New Orleans, like Philadelphia, is a river city. New Orleans, like Kansas City, owns a deep connection to jazz. And we will not shy away from barbecue, a massive sandwich, or a real good time. As the city gears up to host more than 125,000 visitors from either town for Super Bowl weekend (February 8–9), we’re raising a toast to shared interests.
If you like Philly cheesesteaks…you’ll love our po’boys.
Both sandwiches are similarly revered and housed in a long French-bread-style bun. Get one. But if you’re set on a taste of home, head to Trilly Cheesesteaks in Mid-City, where you’ll find a classic Philly cheesesteak plus twists like the Far East (featuring sweet ginger soy sauce, fried pickled red onions, and cream cheese on a roll). Or try the Chopped Cheese at Flour Moon Bagels; instead of shredded steak, it’s ground chuck on a bialy or a bagel—plus American cheese onions, pickles, lettuce, tomato, and mayo. The owner brings forth a love of Jewish “nosh” in Flour Moon’s other menu bites, like whitefish salad, pastrami, and lox.
If you like the Rocky statue and steps…go to Crescent City Park.
This former railway track was reimagined as a linear, raised greenspace along the river. Feel like doing some stair runs? In the Bywater section there are rainbow-shaped stair bridges to jog, and in the French Quarter you can cool down on a series of steps right on the water. With the paddlewheeler Creole Queen docked in front of you and Jackson Square directly behind, there’s no better vantage point in town.
If you like the Liberty Bell…stop by the Sazerac House.
The Liberty Bell was made in 1751 to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of William Penn’s Charter of Privileges. That is the very same year sugarcane was first planted in New Orleans. The town’s distilling practices flourished, and America’s first cocktail, the Sazerac, was invented. Today, the Sazerac House, a multi-story museum in the Central Business District, is the best place to learn (and get a taste of) that history.
If you like Kansas City barbecue…you’ll adore the Joint.
The delightfully ramshackle corner building houses some of the city’s best ’cue. There’s an excellent bar menu, a covered outdoor patio, smoky ribs, and tender pulled pork coming in from custom pits out back. Plus, they do incredible brisket burnt ends—a Kansas City staple—that pair perfectly with coleslaw and baked beans.
If you like Kansas City’s many fountains…you’re never far from one in NOLA.
We love dining beside them in the French Quarter in particular. Stop in the Napoleon House for excellent alligator sausage po’boys right next to the courtyard’s back fountain. (The brick wall behind it is several centuries old.) The outdoor space at Peychaud’s, a dreamy cocktail parlor on Toulouse Street, is anchored by a dramatic, tiered, antique fountain—purportedly a favorite writing perch of playwright Tennessee Williams.
If you like Kansas City’s jazz scene…you’ll simply love New Orleans.
The quote goes, “Jazz may have been born in New Orleans, but it grew up in Kansas City.”
To celebrate our mutual love for the genre, begin on Frenchman Street any time after 4:00 p.m. The road comes alive as the tiny music bars begin their sets—some of the best include the Spotted Cat, Blue Nile, and DBA, and any night of the week you can hear incredible acts for less than $10. For larger concerts, check out the calendar lineups at Tipitina’s, the Maple Leaf Bar, and the House of Blues.
But as much as we like Philly and Kansas City, there’s no denying one thing. There’s only one New Orleans. Here are four unique reasons to love this town.
A wealth of Cajun and Creole cuisine
“Crawfish, crabs, pigs, and sugar…that’s what my ancestors had to work with,” says chef Isaac Toups, who grew up in Rayne, Louisiana. Today, he owns and operates Toups Meatery with his wife, Amanda, plating up true bayou bites in house-made boudin sausage, chicken gumbo, and plenty of crispy turkey necks. Local mainstay Arnaud’s honors the city’s deep Creole history (and the art of gracious fine dining) with turtle soup, shrimp étouffée, and a decadent bread pudding. Dooky Chase in the Tremé, Liuzza’s By the Track in Mid-City, and Gris-Gris on Magazine Street are other great choices for Cajun and Creole staples.
One of America’s oldest Black communities
The Tremé, one of the city’s most vibrant historic neighborhoods, is the birthplace of American sound, from gospel to jazz to brass. Music moments are easy to come by here, whether you stop in a concert at the Inn at the Old Jail (a former police headquarters turned into a darling hotel) or simply stumble upon a marching band practicing in the road. Make sure to book a tour at the Museum of the Free People of Color, which is dedicated to preserving and sharing the stories of the free Black residents who lived here prior to the Civil War.
… and one of its most storied arts scenes
Ellis Marsalis said, “In New Orleans, culture doesn’t come down from on high, it bubbles up from the streets.” The city celebrates artistry like no other town in the nation. For street art, stop in Studio BE, where you’ll find political and emotional works soaring some twenty-five feet high. Dr. Bob’s Folk Art, just a short walk farther in the Bywater, specializes in quirky pieces created from discarded wood and metal. At Jam Nola in the Marigny, seventeen exhibits showcase noted city artists, with interactive moments to give it a funhouse feel. Galleries? We’ve got plenty. Standouts are Sibyl, an industrial Uptown space for emerging artists, Octavia Gallery in the CBD for contemporary works by nationally recognized names, and Martine Chaisson Gallery, where you’ll discover the delights of surrealism and portraiture by talents like photographer Adrien Broom.
And of course, Mardi Gras
To be sure, you’ll also find Mardi Gras festivities in Mobile and Galveston, throughout Cajun country, and in the birthplace of Fat Tuesday, France. But New Orleans has made the centuries-old, month-long celebration its own. If Super Bowl fans come early or stay late, they’ll find parades galore, from grand processions to more petite and homegrown affairs. (In fact, a local favorite, ’tit Rex, is the city’s smallest, with miniature floats painstakingly crafted and pulled along on strings. Catch the cuteness on February 16.) But you don’t need a parade to justify dressing up for a night on the town. For outrageous wigs, head to Fifi’s Custom Wigs in the French Quarter, and check out the only-in-NOLA selection at the Closet at the Columns Hotel, where you can rent couture caftans, wild sunglasses, and feathered headdresses.
