Food Feature: Jazzfest or no

For 32 years the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival has celebrated the culinary, musical and cultural diversity of the Crescent City. But to truly experience all that New Orleans has to offer one must shed whatever measured rhythm he follows and find the city’s distinctive, syncopated pulse.

If the sheer size of the festival has you in search of a less formal musical experience, check out any of the numerous “non-Jazzfest” venues throughout the city. Cooter Brown’s (Garden District), the Maple Leaf Bar, (Uptown) or Snug Harbor (Marginy) showcase live Dixieland or traditional jazz. For rhythm and blues and rock ‘n’ roll, try the venerable Tipitina’s (French Quarter and Uptown), the Maple Leaf or the Mermaid Lounge (Warehouse District), a comfortable hole in the wall offering everything from punk, blues and rock-a-billy to Cajun swing.

There’s no shortage of eateries in the Big Easy. At the top of the “food chain” are Antoine’s, K-Paul’s, Brennan’s and the Red Room. The Red Room is a must-visit. In addition to its exquisitely prepared and presented fare, the swank Garden District supper club sports a bar worthy of your favorite highball or pre-dinner cocktail. This place has Rat Pack written all over it.

If your budget is more blue collar than swank, try the Please U, an old-fashioned luncheonette on St. Charles. During my visit, I downed an amply portioned oyster cocktail and a tasty muffuletta (the city’s signature sandwich of salami, ham, Mortadella, olive salad, mozzarella and provolone on Italian bread). I washed the meal down with two cold cans of Bud, all for less than $14.

A step above the greasy spoon ambiance of Please U are the Napoleon House, the Acme Oyster House or Rita’s. All three French Quarter establishments offer the best in New Orleans grub. Rita’s is decidedly more tourist-oriented, offering a “Taste of New Orleans” dinner of Cajun/Creole staples including rice and beans, barbecue ribs, jambalaya, gumbo and yams. At $15.95 it’s a good deal. A mainstay at the Napoleon House since it opened in 1946, the Pimm’s Cup, a drink made of Pimm’s No. 1 gin, lemonade and 7 Up with a cucumber garnish, is a refreshing libation that shouldn’t be missed.

Speaking of libations, nearly every watering hole in the city has the feel of an alcohol-soaked Tom Waits ballad. Be wary of the tourist traps like Pat O’Brien’s and Fat Tuesday’s. I much prefer the liquor-saturated intimacy of places like LaFitte’s Blacksmith Shop, which is one of the oldest bars in the country.

The Avenue on St. Charles in the Garden District is a great place for an afternoon bender. Open 24/7, this crusty pub has an extensive beer menu and perhaps the city’s best jukebox. I spent a sunny afternoon downing shots of Jim Beam rye whiskey and Acadian Pilsner while shooting the shit with a construction foreman. Now that’s real drinkin.’

But be forewarned, the city’s liberal open-container laws enables souvenir hawkers and knick-knack vendors to prey on unsuspecting (drunken) visitors stumbling from bar to bar with their “go cups.” While I escaped the city with just a T-shirt (Jesus Loves You — The rest of us think you’re an asshole), my friend returned from New Orleans with a shamrock tattooed on his ass.??