offers a stop for hearty, belly-warming Vietnamese food (I had a glazed pork belly bowl) at Mopho, a trendy spot tucked into a strip mall steps away from the southwestern corner of the park. City Park itself is much more than 1,300 acres of winding streams and live oaks, though you could certainly enjoy your day there just admiring the stone bridges, lagoons, and moss-covered trees. Recreation facilities and cultural institutions dot the immense stretch of greenery; my visit led me to the New Orleans Museum of Art and its free twelve-acre sculpture garden, featuring more than ninety sculptures from world-renowned artists, and the New Orleans Botanical Garden, ten acres of themed gardens and beautiful architecture, including the Conservatory of the Two Sisters. Once you’ve had your fill of tranquility, you can catch the Canal-City Park/Museum line from the southeastern corner of the park to head back toward the action. —Julia Knetzer, art director
Rum, Don’t Walk
Serious sippers and those who don’t know how to pronounce “orgeat” will feel right at home in Latitude 29, the French Quarter domain of celebrated tiki historian Jeff “Beachbum” Berry. After all, there’s something inherently welcoming about a place with fun swizzle sticks, shareable beverage bowls, and an illustrated menu (on which there’s not a single dud). Take it from us: You’ll think you love what you ordered until you try what your friend got. —Elizabeth Florio, digital editor
Fill Your Cup
While new hotspots and imaginative dishes and cocktails are constantly popping up all over New Orleans, sometimes you can’t beat the classics, like a Pimm’s Cup from Napoleon House. During a steamy afternoon walk through the French Quarter, seven of us popped into the 110-year-old haunt—pun intended—for its iconic refreshment. Our obliging bartender lined up seven cups and adeptly poured the drinks en masse (which was nowhere near his biggest order; he claims he’s poured upwards of sixty at the same time). It was exactly the sustenance we needed for an afternoon of wandering. —Caroline Clements, associate editor
Climb Aboard
On our second morning, I hopped onto the streetcar (inspired by a G&G ode to the line from our June/July 2023 issue) to catch a glimpse of the stately homes on St. Charles Avenue. The experience was a fun shift from my daily morning walks back home; between the leisurely pace, comforting hum of the wheels, and shiny old-school wood interiors and creaking benches, it’s hard to pick a favorite element, but I think the most special part was seeing bits and pieces of the tight-knit New Orleans community. Commuters happily greeted familiar conductors, neighbors laughed and chatted, and backpack-laden kids hopped on and off to go to summer camp. I may have been late for our morning meeting due to the frequent stops and unhurried speed, but it was a welcome way to slow down during a fast-paced visit. —Gabriela Gomez-Misserian, digital producer
Book It Here
The coziest nook for book nerds sits right in the heart of it all on Chartres Street. Let the smell of old paper waft over you as you open the door to Crescent City Books, where the leather-bound tomes, out-of-print oddities, and first editions of Southern classics pile high. A shelf full of local titles sits right by the entrance, but I beelined for the awesome collection of art prints and antique maps. —CJ Lotz Diego, senior editor
Drink It In
Did you know that man-made ice originated in New Orleans? I didn’t, until we went to Sazerac House (though, considering we were visiting the steamy city in July, the fact didn’t totally surprise me—desperate times and all). Opened in late 2019 in an impressively renovated historic building at the corner of Canal and Magazine, the three-story Sazerac House is potent nectar for studious barflies such as myself: part cocktail-centric museum tracing the history of the Crescent City’s love affair with boozing, part interactive play place with virtual bartenders, and part tasting (and in the case of Sazerac Rye, distilling) grounds for the company’s many (many) offerings. My favorite stop: Getting to sample the site’s namesake cocktail while sitting around a hideaway antique bar. —Amanda Heckert, executive editor
Grub on Grubs
I have been excited about the Audubon Insectarium since it opened last fall, so it was a huge treat to visit and immerse my inner nerdy child in the world of bugs of all shapes and sizes. I admired hissing cockroaches, spent way too long trying to work out if I was looking at a stick or walking stick, learned about native Louisiana bugs, and walked an ethereal garden path surrounded by colorful floating butterflies. For a bit of hands-on fun, though, you can’t beat the “Bug Appetit” section, where our social media editor convinced (coerced) me to eat crispy crickets tossed in Cajun seasoning on camera. Honestly, they were kind of good—and the perfect appetizer for a subsequent lunch at Dooky Chase’s. —Lindsey Liles, digital reporter
Hit the Stacks
We did actually do some work on this trip (during the days), but it’s hard to complain too much when your working lunch comes from Cochon Butcher. Following New Orleans resident and food writer Brett Martin’s sage advice in our latest issue, I went for the muffuletta, and I haven’t stopped thinking about it since. As Martin notes, the only controversy surrounding muffulettas might be whether they’re served warm or cold. Butcher’s comes warm, but no quibbles here. In my mind, it’s quite possibly the perfect sandwich. —Dave Mezz, deputy editor
Deal Your Destiny
New Orleans is one of the spookiest cities in the country—and there’s nothing I love more than the supernatural. I knew that somewhere during our visit, I had to fit a tarot reading in. I Yelped and TikTok-searched some top places ahead of time, but nothing was working out…until we got a recommendation from local artist Ida Floreak. My reader, Thomjaná, had the most striking and confident air about her. IÆve done tarot readings before, but none have ever been this specific to my life. G&G’s digital producer and I left speechless at what may have started as a bit but quickly turned real. Yes, I bought one of Thomjaná’s hand-poured candles. Yes, it was deemed suspicious by TSA. Yes, I am afraid to burn it. Even if you think you aren’t into this stuff, visit Crescent City Conjure. —Ally Sloway, social media editor
Shuck It Up
Late one evening a colleague and I ventured in search of a nightcap and happened upon Seaworthy, a cocktail bar and seafood joint set in an 1830s-era Creole cottage on Carondelet Street. The drinks were good—a daiquiri for him and a draft IPA for me—but what really stood out were the charbroiled oysters topped with Grana Padano cheese, garlic, and butter. We got a dozen, a mix of East Coast and Gulf Coast. I had planned to only eat a couple, but once I dug in, I couldn’t stop. We ended up scarfing six each and walked away with happy bellies. —Chris Kraft, head of digital
Bunnyman at the Virgin
What are the chances this guy would be checking out the latest issue of Garden & Gun in the lobby of the Virgin shortly after the editors of Garden & Gun arrived at the hotel? What a coincidence! Thanks for reading, Bunnyman.
